Hi,

I had just leased my xB and I just purchased an AEM CAI. I was trying to install it today and I got stuck when I went to take off the three bolts to uninstall the OEM intake box. I am using a 10mm piece with a socket wrench and I have used WD-40 as well. NO matter how hard I try, none of these three bolts will budge! If anyone can help, that would be greatly appreciated!
I hate to be not even halfway done and be stuck in the middle of the installation.

And one more question.. when is the best time to get the first oil change? O have about 3500 miles.. Is it about time? Should I use Mobile one Synthetic oil?

Thank you for helping a xB newbie!

 

Don't know about the Intake, but YES use Mobil 1 Synthetic AND a Synthetic Oil Filter. If you use both you can go about 5k or more inbetween oil changes. If you have 3500 I would do the oil change. Also if you plan on using synthetic oil make sure you use it all the time or you defeat the purpose of using it!

 

Purpose of using synthetic on this car is?
I would say you should have changed your oil already, and to use regular oil and oil filters. Save your money on the 4.00 a Quart oil and save up for a Turbo and then you can have a reason to run it!

 

The bolts just need a little more muscle to get off, thats all. Give it more juice or just wait for the wd40 to work it loose for you.

 

Maybe give it a shot of Liquid Wrench?

 

Use a breaker bar... if you don't have one just find a piece of pipe that will fit over your socket wrench, or use a regular wrench "locked" onto the end of the socket wrench to increase the torque you are applying.


That pic with all the SRT4s is downright frightening... I didn't think that many people actually bought that monstrosity...

 

i second that

*sorry off topic*

 

mine were hella tight too. just takes a lil muscle.

 

Thanks for the props.
We have about 50 SRT-4's in Nor-cal. Atleast that we know about.
I want to set up a NOR*CAL SRT/SCION meet, So my wife can take her Scion and I can take my SRT . I think it would be some fun times to meet some of the Scion owners. Hopefully they are as cool as the SRT owners.
I had to change my sig, so for those of you that didnt see that pic here it is!

Here is a Norcal meet in Pleasanton.

 

*off sub. again, sorry*

i raced a srt4 tonight...i guess if that's what you wanna call it. he was short-shifting and wasnt W.O.T. and was still like 4 cars ahead of me by the top of second. it was stock and it sounded sic.

 

Sorry for the OT, but I think this is an important question.

Synthetic needs to be changed less often than "dino" (refined) oil. Synthetic oil pays for itself in that way alone.

If you were to take 3000 mile dino oil and put it in a clear jar, and do the same with any quality synthetic, you would know the difference. The dino oil is going to look like raw sewage, and the synthetic is gonna look almost new. Dino oil breaks down and turns to sludge. Synthetic oil has additives in it which isolates contaminants and holds them in suspension. The additives are what makes synth so expensive.

If you live in a place where the climate changes drastically between seasons (like Maine.. where it gets down to -20 quite often in the winter) Synthetic maintians its viscosity very well.. and dino oil turns to syrup when it gets cold and thins out when it gets warm.

I will say though, that in general, it's better to use dino oil during the break-in period of your car. New engines take advantage the added friction that dino oil causes in order to seat the rings properly. Taking that into consideration, now imagine running dino oil every day for the rest of your car's life.

 

Helpful hints for AEM 1st gen installation;

1. Remove the battery
2. Recheck all bolts for proper tightening.
3. If you have fog-lights, be sure the filter element is down on the pipe to avoid interferance with the back of the fog light bulbs. Or you could just cut the pipe short.

I instlled my own too and ran into a few correctable issues before I got it just right.