I documented my aftermarket steering wheel installation using the MOMO hub. Out of many different hubs available that was my choice due to its ability to retain the use of the spiral cable assembly. That part is important for keeping the Vehicle Stability System (VSC) and turn signal self cancelling functions. Another aftermarket hub that is suitable for that is made by Sparco.

The Door Lock Control relay is very sensitive to the electrical overload and can fail if extra care is not taken when modifying the dome light with the aftermarket LED's or adding load to the dome light circuit. Here is one example of the damage that can be caused by that:

We all have heard about the fuel line magnets, turbonators, throttle body spacers, hydrogen generators and miracle additives designed to make our cars more fuel efficient. They all come with claims of success and explanations of how and why they do what they do. Sometimes they even come with the test data. So here is another one:

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Megan and I have a sticker commitment problem.

Now please don't laugh, or at least if you do let it be in a friendly manner. I bought my first car decal at my first car show over four years ago, and it has taken me until today to actually put it on a vehicle. Yes, I have carried this token of automotive sentiment through four geographical relocations and two vehicles since and have never had the nerve to commit.

One of the tricky steps during the serpentine belt replacement on 1NZ-FE engine is moving the alternator to get the correct belt tension. Many installs ended with damaging the VVT Control Valve because it sits very close to the alternator. Extra care needs to be taken when working near the valve and its connector:

I have been contemplating this mod since the first day i had my xB. Just lowering the stock handle a little bit was all i wanted and thanks to Cliff/bbszero i got a shifter i could experiment with and not risk messing up my car.
Basic removal and disassembly steps for the Auto shifter are available here: http://scionlife.org/Scion_Docs/2004...t/overhaul.pdf
I took some pictures in the process that may help someone doing similar repair or modification work.

As usual, thanks to the generosity of a fellow forum member (you know who you are), I was able to cross another modification off of my Wish List this week. And I must admit that I'm glad with how smoothly it went. No major hiccups, only one *oh s**t!* moment, and the results are rather satisfying.

Okay, so I'm proud of myself. Last I checked, it wasn't a crime!

Being a fan of the traditional Japanese art, I have always looked with interest at the different traditions of flower arrangement they use in their interiors. Commonly known as ikebana, it has many styles, schools, and rules that need to be followed to properly express the beauty of nature and bring that into the space we live in. Free Style is a contemporary and recently developed art and suits me best: do how you feel and use what you got. I have always liked the popular car accessory of the past - the bud vase or blumenvase, as it is called in the VW world (which is how i got familiar with it). So here is my attempt to apply both of the traditions to my own car:

There's no denying the relationship between a car enthusiast and their car. It's special, sacred, and emotional whether they want to admit it or not.

Like most car owners my age, this is not my first vehicle. But I will confess that this is the first vehicle I've ever had that still makes my heart skip a beat beyond the first month of it being in my possession. I've also never been so protective over a vehicle before, which is why my heart was absolutely broken when someone tried to break into it a couple of weeks ago. The details aren't important, at least not for this telling, but what is important is how it has affected my *relationship* with my xB.

One of the most expensive and hard working parts installed on your Scion xB is the Catalytic converter. Its job is to clean up the exhaust gas (think of it as a furnace that burns up the harmful emissions and lets your car be as environmentally friendly as possible). It is installed close to the engine and its performance is monitored by the car's computer by comparing the readings from two Oxygen sensors: one before and one after the converter: