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Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

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Comments

  • leslieldfleslieldf Member Posts: 32
    I got the bulletin from the service dept. where I had the problem diagnosed. After reading through this entire section, I had all the info I needed (also recommend www.yotarepair.com) and they were very straightforward.

    I also told them I wanted proof to take to the dealership where I bought the car, although I just asked for the printout from the diagnostic reader. The service fellow gave me the TSb on his own. The TSB details are:

    Toyota Technical Service Bulletin, dated 08/18/00
    Title: M.I.L. "ON" DTC P0770
    (note...P0770 is the diagnostic code that is returned)
    Models: '00 Sienna
    There's a code "EG006-00" on the right hand side of the bulletin, looks like a label indicating a section.

    "Introduction Some 2000 model year Sienna vehicles produced within the VIN ranges below may exhibit a DTC with M.I.L. "ON" P0770 as a result of a torque converter manufacturing issue."


    "Applicable Vehicles 2000 model year Sienna vehicles produced within the following VIN and ATM serial number ranges."

    I gave these before. It also lists Parts Info, Required Tools, Repair Procedure and Warranty Information. But I think you have enough detail now to impress your dealership with what you know.

    I called the four dealers closest to me describing my problem and asking what experience they had with it...I took it (for the diagnostic - not repaired yet) to the one of the two that were upfront about it with me from the start.

    Your warranty allows you to go to ANY dealer, not just where you purchased if you don't trust them. Good Luck!
  • rms63rms63 Member Posts: 4
    Thank you very much. I called another dealer today very nice on the phone but only got through to sales guy. He refered me to service dept manager and I will call him tomorrow. The van is scheduled for T/C transplant tomorrow hopefully postoperative course will be uneventful. :). I will let you know what happens. I will like to get copy of the TSB will have to see what I can do. I will print out your above message, so again I thank you.
  • beckpbeckp Member Posts: 20
    Cblake,

    I bet you return a lot of meals back to the kitchen when you go out. I wonder how many make it back to you with a little something extra on it. Will you please lighten up.

    Suggestion on:
    Get rid of this horrible albatross called a Sienna so you'll get off this group. I'm sure I'm not the only one getting tired of your constant paranoia and complaining.
    Suggestion off:

    The dealer must love you. Remember the story of the boy who cried wolf?
  • rms63rms63 Member Posts: 4
    wouldn't it be easier to just skip posts from cblake if you are tired of them? I haven't read all of the posts but cblake has contibuted some helpful suggestions too.
  • danstuartdanstuart Member Posts: 8
    We have a 2000 LE w/7700 miles - Purchased 12/99.

    The van has performed perfectly until this last week when we started noticing two different (related?) problems.

    Please forgive the poor descriptions but each of these just started and have only happened a couple of times.

    1) When accelerating from a stop, the van seems to shudder or jump.

    2) When accelerating right after a stop (but not from a stop - and not in conjunction with the the first problem) the engine seems to lose its pick up. I notice that the tachometer seems to lock in at about 2200 RPM for a few seconds and then it shifts. This is very noticeable.

    If either of these problems sound familiar I would appreciate some feedback. We are taking the van to the dealer tomorrow but I am worried that they will not be able to reproduce the problems.

    This is my 5th Toyota (the other 4 being virtually problem free). I have a hard time believing something could be wrong with the transmission or some other major component on a 10 month old Toyota but I know from reading this forum that it can happen.
  • yupingyuping Member Posts: 8
    It seems still normal to me. If you give a hard acceleration, it would act like that. I think my 2000 LE also does this. However, if your dealer find something wrong, pls share with us.
  • readytobuy4readytobuy4 Member Posts: 24
    Have them check for sludge in the engine, ,,,,,,,, just kidding.

    Your LE is the same engine/transmission as the other Sienna models of that year, so it could be that others may share your same problem and have different models. (Make sense??)

    Try a few different options to get a better feel for the cause of the problem and to better describe it at the dealer. Using regular gas, try premium. Is the A/C on when accelerating, if so try doing it again with the A/C off. Is the engine warm or cold when it happens? Does it happen all the time or sporadically? The more info you have the easier it will be for the dealer to replicate the problem!!

    Good luck......
  • danstuartdanstuart Member Posts: 8
    My wife took to the van to the dealer today. They had a mechanic take it for a test drive with her and he noticed both of the problems I noted in my earlier post. They said they need to replace the transmission and they have already ordered a new one. I called the service advisor to find out if he knew the specific problem but he was not sure other than some "internal defect". The mechanic will likely have more information.

    I have surely lost a lot of faith in Toyota quality. I plan to call their consumer hot-line to press my case that I should be given an extended power-train warranty.

    I will place a future post after the replacement is completed.
  • rms63rms63 Member Posts: 4
    I picked up my van yesterday after T/C replacement, running better, alignment seems fine. Good luck to the rest of you awaiting the same.
  • ltastet1ltastet1 Member Posts: 12
    We have a 2000 XLE and I notice that there is dull clunking sound when backing up. It sounds like the spare tire being loose and hitting against the van. I checked and the tire was well secured. It might be one of the chairs in the back not secured properly. I'll check that next.

    So far I've had no problem with the T/C problem. I think it is because the van not made in production months that have this problem. I do notice that under hard acceleration, the van shifts hard from 1st to 2nd gear.
  • ncheneyncheney Member Posts: 1
    For anyone still out there experiencing T/C check engine light problems, just some reassurance.

    My light came on at 12 miles. T/C replaced about two months ago at about 1000 miles. No problems at all since then. Just had an oil change at about 3000 miles; car runs great, no sludge in the engine :-). Only minor irritant is that when they did the oil change, they put air in the tires and set off the tire pressure light. Supposedly, if you drive 5 miles at a sustained speed of 30 mph it will reset itself. Ha! I live in Silcon Valley. I haven't driven 30 mph sustained for 5 miles in years. Called Kevin at the service department (One nice thing about the T/C problem is you get to know all the service manager and assistant by first name) to help me find another way to reset it.

    Despite the T/C, still LOVE the car. Drives like a dream.
  • danstuartdanstuart Member Posts: 8
    I don't know about the clunking sound but the hard shift from 1st to 2nd is one of the problems we are having and our new transmission is on order. The mechanic that test drove our van noted that the transmission seemed to stick at times between 1st and 2nd gear. The sticking felt much more abnormal than the hard shift but they could be related. You may want to have it checked out.
  • lamm9733lamm9733 Member Posts: 37
    Take a look at my post #367. I believe this the noise you are hearing. Ignore the "extra" rhetoric which I included for cblake's benefit
  • calsiennacalsienna Member Posts: 3
    I wanted to make this post two weeks ago but had to leave town for business and am just now getting caught up. We were finally successful in getting an extended warranty given to us after requesting one (almost two months after asking).(post #221).

    We settled for the Gold Package because the Platinum, as near as I can tell, only extends the maximum miles, not the time frame (100K vs. 75K, 72 months for both) There's no way we would put 100K on in the first six years given the around town and occasional family trip use we have.

    I do feel much better about my 2000 Sienna LE and my faith in the dealer has been largely restored but I sure wish we hadn't had to persist so long and make so many phone calls (and a letter) to the dealer. In the two months it took to finally get the manager involved, I probably disparaged Toyota and the dealer a dozen or so times to friends who could potentially have been future customers. All for the lack of a concession retailing for under a $1,000 (who knows what the dealer cost is)!

    Again, if Toyota had stepped forward early on and offered the warranty to the Cursed T/C Sienna souls, all this agonizing, ill will, and bad press largely disappears. That is simply poor marketing and miserable customer service.

    From what I could discern, the dealer will eat the cost of the extended warranty unless they can convince Toyota to make good on it. That's probably why many dealerships are reluctant to give these warranties out like free popcorn. If I'm a Toyota dealer, I write it off as good customer service and marketing. Costs less than a couple of newspaper ads and the effect of not doing what's right lingers long in the customers' mind (compare that to yesterday's newspaper ad).

    The van's running great now, we do love it, and hopefully we can get on with our lives again. Car problems can really have a negative effect on one's happiness (sad, but true in this day). Thank you all who post; this site is a tremendous resource and I'll check back regularly. I LOVE WHAT YOU DO FOR ME...INTERNET!
  • rjsforjsfo Member Posts: 13
    Glad to hear that persistence paid off for you. I am still trying to work things out with the Dublin (CA) Toyota dealer's Customer Relations Manager and the Toyota Customer Assistance Center without much cooperation. Would you mind sharing the name of your dealer so that I can use it as a reference? Thanks, rjsfo
  • minimom4minimom4 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks JMSIMS for the info on Check Engine Light #733. We just took a long trip and have 800+ miles on our 01 XLE and the light has not returned. I'm starting to relax a little.

    For those still deciding on a vehicle, it was very comfortable and quiet on our trip. My 18mo. old son napped for almost 3hrs! He didn't do that in the old car. Also, the XLE's power driver's seat helps to reduce fatigue on long rides.
  • dardsondardson Member Posts: 21
    I was a little surprised several days into my driving experience to see Firestone tires on my just-arrived XLE. The demo I drove had Dunlop and I just kinda, sorta, assumed my ordered car would have Dunlop. I rarely buy a car that is not on the lot 'cause I hate surprises...and sure enough..... I get a surprise of Firestones. I realize these are not AT tires, that I'm not driving a high-center-of-gravity SUV, and that I wouldn't have thought a thing about it 8 months ago; nevertheless, I've heard and read enough on the Firestone panic to feel a bit uncomfortable. After all, I bought the damn thing (in part) because of Sienna's best-in-the-business crash ratings. Why would I want suspect tires?
    Anybody think this is an issue? Anybody have any problems with Firestones on their Sienna?
  • lamm9733lamm9733 Member Posts: 37
    Toyota has used both Firestones and Dunlops for quite some time (I believe since the intro in '98). There are many many posts in this "problems" forum complaining about the Firestones as related to "pulling" and "wandering". But from the descriptions these problems had more to do with the characteristics of driving a van (my van handles fine, but it will never compare to my Grand Am or Maxima) and/or alignment problems. I did not read any posts complaining about tire failures, traction problems, or poor stopping ability. My van happens to have the Dunlops (I think they might use the Dunlops with alloy rims, but do not know for sure). I ran Firestones on my previous vehicle with no problems.
  • ricardo202ricardo202 Member Posts: 5
    If you live in an area with snow or a lot of rain the Dunlops may be better for you. The Firestone tires have a B traction and a B temperature rating where the Dunlops have an A traction and B temperature rating. If I remember correctly, the tread rating on the Firestones was 500 and the Dunlops are 420 which is in favor of the Firestones. For me the traction is more important for safety reasons. I picked up a LE on Sat. and it had the Dunlops on it. I was happy as I live in Wisconsin. Personally, I think that it is a pretty poor decision on Toyota's part to put B rated tires on a 25K van. I do love the van so far.
  • dardsondardson Member Posts: 21
    (and thanks for the comment on my "B" grade tires, courtesy of Toyota) Same song, second verse.....My dealer (small city and hours away from another Toyota dealership)had no Sienna's with leather...so I didn't see (except in the brochure)nor drive one with leather. I drove a CE with cloth for 2 weeks while I waited for my leather clad XLE. The CE was very quiet, amazingly serene for a seven passenger people hauler, and smooth as butter. When I drove the new Sienna home, something didn't feel right. It was distinctly noisier. As my week progressed I began to realize the "lack of quiet" seemed due to the leather seat surfaces rubbing against one another. I finally took some silicone spray to what seemed to be the major noise-maker....one of the middle bucket seats. The damn seat sounded like two balloons being rubbed together.
    On top of the thought I may have to 'butter-up" my leather on a monthly basis, I have a nasty buzz behind the instrument panel, and the $265 luxo-mirror has no clue what direction I'm headed. These are NOT good omens for the future.
    I just traded out of a 28 month old Expedition without a rattle or problem. I'm now wondering if my PC decision to move out of a gas hog SUV to a "bullet-proof", not so sexy, but very practical Toyota Van was a mistake.
    Has anyone had my same leather problem? Do I need to treat it? Do I dare to have the guy's in the service department pull the dash? It's againts my better judgement to start taking this damn thing apart. Am I whining after 260 miles? Yes, maybe a little...but if I wanted a slightly squeeky minivan that needed the dash pulled to fix a rattle and a mirror replaced, I coulda bought a '97 Caravan for 20k less.
    All this said, I will admit it has one great engine and drive-train, which is what sold me on it. I have not had the "check engine" light come on nor any feel that the car wants to pull left or right; but when I buy a 30k car, I do not want the thing to rattle!
  • readytobuy4readytobuy4 Member Posts: 24
    Try having a $30k '00 XLE with less than 50 miles with the transmission torn out of it to replace the dreaded torque converter!!! So if it bothers you that much, let the dealer take the dash off, it may be a simple plastic clip that's broken.
    We do have leather and notice no squeaks or rattles. Although it's a good idea to keep the leather treated, it shouldn't be necessary to "butter up" everything just to keep it quiet.
    As far as tires are concerned, we asked the dealer (service manager) to swap out out original Firestone Affinity's with Michelin's and he obliged. It couldn't hurt to ask......
  • jbadamsjbadams Member Posts: 63
    Our new XLE with leather has the middle row squeak problem too. I did take some leather conditioner and smear on the leather which helped. The squeak occurs in the joint where the seat back and the seat bottom meet.

    There is a way to set your mirror compass. Drive around in a circle (according to the manual).

    The dash rattle can probably be fixed by the dealer. Good luck.
  • jcapelingjcapeling Member Posts: 1
    I am writing this in response to "readytobuy" and "akroger" I think you need to shutup sit down and do better homework before you slam someone else who is having Sludge problems!!!!!!!! Is this the only site you ever read? I just printed off 15 postings from "thecomplaintstation.com" about Toyota Sludge. Not only is it in the 1998 sienna's it is also in the Avalon's and Camary's 1995-2000! It seems that Toyota has messed up Royaly with there 3.0L V6 motor and now we (the consumer is going to pay for it! We were just told TODAY that Toyota will not honour its warranty for the 1/4 inch of sludge found in our Motor! We produced recipts for oil changes and filters. We did do our own maintenance and we WERE die hard Toyota owners and fans! But Guess what! Never again. If I wanted a piece of crap I would have bought a Ford but no I bought a Lemon!
    What Do you think I should do now? The cases are just coming out because People are realizing that they are NOT TO BLAME! The dealerships keep saaying we have never seen an engine like this before, but when we took it in the very fist time it started smoking they told us without even looking in the motor that Toyota warranty wouldn't cover sludge! Isn't that remarkable that they have that insite! Maybe you could help and be part of the solution before someone gets hurt! We are not being taken care of and Didn't 'Toyota Boast best vehicle, best SERVICE! Do a little looksee for yourself and you will notice that there are alot of folks with this problem.We didn't all NOT take care of our vehicles!
  • danstuartdanstuart Member Posts: 8
    We had the torque converter and transaxle replaced this week. The dealer was very efficient. I haven't driven the van much since the repair but there was a noticeable difference in the shifting. My wife, who drives it everyday also noticed a big difference. My recommendation to anyone who feels either shuddering or hesitation when their van shifts gears is to have it checked out. This is not normal.
  • readytobuy4readytobuy4 Member Posts: 24
    Maybe it's time for you to get to the next level and graduate from Valium to Prozac. I think you should take a hard look as to who is "slamming" who! Take a look at my postings, #361 and #368, do you see me telling anyone to shutup? NOT!!

    This forum is for Toyota Sienna owners to voice their concerns about problems, not to lash out at one another. If you read my postings I only questioned some of the symptoms that "abcdefg6" described about his/her sludge problems. To reiterate a statement I made, " asking questions does not equate to laying blame". I also sympathized with this Sienna owner if in fact the vehicle was properly maintained yet suffered from sludge. I also questioned "cblake" about gathering information about this problem-NO RESPONSE!

    I'm sure you're upset about your sludge problem, I can't say I blame you. I took a look at "thecomplaintstation" website and noticed 9 (not 15-some people had multiple postings) other Sienna owners who shared your sentiment. Not 1 of them stated that they had a sludge problem after having changed their oil every 3,000 miles as recommended by Toyota. Actually, Jim Garrison states that he changed his oil at 7,500 miles, Steve Weiss went 6 months without changing his oil, taxiguy changed his oil at 8,000 miles and Neal Boggs had only 2 oil changes with 10,000 miles. I'd don't think many people would consider these vehicles well maintained.

    The only point I want to drive home is that if sludge were such a widespread problem than there would be more people posting their issues on Edmund's (less than a handful) and "thecomplaintstation" (9). Everyone has the option of changing their oil whenever they want, but if you do so every 5,000-8,000 miles you're only asking for problems. I'm sure it also depends on your driving habits and road conditions, since there are probably people out there who do change their oil within this range, but why tempt fate? Spend the $15-$25 on a regular oil change now and save yourself $5000-$8000 down the road.........
  • toyotasiennatoyotasienna Member Posts: 1
    My '99 Sienna makes this noise too. It only started this year though ... maybe it's a Y2k problem? LOL Seriously, it is a disturbing sound. The first time it happened, I thought I hit someone or something, or that maybe the engine fell out!

    It's not that the seats aren't locked in properly, at least in my case.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    ...major problem in a new vehicle is frustrating, but please keep your comments directed towards the situation and not the person making the comments.

    Thanks!
    KarenS
    Vans host
  • cblake2cblake2 Member Posts: 53
    This noise is becoming more pronounced in my '99 van. It happens each time I back out of my driveway now. What's wrong with these brakes?

    cblake@erols.com
  • cblake2cblake2 Member Posts: 53
    "Readytobuy4," you said there was no response from me re: the sludge issue. Hardly true. It is true, however, that I will focus on networking with owners with the problem, not spin doctors. My van is smoking a bit now. I am keeping a watchful eye, rest assured.

    "Jcapeling," it is easy to understand why you are so angry. Who wouldn't be if they were told that they needed to be responsible for a new engine in a van less than 2 years old! Please do continue to find out more information. There are many owners who will appreciate it. "Readytobuy4," like Toyota, has made up his mind. You should not be compelled to defend yourself against such narrow-minded perspectives. The truth will speak for itself if the problem is of greater magnitude than Toyota claims.

    As for the regular oil changes in the 3,000 mile range, I will venture to say that IF there IS a defect, this measure will only serve to POSTPONE the inevitable demise of the system. I.E. Owners might get past the warranty period before the problem surfaces. I'd like such owners to come forward to support this theory, if possible.

    Let's not forget that IF there is an inherent problem, changing the oil more frequently will NOT solve the problem. It will merely delay it. This will make Toyota happy because then it can say, not only is the only is the owner to blame, but the warranty period is over. An owner who does not have the information that "jcapeling" has might lack the confidence to stand up for himself/herself. More power to the "jcapelings" out there!

    cblake@erols.com
  • billsfambillsfam Member Posts: 1
    I read in Edmunds that the 01 Sienna has an updated engine that "requires" premium gas. I can't see why Toyota would do that, but anyway, the dealer representative (in VA) told me that the 01 Sienna was not restricted to premium and would take regular unleaded with no adverse effects. I asked him if I would get reduced performance or reduced engine life if I chose to use regular unleaded. He said no, I wouldn't suffer any adverse effects by using regular unleaded in the 01 Sienna. Can anyone inform me about this? I'm wondering if the owners manual "recommends" premium, and if you chose to neglect it, you do so at your own risk. If so, that's much different from what the dealer told me.
  • readytobuy4readytobuy4 Member Posts: 24
    I will try my best to acknowledge the recent request made Karen S., our host(ess), by keeping these postings directed to actual Sienna problems and not the person making the comments, which you have elected to ignore by calling my viewpoint on this sludge issue "narrow minded".

    I can understand why you believe everyone should unite together and fight the big monster called Toyota after the numerous complaints you have listed on "Edmund's" and "The ComplaintStation" websites. To date I have counted 15-20 problems you've had with your Sienna, Camry and other prior vehicles. Whew, everyone must be out to get you!!!

    I invited you to provide any substantial FACTS that people who have properly maintained their Sienna's have had sludge problems-I have yet to see any! I even went so far as to give you list of those people who claimed to have sludge problems on "The ComplaintStation" who in actuality did NOT change their oil as recommended by Toyota, but they too want to point the finger at someone. Your theory about changing oil every 3,000 miles, as recommended by the company that built the van-TOYOTA, who I would think would know more about maintaining the Sienna than you, is only prolonging the inevitable sludge problem-is ridiculous!!! Let's see, if the manual says I should fill up with gas when my "low fuel" light comes on, and I don't and run out of gas, I better blame someone-lookout Toyota!!!!

    I again, invite you to substantiate any evidence-like factual documentation from you or someone "within your network" who actually changed their oil every 3,000 miles and still had the sludge problem. Why not provide this information and their email addresses as well, just to make sure this information is legitimate. Otherwise, why not take your speculative theory and discuss it in greater detail with your psychologist.....
  • driver40driver40 Member Posts: 1
    My new 2000 Sienna CE with 3k mi. has been pulling to the right since day 1. Does anyone else have this problem? Could it be due to the torque converter which I've heard so much about lately on the message board? Thanks.
  • eveaevea Member Posts: 1
    Having problems with the sliding power door on my 2000 Sienna. It has even opened by itself a few times. Has been in the shop 5 times and problem continues. Have requested arbitration. Any suggestions/information on this process very much appreciated.
  • lamm9733lamm9733 Member Posts: 37
    Read my post #367. I think your questions (regarding the noise)will be answered if you visit an independent third party as I suggested.
  • ricardo202ricardo202 Member Posts: 5
    The manual states that you must use gas with an Octane Rating of 87 or greater. They recommend using premium gas with a rating of 91 for improved performance. I haven't been able to tell the difference, but I haven't been pushing it as it is so new. For what it's worth, my dealer filled it with premium and I will be using regular(87)
  • dardsondardson Member Posts: 21
    ty for the response.....u are exactly right...the squeeky seats are in the middle row where the leather on the bottom of the back rubs a metal bar at the base of the seat....curious that after 4 years they have not corrected this.....my mirror is slowly getting better...I did not see the part in my book that said to drive in circles....interesting and I will try that....still have the now-and-then buzz in the dash....I suspect alot of the problem is the car is so darn quiet, every little noise is obvious....when the blower is going or the radio is on, I hear nothing....is that a good problem to have, or do I wish the the power-train was a little more intrusive to drown out any minor squeek???? lol I feel considerably better this week. No lights coming on, no pulling to the left or right, no transmission curiousities, and 18mpg first fill-up. Think I may have to avoid this site. It's got me paranoid. Thanks again for the comments!
  • lamm9733lamm9733 Member Posts: 37
    I too have the squeaky dash. It is most prevalent when the air temp is cool below 50 F. It seems to disappear as the van (inside temp) warms up. The noise is coming from the clear plastic cover for the instrument cluster...right at the top center. If you apply light pressure (at that location) with a finger when the noise is occurring, the noise stops. Previous posts have suggested squirting a small bead (with a syringe)of clear silicone in this location to stop the squeak. I have not done this and probably won't as the noise disappears in the first five minutes of driving.
  • dcikshdciksh Member Posts: 7
    I just got a 2001 Sienna XLE with VSC option. After a week driving the van, the "VSC" and "Track Off" light came on (without touching the track on/off switch). I pushed the traction control on/off switch and the lights would not go away. I drove the van to work called dealer and made appointment for the same day. Drove the van to the dealer around noon time while the lights are still on. The service guy came out and I restart the engine to show the service guy the lights and it went off.

    Just wondering if anyone experienced the same problem.
  • gus22gus22 Member Posts: 1
    Help! Has anyone had a problem with a bad suspension causing premature wear on the tires? My year 2000 LE has 25,000 miles on it. All four tires are severely cupped and the ride is horrible. There is also a spring like "boing" noise that is heard occasionally (once a week), mostly when taking a left hand turn at slow speeds.

    The dealer says the tires are to blame and to see Firestone. Firestone says there is a suspension problem. An idependent mechanic found no problems with the suspension. Tire pressure could be suspected but the Firestone guy doesn't think all 4 tires would wear like this from a pressure problem. I never really checked the pressure but the car went to the dealer for all checkups and oil changes. They are supposed to check the pressure as part of that.

    The car had been to the dealer 3 times for the "boing" problem and nothing has been found. Now the tires are worn bad at 25,000 and they are supposed to be good to 60,000.

    The dealer is bringing in a "factory rep" to look at the car next Friday. Any suggestions?
  • pslin100pslin100 Member Posts: 3
    I bought a 2001 Sienna LE two weeks ago. The car comes with a Towing Package. From the Sienna brochure, it has mentioned that Towing package includes Dual Auto Air Conditioner, Transmission Oil Cooler and Revised Cooling Fan Control Logic. Can someone tell me what is "Revised Cooling Fan Control Logic"? Does it mean an automatic A/C? Thanks!
  • rk2001rk2001 Member Posts: 1
    Two weeks after i bought my new Sienna 2001 LE, i had the check engine light on. 4 trips to the dealership and many arguments later, i am still stuck with this problem. Do anyone else have this problem or am i the only one in this world to have this..
  • alingaling Member Posts: 598
    refers to the engine cooling fan. The activation thresholds are probably altered slightly (the fan may turn on at a lower engine temp.) to accomodate for the extra load when towing. In any case, the things that come with the towing package will not hurt the vehicle in any way. A tranny cooler is always a nice thing to have for an extra margin of protection.

    Hope this helps!
    Drew/aling
    Townhall Community Leader/Vans Conference
  • jmsimsjmsims Member Posts: 14
    rk2001- You need to first tell us what the 'problem' is. What was the diagnostic trouble code that triggered the check engine light? Your Toyota service department should be able to give you that information after connecting a code scanner to your vehicle. And what did the service advisor say about the cause?

    pslin100- The towing package also includes higher airflow fans for the radiator. The fans are labeled T1 and T2 if you have them (otherwise S1 and S2). According to my 2000 service manual, the fans initially come on wired in series (stage 1 temp), then they come on in parallel (stage 2 temp) if needed. This is the case for vehicles with and without the towing package, as far as I can tell. The schematics are slightly different, but it's not obvious what the difference in 'control logic' is.
  • dardsondardson Member Posts: 21
    Gulf States Dist. strikes again...in the above post praniw mentions what I believe to be a distributor option (Gulf States to be specific) ....Audiovox Security Key. Gulf States has a habit of loading cars with their own high profit options which I doubt are up to Toyota standards. Long story, but I drove an '01 CE demo for 2 weeks while I waited for the specific XLE I wanted. It had the Gulf States added security system which was just about the most confusing thing I ever used. I kept setting the alarm off...never did figure out why....twice it wouldn't start even after I got the dang thing to stop honking. There was a 3 or 4 second delay from the time you pushed the lock button until it activated, and then it turned the lights on to afirm the lock (which did little good during the day), and you had to hold it just right and be within 18" of the car to make the thing work. My XLE has came standard with the Toyota Security PKG. Very logical, audible beep when you lock it and 2 audible beeps when you unlock, and works about 10-15 feet away. Simple and effective. My pet peeve is Gulf States Dist. adding second rate options to a first rate car. My only Gulf States add is the electronic mirror which has not worked properly since I got the car.
  • ny25champsny25champs Member Posts: 6
    Hello to everyone. This is my second try at this. I hope I get it right this time. We bought an 01 Sienna at the end of Sept. It was delivered with 73 miles on it. At 139 miles on it we brought it in for a rattling noise in the engine. We were told it was due to bad valve spring(s), which were replaced. The dealer still heard noise and was given the okay by Toyota to replace the lower engine block. I was told they found improperly machined wrist pins.
    We called Toyota customer service to voice our complaint that we were not being given a new van but instead had to settle for a van with a rebuilt engine. We were told it was covered under the warranty. Even though it does not fall under our "lemon" law yet we are taking them to arbitration in hopes of getting a new van. Hey, if you buy anything else and it's faulty, you can return it. Why not a van, or any auto for that matter? Especially when you lay out that kind of money.
    Has anyone else out there had this problem with their engine? If so, please respond. Any help in winning our case would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
  • bpsrch0001bpsrch0001 Member Posts: 2
    I own a '98 Sienna XLE. The reason I chose a Sienna was Toyota quality and reliability. But I have been disappointed with the quality and reliability of my sienna. Now my van is in the service of the dealership. Let me list the problems I have had with my Sienna XLE.

    1. Squeaking/squealing noise from the brake: I complained it a few times and the dealer tried to fix it cleaning surface of drums, etc., but I have been hearing the noise since 98 until now.
    2. Rattling and squeaking noise from somewhere right-side sliding dooor or chairs while driving. Never disappears.
    3. Yesterday, the transmission was dead. So embarrased and frustrated. The car won't move, only growling. How come the transmission of a Toyota car which is less than three years old just died?

    I have to seriously reconsider the future purchasing plan for another Toyota.

    From a frustrated Sienna owner
  • muddin2muddin2 Member Posts: 1
    Own a 2000 Sienna. Had tires balanced/rotated and alignment done every 5K miles. Was told by Firestone, at 5K miles, that the rear tires are cupped. It only got worse over the months. Had to replace 4 tires at 14.5K miles due to severe cupping problem. I have always checked the tire pressure and still I had this problem. The Firestone mechanic told me that about 10% of Toyotas rolling off the assembly line have their tires balanced and the rest are not. Had to fight tooth and nail with Discount Tires (a subsidiary of Goodyear) and Dunlop to get new tires. Had to pay 50% for the replacement tires. Have 19K miles on the tires now and no problem. The OEM was Dunlop (owned by Godyear) and now have Yokohama S306.
    I had the same problem with my '95 Camry. The Goodyear Invicta's had to be repalced at 34K. Put Futura (a Pep Boys house brand) and no cupping problem at 65K.

    I spoke to people who own Lexus with Goodyear tires. They have the same story. Do not expect the original Toyota tires to last more than 35K-no matter what you do.

    Toyota may use good parts in its vans/cars, but the tires they put in are cheap. If you ever buy Toyota, make sure you have the tires balanced before you step outside the dealership.
  • dardsondardson Member Posts: 21
    I find I love the first rate engine and powertrain. It drives beautifully and handles pretty much like a car (coming out of an Expedition I feel like I got a sports car). On the other hand, the interior has too many squeaks and rattles (my two year old Ford had a nearly silent interior). Yesterday, I took the rear seats out of my leather-clad Sienna XLE to move some stuff and realized the odd noises were considerably reduced. Now all I have to do is take out the middle row Captain's Chairs and I'll have a relatively quiet 30k automobile. I find it hard to believe Toyota can't make seats that don't jiggle around like a bucket of bolts. I'm disappointed and surprised at how loose and sloppy the tolerances in their rear seats seem to be. Maybe Toyota got some help from GM designing the seats....lol....they get a C- from me.
  • kathie7kathie7 Member Posts: 1
    I have a '99 Sienna. The inside tread of the front tires was worn to the point of disappearing at 25,000 miles. I replaced the Dunlop tires that were the original equipment on the van. I replaced the tires at an independent tire dealership because I did not want to be short-changed twice by Toyota. I have my van serviced at all the recommended maintenance points suggested in the manual. I was charged for tire rotations at the appointments. I am not sure that the rotations were actually done as no mention of the premature wear was ever pointed out to me. Time to resort to chalk marks.
  • danbuerkedanbuerke Member Posts: 3
    Have 2000 Sienna LE with 12,000 miles.

    I hear a whining or buzzing noise with a pitch which seems to follow the transmission through gear shifts. Most noticeable from within van. Reminds me of the noise from past attributed to distortion in radio from vehicle electrical system.

    Complained to dealer. Canned response "No problems found at this time.".

    Does anyone else notice this annoying noise? I am most concerned that it is transmission.
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