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It was not that hot because this happened at about 0800. We called Toyota and of course they said it wasn't covered by warrantee and we got the impression that they thought we were lying.
Swear to God I have never seen such a thing. There was a big hole in the center of the window and all the glass was on the OUTSIDE of the car.
Has this ever happened to anyone else or have you heard about it happening?
BLAM!
Sounded like a cherry bomb went off inside the car.
Huge jagged hole in the window and all the rest "spider" webbed, totally fragmented.
I have since learned that it is not all that unusual an event.
Undetectable manufacturing defect leaves the glass under severe internal stress and eventually it just lets go.
As a result, I typically just turn the lights on and leave them on. That's the only way I've found to get proper instrumentation lighting on gray days.
I wonder if the auto setting is adjustable, so I could have it turn the lights on a bit sooner than it normally would?
one solution is to take the bulb out and clean the connector (socket) with a little brush
Bridgestone replaced two of the original Dueller tires, a dealer claimed to replace a front half-shaft (although I later found out they didn't, because the tech claims he didn't have the right tool for the job), the dealer replaced all of the original tires with Michelin Cross Terrains, another dealer attempted to diagnose it by pulling a new Highlander off the lot, then switching parts with mine, including both front half-shafts plus the main driveshaft to the rear wheels, and nothing worked.
Then, the dealer took off the factory steel wheels and put on a set of factory alloys. That made the vibration go away . . . for awhile. Now it's coming back. This tells me all they did was mask the symptoms; they didn't really solve the problem.
Toyota did try to fix it, so I have to give them credit for that. However, they haven't been able to do so, so I've decided to dump it. It's a shame, because it only has 38K miles, and it's been an exemplary vehicle otherwise. This has not been a happy ownership experience.
For me, I notice the vibration first in the steering wheel. If you lift your hands off the wheel, you see it shake from left to right. Then you can begin to feel it through your feet, in the floorboards, and finally, the seats start to shake. This comes and goes as you're driving on the highway. Eventually, the CD cases start rattling in their holder, which is what it was doing before they installed the factory alloys. The only way to make it stop was to slow down to below 55. Now, the steering wheel is starting to shake again, so I know it's coming back.
Anyway, my suggestion to you, if you want, is start an arbitration process. When Toyota officials start calling you, asking if you'd like to give them a chance to "fix" it, say "no." Once your vehicle is past the 3-year, 36K warranty period, you are no longer eligible for arbitration, which is where I'm at. I suppose I could go to court, but that would be on my dime, whereas Toyota pays for the arbitration process.
I phoned Toyota today, and they say there is no service bulletin regarding this problem on this vehicle. So, if they in fact know that a problem exists, they still don't know how to fix it.
Good luck to you.
'Course, maybe the dealer who swapped parts swapped these brake parts, too.
Driveshaft vibration wouldn't come and go, or get worse the longer you drive.
There have been many posts about warped rotors on this forum, and my 2001 will exhibit signs of warped rotors if I get the brakes hot.
I'll bet yours is an extreme case, and that new rotors and calipers would fix it.
And beware the often stated advice to properly and evenly torque the lug nuts.
After four years of diagnosis experimentation, with nothing better than a temporary cessation of symptoms, I'm tired. I want out of this relationship.
But thanks for the suggestions . . . it might help someone else. If there is some miracle epiphany at the dealership tomorrow, I'll come back here to report.
jrfiero, excellent deduction on possible cause -- I was trying to theorize the cause myself but wasn't able to come up with anything that would explain why replacing the wheels would only temporarily resolve the problem until I read your post!
The dealer service rep said that if the rotors were warped, I'd feel a vibration on braking, and I don't. He said the calipers wouldn't be contributing to the problem. He said they have a test they can perform, where they place a micrometer on the rotor, then spin it, to see if it's warped. The test costs $75, which would come out of my pocket, and he said he wouldn't recommend it if I'm not feeling any vibration on braking.
The service rep said the technician drove it, and he claimed it felt like a wheel was out of balance. (Every technician always says that.) They wanted to perform a $63 wheel balance, which they said was the only thing they could do. Of course, the wheels have been balanced dozens of times before without eliminating the vibration, so why bother.
I just wanted to confirm that there were no factory bulletins on the problem, and the rep said there are not. I didn't want a dealer technician continuing to experiment, especially since I would now have to pay for it, and the odds of anyone ever figuring out the problem are slim.
It's time to get rid of it; good luck to any of the rest of you experiencing similar symptoms.
Back in Sept 2004, after a year of "monitoring" the situation, the dealer replaced the piston rings and valve seals on the engine. They told me that the oil rings were seized. I accepted that explanation since it sounded reasonable.
I don't do all that much highway long distance driving so it was not until this last week during my family vacation trip that I found out that the problem is not solved. A 1200KM trip required 6 quarts of oil.
I found it down 2 quarts at the first fuel stop, which was after about 300 miles at 65-70 mph (2700-3000 rpm). One more quart went in at about 450 miles.
I then experimented a bit on a side trip one day and kept the speed down around 55-60 for 180 miles and it did not use a drop of oil. On the return leg of that trip, I let the speed move up again to my normal cruising range of 65-70 and sure enough, another quart of oil disappeared. It took 3 more quarts to get home. Right now, its down at least one quart, since I wanted the dealer to see that there is oil missing since they did oil and filter about 1800 miles ago.
Can anybody comment on what is going on with this engine? I don't know enough about the internals to make an informed argument with the dealer who I will be visiting tomorrow. I still have warranty (60000 mile/ 5 year power train) and Im pretty sure they will have to do something, but since they have already DONE a partial rebuild and not fixed the problem, what should I suggest they look at since its obviously more than rings and valve seals. Having the car laid up for a week or more at a time with no loaner is a PItA.
Any advise or insight would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Skutflut
Example: I had a driver's door power window noise which was different than the other windows, but it still worked. I noted it every time I went to the dealer, and they always said it was fine. Warranty ran out, noise got worse, dealer said I needed a new regulator assembly, I pointed out my previous complaints, and Toyota paid for fixing it.
Also, a front wheel bearing replacement was covered under the 5yr/60,000 mile warranty, which isn't to say calipers and rotors are, but it's close.
You don't have vibration under braking? Does it go away under braking? Curious.
Worn or damaged main bearings,connecting rod bearings,camshaft bearings and crank shaft journals.
Distorted cylinders, clogged PCV valve, worn valve stems and guides, dirty cooling system and worn timing gear chain.
You are a good candidate for a new engine. Toyota cannot check these possibilities without a complete engine tear down.
Hope you kept good service records, especially the oil changes. Take your records with you and demand a new engine. good luck.
Are there any puddles under the vehicle?
You might try having someone drive behind you at highway speeds to see if they can see any leakage.
Is there smoke coming out of the tailpipe?
If you are using this much oil, if it was going through the rings, you would get a lot of smoke.
I'm a little skeptical of the "oil rings were seized" story.
Rings can wear or crack, which will cause oil consuption, and will also cause a lot of smoke, but I've never heard of seized. If anything involving the rings seized, I would think that this would cause cylinder wall damage that just replacing the rings would not fix.
I would push for a new engine or complete overhaul.
I have a 2002 that uses no oil between changes.
Good luck.
I have complete service records from the selling dealer, and they are the only ones who have ever been under the hood. The engine has 56000KM (33,000miles) on it. They are going to send the valve covers out for some cleaning process on Monday to see if some obscure valve (PCV?) is clogged. Apparently, this item is very difficult to get at and cannot be inspected visually. The service manager told me they had another incident with a 3.0L engine since mine was torn down, and it turned out that this valve was clogged and allowing high pressure to build up in the crankcase forcing oil into the combustion chambers.
I then have to put some high speed mileage on it to see if the problem is solved or not. If its not, then we start discussing engine replacement.
As far as leakage goes, there is none. That much oil would certainly show and we were both under the car today and there is no sign of any oil leakage or telltale oil spatter on the underbody area. This oil is going out the engine via the tail pipe but at 70 MPH with the tinted glass, I cannot see the blue smoke trail. Its probably there but I will need to get somebody to follow me, or have somebody else drive it and follow them to see for myself.
As far as inspecting all the other engine parts, they claim that everything was in good shape except for the rings being seized in the grooves of the pistons. They say that they replaced the rings with a slightly thinner version (undersized) to allow the rings to float better in the grooves. I do not know if this is valid or BS. In any case bearings etc are supposed to be good.
No, I'm glad to say I don't have any vibration problems while breaking (smooth as glass), but I only have 15K miles on my '01 and I drive quite conservatively in terms of acceleration and breaking, so I figure I'm not too likely to experience the warping rotors problem.
......thanks desertguy for the clarification. (Boy, you're sure educated on California law for someone who lives in Phoenix.)
We would also be remiss if we didn't point out that under the law if the customer wants his/her money back as opposed to receiving a new vehicle, the dealer is required to so grant this and cannot force a new vehicle on the customer. (However the dealer is allowed to deduct from the reimbursement wear and tear based on mileage the new vehicle has been driven).
In any case hopefully we're in agreement that retropia is probably entitled to a new vehicle or a reimbursement as, even though he doesn't live in California and is passed the 18 month point, he's still entitled to basic legal rights for consumers, and the problem occurred while the vehicle was under warranty and the dealer was unable to resolve the problem after several attempts. (Any lawyers out there?)
Now I am wondering if there was some reason why the plugs were not installed. I live in Florida and possibly the open holes let moisture out? Why were the plugs not installed at the factory? I would call my salesman and ask but he seemed like an idiot and he would probably just feed me a story. Anybody know about they plugs?
Ken
I have 4 warning lights on my dashboard and the dealership can't find the cause for them. VSC, ABS, BRAKES, and TRAC OFF. The car rides fine but the ABS locks up slightly sometimes when coming to a stop. They have had my HL for 4 days now! A body shop worked on a minor repair to the back of my car and now this has happened. Anyone?
Someone asked for the name of the dealer. I am not sure this forum should be used to badmouth a particular dealer even though they seem to deserve it. Someone fill me in on the protocol here. The dealer is in northeast Florida.
Good luck. Baring any problems, the job should not take more than 15 minutes.
And apparently the engine valve clearances need to be checked only every 60,000 miles. One hit on Google mentioned that the camshafts have to be removed to change the valve clearances. I have seen this on motorcycles, but not on passenger vehicles. I am assuming that the valves won't need adjusting even at 60,000 miles but just in case -- do the camshafts really have to be removed to change the shims? If so, does this mean removing the timing chain and disassembling the entire front of the engine? I am not exactly worried about his because I am pretty sure the valves won't need adjusting. My Honda Accord, with rocker arms, went 107,000 miles without needing a valve adjustment and the valve train on the Toyota 2AZ-FE looks more bulletproof than the Honda's.
What makes this funny is that I was pleased to find out that the Highlander engine has a timing chain instead of a timing belt. I thought that would simplify maintenance. But if the camshafts ever have to be removed, the timing chain might make it more difficult.
I would love to know more about this engine. Any gearheads out there who can fill me in on the details or recommend a source of reference material? I really like to know more about the technical details then are given in the owner's manual.
Thanks for your info. I also had to normalize the sunroof. It worked as per your directions. I don't understand why the dealers don't do this as part of the car prep or at the factory.
Much appreciate the info.
tpoz
I agree 100%. It is unbelievably stupid for a dealer not to automatically normalize the sunroof before delivery. There may be a reason why it is not done at the factory since it is included in the owner's manual but as far as I'm concerned there is no excuse for the dealer not doing it. I had to do it on mine and it is no big deal, but it starts you off on your HL ownership with a bad impression of their service right off the bat.
The rubber plugs cover two points which are used for securing the car during delivery. The emergency towing eyes found in the tool storage area are screwed into these points at the factory and then ued to tie the vehicle down during delivery to the inwards port or dealership. They are then removed and placed in the tool storage area, one going into a plastic clip and the other just lieing around. The rubber plugs should be placed over the tie down points as, hopefully there will never be a need for a tie down point again.
Cheers
Graham
Mine now has 67,000 miles. It's never towed anything, and the fluid has never been changed. The fluid looks and and smells fine. I'll probably change it next year or so, but purely as a preventative measure - that is, if I haven't bought something else by then (I really want something with a manual transmission). All in all, the 4-speed auto is more reliable than the 5-speed in the V-6, and behaves better as well. However, if you are going to tow something for any great distances, you should change the fluid at 50-60k miles.
My valve lifters sound fine as well. Yes, adjusting them is crazy hard. But odds are you'll never have to. My '96 Maxima had the Nissan VQ V-6 that used the same method of valve adjustment, and it's still never been adjusted. Now at 130k+.
This is a great powertrain. I've owned it for only 6 months, but it consistently amazes people who ride in it for the first time how smoothly, quietly, and powerfully this engine can move this 3500 lb. vehicle. Averaging over 20 mpg as well.
All I can recommend is going to synthetic oil at about 1000 - 2000 miles, and use the Toyota filter (less than $6 regular, and less than $4 on a monthly sale). I've been using Mobil 1 for many years, and now they have oils rated for up to 15,000 mile changes. The Toyota air filters are a great value as well - $15 or less on sale.
Enjoy your Highlander!
I am planning to at least measure the valve clearances myself after 60,000 miles and am pretty confident that is all that will be needed. I am still puzzled over the very limited list of maintenance items though. Okay, I guess it is possible the automatic transmission fluid will last for 120,000 miles, with gentle use. But what about the brake fluid. Most car companies recommend changing it every two years or so because it is hygroscopic and the water in it will boil when the fluid gets hot and can also cause rusting. I guess it is possible that changing it when new brake pads are installed is often enough so they don't see any point in making it a separate item.
The funny thing is that when I bought my Highlander the dealer seemed more interested in making money then prepping my car properly. I can't figure out why the maintenance schedule doesn't give him a chance to make more money. Not much profit in oil changes.
On US spec vehicles, when you are within 500 miles of the next interval, the light flashes after startup for 15-30 seconds as a reminder. Within 50 miles of the next interval, the light stays on until reset.