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Alan
I would like to send a strong message to Toyota that this kind of lousy design and quality control is going to lose them customers. My Highlander is only three years old, with about 27,000 miles -- in other words, just past guarantee. If it hadn't been for this forum I might not have realized how serious a problem the loose knob could turn in to.
For those of you who might have the same problem: if your heat control knob suddenly starts feeling shaky, just pull the plastic knob straight off. You will see the flat nut right behind the knob. I wouldn't tighten it too much for fear of breaking something . . . that is why I carefully put a little Loctite on the threads. The nut takes an 11 mm wrench, by the way.
Thanks again for this forum and all the useful information on it.
I changed the fob battery per one answer to my original post. It's been almost 2 weeks and the car hasn't "auto-locked" since the battery change.
I'll post if it comes back but it's appearing that a weak fob battery was the cause. Thanks all.
Phil
Thanks
Any alternator/regulator input would be helpful. BTW the bearing in the old Alternator felt "gritty" when spun, was probably the reason the battery took a crap. :confuse:
I have an 04 Highlander....Underneath the front there is a plastic piece that covers the undercarriage of the car. At some point, I went up onto something and the plastic cracked. It is now interfering with my tire when I take a hard turn. I suppose I should take it to the dealership , but expect to be charged a mint...ideas???thanks
The whole trouble and expense of repairing the problem can be avoided by just tightening that nut, a 5 minute job. Even after reading the postings on this forum I was surprised to find mine was loose. Believe me -- it is worth checking.
About 2 weeks after replacing Alternator and Battery, All my idiot lights would come on when I got on the expressway. All dash lights (MIL malfunction indicator lights) would come on, VSC,tire press, anti skid, brakes lites). But during around town driving, lights would go off. Next day, went to dinner, lites came on during expressway ride. After dinner was driving in parking lot and lites came on, and VSC started locking up brakes, and limiting power to engine?? Pulled ABS fuse, and drove home, took to dealer next day. They diagnosed as a bad stereing wheel position switch ($340 part $300 labor=$700) Talked and confirmed with mechanic, he said definetly is the problem. Had it R&R'd, next day, lights came on again. Took mechanic for drive and showed him problem. He used scan tool, found small metal piece in right wheel ABS pick-up. Problem resolved. 2 weeks no issue. They claim steering position switch was bad. I think I bought a $340 part that I didn't need. Thought I'd share my experience...Still pretty happy with vehicle, only $1000 total in repairs in 80K miles...not bad. Note when ECM gets a fault, all MIL lites come on... :confuse:
Also, when I dropped off the car at the dealer, I asked them to look into the heating issue that a lot of you here have been mentioning. I have had this problem too and after reading the posts here noticed that the nut under the temp control knob was loose. I did not tighten it, wanted to see what the dealer would do. No surprise, they told me that the whole heating module would need to be replace! I have since then spent 2 minutes to tighten the nut and the heater is working just fine.
This is my second Toyota, and this whole experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I would have to think twice before buying Toyota again.
I would like to know how its done
On the heat control issue, I hope your problem is solved but would like to point out that most of the postings have indicated that this is a two-part problem.
First: The nut works loose and the heat control rheostat slops around on its mounting. This alone is not enough to immediately cause a problem, but if left loose it puts stress on the wire connections and they eventually break. That is when the heat control becomes intermittent. It seems that in your case, just tightening the nut moved the control back into contact with the wires. I hope they continue to make contact.
Second: If the wires are no longer making proper contact, they can easily be repaired, as described in Tundrasolutions. It should not be necessary to replace the entire panel. It is really a DIY job, but if you lack basic mechanical skills, it wouldn't hurt to get some help. Once you see how the bezel pops off and the screws are exposed it is pretty straightforward if you have a screw driver and soldering iron.
In my opinion this problem should have been solved by Toyota a long time ago. At least dealers should be checking the heat control during routine maintenance. I hate it when companies look at me as a "profit center" and forget that I can easily take my business elsewhere. A really good dealer -- are there any of those left? -- would follow forums like this one and learn from them. The idea that thousands of Highlander customers know about annoying problems that the dealers and mechanics are oblivious to is astounding.
Is there at least one dealer out there who will respond and tell us why you are ignoring these problems?
Be sure and post your results here if you try the fender mount.
Phil
http://www.tss-radio.com/images/TY-75-01.pdf
A minor but annoying problem started recently. When turning a steering wheel, especially when a vehicle is moving slowly, I hear this
very annoying squeaking noise from steering wheel area. It's hard to
describe the actual sound, but to me it's very annoying!
I've searched Highlander Maintenance & Repair Archive and found a
solution! And it's very easy!
Go to any auto parts store and buy a SILICONE SPRAY. I was able to
find one for less than $4.00 for 12oz. can. If you look under dash near
steering wheel is located, you will find a shaft joining to the floor of a
vehicle. All you have to do is spray around the shaft and rubber area,
where shaft is joining the floor. You might need a flashlight for a easier
view. This chemical-smell is kind of strong, by the way.
There are thousands of these Highlanders out there and I am sure this
problem must have occured to many of them.
Now, my wife is very happy and annoying noise is gone!
I am not a mechanic, but I know what brake pad indicator sounds like,
when brake pads need to be replaced.
This noise I described is From Inside The Vehicle-Around Steering
Wheel. Trust me.
Thanks for trying to help.
Thanks for the idea. I know EXACTLY what noise you are talking about. Drives me nuts! I will give it a shot. I alredy have the spray...
I believe the owner's manual service interval for transmission service is 100,000 miles. I would have probably done it at 50K. Could the fluid need replacing at 30K miles or is this just the typical service department trying to drum up business?
That may be inconvenient if one does not actually possess an owner's manual. Perhaps you could tell us what yours' says about it?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Now, the service advisor could be trying to drum up business - certainly not unheard of, and the fluid will naturally change color as it gets dirty anyway. There is the possibility though, that he's got your best interests at heart, and is trying to prevent early failure. Get another opinion, or service it. It NEVER hurts to change oil or fluids.
The manual/maintenance schedule is also available online at Toyota.com. The only thing it says about differential oil is to inspect it every 12,000 miles or so. There is no scheduled change in the first 100,000 miles. I didn't go beyond that. :P
Considering the number of Highlanders Toyota sells, I don't think it is asking too much for a vehicle-specific maintenance guide. Much as I like my Highlander I have to say that Honda does (or at least used to do) a much better job on manuals. A Honda station wagon I bought in '94 was specific not only for the Accord, but for the wagon.
To me, this is just another example of the poor management that seems to pervade most manufacturers. Now that low-volume publishing is so easy and cheap -- supermarkets produce store-specific advertising in color -- it is had to understand why car makers, along with appliance manufacturers, refuse to provide their customers with item-specific manuals.
There's a reason Toyota is the most profitable automaker and it's because they economize where it makes sense. A "one size fits all" maintenance schedule is one place it does.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_change_spark_plugs_on_a_2002_highlander
Thats what my 2002 Limited with the 6 cylinder gets.
Enjoy !
Fixed the problem for about a month. Now the flashers will activate on their own and the remote lock will not work. Removed the flasher fuse, stopped the flasher and remote lock will work. Put the fuse back in and after about 10 minutes the flashers activate on their own and remote lock will not work.
Anyone else ever have this problem?
My gas milage seems to run about 18-19 around town.
The five speed automatic transmission shifts perfectly all the time. I had been concerned about that because there were messeges in the past where owners stated that there were some problems or issues with the shifting, but mine seems to have "learned" perfectly well how and when to shift.
I am supposing that when I change the timing belt, I should also change the water pump. The Dealer wants $130.52 for a new water pump, and Discount Auto Parts wants $66.00 for a new water pump. I am wondering if is ok to buy the cheaper water pump or do I need to buy the Dealer water pump? Has anyone here had any experience on this issue?
Thanks,
E.D. in Sunny Florida
Also, have the timing belt idler pulleys checked. Depending on mileage, their internal bearings dry out and wear. With a new belt, pump, seals and pulleys, you can button that area up for a long rest.