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2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

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Comments

  • n0v8orn0v8or Member Posts: 169
    I had also researched the Prius, Sienna, and Lexus boards first, and did discover instructions for a circuit that, as described, restores the speed sensor connection for a short time every 12 seconds or so. I am not as bothered as most by the “in motion” limitation, so have not been motivated to try a modification. I do have a wiring schematic that identifies the location and wire color for the speed sensor connection.

    I do agree with your thoughts regarding Coastal. The company probably consists of one or two engineers familiar with the serial data communications protocol that Toyota uses for body electronics functions. He or she could then purchase a replacement part from Toyota that includes a multiplex transceiver. Then the task becomes primarily a software exercise, to, as you suggested, read and write Nav controller to Nav ECU commands.
  • doobredoobre Member Posts: 42
    yep I am getting that too...
    has anyone out there got an answer for us..?

    cheers
    CD
  • maddokemaddoke Member Posts: 12
    I have black mudguards for my black touring also and the fronts were easy to install. 2 ?? for the back. 1) should I worry about the metal rusting after drilling the 2 holes in each fender?? (I thought about using touch up paint after drilling the holes and waiting before installing the guards. 2) Which 2 screws did you put back? Ii sounds like you did the bottom screw(existing) skipped the next going up and then attached the top one. Is that because the middle one wasn't accessible to drill or did you drill the hole but couldn't manuever with the screwdriver? thanks for the advice?? Keith
  • scs111scs111 Member Posts: 22
    I just ordered a 2006 Avalon Limited through a leasing company. They told me that all of the Toyotas they order are manufactured only in Japan and that it takes 4 to 5 months for delivery. I can't find that Toyota even makes the Avalon in Japan. I thought they were only made in Kentucky. Anyone know for sure? Also is the delivery quoted about right?
  • jickajicka Member Posts: 38
    It sounds like you are "lugging" the engine by manually selecting 5th gear. At 70 MPH my 05 is turning a little over 2000 RPM in 5th gear.
  • babypenguinbabypenguin Member Posts: 3
    hmm dont know about that! I have been looking for an XLS in Blizzard Pearl with no options, and have seen many window stickers. They have a place on the sticker that reads, "port/plant". Many of them read Kentucky. Since there is no port in Kentucky, I assumed that they were infact manufactured there where the Camrys are. Perhaps you should call a dealer. :confuse:
  • retired7retired7 Member Posts: 133
    I previously tried placing the 3/32" thick LCC protective acrylic lens in the recess area but it didn't work. See postings #7105 & #7337.

    NWBLIZZARD
  • wynwyn Member Posts: 32
    The Avalon has always been made only in the US.
  • babypenguinbabypenguin Member Posts: 3
    Same here. Also looking for an nice price on an XLS in Blizzard Pearl and I cannot get closer than 1500 over invoice. Where are these "under invoice" XLS at?
  • scs111scs111 Member Posts: 22
    Thanks, that's what I thought. When I told the woman at the leasing company that I wasn't aware they made the Avalon in Japan, she said she was positive they did. I wonder what the delivery is running for new orders shipping from Kentucky.
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    When I drilled the required holes for my rear set, I don't recall going through anything metal...believe it was some sort of hard plastic. Simply follow the instructions that came with the set and install them as called for...you need to remove the rear tire(s) to properly install them....VERY easy.
    zekeman1
  • stlmostlmo Member Posts: 40
    Keith, the back wheelwell lips you have to drill through aren't metal so no rust problem. The 2 holes per side be drilled back there are the top two of the 3 total screw holes used to install each guard. The bottom hole already exists; it is a square hole at the bottom of the fender where a clip is installed & the screw goes thru the clip. You are right, I did't drill the center hole for each rear one yet as without removing the tire/wheel the angle for the drill seemed to great. It seemed like it could be done at an angle & likely work but they were plenty tight (with no gaps) using only the top & bottom attaching points so I will wait for my first tire rotation & shoot the holes in about 2 seconds while they have the rear tires off. These were Toyota guards obtained through a dealer and they fit great. I did clean/seal/wax the areas prior to install since car is new.
  • stlmostlmo Member Posts: 40
    Charlie, I tried the LCC today & it worked great (of course it still accelerates to catch back up to speed faster than I would like). Didn't mention previously I actually used 3 smaller pieces of the 3M protective on the unit; one for each of the sections as it looked like a one piece install would result in gaps or air bubbles as the unit is sort of sectioned & not totally flat.
  • scs111scs111 Member Posts: 22
    Does the 2006 come with a cassette player like the 2005? I can't understand why Toyota would waste space putting in an outdated piece of equipment in a car like the Avalon. I don't think you could buy a cassette tape if you wanted to. :confuse:
  • jim250jim250 Member Posts: 23
    My new Limited doesn't yet need an oil change, but sometimes I like to change the oil myself so I want to be prepared for when that time comes. From the top of the engine I haven't yet been able to find the oil filter. I haven't yet put the car up on ramps but wonder whether anyone can describe the filter's location. Are there any special considerations for removing the filter and changing the oil? I did read something about it not being a traditional type filter. Do I need to buy anything special to use to remove the filter? I have looked through the various manuals but have found no reference to any of this. Thank you.

    Jim in WI.
  • koondogkoondog Member Posts: 15
    My Av has Navigation, and the NAV Control panel takes the place of the cassette. I will say that the stereo is one of the best car stereos that I have ever heard. After 3 days, I'm still tickled to death with the car.
  • wynwyn Member Posts: 32
    Filter system is totally different, uses an internal cartridge for which dealers are supposed to have special tools. Capacity is 6.4 quarts. Check post #8284 and possibly #8277 and related posts for more details. Sorry, not sure about location
  • n0v8orn0v8or Member Posts: 169
    The filter element housing is located facing down on the passenger side. Look with a hand mirror and a flashlight. The part that is removed to access the filter is about 2.5" in diameter and resembles a spline. There is a plug on the bottom that takes a standard square socket drive.
  • doobredoobre Member Posts: 42
    Hi jicka

    I am not selecting 5th the gear shift is in "D".. it is selecting that gear itself.. I would expect the auto gearbox to work out that it has to change to 4th but it does not.. so the vibration/shudder happens...

    note: I am talking in metric, kmph not mph, so 70 kmph is about 40mph
  • 5539655396 Member Posts: 529
    "$66.00 5W synthetic with me providing the filter!"

    WHAT? $66 for an oil change with you providing the filter? I hope you had lots of other stuff done for that price.
  • 5539655396 Member Posts: 529
    Is it possible that the computer is at a borderline point and tries to rapidly and repeatedly shift the transmission up and down between 2 gears causing a shudder?
  • abfischabfisch Member Posts: 591
    doobre:

    No cheers for you unfortunately. If you have tried everything that I said, on the last post in reference to the vibration problem at high speeds (lets make sure we are still talking about the same problem), and you have excluded tires, wheels, balancing, rotors, and alignment then what you have is.... An AXLE, or INNER CV joint that is BAD or the runout in the axle is not true. How do I know. Had the same problem, and no one at Toyota Corporate or dealership, nor local dealerships could fix it. It felt like the car was vibrating and actually fighting itself going down the road at high speeds. No matter what tires or balancing was done, it would still fight itself.

    Take it to someone who cares and will spend the time taking down the parts and looking at the axles turn separately. It is a big job to fix it, but what a difference it will make. I am pretty sure this is what you have but you have to take it to someone who just doesn't want to make another buck off another realignment and balancing. Toyota would not have done it. Too much time. They lost a customer after this car. Too bad on them but I like the car and plan on running it to 300K or so.

    Let me know what happens. The part is even hard to get but it can be got/ordered.

    abfisch
  • gar333gar333 Member Posts: 12
    Anyone have some good pictures of the cassis pearl avalon. And if you have bought one, which color interior did you go with ? I'm thinking of ordering one real soon !
  • currycurry Member Posts: 22
    I took a quick unsuccessful look the other day to see if I could locate the cabin air filter. Has anyone taken their filter out to clean it? If so, where is it?
  • maddokemaddoke Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for the clarification. I'll do it like you did. I'm in St. Louis like you and couldn't find them here so I ordered them through a Toyota dealer in Texas. I just hope Firestone will let me in the shop to quickly drill the 2 holes when I take it in this fall to rotate. thanks
  • stlmostlmo Member Posts: 40
    My 05 Avalon owners manual has pretty good directions & illustrations of the changing of the cabin air filter. As I recall it is behind the glove box.
  • bahraini_zuprabahraini_zupra Member Posts: 98
    http://www.sqoor.net/Asal_919/mypictures/mycar/
  • motownusamotownusa Member Posts: 836
    Great Pics, Bahraini. Keep this forum informed about your ownership experience. A lot of people read this forum before actually buying this car.
  • 307web307web Member Posts: 1,033
    Does anyone know if the start button is manufactured by the automakers themselves or is it a generic button one vendor sells around?
    I noticed the button seems identical among different brand autos just like HomeLink buttons seem to all be the same even in different brand cars.
  • riley3riley3 Member Posts: 29
    There is a good picture of Cassis Pearl Avy on post #5689. It has just a wee bit of purple tint to it which makes it unique. We got our Ltd on June 14 after 12 weeks of waiting. We have the light grey interior with light wood trim. Love the color, love the car. I saw in a recent post that Cassis Pearl is only 4% of the Avalon colors sold so you won't see many like it in the parking lot. This particular color is unique to the Avalons. Believe they used it in '03 & '04 also. Starting to see a few Avalons here in Minneapolis but they have been few and far between.
  • rwb2rwb2 Member Posts: 85
    I believe "under invoice" only exists in someone's mind. Either that or the dealer is playing with numbers (added a bunch of dealer options that contained profits for the dealer and then started subtracting from the total) or the dealer simply lowballed the "trade in" to show a deep discount on the Avy.
  • mstemmstem Member Posts: 113
    While I wait for my '06 Avalon Limited with XM radio I am interested in doing some research into the whole XM radio thing. If anyone has some good links to aid my research I would be much obliged! Thanks in advance...

    Mike
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Need more info...what do you mean "research into the whole XM radio thing?" Like who started it, costs, channels? Have you tried their homepage? Why not Google it?
    zekeman1
  • gar333gar333 Member Posts: 12
    Thank you riley3. I found the pictures. Really like the Cassius Pearl. And the pinstripe.I wonder if there is an option on the Limited for a darker tint on the windows?
  • mstemmstem Member Posts: 113
    If you "Google" on XM Radio you get 2,640,000 hits. Google can be a great tool but also can be a pain with the depth of info returned. I was looking for some basic information on the XM radio service and figured some who came before me had some good site information. I will explore this on my own... thanks for the advice. Mike
  • gbinplanogbinplano Member Posts: 65
    http://www.xmradio.com has programming and other info.
  • maryjmaryj Member Posts: 53
    Here is another site with lots of help and info.

    xm411.com
  • tmeframetmeframe Member Posts: 80
    I thought the window tint was only pre-installed on the Touring. That's the way it is in Gulf States dist area. Can other areas order preinstalled window tint as well?

    Steve
  • captain2captain2 Member Posts: 3,971
    yep, you can buy Mobil/Pennzoil synthetic at about $4.50/quart at Wal Mart , they will charge you about 8 per at the oil change pirates. Dealer may be cheaper but they are putting in 'Toyota' motor oil. Would have been $68 except that they were nice enough to allow me $2 credit for my $6 oil filter cartridge which, of course, they didn't have. All the more reason to do it yourself if you want to run the better oils.
  • retired7retired7 Member Posts: 133
    FYI: I bought a six qt case(s) of Mobile 1 @ COSTCO for $25.99/case (~ $4.34/qt) in Oregon (no sales tax). I add a qt of Rislone first (high detergent additive-ok w/ syn oils) to all my cars. Our Toyota dealer here uses syn blend but I prefer the real deal.

    NWBLIZZARD
  • mark70mark70 Member Posts: 1
    Hi teddyleg,

    I was having the same door lock option problem. The instructions say to hold the door lock for 5 seconds however I discovered that it only works if you hold the lock for about 3 seconds. If I hold it for 5 or more it doesn't work. I used a stop watch. Good luck.
  • fragmirefragmire Member Posts: 97
    For those of you who still care, here are the updates of some issues I opened up a while back.

    1. Ticking noise in rear-right of car. Dealer thought it was poorly installed rear windshield clips. Reinstalled the rear windshield with new molding, but didn't fix the problem. Finally acknowledged that it's associated with the strut tower (as some of you have mentioned) and fixed the issue by installing a shim.

    2. Loose fog lights. Dealer tightened the assembly. Problem solved.

    3. Auto shipping company. I decided to pay a bit extra and ship it in the same truck as my household goods. The cost is about $2100 for DC to SF.
  • fragmirefragmire Member Posts: 97
    Has any experienced weird behaviors with the rain-sensing wipers? Mine tend to stay inactive even though there is plenty of rain on the windshield (enough to start to affect safety), then suddenly come on at high speed, clean out the windshield, then go back to sleep. Adjusting the sensitivity has no effect.

    Where is the sensor located? Perhaps I've somehow covered it? I have the standard inspection and registration stickers in the lower center, and a little parking tag hanging from the back of the rear-view mirror.

    Any idea is appreciated.
  • retired7retired7 Member Posts: 133
    The self leveling headlights (low and high beam) on my Limited needs adjusting upward (aim too low) and the local Toyota dealer says they cannot be adjusted. Anyone out there have theirs adjusted as a warranty item?

    NWBLIZZARD
  • captain2captain2 Member Posts: 3,971
    Agreed - don't count on anything you buy (even Detroit labels) ever being 'under invoice' because it is a fictious number in any case - why, incidentally, a lot of dealers will show it to you and those numbers are published. Supply and demand will determine market prices - right now most American cars are being sold 20-25% off of sticker that generally has about 10% of room down to 'invoice'. Doesn't mean these mfgrs. are losing money, only that the invoice didn't mean much in the first place! The American mfgrs., in particular, have backed themselves into a corner with all these rebate programs etc. - so much so that the pricing must be inflated going in - if you want to buy a Chevy you expect a rebate etc. Most of the foreign mfgrs. have stayed away from this, because their cars sell despite a bottom line higher price.
    The one remaining Avalon in the lot after I had drove off in my Touring, a Ltd. that had a dealer pasted price tag of $46K on it ($8000.00 of wheels and tires (ugly), and some other garbage stuff) - now that car could have gotten a helluva price on compared to the one I drove off in - probably 6-7k of extra profit in those wheels etc. - so therefore gotten a lot closer to what is perceived as 'invoice' cost. Paid cash too, hurts the dealer's ability to manipulate values with the trade-in to make one think he was getting a good price. Not to mention financing incentives....
    Have some very good friends that own several dealerships - new car sales is not even close to a profit center for them - they make their money on service depts. and used car sales. Toyota dealers tend to do real well on the used car side of things and less well on the service side - imagine that!
  • gbinplanogbinplano Member Posts: 65
    The sensor is on the back of the rear view mirror.
  • gbinplanogbinplano Member Posts: 65
    See pages 368-369 in the owner's manual.

    Greg
  • douglas1douglas1 Member Posts: 130
    I have the same problem only in reverse. All it takes is about 3 drops of rain and the wipers come on. Very annoying to say the least and as you said adjusting the sensitivity has almost no effect.
  • maryjmaryj Member Posts: 53
    In the small console box, type D per page 252, there is a removable plastic 'thingie' in it. I can't find anything in the manual telling what that is, maybe a cellphone holder?? Anyone know?
    Also found out that the lid on the big console box will slide forward to act as a driver's armrest. Amazing what you can learn when you read the book.
  • 5539655396 Member Posts: 529
    "See pages 368-369 in the owner's manual. "

    What? Read the manual? Surely you jest. Does anybody actually do that? :-)

    Actually, I do. With all the features, I would also recommend doing that. Why have all the features and not know how to get the most from them? It will also reduce the frustration level when things don't work the way you think they should.

    When I buy something that needs assembly, I sit down the night before I assemble and read the instructions. I highlite key things to make it easy to glance at the instructions during assembly and get just what I need, nothing more unless I need it. Works great.
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