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Toyota Avalon 2004 and earlier

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Comments

  • kpraveenkpraveen Member Posts: 22
    Fin, Thank you for all valuable inputs.
    I have a question regarding alignment since you have mentioned key point. Recently, my car steering moves to right hand side and if i streighten while driving and if i leave my hands from steering it moves on to right hand side.
    I have to hold steering from moving. Kindly, let me know why is this happening? Has this happened if i had applied more force while rotating my steering while doing parallel parking.
    Can I get it done by myself?
    Does this require alignment?

    I take an opportunity to thank all of the forum members for thier continued contributions. In these days, difficult to rely on service centers. It is my personal experience that different service centers gives false statements/quotations for things which are not required to repaired. I guess, we can avoid these if we have some basic knowledge of automotives repairs.

    Thank you.
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    Many possibilities here.... what you describe is a pull to the right.

    First, check the air pressure in the tires. Then look for a bent wheel. Also look for a wear pattern in the tread on one tire that does not match the other three. Do the tires all match? Same size?

    After that, who tightenen the lug nuts the last time? Too much torque can distort wheels. Not likely, but it happens.

    When was the alignment done? Good mechanic? Do it right? You cannot check 4 wheel alignment yourself, it must be done on a machine. Did the problem occur just after some work was done or has it been there for a long time?

    You have not done this parallel parking unless you hit the curb and bent a wheel. Others may have more ideas, but this will get you started. Fin
  • kpraveenkpraveen Member Posts: 22
    Tire air pressure(33) is same in all tires. No bends in rims/wheel, no wears and all of the tires match same size.
    Nuts also fine.
    This is a used car so i did not know when was the last alignment done. but after i bought this car, i drove for 4+K miles and never done wheel alignment.
  • steve326asteve326a Member Posts: 58
    All good points. You did forget one though. Have the front brakes checked for a frozen brake caliper.
  • kpraveenkpraveen Member Posts: 22
    Steve, Thank you for your reply.

    Can you please tell more about brake caliper.
    What does it do and how it really effects steering.

    Again, Thank you.
  • steve326asteve326a Member Posts: 58
    Brake calipers are the mechanisms that physically stop each wheel as you press on your brake pedal. Each wheel has a brake caliper and 2 brake pads (Inner & outer) which ride along the inside & outside of your brake rotors (The large disc that is part of your axle and your wheel is attached to). The caliper squeezes the 2 brake pads together against the rotor stopping the wheel as you push on the brake pedal and should let go of the rotor when you let off the brake pedal. If the caliper is rusty or otherwise frozen, it may not release the rotor fully or maybe even not at all and can pull on the wheel. Another thing that can happen is the caliper freezes open and won't squeeze the brake pads against the rotor and that wheel won't stop but the other side that is working will stop it's wheel while the other one won't causing it to pull because it's not stopping evenly. Hope this helps. Do you smell a burning smell from hot metal after driving for a bit? If you drive for about 5-10 miles, put your hand on or near the front rims of each tire. Is one much hotter than the other one?

    Thanks,
    Steve
  • 5539655396 Member Posts: 529
    And if you still can't visualize how this works after that excellent explanation, take a paper plate and hold it vertically with one hand. Then, slip the edge of the plate between your other thumb and forefinger. As you rotate the plate between the thumb and forefinger, squeeze the thumb and forefinger together, stopping the plate due to the friction applied. The plate represents the rotating brake rotor. The thumb and forefinger represent the caliper/pad combination, which is fixed in place.
  • kpraveenkpraveen Member Posts: 22
    Steve, it was really excellent explanation. Your explanation was very clear to understand. I have not smelled any thing burning.
    I will test and let you know whether if i feel any difference between rims temperature.
  • steve326asteve326a Member Posts: 58
    I just received word that my disability settlement has been approved and I can now finally go out next weekend and GET MY AVALON! It's gonna be a 97 XLS. Praise God, I'm finally gonna have a "Real Car". It has 171k on it but thats line 86k on a GM. I'm counting the days.

    Steve
  • steve326asteve326a Member Posts: 58
    I will be 2 weeks to get my avy due to my friend who is assisting me with financing until my disability is actually paid will be out of town until the 2nd weekend. I did put a deposit down on the car so as of now, it is put aside with my name on it. Can't wait!

    Steve
  • 49364936 Member Posts: 15
    Thanks for the help of suggestions on my 2000 XLS with the VSC & VSC OFF lites that stayed on. Tried the cleaning of the MASS air moldal etc. no go. Took it to Toyota, they asked me if I had 4 wheel alignement, (yes) asked if I had replaced tires (yes all 4) had I replaced struts, (yes all 4). ANSWER, was we have to recalibrate your VSC computer. FIXED total $97.50 Now everything is working correctly.
    Thanks for the help.
    The Happy Pappy
  • ndboomerndboomer Member Posts: 20
    It looks like new and has really low miles on it. Anything in particular I should be cautious of or conerned about? Any comments about your experience with the Avalon would be appreciated.
  • mcclearyflmcclearyfl Member Posts: 149
    Many Avalon owners consider the previous model (2001 to 2004) to be the perfect compromise between performance and comfort, whereas the latest Avalon has a more sporty and agressive feel. Styling easily favors the latest rendition.

    As an owner of a 2002 Avalon XLS I have not been tempted by the latest model. The 2002 is highly reliable, though Abfisch will claim that the plain-Jane XL model has fewer electronic gismos to go wrong. Struts can be a weak point, and replacement performance struts run about $700 installed. This replacement also reportedly will significantly improve road feel. If the 2001 mileage is fairly high, you should budget for replacement struts and/or make a correspondingly lower offer.

    Very few cars in the American market offer the Avalon's level of comfort and agility in a moderate price range. A used Buick Regal GS comes close, but you really notice the extra bulk of the Buick when you compare the two.

    Our lease is close to ending. I will definitely buy our 2002 Avalon XLS rather than return it. It has 41K on the odometer and, as yet, no signs of strut deterioration. The brakes pulsate very slightly, probably indicating a degree of disk warpage (Avalon disks should not be planed), though I did notice a marked improvement when I retorqued the wheel lugs after a maintenance Godzilla had overtightened them.
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    ndboomer:
    My 1999 XL was perfect for 90k miles when traded and the loaded '03 XL replacement has 83k on it, dealer maintained, and has been similar in quality. The '03 is a better car, all things considered, even though it has never produced the 30+ mpg the '99 would do occasionally.

    Front brakes and struts can be a weak point in these cars if you drive hard and/or in the city a lot. Never bothered me as we drive on highways most of the time. The AC controls are also a sometimes problem on the XLS as it has the auto-temp control type AC. Beyond these things... the car will go 200k or more if you maintain it properly.

    Do a CARFAX just in case... might show something, might not, but it probably is worth the money. Enjoy your Avalon, they are well built cars. Hope this helps....

    Fin
  • abfischabfisch Member Posts: 591
    I could not agree more with you. I just so happened to sit in, not drive, a Hyundai Azerra(sp?) the other day, just to see if I could fit my old arthritic self in it. Very nice vehicle if the price was right, but not at all like my 02 Avalon with the bench seat. The plastic was inherently cheaper, and although the fit and finish seemed very good. Ingress and egress out of the vehicle were OK. Head room was adequate, without a sunroof but the seat travel was unacceptable for me, as my knee hit the side of the console, which would be horrible on a long trip. Bench seat Avalon not a problem.

    Have 87K on mine, paid cash for, and have enough oil filter to last me to 300K. Will see how far she goes. Full of salt at the moment but no problems currently. Washer pump was very annoying but easy to fix.

    New Avalon very nice looking on the outside, not as practical on the inside. Ingress/Egress not as good as old, console only, tow capacity reduced by 50%. Although HP up significantly, useable torque not as much. Cannot justify the cost of the new one unless you don't have an old one.

    My own sports suspension, would be hard to duplicate on a current production model with 65 series tires. Although, most would be very happy with OEM production.

    Left it out last night, 10F, cause had to work on a used snowmobile in the garage. Car starter (aftermarket) came in very handy. Next best thing to a 50F garage.

    abfisch
  • goldengrove1goldengrove1 Member Posts: 7
    I recently changed my struts because I was hearing clang, clang everytime I ran over a rice grain on the road.I used Tokico struts with Michilin tires.Everything cost around $1,200,the baby is just floating on air.I was still hearing the clanging soung after changing the struts,so the mechanic decided to investigate.It was the right rear caliper that was(still is)making that sound.Mechanic said I have to change the caliper,he said it is shaking because the bushing is bad.The car still had the original struts at 118k mls.Any suggestions on the caliper?

    OmaiBraz
  • goldengrove1goldengrove1 Member Posts: 7
    I am looking to install a remotestart system in my car.I would like to have suggestions on which one and what other accessories to buy.I plan on installing it myself and would like to know where I can get critical information from.

    OmaiBraz
  • geo123geo123 Member Posts: 33
    "why dont you try disconnecting the battery again, leave for a few minutes and connect. this will resest pretty much everything and hopefully everything will turn out fine."

    Deepan, I would like to express my appreciation for this excellent post. It saved me a bunch of money!

    I took my 2000 Avalon in for some front end work and new tires and it came back with the instrument dash cluster not working. Took back and they tried everything--still no luck. They were going to take to an electical shop but, fortunally I searched this form and found your post! Told them to try what you had recommended and it worked. Come to find out I had a bad battery that started all this.

    Again, thanks Deepan and all who post such valuable information such as this to this forum.

    George
  • jjstolarikjjstolarik Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1997 Toyota Avalon XLS. I can't get more than 6 months out of a set of brake rotors before they get warped. I've tried high end rotors and cheap ones. Is there any trick to keeping them in good shape or is this just a characteristic of this car? Or my wife's driving habits?
  • tomittomit Member Posts: 2
    jjstolarik,

    Overtightening or uneven tightening of the wheel bolts will do it every time.

    Buy a clicker torque wrench & retighten the bolts after anyone touches the wheels. I set mine to 75 ft-lbs.

    Autozone Duralast brake rotors have a 2-year waranty; I used them on the front of my '95 with no problems going on 1.5 years.

    Visit http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/ubbthreads.php (bobistheoilguy) for all kinds of car info.

    Good luck!

    Tom
  • abfischabfisch Member Posts: 591
    jjstolarik:

    There are a couple more tricks besides the torque, which is very important as mentioned. When the brakes are redone, make sure them put antiseize compound on the slider pins and the grooves that hold the pads in place and let them slide. This will keep them from seizing. Second, when rotating the tires(if you do that) that is a good time to clean off the rotors and take a fine emergy cloth to them to slightly roughen them up and get any rust off. I know it is a pain, but worth while at that time. Third, if doing alot of city driving, turn the OD off. This way, you can have the engine do someof the braking as the fourth gear in the Avalon is quite high. Fourth, in a 97, check your struts. IF they are very worn, you will notice the car nose diving under harder braking, more than normal. Change them, if you intend keeping the vehicle awhile. That will eliminate some of the front end bias the front brakes take. Six, although good for the paint, automatic car washes I have found, seize my brakes, if I use them weekly during the winter months, so I just live withthe salt for awhile now. Doing brakes yearly is not my bag.

    Hope this is helpful.

    abfisch
  • toyota12toyota12 Member Posts: 8
    Hi.

    I have a 1996 Avalon with 168,000 miles on it. The past few winters I was hearing a loud clunk noise from the left rear. Initially I had a strut mount replaced. Then I had the antiswaybar bushings and left swaybar link replaced. Then the brake caliper was missing the "safety" hardware kit. Then I had new rear struts put in. This made the noise worse!! Any rough patch or ruffle in the street stirred it up--like something was very loose. I had taken it to several mechanics in between and either they couldn't find anything or prior to the struts suggested replacing them and one mechanic said it was the seat. Finally I took out the back seat myself and took it to another mechanic who finally said it was the strut mount. He had someone ride in the backseat and could visibly see the strut going up and down and making all the noise. I had another strut mount put in and it's like new. Why the first strut mount didn't take care of it is a mystery--perhaps it was defective or not seated in properly. The strut and mounts were problematic with the Avalon and Camry and 300 series Lexus in certain years. I would consider the strut mount if it makes a good clunking noise over certain bumps and rough surfaces. The only way to diagnose it is to take the rear seat out completely--not difficult--because the mount is in the upper portion near the rear deck and is not visible from underneath the car. Many mechanics are not concerned with noises. The noise was so annoying I was ready to get rid of the car but was determined to have it fixed right. Hope this helps.
  • spicyc30spicyc30 Member Posts: 1
    I recently purchased a '96 Avalon. When the car is shifted in reverse, there is a loud thump sound. My mechanic changed the front and rear mounts. The thump sound disappeared after a day and then returned. What is causing this sound?

    Thanks
  • goldengrove1goldengrove1 Member Posts: 7
    Hello guys,the left front caliper of my 98 Avalon is sticking.Is there any solution other than changing the caliper?I changed the brakes the second day of October last year,two weeks ago I heard squealing comming from the front.I checked the brakes and found that both inner and out pads on the left wheel were gone.No,the pads did not fall out,they were worn down to the metal.The right wheel had about 3/4 meat left.Also,I am thinking about installing crossed drilled rotors for the front because I have to change the rotors.Any suggestions?

    Thanks for any help in advance
  • whilstwhilst Member Posts: 19
    Replace BOTH calipers,pads and rotors.
    Cheap @autozone,etc.
    FLUSH your brake fluid as well.
    Slotted,drilled,etc.,rotors are okbut,they can't be re-surfaced.
    Stock works very well.
    My .02.
    whilst
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    As suggested above, it is time for new calipers and pads and a good brake system fluid flush. Buy quality parts and fluid always.

    Drilled, or crossdrilled, rotors: They will help you stop faster as they remove heat and water faster. Use only in pairs on the same axel. Adding "slots" will help more but adds significant brake noise and greatly reduces pad life. Slotted rotors are directional, use on all four corners only for best results.

    Hope this helps.... enjoy you Avy... :) Fin
  • glubashglubash Member Posts: 19
    Finally got this fixed. A little more information on the problem:
    - AC Amplifier is burned up
    - Air Inlet Servo Motor

    Apparently what happens is that the motor that runs the flap to mix the cold and hot air goes beyond its end of travel and burns up the motor. The parts that came out were a circuit board (AC Amplifier) and a small motor about the size of an apple. For this one, I paid:
    Parts = $731.33
    Labor = $280.00

    Repairs were done near St. Paul, MN

    Glubash
  • 5539655396 Member Posts: 529
    "Or my wife's driving habits?"

    Maybe she needs to change her driving style. Does she charge up to a stop sign and them slam on the brakes and hold them on? If I need to do a hard stop, I leave myself a bit of space so I can creep forward a bit. My thinking is that the applied brake pads retain heat in one spot on the rotor while the rest cools, possibly causing warpage, so I creep or move ahead slowly for more even heat dissapation.
  • 5539655396 Member Posts: 529
    "The thump sound disappeared after a day and then returned. What is causing this sound?"

    Worn CV joints? Worn U joints would cause this due to excess play being taken up when changing direction.
  • 5539655396 Member Posts: 529
    Anyone had wheel bearing problems? Coming back from Arizona, I noticed a growling sound. It concerned me but never got worse over the next 1200 miles and still hasn't. I do get some low speed noise from worn tires and will soon change to my summer mag wheels to eliminate that, but the growl is consistant. I suspect a wheel bearing because if I turn one way, the noise is lighter, and the other way intensifies it. I only have 55k on the car, so this shouldn't happen unless there were bad bearings.
  • havalongavalonhavalongavalon Member Posts: 460
    "If I need to do a hard stop, I leave myself a bit of space so I can creep forward a bit. My thinking is that the applied brake pads retain heat in one spot on the rotor while the rest cools, possibly causing warpage, so I creep or move ahead slowly for more even heat dissapation."

    Right on. This is the same advice I got from my Toyota service manager after replacing warped front rotors (under warranty). We live in a hilly area where more than average braking is required. I now use the creep method when waiting at stop lights.
  • melottmelott Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2003 XLS. I recently experienced severe gas mileage decline on a road trip. I checked the only thing I could think of fixing on the road, the air filter. Indeed, it was plugged up--little translucence. Replacing it fixed the problem. Thing is, it only had 9000 miles on it. I do not drive on dusty roads. All my life I have gone for 10k air filter intervals and have never had a problem. Are these vehicles different?
  • abfischabfisch Member Posts: 591
    The metallurgy on the rotors are inferior then. Too pay over 30K for a machine, that you have to worry about how much you apply the brake would trouble me personally. I would have appeared not to have gotten my money's worth.

    On my 02, with 91K, I have noticed two major issues with the brakes. I should preface this and tell you I live in Northern NY where the winters are a little long as the application of salt.

    1. Constant car washing especially with the undercarriage treatment may get the salt off but it also gets the grease off the sliding points and bolts to the calipers. This is effect seizes the calipers up prematurely, especially the rears, adding more incapacity to the fronts which warp sooner.

    2. I have added aftermarket, not OEM rotors with slots to them, and they seem, at least in the last 12K miles, to be able to tolerate harder applications on occassion more. No, I do not race. I do trail, sometimes, unfornutately, in excess of 1500lbs, which uses more braking when loaded. On the opposite side, they do require replacement more often.

    3. The vanes between the two sides of the rotors are what ventilates the metal the most. The metal though is important and the slots help. As I am a big avocate of aftermarket premium struts, I do believe that there is less front end dive under harder braking with aftermarket shocks, dissipating the stress on the front brakes as there is less weight transfer.

    Try some of these things. You might be surprised in an otherwise very good all around vehicle.

    abfisch
  • jjstolarikjjstolarik Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, I've gotten a lot of great feed back from everyone on this site. I love this car with the exception of the unusual rotor warpage. I'll check out those struts.
  • ms09ms09 Member Posts: 112
    whats the 0 to 60/ 62mph seconds for the 2001 avalon?

    and if u do know whats the difference for the new1.

    thanks
  • petecalpetecal Member Posts: 28
    My friend has a 1999 Avalon. The door locks have started opening at random. I would like to do a little debugging. Does any body know where the control module for the door locks is located?

    Also, is there a separate module for the alarm system or are the two integrated?

    It seems the doors unlock at random. If the alarm is set, then the alarm sounds. To me that implies the car doesn't "think" it was the remote that unlocked the doors.

    We were sitting in his driveway last night having a cold one and every few minutes we could hear the door locks "click". In one case, we locked all the doors (alarm not set). In a few minutes, we heard the click and is seems only the driver's door was unlocked. To me that means the lock controller thought that someone unlocked the driver's door using the inside door handle or key in the door.

    The car has an aftermarket remote starter system. He has taken the car to both the dealer and the guys that installed the remote starter. Both say their parts check out and it must be a problem with the other's equipment.

    Thanks in Advance

    PeteCal
  • petecalpetecal Member Posts: 28
    I guess no one knows where the control module for the locks is located. Does anybody know of a forum where I can get the answer.

    Thanks

    Pete
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Someone in this discussion might be able to help: Got a Quick, Technical Question? It's not vehicle specific and there are a lot of knowledgeable people hanging out there who wouldn't see your question here. Hope this helps.
  • whilstwhilst Member Posts: 19
    Hi. Make sure the battery and connections are charged/clean.
    You can subscribe to "alldata" for a year=$30.
    HTH.
  • petecalpetecal Member Posts: 28
    Well, the terminals look OK. Also, the radio isn't loosing its programmed stations so I doubt that is the problem.

    As for alldata. They can take their site and shove it. For the price you pay for a vehicle, the manufacturer should give you the shop manual.

    In fact, I just purchased a new car last week. I had it narrowed down to a Toyota, Honda, or Hyundai. In the end I went with the Hyundai. A major factor was that I can access the shop manual online for free.

    Life move on and so does customer service.

    Pete
  • hawiianavownerhawiianavowner Member Posts: 76
    Have u tried toyotanation.com yet?
  • petecalpetecal Member Posts: 28
    No, never heard of it. But thanks to you I just went there. Great!!!

    I googled for Toyota forums but that didn't show.

    Thanks Again

    Pete
  • par_papar_pa Member Posts: 13
    Hi,
    Has anybody removed the instrument panel lense on Avalon 2000 XLS to clean the interior of panel? What is the trick? My Hayes manual mentions removing 4 screws, but there is none, and trim around bezel seems snug. Can anybody describe how to?
  • par_papar_pa Member Posts: 13
    Forget about my previous question, I found the way to remove the lense, and the cleaning went well, as also manage to remove scratches on plastic, with the help of a CD scratch remover.
  • gedgoudaslgedgoudasl Member Posts: 21
    par_pa, would you share with us how the panel lens comes off?
  • par_papar_pa Member Posts: 13
    Gedgoudas,

    That is finally easy. Just pull the speaker at the left side of the dashboard, by prying sightly the left side of the speaker. Then, with a large screwdriver, gently pry the vinyl molding downside the upper lip of the dashboard. Then pry the larger plastic from the 6 retainers. Be careful, as that plastic edge is very sharp, as I got cut. Use your flat screwdriver instead of your fingers.
    Then pry the narrow molding below the instrument panel lense. You should now see the lense exposed. Gently pull the lower end of the lense to remove it. Installation is the reverse of removal. The hardiest part is re installing the large and cutting plastic molding at the upper part of dashboard, as the retainer clips keep getting out of their seats. Be patient and work slowly.
  • kurtraatzkurtraatz Member Posts: 1
    Please send the instruction sheet to me @ kurtraatz@charter.net

    Thanks, Kurt
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hi Kurt, welcome to CarSpace! That poster hasn't logged in for a few months, but his email address is public in his profile. You might want to try to reach him that way.

    And FWIW, making your email address public in your profile is the best way to give it to others. When you post it on a regular webpage like this one, the automated webcrawlers will pick it up and use it in ways that aren't fun.
  • burlburl Member Posts: 40
    I know every one seems to change their timing belt on schedule?

    Has anyone pushed the schedule or actually had a belt break?

    Is there a way to check the wear without tearing the engine down?

    Thank you for the information
  • netwonnetwon Member Posts: 53
    In the 2005+ model year Avalons() I don't see the timing belt as a maint item on the schedule. Unlike the V8 4Runner.

    Netwon
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