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Click the "Help" link at the bottom of this page for instructions on how to post pics. Also, you can post pictures in your carsapce.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Thanks for the pic info. I luv pic posts. :shades:
As for the consumer ratings, it has one of the most reviews of any SUV out there.
So I used that procedure on my 2008. No luck.
Did it change? Can someone post it so I can recheck my self.
Thanks -- - - - Geez! :P
Thanks to the hints on this forum (regarding the hood sensor switch), I may have solved my problem on my own. I opened the hood, checked for obstructions, and found a "pop rivet" (my words) near the latch that was loose. It's a little fastener that holds a plastic liner part to the metal frame. Pushed it back in, closed the hood securely. Haven't had an alarm since.
Did the fastener/rivet have anything to do with the alarm? Who knows. But something changed. Maybe just reseating/latching the hood did the trick.
Thre is a push button start of the engine. Not a bad feture, I like not having a traditional key in my pocket while at work or walking around the store. Only problem is that I sometimes forget to take it with me or even turn the damn car off when exiting the car. But I really do like the feature.
enjoy
I noticed that no matter how the doors lock (automatically, manually) and whether the vehicle is moving or not, I can still pull on the door handle and open the door. Other cars I've owned haven't had this feature (none were Toyotas, though I've rented many Camrys and a 2006 Highlander and never noticed it). Is this feature intentional, and if so why? Is there a way to override it?
I don't mind the automatic locking whether it occurs when you start the car or at a certain speed, but I don't understand why a locked car can be opened from the inside. While I don't expect to accidentally open the door and I always wear my seat belt, I'm not quite as confident with my generally responsible 10 year old son or others in the passenger seat. This strikes me as a safety feature that should be configurable.
Is there any way to change this so that locked doors can not be opened simply by pulling the inside door handle?
Thanks in advance,
Mark
If it is the front doors, they should open at the lever from the inside on command at all times.
Let us know what it is.
Thanks
This is the first car I've had where the door handle seems to override the locked status.
I do see that the rear doors don't have this setting.
Was this always that way for the Highlander? And what is the logic behind it? I admit it escapes me.
Mark
Trust me... I'm no engineer or car expert, so please bdyment or anyone else please correct me... or confirm if you agree.
Thanks again,
Mark
Thanks in advance...
You can control the audio
You can give it POI groups, on the fly
You can have it send you home, on the fly
You can change the destination, on the fly
What specifically is it that you want it to do that it won't do?
The failure was in the delivery process because that salesperson was uninterested or unable to explain how it works. Maybe I can assist you from afar over the Internets...
Home?
New destination on the fly?
Finding the closest BK?
Dialing a restaurant or police station while enroute?
Only the Prius has the 'Temperature' commands but it's a smaller car with no dual zone options. They are very easy to use. The vehicles with dual zone options - Tundra, Sequoia, Sienna, Avalon, Camry - don't have the 'Temp' commands.
Regarding the fact that Toyota has blocked access to typing on the screen or entering a tel # on the screen while the vehicle is moving is a conscious decision on it's part. They obviously designed it that way intentionally. If Honda allows it that's a conscious decision on its part. The companies are different.
My wife's Acura Nav (tech) system is so much better and flexible. If I could take that system and drop it in the Highlander I would be a happy puppy.
But lets get to it......What is the over ride for the Toyota system? I know that some have developed a hardware override, but I have never heard of a software override.
kdhspyder - where are you located? It would be great if someone could explain how to get the voice recognition to understand simple commands. I got a list from this forum.
One example: dialing a number by voice. When saying "0" the word "ZERO" causes two 00 to be in the phone number like 41005558746 guess what too many numbers. But if you say OH then only one 0 is used like 4105558746.
Understanding how the voice recognition works would make this a more enjoyable vehicle.
The brakes on the 2001 where horrible. They never stopped the vehicle in time and I developed a pattern of slowing down way in advance of a stop, not a bad thing. This was annoying if not actually dangerous in panic type stops. As a result I traded that in after 12000 miles on a 2003. The 2003 brakes where adequate and got the job done. I traded that on a 2004 after 15000 miles for additional features. After 70000 miles I traded for the current 2008.
Now the 2008 brakes are more like the 2001 than the 2003 or 2004. What's up with that? Anyone else experience the same thing, or have an explaination.
The BT took about 30 sec to program then I used it to 'Dial by Number' to call our switchboard that has 3 zeros in it. It clearly understood. Then I commanded it to "Dial" and it went through.
There are less commands in the new Navi systems than there are in the Prius; 'Temperature XX' for example and changing preset radio stations by voice are not available. The other audio, BT and map commands were tried; all seemed to work fine. Why do the newer systems eliminate the 'Temp' and 'Preset' commands? I think because they are triply redundant. In the Prius you can
..use the touch screen
..use the steering wheel toggles
..use voice commands
Why all three? The voice commands are not necessary to change radio stations nor to change the temperatures.
As to overriding the blockage on the screen for entering a new destination and or to find nearby POI's they all work easily by voice command.
Entering a new destination on the fly is done on the Map screen ( "Map" ) by the following commands
"Map"
"Address"
Say the State: "New York"
Say the City: "New York"
Say the Street: "Hudson Street"
Say the Number: "3-4-5"
Say Enter Destination: "Enter Destination"
Try "I'm Hungry" when in the Current Position mode when within 2 mi range.
BTW..command the system!
I have put about 15,000 miles on my 2008 Limited, including driving in hilly areas and in busy freeway traffic and have never had any issues with either braking effectivenes or fading, so not sure what to say. Maybe others can chime in if they have had issues also.
Here is how I went to the nearest BK. I selected the MapView on the screen and selected Display POI and then selected Fast Food. (Or you can use the voice command fast food) So it listed all the fast food centers in the map (like BK, McDonalds, Subway...) I zoomed out the screen and saw the nearest BK and selected the BK Icon and hit Enter. That's it......... the NAV then assigned the destination as BK.
I think the only thing you can't do is to type an address or number while driving.
Reply me if I am wrong.
That said, my friend has a Sienna and it is truly carnivorous.
It just so happened that I took 6 test drives from November to May when I purchased the vehicle. I drove sport and limited models without much difference to what I was use to 2003 HL Lmtd. What I have noticed on the 2008 in a very pronounced way if the transmission downshifting to assist in stopping the vehicle.
It's not a showstopper for me cause I enjoy so many other things about the HL
I guess I am more sensitive than others to these peculiarities.
Worth the wait..??
After driving a 5-speed for most of my life, all automatics drive me nuts. Somewhere around 2004 Toyota seems to have added the downshift thing to their cars - both on braking and with the cruise control on. Both drive me nuts .. I'd love to modify that code !
I had been admiring the car for quite some time and I was excited when we got it but there were some things that I overlooked. After having it a month there are some things that just seem cheap about it. Like the fact that several controls in the car (passengers windows, auto lock, light dimmers,etc) that are not illuminated at night. That just seems odd to me and should be a standard feature. Also, the captains chairs are sorta a pain since we cant put our child's car seat in the center without it covering up the seat belt latches on either outer seats. That is sorta frustrating. And, we were under the impression it was satellite ready but further investigation shows we have to actually buy the antenna and receiver, which costs at least $200 and probably more to install. Bummer. And the dealer was not clear on this. The third row is handy, and while we dont really use it (right now), there is absolutely no room in the back when it is up. So I would not be able to put much of anything back there like a stroller. So we have been thinking of getting storage for the roof rack. And I dont know about other people but there are some major blind spots in the car and neither myself or my husband have been able to find a comfortable seating position for driving.
I know, I know.....shoulda woulda coulda. I am just saying I am a little disappointed in some of the features compared to other cars out there. We bought the highlander for Toyota's reliability and safety so I am happy there, but I dont think it will be very functional for us in the long term as we expand our family. Looks like we could be trading it in a few years.
A minivan has all the room a growing family needs. But it's a minivan. Some love them and some won't be seen in one. Choices.!!!
I am 6'2" and have surprisingly little blind spot when driving it, given its girth. I think the big mirrors help a lot. I usually set my mirrors so I can just see down the side of the vehicle and I always turn my head glance back before changing lanes.
I agree on the lack of lighting in the car, but for the last 11ish years I've only had Toy's, I am so familiar with the controls, it doesn't need light. But.. Toyota should have lit them up.
I don't have kids, but my wife is much smaller than me so memory seats would have been nice... and lumbar on the passenger side front is missing.
3rd row seat in a crossover = severe drain on storage space. To have both, you either need a small trailer or roof rack if you're tall enough, or a minivan / suburban. To think we used to survive (space-wise) in K-cars and Pinto's ?
PS: someone said earlier in this forum that installing the satellite module was very laborious... something about removing the drivers seat and dashboard. But, given how much Sat radio 'skips', I would personally never bother with it - even if it was easy to install.
Responding to both posts.....
I agree about the third row and extra space for crossovers. You are correct at that. I guess the only option I saw was the Saturn Outlook as it does have more space with the third row, but it is very dull and boring inside. And everyone I know said DO NOT buy an american car (GM, Chevy). Although I think they have gotten better over the years. I checked the ratings on the Saturn OL, Chevy Tahoe and they are pretty good. But def more expensive to maintain with gas and all.
My husband and I are both about 5'6" so I guess we cant do much about the blind spots in a bigger type of car. We used to have a Nissan Altima. I would have loved a memory seat option too as my husband and I are always changing everything when we get back in. Oh and blinker lights on the mirrors would have been awesome as well. One nice feature is the led that shines down on the console at night. Niice feature.
I think we may check out an independent satellite control. I dont think we are up for tearing apart the whole dash and paying X amount of $$ to install.
So, for now the Highlander is good for us, but im afraid when we decide to have more kiddos it will start to get cramped.
I guess what surprised me the most was how much more difficult it was to park without the camera, relatively speaking of course.
As to any of the GM products, including the Tahoe and the 3 crossovers (Acadia, Enclave, Outlook), the very latest issue of Consumer Reports gave all of them only a mediocre rating as to reliability, etc. The highly touted Mazda CX9 also did not fare all that well, and none of these gets quite as good as mileage. Consumers bases their findings on actual feedback surveys from current owners. For all of those reasons, the Highlander remains there top rated crossover, so not sure there is one best choice for you. I also have the Limited and find the rear camera very useful when backing up in parking lots, and I also do like the large rearview mirrors. I also think most of these utility vehicles are going to have some amount of blind spots due to their size and body style, compared to most of the sedans.
I personally don't understand the larger wheel trend, especially for a car like the HL. Would it be correct to assume that 17" wheels could be retrofitted to the Sport and Limited versions since the base model has 17" wheels? Wouldn't 17" wheels give a smoother, more compliant ride? I am just trying to do as much research as possible before making a new car decision...
On the other hand most of these "crossover" SUV's will never be driven on anything but relatively s..m..o..o...t...h paved roadbeds.
So there is little requirement for the tire to be a significant part/portion of the suspension system.
The HL, RX, Sienna, and possibly the RAV4, are all F/AWD, Front torque biased AWD, basically a FWD vehicle with some minor marketing aspect added on. These vehicles are equipped ONLY with a simple, totally open, center diff'l with TCS used to apportion torque in times of need. Absent the TCS', Traction Control System's activation the only time all four wheels will be driven is when all four tires have roughly equal (high or low) roadbed traction. Mostly, basically, at the times you have absolutely no requirement for same.
After years of owner frustration over this matter Toyota (and Lexus), as recently as maybe a year ago, is providing a means to disable TCS for those times (adverse, slippery roadbed conditions) it is more, much more, of a detriment than an asset.
The only sideways mounted engine, F/AWD, SUV on the market today that I would trust is the Acura SH-AWD system.
Google For:
abolition hesitation
To learn about the design flaw that often results in a "heart stopping" 1-2 second downshift delay upon a need for re-acceleration immediately following an upshift due to momentary throttle lift.
Google for:
Defrost/defog/demist c-best
To find out about the climate control flaw that will often result in sudden unexpected windshield fogging during the winter months.
Google for:
toyota "dirty gym socks" odor
Or go to airsept.com and read about their EED to prevent mould and mildew buildup within the A/C plenum.
I bought the WeatherTech mats approx one year ago when I bought my 08 Highlander. Only bought the Front mats and cargo liner for rear since I leave the 3rd row seat in Down position most of the time anyhow. So far, great mats and like them a lot. Friend has a 2000 Highlander and he has those mats installed since his vehicle was new. Thus, no problems. I bought the tan colored ones to match tan leather interior on the Highlander Ltd.
Cheers.