2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

just__me

SPAZ1, my windows are tinted by professionals. Right from the start they told me they can't remove this brake light like on my 04. They just tinted around it, and that's all you need. Good luck.

maxhonda99

Car and Driver just did a 6-car comparison test for family touring sedans in their July 2005 issue. It bodes well for the Avalon, it came it first place beating out the Chrysler 300, Nissan Maxima, Ford 500, Buick Lacrosse, and Kia Amanti.

What I like most of all is that it was the fastest out of the bunch, 0-60 in 6 seconds flat and it also got the best gas mileage!! BTW, the Chrysler was the 300 with the 3.5L V6, not the Hemi.

jackstacker

Ok, just do it and if it does drift to the right lane after 5-8 secs, then I will rest my case.

I will take the crown as the cause of it and move on with my life.

easyrider300m

from the spy shots I have seen, the 2007 Camry (coming out in Feb 2006) will have many similarities to the Avalon. It will be build on the same platform as the Avalon. I sure hope it doesn't look too much like the Avalon, or the Av will lose its uniqueness.

y_althani

hi bro how r u?

did u order ur new avy or just u got it from the dealrship? which coulor?& how much did it cost u?

for the LED indicators I think they r not available here in bahrain & the pud lights only works when u approch the car when its switched off!!

Yousif

avalonbob

Ok, just do it and if it does drift to the right lane after 5-8 secs, then I will rest my case.

The other day, I was on a fairly level stretch of highway and I did this several times. I was driving 75 MPH and I took my hands off the wheel for several seconds and didn't detect any drift. Eventually, after probably 6 to 10 seconds, sometimes the car would end up closer to the next lane to the right OR the left with no noticeable preference. This is not "drift"...this was caused by changes in road slope, bumps, etc. There was a little bit of traffic, so I couldn't take my hands off of the wheel for any longer than that. I could easily drive at this speed with one finger on the wheel.

If your car always drifts to the right, no matter which lane you are in, I would say that this is an issue.

dajab

Hi, all. Here's another solution that I haven't seen mentioned yet. evancds' original question was, "...I still can't figure out how to turn off the engine while leaving the accessories on...". I don't think that this specific question has been answered. You can turn the engine off and then turn on the accessories, but how do you go directly to the Accessory mode from a running engine?

The answer is as follows: put the transmission in Neutral (not Park), turn off the engine, and voila --- the car is now in Accessory mode. (DON'T FORGET TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER TO PARK AFTERWARD! The car will stay in Accessory mode even after you shift to Park.)

I must admit that I discovered this by accident, and can't find it documented in the manual --- probably because of the warning above.

- dajab

bahraini_zupra

hala bro ,

yes i ordered my limited white pearl and its still in the way 1 month left
i just paid deposite but i had discount from 11800 to 11200

damn sucha bad news ive always loved the led turn indicators damn wondering if they are avalible in KSA i would pick them instintaly also the rear wing fromm the touring model that i want

any idea bro where to find these ?

ali

dajab

donb1 wrote: "When I switched the display to Audio I got a message on the screen that said something to the effect that in the interest of safety there would be no message displayed when the car was in motion. Has anyone seen this?? If so can it be changed? I am going to be ordering the Sirius Radio and I like being able to look at the screen and seeing what song is playing on the oldies station."

I've also seen this message, but as far as I can tell, it is simply bogus filler. A better option would have been to show "No Messages Available to Display" or something to that effect. I have the XM radio option, and all the proper song title, artist, etc. are displayed (save for the unfortunate 10-character cutoff limit). I don't know about Sirius, of course, but I would think that it would behave the same way.

- dajab

mackabee

There are some similarities to the 05 Avalon and the Lexus IS! There's some fuzzy pictures at www.thehollywoodextra.com These were shown to dealers at the latest dealer group meeting. Looks really nice IMHO!
:shades:
Mackabee

dajab

Here's a thought. There have been several owners who report their Avalons drifting significantly over a short period of time while in motion. (Although mine does not, this would be a serious problem, and I find the reports quite believable.) Others report vibrations that seem related to the steering column.

Now, there is a TSB out that involves the welds on early Avalon steering columns. Is this just a strange coincidence, or are these two issues closely related? Have any of you that have the drifting (or vibration) problems called Toyota with your VIN to see if you are part of the "recall"? Since you have already gone to the dealer several times, I would think that this has already been addressed, but it certainly bears checking again. Indeed, a car that used to steer well and now does not might have had a weld come loose. It would be great if many of these problems could be solved by responding to an existing TSB, and these Avalon owners could be made as happy as the rest of us.

If this doesn't work, then the next thing to check is whether your VINs are close together in date. Perhaps there are other steering column issues...

johndjr

Jack,
I had the problem of drift to the right in my Volvo. (front wheel drive). It came on after I had the car in for a normal check service. I called the dealer and he said yes, they had rotated the tires. Suggested I switch the front tires as' some tires have this problem' I switched the front tires and it did cure the problem Put another approx 45K miles on it no problem..
It had not been present or noticable. But after they rotated them, it was very noticable and I actually thought something was bad wrong with the steering.
You may try this. If so, hope it helps you as much as it did me.

bahraini_zupra

Hey guys anybody got decent pics of BLACK OR WHITE AVALON please post up i am really confused between these 2 colors !

THANKS ALOT AND appreciate :shades:

jackstacker

You rotated the 2 front tires ???

What about the back 2???

rhack

Some radio stations broadcast news headlines and promotional messages along with their audio signal. So to keep us from suing the radio station and Toyota when rear end someone while reading these messages, Toyota has taken a proactive step and eliminated the messages when the car is rolling

soulmaster

Greetings Bahraini:
I own a black touring which you are welcome to view at http//www.msnusers.com/ToyotaAvalon

Cheers,
Soulmaster

dajab

"Some radio stations broadcast news headlines and promotional messages along with their audio signal. So to keep us from suing the radio station and Toyota when rear end someone while reading these messages, Toyota has taken a proactive step and eliminated the messages when the car is rolling"

Hmmm... That makes sense. I assume that you mean rolling forward on all 4 wheels, as oppossed to rolling over.

rodc2

Re:.... the rear wing from the touring model that I want....

Try the following web site:
http://toyota.autowebaccessories.com/store/

Select "Avalon" from the left column, then on the next page select "2005
exterior" from the left column. I believe you would also have to order the
"spoiler installation kit" listed just below the spoiler itself. I also believe
they come prefinished in whatever factory body color you have, but I
suggest you confirm this with them before ordering.

Hope this helps,
Rod

johndjr

Jack,
That's right. I just took the frt right off, moved it over to the frnt left ect. Nothing done(by me) to the rear tires.
A tire dealer here in town told me some story about the way the plies are in the tire that some times reversing the direction of rotation will cure it. If that is true, then it cured my pulling. I never messed with the front tires after that as long as I had the car (68K on it).
If you do this, I hope your attempt is as successful as mine was.

barclay3

Has anyone else noticed that the gap between the hood and the rest of the car is not the same on both sides? On the passenger side at the very front of the car it is 2/16 of an inch but on the drivers side it is 3/16 of an inch. It's only 1/16 of an inch different but it is noticeable. Nit picking...yes. OK, everyone go get your rulers!

Sorry Pat, I did not know it was not nice. My niece brought me up to speed on chart room jargon.

jsouthavalon05

Nice Touring !!! what size are those rims?
I got Phantom Grey Pearl Touring. Thinking put the new rims, but still don't know what fits and looks good (both Tires and Rims).

bettersafe

All,

At least one dealer, Landers of Fayetteville Arkansas, is offering the rear parking sensor for $349 installed. It is called the ParkPilot and comes with a 3 yr 36000 mile warranty. I wish all dealers were as responsive to customer needs/desires. The Toyota dealer in Iowa that I talked to wanted $1000 bucks to install a similar system.

BeterSafe

bettersafe

All,

My wife thinks she wants Cassis Pearl, but we have been unable to locate one in SE Iowa to view. Can anyone point me to some good digital pictures of the Avalon dressed in Cassis red?

Thanks,

BetterSafe

pat

soulmaster

Greetings Barclay:
What has possessed you to to pull out a ruler to check fender gaps! You obviously have a bit too much time on your hands. My Rx for you is to take the wife and go for a spirited drive in the country,turn up the JBL Synthesis stereo and forget about your 1/16th of an inch fender gaps.

Cheers,
Soulmaster

soulmaster

Greetings J:
Thanks for the compliment . The rolling stock on my Avalon are 19" Kyowa Design shod with Hankook Ventus.The setup is really reasonably priced at $1600 mounted,balanced and taxed. I really love the stealthy all black look.

Take Care,
Soulmaster

easyrider300m

where can I see some pics of your new wheels and tires--changing out the wheels and tires sounds like a good idea . What exact tire size did you use? I think Avalon should have come with wider tires with a slightly lower profile in my opinion. 215/55/17 just don't cut it. A wider tire would handle a bit better yet may very slightly drop the mpg.

dajab

There are some URLs with good pictures of the Cassis Pearl Avalon in post #5869 (w/ & w/o pinstripe). That car appears to have the Ivory interior, as the dashboard is light in color. The Light Grey interior (which we have with our Cassis Pearl Limited, and is the only other interior color available) has a Charcoal or Graphite dashboard. (I think that our dash may be as dark as the entire Touring interior, but I've not made a direct comparison.) In general, the dash is somewhat darker than the rest of the interior; so, I believe the Ivory interior has a Light Grey dash.

Some other posts refer to a Cassis Pearl being auctioned off on Ebay and to tirerack.com, but I wasn't able to locate those pictures now.

bahraini_zupra

thanks for the pics but i would love to see some black+white avys with big resulution like the blue one in the last message pics .

thanks

evancds

Dajab, Thanks for sharing that tip, exactly what i was looking for.

soulmaster

Hi Easy:
You can see my set up at http//www.msnusers.com/ToyotaAvalon
I believe that the tire size is 235-55-19 but please don't quote me on that. I have to take a look.

Cheers,
Soulmaster

autoguy1

I'm sorry but the link leads to nothing for me. My computer said that not a thing exists.

dmorthole

if you're copying and pasting, there is a : missing in the http://

autoguy1

That's what was causing me not to see them. It was the :. Nice Touring.

y_althani

Congrats bro
will I ill go 4 them 2day 2 ask about the final price they gave me just B.D 200 discount!! they r really ripping me off here :mad:

y_althani

hi checkout the phantom grey

link title

bahraini_zupra

hala bro thanks for the replay but i still need more pics of the 2 color white and black tho i can decide which color yet they told me when the car arrives i can change the color hope so :S

do u have msn ? mail it to me

ali

ron6

I have had cars in the past whose radio had the ability, when you are traveling outside your normal area of operations, to scan and lock in the five strongest local AM and FM stations so you could listen to the stations in that area. I can't find anything in the owner's manual about this feature, but perhaps I missed it. Does anyone know?

54gradsteds

Hey Folks,

I remember seeing photos of Japanese checking hood/fender alignment of American cars by rolling a ball-bearing between the parts. If it was a legitimate way of evaluating assembly fit then , it should be acceptable to gripe about mis-alignment now, especially on a car as expensive as a Limited! Or, do you want to return to the good old days of mediocrity when General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were putting out garbage? I for one certainly don't want us to return to that era, and perhaps the assembly process is getting a little sloppy here in a nation where mediocrity is acceptable to the electorate AND the buying public...

cafpaf

Had my Limited to the dealer today to replace the door over the cassette. All went well. While there I asked if the cassette could be removed and a storage compartment put in it's place. Afterall the various models come with either a storage compartment, lighter & ashtray, or the cassette. They checked it out and can certainly do it. The part is around $29.00 and taking the cassette out and installing the compartment can be completed in as few as fifteen minutes with no tools required according the the Service Manager. I had them order the part and it will be done as soon as the part arrives. Afterall, I am never going to use the cassette and this is an ideal place for useful storage.

havalongavalon

oldjack,

Re your question in #6332, I hope this reply is still useful, I was away this weekend.

I didn't try to get to the backup light fixture itself at the end of the trunk lid, it seemed too complicated and too far to run the wires. Instead, I removed the fasteners for the trunk lid liner on the left side, where the backup light wires run parallel to the hinge arm, like you did. Granted, this place is hard to work on, so I ended up lying on my back inside the trunk to have a good view of this area and was able to connect the wires by reaching overhead.

In case someone inadvertently slams the trunk lid shut while you are inside, make sure you notice the location of the manual release handle. I think it's supposed to glow in the dark; fortunately I didn't need to test this. I left one leg dangling outside, as a precaution

By the way, I had the use of a loaned Avalon this weekend, identical to mine except it didn't have backup sensors, and I really missed them.

Best of luck with the installation,

havalongavalon

havalongavalon

cafpaf,

This sounds really useful. I wonder whether a handheld GPS could be placed there. Would you happen to know what the dimensions of the cavity (especially depth) will be?

havalongavalon

abfisch

theokk:

Try starting from outside then in. Check in this order the tires, balance, pressure, wheels, brake rotors for warpage. Toyota's production controls, IMO, are not as good as they used to be and they increase their numbers. Then is all of those do not work, have them check the axle, yes, the axle, including the inner CV joints, tie rods and ball joints. My axle came bad from the factory in a 02 model and the dealership and corporate did a good job of blowing it off. If it is at low speed, it is probably more likely the tires or wheels.

Good luck

abfisch

lgigante

I've been looking for some rain deflectors for the side windows but can't find a company that is making them for a 2005 yet. Anyone know where I can get some?

Also I am looking for a louder turn signal flasher. I can't hear it when the radio is on or on the highway. (bad ears). The dealer doesn't know of one but I'll bet there are.

Here is a suggestion for Toyota. I have the automatic wipers on my Limited. These are borderline silly. Since ALL Avalons have moonroofs, why not dump the auto wipers and put a rain sensor on the moonroof to close the roof and avoid a flooded car?

limiteddriver

After you install the compartment is there still a door there? TIA

hank3

Very interesting concept. Keep us informed on what happens with this space. I cant figure out why cassette players were even installed in the 05 models.

zekeman1

Need some help out there...this is my first posting and hopefully I can get some info from all you Avalon fans. Just took delivery of my 05 Limited (Blizzard white) - really beautiful car. Got the XM option and that's where the prob begins - what yahoo at Toyota thought they could get away installing on the right trunk lid the "black blob" they call an antenna???!!! I was dumbfounded when I got the car; dealer said that's where they're putting them! I called the 800 # for Toyota nationwide and raised hell - this is my 6th Toyota (2nd Avalon) with a Lexus ES300 thrown in at one point - told them I expected alot more from Toyota when you're spending $$++ for a quality car. They said "sorry" and are mailing me a $250 coupon for future service. But that still doesn't fix the crappy looking antenna. (Maybe everyone should call in and raise hell and they'll come up with an alternative?) Anyway, I want to replace the existing antenna with something else - does anyone know where the XM receiver is on the radio so I can unplug and replace the antenna or does it plug directly into the back of the radio itself? Also, what kind of antenna would be compatible? I used the have an XM antenna (Terk) on my Lexus installed on the rear package deck inside the car and got flawless reception - I'm considering the same thing again, but need to know if any antenna (XM) will work or not - help anyone?
This is a great board - very informative!

hare

any o5 avalon owners with a stinky problem

hare

We have the sulfer smell, how did others fix the problem?

dajab

zekeman1: Do a search on "XM antenna" and you'll find a bunch of solutions. I can remember four. One early solution was to simply have it moved to the center of the trunk. This still leaves it vulnerable to thieves: it is attached with a magnet only!

Mine was to ask the dealer to install the antenna INSIDE the car on the shelf in the back window with Velcro. The antenna wire is routed under down through the trunk and into the same connector that is used when mounted on the trunk. The rather large black antenna is readily visible from outside the car, so I'm going to have it painted Light Grey to match my interior color. For the most part, I receive a strong XM signal, so what little XM-cutout I get I can live with. It's also not vulnerable to being ripped off.

'3puttmax' had a more elegant solution. He purchased a mini-XM antenna and also had it installed inside the car --- up front and also painted, I believe, where it is nearly invisible. It's only the size of a quarter. Look back at posts #4682, 4718 and #5618. Can't see the picture any more, however.

Finally, someone recently mentioned that they had the XM antenna installed in the center rear of the roof ("hood", if you're British). Never saw a picture of this one.

- dajab