I am age 51 and female....first car I've ever paid cash for and very proud of it! Love the 2006 limited pine metallic silver with ivory interior, loaded with everything except satellite radio...
and read about their EED, Electronic Evaporator Dryer.
In the meantime open the windows in the garage at night and be diligent about not using the A/C during the day if the OAT is below 55F. Some of the newer Toyota and Lexus modles have two c-best options that allow you to disable the A/C indefinitely, throughout the winter months say, and the second one allows you to unlink the automatic operation of the A/C in defrost/defog/demist mode.
If you can lower a rear window just a tiny crack that will allow the moisture laden atmosphere trapped in the cabin from the previous A/C operation to escape quicker.
I've never bought a new car before and wondering how the Avalons' paint finish comes from the factory. Would I need to apply a coat of wax as soon as I take delivery? Or does it alreay come waxed? Any other precautions I should know about the finish and such for a new vehicle?
I own 2006 Limited with Nav., have a complaint and two questions:
Can you tell me how to find the outside temp.? Book shows center panel, no Nav.
We drove last night over 110 miles in rain/snow. Outside mirrors fogged up badly, could not see a thing. Had to use rearview mirror. Any suggestions on how to un-fog? Thought these were heated mirrors and would prevent such situation.
Found front passenger seat very, very, uncomfortable after an hour or so. It felt like I was sitting on a big round Boulder. Could not adjust to comfort. Ended up getting pillow out of trunk. Crazy! My husband had the same complaint, but no pillow for him. Rear seats are fine, but he hates when I get in back seat and fall asleep.
Other than that, no complaint. Love the car, mine is Silver Pine Mica. What color is yours? Thanks & Good Luck
"Can you tell me how to find the outside temp.? Book shows center panel, no Nav.
We drove last night over 110 miles in rain/snow. Outside mirrors fogged up badly, could not see a thing. Had to use rearview mirror. Any suggestions on how to un-fog? Thought these were heated mirrors and would prevent such situation."
In my Canadian XLS, outside temperature reading appears in lower left area of blue screen... and outside mirror heaters are activated by rear defroster button on centre-left panel where other major heater controls are.
The outside temperature is found by pressing the "climate" button on your nav controller. The temperature will show up on the top right hand corner of the screen.
3000 miles 06 ltd. This cars engine is very noisy and sounds like a diesel. People have actually asked me if it was.
Along with tendency to pull right Transmission hesitation Terrible front seats that you can't drive more than 50 miles without back ache NAV system the worst I have used and I've used some that were far better Road noise that is as bad as a Ford Focus or 55 chevy Oil change is a nightmare to do and dealers don't put in the right amount of oil Everything else ok Buy again -- god no give me back my Buicks Going to go drive a new Lucerne as soon as I can find one and may trade this in as a terrific loss but I can't stand the thing. Dealers say all is within Toyota specs.
I read a message in the forum sometime ago about a glass cleaner called Stoners. Well I bought a can at my local Trac Auto and wow what a difference. That stuff works like they claim and others on here say. No streaks or smudges at all. As if there is no window at all.
I used newspaper in place of towel and have for years, Stoners sells their own rag for cleaning but I didn't have the cash in hand at the time. I highly recommend.
Only 700 miles on my '06 LTD and have noted the following:
Drives and rides like a dream; pulls neither direction. No transmission hesitation noticed. Front seats are the most comfortable ride I've ever experienced. Lumbar support is a very nice touch. I opted not to waste $1900 on a NAV system. No road noise of any kind. Quietest car in which I've ridden. Too soon to try the oil change (I'm waiting until the manual-recommended 5000 miles). Would buy it again in a heart beat! Much preferable to the only Buick in which I've spent much time (Park Avenue Ultra).
Hi: I called The Tire Rack about 225/50/17 and 225/55/17 tires for my 05 XLS, and they told me that anything wider than the stock 215 width risks hitting strut supports or some suspension part in the rear wheel well/s (I think). The stock wheels and tires do fill the wheel well nicely, and going with 225/50/17 maintains a near stock tire circumference and makes more sense from a better handling perspective, but that does not eliminate the risk of hitting anything in the wheel well/s.
Please let me know what you're experience has been, and whether or not you were warned about clearance issues with a wider tire.
I thoroughly checked the clearances before purchasing the tires and after installing them.
The OEM Bridgestone EL400 size 215/55/17 has an Overall Tire Diameter of 26.6", Overall Section Width of 8.9". The OEM Michelin MXV4 S8 size 215/55/17 has an OTD of 26.3". The Turanza LS-V in size 225/55/17 has an OTD of 26.9", OSW of 9.1". The Turanza LS-V in size 225/50/17 has an OTD of 26.0", OSW of 9.1".
My 225/55/17 tires at OTD 26.9" and OSW 9.1" have never come into contact with anything and I've driven about 2,000 miles on them so far. I know we are talking about fractions of an inch differences here, but I've had no problems using the slightly larger tire, except that it won't fit in the spare wheel well when fully inflated. Get the 225/50/17 if it would make you feel more comfortable. They are slightly smaller than stock diameter and 0.2" wider but the tradeoff is a harder ride with the 50 aspect ratio. Other than that, there are very few tire options in size 215/55/17 with a V rating. You can check the new Kumho Solus 16 which is meant to be a smooth and quiet tire, and it is available in a V-rated 215, or the Yokohama AVID V4S, although I've had mixed reports on how quietly they run.
Here in the South East, the Toyota dealers were offering a 235/45/18 "tire and wheel upgrade package" for $2,000.
Only 500 miles on my '06 XLS and I too have noted the following:
Drives and rides like a dream; pulls neither direction. No transmission hesitation noticed. Front seats are the most comfortable ride I've ever experienced. Lumbar support is a very nice touch. No road noise of any kind. Quietest car in which I've ridden. No rattles or banging. I wear a hearing aid. Too soon to try the oil change but have a contract with dealer to do it after reading here about what a chore it is. Would buy it again in a heart beat! Better than my '97 XLS by far.
I have an 06 XL with less than 1000 miles on it so far. The engine is extremely smooth and quiet. My wife says she can't even hear the car in the morning when I start it in the garage which is on the level below the bedroom. If your car clatters like a diesel there is definitely something wrong which you need to get fixed.
I haven't noticed any pulling to the left or right. There is some occasional transmission hesitation at low speeds. It seems to be most noticeable when you release the brakes while rolling at low speed and quickly hit the gas. The seats are comfortable for me even after an hour and a half. I don't have a NAV system in my XL. The basic blue info screen seems to work fine. The road noise varies with the type of road surface, but it's always very low. Maybe the noise in question is engine noise. I haven't done an oil change yet, but it doesn't look that bad based on the instructions I found posted in this group. I'll probably take the car to the dealer for that since the maintenance schedule also calls for tire rotations which I don't care to do. However, I wouldn't be afraid to change the oil myself.
My wife has an 03 LeSabre. The Avalon's engine is noticeably quieter than the Buick's and I think the Avalon is a better car overall. However my wife has always prefered Buicks so I'm sure she'll want a Lucerne when it comes time to replace the LeSabre. Face it - the type of car you prefer is subjective. Either a Toyota or a Buick will get you from point A to point B, so get the one you like best.
I was intrigued by your installation of a driver side heater in reupholstered XL seats. Could you tell us more about this?
I'd also like to find out from anyone who may have had heaters installed in the rear Avalon leather seats.
Having heated front and rear seats would solve an inequity in who rides in front or back. This is one of a few advantages that some 2-3x more expensive luxury sedans still have on the Avalon.
Hi guys my car just finished the 1700k and iam very happy specialy after fixing the rear shelf rattle by my self , I placed thick ruber where the sound appears and its gone car is so smooth no diesel sound no any complain about it , but the first few days i hated the driver seat and got the bad ache but now ive adjusted the seats with perfect position and its sooo comfy specialy if u play in the steering level keep it too low will help aloot !
and iam amazed of the power special from 0 :P i owen Supras so power is importent to me :P otherwise car rocks no regrets about it and sorry for the ppl who got probs in it :confuse: iam 21 and i would say to anyone to get this car .
cheers and special thanks for Nv8or for helpin me fixin the rattle issue :shades:
don't understand a number of you that feel that Toyota's cartridge type filter change is any more difficult than a standard spin-on filter. My wife's Altima 3.5 filter is located behind the right front wheel well and requires the removal of the wheel well stone shield even to see it - as you loosen it the oil will drip down my arm and onto some front suspension components - a lot of clean up required. The Av filter is the most accessible I've seen and does not really require any special tools for the cartrdge removal - just a correct size cap wrench and a 3/8" rachet extension. Because you can empty the cartridge prior to removal, there is no leakage - I have not found it necessary to attach a separate hose, just insert the plastic drain plug with a suitably sized drain pan underneath. Many thanks to nov8or for his efforts (9738) in describing the procedure - but you folks out there complaining about it have obviously never tried it - I find it an improvement over traditional spin-ons. An extra step or two - but no mess! Beware, however, of dealer and/or quick lube shop oil changes - although I'm sure that the dealers may be catching on by now - the car does take over 6 quarts of oil, and no third party shops (to my knowledge) stock the actual filter. Keep a few in your trunk and be prepared to get into some detailed explanations with that 'quick lube' guy who has never seen anything like this before.
My 2000 Toyota Camry open hood; oil filter staring right at you; spin off old, spin on new. About one minute and no mess - no effort - just nice and simple.
My 2005 Toyota Avalon XLS:(instructions from Toyota except jacking)
Removal procedure: 1) Jack up front end of car for filter access and room to work.(my suggestion) 2) With wrench, remove bolt from center of filter housing. Strongly insert service pipe to stop position and drain oil from filter housing. 3) Remove service pipe by pushing to slide. Small o-ring will come off automatically with service pipe. 4) Remove cap by special tool and drain residual oil left inside cap. 5) Remove filter element from cap and remove large o-ring from notch portion of its groove and confirm there is no small o-ring left in small cap groove portion, (please be careful not to damage large o-ring groove port portion when removing large o-ring.
Installation procedure:
1) Clean cap side: element seal portion, screw portion, large o-ring groove portion, flange portion and small o-ring groove portion. 2) After applying engine oil all around of large o-ring, install into large o-ring groove portion. Make sure large o-ring is in groove and not twisted. 3) Install new element into cap. 4) Clean engine side: element seal portion, screw portion, large o-ring fitting surface and flange portion. 5) Apply engine oil to outside periphery of o-ring, then hand tighten cap then then tighten to 25+ - Nm by special tool. 6) After applying engine oil all around small o-ring, install into small o-ring groove portion. Make sure small o-ring is in groove and not twisted. 7) Tighten bolt to 12.5 + - 2.5 Nm. 8) Lower car from jack. 9) After adding oil, run engine for 3 minutes and check for leaks.
I have gone through the above procedure to change the oil filter on my Avalon and if you think the above is simple in comparison to changing out a spin on filter for a Camry(v-6 or I-4 it doesn't matter) then with all due respect would you please send me some of whatever it is you are smoking.
Tire rack does not know what they are talking about: I put 235/45/R18 on my 05 Avalon: If you go to 18" rims you must change the offset to +40mm and use a 7.5 wide rims. The handling is much better and the ride did not change. the problem with going to a 225/50/R17 is that the rolling diameter is smaller. It will effect your fuel mileage and odometer. The 235/45/R18 are the exact diameter as the 215/55/R17. There is no strut issue with these tires as i have about 4000 miles on them
Hi havalongavalon!! I can relate as those unheated leather seats can get cold. The good thing is that I don't have to sit on them, (unless of course my wife tells me to.) For the number of times we have to drive friends or guests around, we simply include a blanket for our guests to sit on. Costs a lot less than installing rear seat heater. Avalon is running great and gets many positive comments. I would recommend this car to anyone. Take care. gladiator99
Once again.. it is the recycle idea that is driving the paper filter comeback. It is certainly easier to replace the spin on filter once you get to it. But the difficulty in getting out the used oil is much greater. And again, expect to see more of this paper filter idea in the future. Back to the 1950's.....
I have called 3 different res. window cleaning companys and they all use double 00 steel wool for the final cleaning of glass. I have use stoners and choked on the fumes. News paper leaves streaks. They say make sure it's double 00, anything else will scratch. Leaves the windows in my 06 sparkly... For what it's worth.
Amen. My wife and I are retired and travel long distances and it is a real inconvenience to stop along the road to program the Nav system. We need this fixed-doesn't pass the common sense test. She would program while I drive...
(cleaning glass) "I've never had this experience and I've used newspapers for several years."
I use Stoners applied to the windshield with a micro-fibre cloth specifically designed for glass (Canadian Tire in Canada). Spray Stoners on cloth and then wiping minimizes the smell that dissipates soon anyway.
I certainly can appreciate the recycle philosophy; however, Toyota should have designed a much simpler cannister system that would involve only one or two steps to change out. IMO they designed a monster.
I am sure that many quick oil change companys and even the dealers will screw up big time on o-rings installation (failure to install o-rings or damage to o-rings by twisting) with the potential for serious engine damage awaiting the unsuspecting customer.
I change my oil and filter myself and refuse to patronize fast oil change places or even dealer oil changes because I have witnessed too many mistakes that were made by these people, with one that involved an engine replacement as a result of their shoddy work; and this was with simple screw on type filters. Can you imagine how these people will deal with the new Toyota monster cannister filter? They don't even know the correct number of quarts of oil to put in the engine.
Just a note to all with heated leather seats or those who are contemplating adding heated seats to their car. Most leather upholsterers and seat experts I've talked to do not recommend heated leather seats. They tell me that the rapid temperature fluctuations that occur in these seats is bad for the leather. Your leather will require less maintenance and look better longer without a heated option. My advice to all with sensitive butts would be to buy sheepskin seat covers for the winter.
Good suggestion . . . I'll give it a try. However, I fully expect the Nav system voice response to be something like "Garden shop icons are now displayed".
I know there are scattered discussion on this message board about the loud engine starting noises on the new Avalons. I have an 06 XL and whenever I start it the engine noise is pretty loud for a few minutes. When I put in in Drive and start driving then the engine is reasonably quiet. Is this normal??? I'm a little confused from all the postings about some saying it's quiet from the start to drive while others have my syndromes.
Also I do notice at idle, there is a lot of clattering or mild knocking noise. At first I thought it was the regular grade gas I was using. After I changed to supreme grade gas, the noise is still there.
Lastly, if I do in fact have an engine with problems. How has the service been at your Toyota dealers in fixing the above mentioned problems? I hate to go through all the inconveniences of losing my car for a week or so only for the dealer to tell me that this is all normal, etc.........
think the whole reason for the center plug is to allow for oil removal from the filter only, those instructions that sound complicated really not so in actual practice. Been doing my own for 25 years have found oil changes generally very messy, invariably coating parts of the engine compartment with oil and/or leaving some on the driveway. It is so much neater now, maybe a little more environmentally correct, but certainly not difficult. Not familiar with the Camry, but if that filter is right up on top where does the oil go that should be in the filter itself when the spin on is removed? Have changed the oil 5 times now - 4 times myself and once at a quick lube - ended up in the pit with some high school kid to show him what to do and also had to 'force' them to put in the 6+ quarts. I use nothing but synthetic - they charged me $66 with me supplying the filter! Last time I do that - do it myself for about $30 and know that it was done right! Been quite a while since I smoked anything although the remaining brain cells may still have some memory issues.
In the past the short time valve type noise I found was traced to leaking valve lifters. There are small cylinders that use oil to control valve movement and if the oil leaks down, it takes awhile for it to pump up and then stays away. I you stop the car after heating the engine up and start it again and the noise goes away, then possibly the lifter or lifters are leaking because the oil didn't leak that fast. Ask the dealer, maybe there are some other type of system where hydraulic action is used and there are leaks. I was told there is no damage but is noisy and should not be there. ange1
Sounds like you really need to read the manual. I have read mine twice from cover to cover and hve viewed my DVD at least four times. There iis a lot to remember on a Limited.
nimimi, I agree with you. I own a '05 LTD with NO problems! Love the way it drives. I didn't buy the NAV either. I purchased a Magellan Roadmate 300 for $345 on E-bay and love it. I had my oil changed at 3000 miles and was charged for 7 quarts. I was told it took 6 3/4 quarts. I asked to make sure the dealer knew it took more than 5 quarts. My family tells everyone I'm in love with my car and they're right My son-in-law tells me the car looks even better when its moving. It looks really smooth. This ought to tell you whether I would buy this car again. Happy Driving :shades: .
Are these cars ever driven? You must spend a fortune having someone wash and detail. Looks like they have an invisible force field around them that keeps bugs off.
At least one of the major auto makers (GM, I believe) recommends using Bon-Ami to clean stubborn stuff off windows - things like accumulated road oil on the outside, the schmutz on the inside caused by outgassing of the plastic interior components, etc. I've tried it and it works well. (By the way, there's no way that I'd use steel wool on the windows the way a previous poster suggested, even if he did get his advice from a professional window washer.)
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/11/01/147202.html HELLO TO ALL MY OLD FRIENDS HERE. 78,195 Avalons sold to date (compared to 31,315 for all of 2004). When November sales are reported, Toyota will have hit their estimated 85 thousand plus sales for the year and that was without having any sales in January because of it's late introduction. I feel sorry for those that do have some problems with their new Avalon, but the sales tell another story. There are some, although very few that post here complaining about the smallest thing and realize they fall in the camp of those you can never satisfy. I am approaching 12,000 miles on my XLS 2005 Avalon, and haven't had a problem to date. It's the best car I have over owned and a dream to drive. My Dealer's service department is a gem. They have the 29 minute oil change service. No appointment necessary, you just drive up and if you don't get the car in 29 minutes you get a free oil change next time. I only had that happen once. They were late by two minutes and I got a free change next time, I felt a little bad, but they know me and they keep you happy.
I know there are scattered discussion on this message board about the loud engine starting noises on the new Avalons. I have an 06 XL and whenever I start it the engine noise is pretty loud for a few minutes. When I put in in Drive and start driving then the engine is reasonably quiet. Is this normal??? I'm a little confused from all the postings about some saying it's quiet from the start to drive while others have my syndromes.
Also I do notice at idle, there is a lot of clattering or mild knocking noise. At first I thought it was the regular grade gas I was using. After I changed to supreme grade gas, the noise is still there.
Lastly, if I do in fact have an engine with problems. How has the service been at your Toyota dealers in fixing the above mentioned problems? I hate to go through all the inconveniences of losing my car for a week or so only for the dealer to tell me that this is all normal, etc.........
Perhaps you should sell it before you lose any more money! :P
I'm sure there are enough of us drooling over this forum who don't have our Avalon yet who would be happy to take it off your hands.
Seriously, despite what KBB or other pricing services may say I don't think there's an '05 Limited to be had at $25k unless it's been under water. All the used prices I've seen are so close to full, new, retail that I'm not even considering used any more. With differences of <$2k between a new '06 and a used '05 I think I'll treat myself to a brand new one next year -- I hope!
one4damoni, See the Edmonds Trade in value below for you car, $29,631, that's $4,631 more dollars then the Kelly site. They probably don't have enough information yet to be real. I would believe the Edmonds site. You see the Private party price is listed as $31,317, and the dealer selling price as $34,508. Good luck. I posted the information you listed with 8,500 miles in excellent condition.
TRADE IN. $29,631- PRIVATE PARTY. $31,317 - DEALER SELLING PRICE. $34,508 Certified Used Vehicle $36,333
I just checked the Canadian Black Book pricing. This is similiar to your Kelly Blue Book. These cars do depreciate more than I thought. With approx. 10,000.km a 2005 loaded XLS has lost about $15,000. CDN in one year. A fully loaded Highlander V6 Limited has lost $8,500 to $9,000 in the same time frame.
Comments
Vehicle before this - Toyota Highlander 2003
jd :P
demist & denso
and go to
http://www.airsept.com
and read about their EED, Electronic Evaporator Dryer.
In the meantime open the windows in the garage at night and be diligent about not using the A/C during the day if the OAT is below 55F. Some of the newer Toyota and Lexus modles have two c-best options that allow you to disable the A/C indefinitely, throughout the winter months say, and the second one allows you to unlink the automatic operation of the A/C in defrost/defog/demist mode.
If you can lower a rear window just a tiny crack that will allow the moisture laden atmosphere trapped in the cabin from the previous A/C operation to escape quicker.
Can you tell me how to find the outside temp.? Book shows center panel, no Nav.
We drove last night over 110 miles in rain/snow. Outside mirrors fogged up badly, could not see a thing. Had to use rearview mirror. Any suggestions on how to un-fog? Thought these were heated mirrors and would prevent such situation.
Found front passenger seat very, very, uncomfortable after an hour or so. It felt like I was sitting on a big round Boulder. Could not adjust to comfort. Ended up getting pillow out of trunk. Crazy! My husband had the same complaint, but no pillow for him. Rear seats are fine, but he hates when I get in back seat and fall asleep.
Other than that, no complaint. Love the car, mine is Silver Pine Mica. What color is yours? Thanks & Good Luck
We drove last night over 110 miles in rain/snow. Outside mirrors fogged up badly, could not see a thing. Had to use rearview mirror. Any suggestions on how to un-fog? Thought these were heated mirrors and would prevent such situation."
In my Canadian XLS, outside temperature reading appears in lower left area of blue screen... and outside mirror heaters are activated by rear defroster button on centre-left panel where other major heater controls are.
Along with tendency to pull right
Transmission hesitation
Terrible front seats that you can't drive more than 50 miles without back ache
NAV system the worst I have used and I've used some that were far better
Road noise that is as bad as a Ford Focus or 55 chevy
Oil change is a nightmare to do and dealers don't put in the right amount of oil
Everything else ok
Buy again -- god no give me back my Buicks
Going to go drive a new Lucerne as soon as I can find one and may trade this in as a terrific loss but I can't stand the thing. Dealers say all is within Toyota specs.
I used newspaper in place of towel and have for years, Stoners sells their own rag for cleaning but I didn't have the cash in hand at the time. I highly recommend.
Drives and rides like a dream; pulls neither direction.
No transmission hesitation noticed.
Front seats are the most comfortable ride I've ever experienced. Lumbar support is a very nice touch.
I opted not to waste $1900 on a NAV system.
No road noise of any kind. Quietest car in which I've ridden.
Too soon to try the oil change (I'm waiting until the manual-recommended 5000 miles).
Would buy it again in a heart beat! Much preferable to the only Buick in which I've spent much time (Park Avenue Ultra).
I called The Tire Rack about 225/50/17 and 225/55/17 tires for my 05 XLS, and they told me that anything wider than the stock 215 width risks hitting strut supports or some suspension part in the rear wheel well/s (I think). The stock wheels and tires do fill the wheel well nicely, and going with 225/50/17 maintains a near stock tire circumference and makes more sense from a better handling perspective, but that does not eliminate the risk of hitting anything in the wheel well/s.
Please let me know what you're experience has been, and whether or not you were warned about clearance issues with a wider tire.
The OEM Bridgestone EL400 size 215/55/17 has an Overall Tire Diameter of 26.6", Overall Section Width of 8.9".
The OEM Michelin MXV4 S8 size 215/55/17 has an OTD of 26.3".
The Turanza LS-V in size 225/55/17 has an OTD of 26.9", OSW of 9.1".
The Turanza LS-V in size 225/50/17 has an OTD of 26.0", OSW of 9.1".
My 225/55/17 tires at OTD 26.9" and OSW 9.1" have never come into contact with anything and I've driven about 2,000 miles on them so far. I know we are talking about fractions of an inch differences here, but I've had no problems using the slightly larger tire, except that it won't fit in the spare wheel well when fully inflated. Get the 225/50/17 if it would make you feel more comfortable. They are slightly smaller than stock diameter and 0.2" wider but the tradeoff is a harder ride with the 50 aspect ratio.
Other than that, there are very few tire options in size 215/55/17 with a V rating. You can check the new Kumho Solus 16 which is meant to be a smooth and quiet tire, and it is available in a V-rated 215, or the Yokohama AVID V4S, although I've had mixed reports on how quietly they run.
Here in the South East, the Toyota dealers were offering a 235/45/18 "tire and wheel upgrade package" for $2,000.
Drives and rides like a dream; pulls neither direction.
No transmission hesitation noticed.
Front seats are the most comfortable ride I've ever experienced. Lumbar support is a very nice touch.
No road noise of any kind. Quietest car in which I've ridden. No rattles or banging. I wear a hearing aid.
Too soon to try the oil change but have a contract with dealer to do it after reading here about what a chore it is.
Would buy it again in a heart beat!
Better than my '97 XLS by far.
I haven't noticed any pulling to the left or right.
There is some occasional transmission hesitation at low speeds. It seems to be most noticeable when you release the brakes while rolling at low speed and quickly hit the gas.
The seats are comfortable for me even after an hour and a half.
I don't have a NAV system in my XL. The basic blue info screen seems to work fine.
The road noise varies with the type of road surface, but it's always very low. Maybe the noise in question is engine noise.
I haven't done an oil change yet, but it doesn't look that bad based on the instructions I found posted in this group. I'll probably take the car to the dealer for that since the maintenance schedule also calls for tire rotations which I don't care to do. However, I wouldn't be afraid to change the oil myself.
My wife has an 03 LeSabre. The Avalon's engine is noticeably quieter than the Buick's and I think the Avalon is a better car overall. However my wife has always prefered Buicks so I'm sure she'll want a Lucerne when it comes time to replace the LeSabre. Face it - the type of car you prefer is subjective. Either a Toyota or a Buick will get you from point A to point B, so get the one you like best.
I was intrigued by your installation of a driver side heater in reupholstered XL seats. Could you tell us more about this?
I'd also like to find out from anyone who may have had heaters installed in the rear Avalon leather seats.
Having heated front and rear seats would solve an inequity in who rides in front or back. This is one of a few advantages that some 2-3x more expensive luxury sedans still have on the Avalon.
havalongavalon
and iam amazed of the power special from 0 :P i owen Supras so power is importent to me :P otherwise car rocks no regrets about it and sorry for the ppl who got probs in it :confuse: iam 21 and i would say to anyone to get this car .
cheers and special thanks for Nv8or for helpin me fixin the rattle issue :shades:
The Av filter is the most accessible I've seen and does not really require any special tools for the cartrdge removal - just a correct size cap wrench and a 3/8" rachet extension. Because you can empty the cartridge prior to removal, there is no leakage - I have not found it necessary to attach a separate hose, just insert the plastic drain plug with a suitably sized drain pan underneath. Many thanks to nov8or for his efforts (9738) in describing the procedure - but you folks out there complaining about it have obviously never tried it - I find it an improvement over traditional spin-ons. An extra step or two - but no mess!
Beware, however, of dealer and/or quick lube shop oil changes - although I'm sure that the dealers may be catching on by now - the car does take over 6 quarts of oil, and no third party shops (to my knowledge) stock the actual filter. Keep a few in your trunk and be prepared to get into some detailed explanations with that 'quick lube' guy who has never seen anything like this before.
My 2005 Toyota Avalon XLS:(instructions from Toyota except jacking)
Removal procedure:
1) Jack up front end of car for filter access and room to work.(my suggestion)
2) With wrench, remove bolt from center of filter housing. Strongly insert service
pipe to stop position and drain oil from filter housing.
3) Remove service pipe by pushing to slide. Small o-ring will come off
automatically with service pipe.
4) Remove cap by special tool and drain residual oil left inside cap.
5) Remove filter element from cap and remove large o-ring from notch portion
of its groove and confirm there is no small o-ring left in small cap groove portion,
(please be careful not to damage large o-ring groove port portion when
removing large o-ring.
Installation procedure:
1) Clean cap side: element seal portion, screw portion, large o-ring groove portion,
flange portion and small o-ring groove portion.
2) After applying engine oil all around of large o-ring, install into large o-ring
groove portion. Make sure large o-ring is in groove and not twisted.
3) Install new element into cap.
4) Clean engine side: element seal portion, screw portion, large o-ring fitting
surface and flange portion.
5) Apply engine oil to outside periphery of o-ring, then hand tighten cap then
then tighten to 25+ - Nm by special tool.
6) After applying engine oil all around small o-ring, install into small o-ring groove
portion. Make sure small o-ring is in groove and not twisted.
7) Tighten bolt to 12.5 + - 2.5 Nm.
8) Lower car from jack.
9) After adding oil, run engine for 3 minutes and check for leaks.
I have gone through the above procedure to change the oil filter on my Avalon and
if you think the above is simple in comparison to changing out a spin on filter for a Camry(v-6 or I-4 it doesn't matter) then with all due respect would you please send me some of whatever it is you are smoking.
I can relate as those unheated leather seats can get cold. The good thing is that I don't have to sit on them, (unless of course my wife tells me to.) For the number of times we have to drive friends or guests around, we simply include a blanket for our guests to sit on. Costs a lot less than installing rear seat heater. Avalon is running great and gets many positive comments. I would recommend this car to anyone.
Take care.
gladiator99
I use Stoners applied to the windshield with a micro-fibre cloth specifically designed for glass (Canadian Tire in Canada). Spray Stoners on cloth and then wiping minimizes the smell that dissipates soon anyway.
I am sure that many quick oil change companys and even the dealers will screw up big time on o-rings installation (failure to install o-rings or damage to o-rings by twisting) with the potential for serious engine damage awaiting the unsuspecting customer.
I change my oil and filter myself and refuse to patronize fast oil change places or even dealer oil changes because I have witnessed too many mistakes that were made by these people, with one that involved an engine replacement as a result of their shoddy work; and this was with simple screw on type filters. Can you imagine how these people will deal with the new Toyota monster cannister filter? They don't even know the correct number of quarts of oil to put in the engine.
Good suggestion . . . I'll give it a try.
However, I fully expect the Nav system voice response to be something like "Garden shop icons are now displayed".
Also I do notice at idle, there is a lot of clattering or mild knocking noise. At first I thought it was the regular grade gas I was using. After I changed to supreme grade gas, the noise is still there.
Lastly, if I do in fact have an engine with problems. How has the service been at your Toyota dealers in fixing the above mentioned problems? I hate to go through all the inconveniences of losing my car for a week or so only for the dealer to tell me that this is all normal, etc.........
Thanks for your input!
for more pics visit my cardomain : http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2153813
Have changed the oil 5 times now - 4 times myself and once at a quick lube - ended up in the pit with some high school kid to show him what to do and also had to 'force' them to put in the 6+ quarts. I use nothing but synthetic - they charged me $66 with me supplying the filter! Last time I do that - do it myself for about $30 and know that it was done right!
Been quite a while since I smoked anything although the remaining brain cells may still have some memory issues.
I agree with you. I own a '05 LTD with NO problems! Love the way it drives. I didn't buy the NAV either. I purchased a Magellan Roadmate 300 for $345 on E-bay and love it. I had my oil changed at 3000 miles and was charged for 7 quarts. I was told it took 6 3/4 quarts. I asked to make sure the dealer knew it took more than 5 quarts. My family tells everyone I'm in love with my car and they're right
at last sombody made a comment u old guys dont care about the looks to much eeh :P
HELLO TO ALL MY OLD FRIENDS HERE.
78,195 Avalons sold to date (compared to 31,315 for all of 2004). When November sales are reported, Toyota will have hit their estimated 85 thousand plus sales for the year and that was without having any sales in January because of it's late introduction. I feel sorry for those that do have some problems with their new Avalon, but the sales tell another story. There are some, although very few that post here complaining about the smallest thing and realize they fall in the camp of those you can never satisfy. I am approaching 12,000 miles on my XLS 2005 Avalon, and haven't had a problem to date. It's the best car I have over owned and a dream to drive. My Dealer's service department is a gem. They have the 29 minute oil change service. No appointment necessary, you just drive up and if you don't get the car in 29 minutes you get a free oil change next time. I only had that happen once. They were late by two minutes and I got a free change next time, I felt a little bad, but they know me and they keep you happy.
Also I do notice at idle, there is a lot of clattering or mild knocking noise. At first I thought it was the regular grade gas I was using. After I changed to supreme grade gas, the noise is still there.
Lastly, if I do in fact have an engine with problems. How has the service been at your Toyota dealers in fixing the above mentioned problems? I hate to go through all the inconveniences of losing my car for a week or so only for the dealer to tell me that this is all normal, etc.........
Thanks for your input!
I'm sure there are enough of us drooling over this forum who don't have our Avalon yet who would be happy to take it off your hands.
Seriously, despite what KBB or other pricing services may say I don't think there's an '05 Limited to be had at $25k unless it's been under water. All the used prices I've seen are so close to full, new, retail that I'm not even considering used any more. With differences of <$2k between a new '06 and a used '05 I think I'll treat myself to a brand new one next year -- I hope!
TRADE IN. $29,631- PRIVATE PARTY. $31,317 - DEALER SELLING PRICE. $34,508
Certified Used Vehicle $36,333
Quite surprising.