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Comments
I appreciate your comments on the use of synthetic oil in the new Avalons. Question: what about oil change intervals with using the synthetic? Have you and anyone else lengthened the standard 5K mile change interval? :confuse: Curious as to your thoughts... thanks in advance!
Mike
Also, is there any way to turn off VSC and traction control? I couldn't find any buttons yet and was wondering what I would have to do if I got stuck in snow.....
Lastly, how do you take the 30 second delay off when you leave your car while have the headlights on "auto". Thanks
Uh... Why would you want to turn off traction control is you were stuck in the snow????
"Lastly, how do you take the 30 second delay off when you leave your car while have the headlights on auto."
Just click the lock button on your remote "twice".
If you're literally stuck in snow and need to "rock" back and forth and/or spin the tires a bit to get out....
If you're literally stuck in snow and need to "rock" back and forth and/or spin the tires a bit to get out....
Up here in "The Great White North", spinning wheels when stuck in snow means you stay stuck. Answering you other question about turning off VSC, this option was available in pre-05 Avalons but are on permanently now if so equipped.
Doug
Don't cry. Edmunds invoice price doesn't include toyota advertising charges which most dealers won't let you get away without paying. Edmunds doesn't list the advertising charge because the $$ amount charged varies according to different regions around the country. It's generally $400-$550 if I remember correctly.
For my 05 XLS w/vsc, JBL, mats, wheel locks, glass breakage sensor I paid $32,399.xx OTD. But the OTD price is not a good number to compare. My price included 5% MD sales tax plus $100 dealer fee, and 2yrs mandatory MD vehicle registration ($210 approx). You do the math. Some have paid a little less for the same car, but most pay more.
I think 06 Av's were more costly than 05's by a few hundred $$. Any way you slice it, you did better than many on this forum as the Av's still a hot car in most areas. You can't return it, so enjoy.
Regards,
Deanie
I wanted to share photographs of my 2005 Limited before and after window tinting. The photos aren't in order but it should be easy to tell the tinted ones.
I choose to go with a charcoal tint which has a slight brown hue to it. It looked much better than bronze on the Desert Sand Mica. I had a professional shop do it for only $175.00 in St. Pete, Florida.
Here is the link to my photos:
http://photobucket.com/login.php
Username: pftaylor1319
Password: ukulele
Also, I went by the dealer in North Tampa to set the automatic door locks to the speed setting and they had absolutely no clue how to do it. I urged them to use the scanner but they claim if they tried that then it would wipe out the ECU completely. I am at my wits end with the crummy service from Kuhn Toyota. Any suggestions on how to change the lock setting from its default? Of course I have tried each and every suggestion on this forum all to no avail...
Good luck,
Laura
I live in North Califirnia. What was the MSRP for your vehicle? This price excluded CA taxes and fees, right?
Thanks and have a good day.
There is a DEFINITE problem with this transmission. I am dreading taking the car in to the dealer who will no doubt tell me that there is nothing wrong. I suppose I'll have to wait until it leaves me stranded.
Not impressed. :mad:
- Has anyone tried putting a piece of lexan in front of the Laser Cruise Control window? It was easy to do on our Sienna as the surround piece came off easy. If you did it, how did you do it?
Also have not had any luck trying to change the auto door locks so they lock at 12MPH and the doors unlock when in Park. Will have to go to the delear for that I assume.
Wish you could adjust the height of the passenger seat My wife likes it the way it is. But when she drove for a while I found it to be too high for me.
Otherwise it is a real nice car. Fog lights are tight, no distortion in rear window, no rattles.
Oh, the XM antenna is now inside on the rear deck next to the high brake (Dole)light. And it is much smaller than before but it is still black.
zekeman1
Read the manual. it tells how to do it
THe MSRP on my 2006 XLS with JBL, traction control, carpet mats/trunk mat, and wheel locks was $33,603.00. I paid $30,433.00 plus tax and license. The dealer cost was $29,933.00. I have a copy of the dealer invoice from the dealers file if anyone would like to look at it. All I need to figure out is how to post the document here on the forum after I scan it. Hope this information is helpful.
Congratulations on your purchase. You made a comment that your fog lights are tight. My fog lights are as loose as a long necked goose. Have there been problems with the fog lights being loose? I put my 2006 XLS on my ramps and removed the plastic shield from under the engine. That gained me access to the fog lights. I could not find any bolts to tighten up. They are just snapped into place with plastic clips. I replaced the plastic engine shield and called it a day. Anybody know how to tighten the fog lights?
A bead of clear caulk might do the trick. As the lights are likely to become pretty warm, the material probably should be non-flammable...
Do you have any pics? :surprise: (before and after)
And how much did you pay?
killerpiece
and what did your dealer say?
Let's start at the beginnng:
I'm 53, married, no kids, 6'2" 240#(on a good day), first time import buyer with lots of Ford, GM and Chrysler experience. Nothing in it's price range compares to my Avalon.
I ordered the car on August 3rd and it was built the week of Oct 3rd with me taking delivery on 10/13. About 9 weeks. I'd tested the Chrysler 300, Ford 500, Infinity G35 and Nissan Maxima before making my decision.
MSRP with the Nav, VSC, TC, Remote Start, spoiler, mats and XM was $39,001. My dealer, Montrose Toyota, discounted this a couple of thou.
I had the dealer and Custom Trim install the following items that I found on this forum and bought on line. Color keyed side door moldings and mud guards, a gold emblem package, Sensortronic back up system and a reverse image back up camera. I also had the 3M Scotchgard paint protectant installed on the full front end, mirrors, door edge and lamps. They also relocated the XM antenna to the center trunk deck with no change in reception.
Upon delivery I showed up with my 4 pages of complaints that I'd printed and surprised the service people with. And now, after my first 350 miles I can honestly say that I have had zero defects with this car. Fog lights seem tight, interior seams are lined up and spaced properly, no rattles or squeaks. I had them reduce the tire pressure to 34-36 cold psi for a better ride. The seat comfort is fine for me coming out of a Windstar. They are surely firm but with all of the possible adujustments I'm sure I can always find a comfortable position. I love the seat/thigh extender. I also love that leather smell! Even the Nav unit put me in the right spot for my "home" location.
My first tank of 92 octane gave me 24.8 mpg with about 80/20 city/hwy driving. The acceration is terrific for a V6 and the tranny, so far, has been flawless. The sequential shift and laser cruise will be used a lot.
I'm listing some photos as well as some links below. There is one photo of the hood where I tried to show the very fine line from the 3M mask. You have to be right on top of it to really see it.
Thanks for all of your posts.
Photos
http://photobucket.com/albums/c359/avyltd/
Password is avyltd
Video module
http://www.audioandvideointerfaces.com/home.htm
Video camera
http://www.mymobilevision.com/
Door moldings
http://www.dawn-ent.com/
Mud guards
http://www.anythingtoyota.com/
Backup System
http://www.xenso.com.my/parking_sensor.htm
3M paint protector
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Q9KzYsPDdaP0I8yize- INzL21i_IcFQEAG3lt4Q!
Emblem package
http://store.goldrushplating.com/
Toyota info
http://mynewavalon.com/
Still waiting for a decent iPod connection and maybe some window tint and gold pinstriping.
If you see me cruising, honk.
Tom H.
I decided to wait a bit and see if this happens again, and see if I can do anything to replicate the problem so I can show the dealer.
It seemed to happen "between shifts" ie. instead of shifting from 5th to 2nd or whatever, it selected neutral instead of a lower gear and became totally confused from that point on. I had to reboot it by restarting. Definitely seems like a software glitch to me. If it happens more than once it gives me more leverage with the dealer.
I hope Windows CE hasn't crept into Toyota ECU's... Blue Screen of Death dashboards... throw everyone out of the car, empty the trunk and reboot...
I personally don't think that there is anything inherently wrong with the Av tranny at all - problems like this possibly more related to the control problems in those nasty engine computers.
Just keep your anti-virus up to date and you should be fine except for the occasional need to do a "clean boot" by re-installing the engine and transmission from scratch.
Thanks for the great web sites for accessories.
What do you think of the quality of the mud guards
you purchased from anythingtoyota.com ?
Thanks Mike
be loose in the event an errant rock decides to
bounce off them, ergo no shattered lens? I'm just
thinking outloud here. There has got to be a reason
for the lights to be intalled the way they are.
I can't see why introducing an extra cog should complicate matters to this degree, and if it does then stay with the 4-speed. At any rate, Toyota has been using this 5-speed transmission in Camrys and ES300/ES330's since 2002. Having manufactured several million units since, Toyota should have resolved these issues long ago. I was aware of the Camry/ES300 tranny problems and really believed that Toyota would not introduce the new Avalon with known problems especially considering that the drivetrain is about to be used in one form or another in almost every new Toyota and Lexus product. So much for a leap of faith.
Why is it that Nissan, Honda and even Hyundai have gotten their drive-by-wire throttles and 5-speeds right and Toyota hasn't?
Who needs a super smart tranny that "learns" driver's habits anyway? Sometimes I drive sedately and other times I enjoy the vehicle. Which "profile" has the tranny "learned?". What about when my wife drives the car? Doesn't that mess up the "learned profile"? Remember the Power/Econ button Toyotas used to control the transmission shiftpoints? I'd rather have that any day than these stupidly overly "smart" systems that only serve to outsmart themselves. I am in the software business, and yes - you can certainly overdo computerization and overly automate things to the detriment of the end product. Sometimes simplicity itself is beautiful.
I just hope I don't accidentally hit the Reformat button the next time I open the gas tank...
How secure are the door moldings?
Mark
I too have added the 3M Invisi-bra on the nose and all forward facing components (mirrors, lights, hood, etc.) and REALLY am impressed. Although I live just outside of Washington DC in NOVA, I travel to the Philly area (too much as of late) and found a very meticulous guy just outside of Philly that did the 3M installation and "DID IT RIGHT", just like it was his own vehicle - I will post the company contact info if requested.
I just turned 3,000 miles and, as part of the ongoing I95 repaving in Northeast Maryland, I have fallen victim to a rock/pebble in the middle of my "line of sight" on my beloved Avy at app. 80 mph. Darned thing sounded like my car took a direct shot from a 12 gauge ! :surprise:
So far it has not spread, is about the size of a nickel and I have called my Insurance company to fix/replace. I am electing to have it repaired by Safelite (at my office - zero cost or deductible) and am wondering what to look for when they are doing it?
Has anyone had their windshield repaired instead of having it replaced --- if so, can you shed any advice ?
I have had my first free oil change at the dealer and they did 6 full quarts - kudos to Koons for not having to be told. I have been averaging 30.8 mpg (90% highway driving) on 87 octane, normally at about 75 to 82 mph, laser cruise on (where possible - LOVE THAT ACCESSORY), and A/C on always. About 40% better gas mileage than I EVER had in ANY of my Q45s (owned Q's exclusively from 1992 to 2005), even if the Q was going downhill in a stiff tailwind.
I am 44 y/o, single, 6'1", 180 lbs and an ex PCA member (raced it too !) - will have another 993 again someday.
The color matched mudguards are perfect and anythingtoyota.com was superb in the transaction. Sorry to ramble. :shades:
I will post pictures soon - any insight on what I should look for in my windshield repair ?
Thanks as always,
dcboater
Also, I just made my email public so if you want more details, please feel free to contact me directly. I received nearly $2600 off MSRP, plus free oil changes for 2 years/25k miles, and opted for the Toyota Platinum 100K mile/zero deductible warranty for $1100 - I know, the dealer cost is $985, but I was already MORE than satisfied with my purchasing experience - not to mention the value given to my trade in. Heck, I even gave the salesman a gift certificate to a local restaurant !
Guess that is just my nature - what comes around goes around right !!!
dcboater
If the windshield repair is not satisfactory; you couild later opt for the replacement. Particularly so if the repair does not pass muster with your State's safety inspection (if your state has one).