Let me suggest to everyone two things - if you are going to display a picture in your post, ensure that it is no wider than 500 pixels. If it is, just post a link to it. And the other thing is when you DO post a link (to a picture or otherwise), please use the URL button beneath the post box. Depending on their length, many links will also skew the display, but using the URL button will keep that from happening.
This mod is for the new Avalon owners! Because the new Avalon HID's lights adjusted way too low!
Hi black phantom this is for u as u requested and for few avvy owners as they asked me! And I hope it helps
It's very easy to do all you need is a 10mm O type spanner for easy access to rotate the bolt
Now as the pictures below shows the 2 bolts that must be adjusted as clockwise.
The best time to do this mod is in the night and u shall park your car ahead of white wall and 15 leg feet away :roflmao:
WARNNING: DONT ADJUST IT TOOO HIGH U'LL BLIND THE INCOMING DRIVIERS AND TEST IT WITH ANOTHER CAR AND READJUST IF IT'S TOO HIGH!
Mine works like a champ and when I tested mine they looked like if they're adjusted too high but its not! When u drives the test car you'll know what I mean! Just adjust it to your desired position
Some months ago I test drove a new Avalon and discovered that the rear windshield provides distorted vision and that there is a transmission hesitation. I therefore decided not to buy this car at that time. Have these and other defects been corrected, or are the 2005 and 2006 Avalons still a problemmatic car (unlike the 2003 model which I have and which is wonderful, except for a somewhat difficult climate control system)?
Mcescher1, I have an '06 Avalon Limited that was built the first week of September 2005. I do not have any issues with the rear windshield nor the transmission. In fact, I don't have any of the "glitches" that some have mentioned here. It is an absolutely fantastic vehicle. That doesn't mean that there aren't some things that bug me, but they are design flaws not build issues. It would be a wild stretch to call the new Avalon a "problematic car" in my humble opinion. :>)
Your concerns are most likely unwarranted. The vast majority of reports about 05 or 06 Avalons are not at all indicative of a "problematic" vehicle. Factually speaking, as opposed to emotionally venting, Avalons have been shown to be far less "problematic" than most. Rear window distortion is not a common Avalon complaint, albeit a minor issue when it does appear, and all curved glass surfaces will be somewhat distorted regardless of what automobile they get attached to. The hesitation thing has been shown to be hype for the most part, and doesn't seem to even exist for owners, based on credible reports.
Because the new Avalon HID's lights adjusted way too low! think that this could be a dangerous 'recommendation' and probably illegal in most states in the US. HID lights can be blinding to oncoming drivers especially aimed too high
My son drove my 'o6 Avalon to Los Angeles and back to San Francisco and had NO complaints of any kind about the car. His family loved the spacious interior and comfortable ride. And, I think he trained the tranny to function correctly all the time.
what I thought Toyota would do - given the 250 hp Altimas, 240hp Accords etc. etc. out there. At 3200 or 3300 lbs. the car is certain to be a real hoot. And sure to hurt Avalon sales - in the past a number of buyers bypassed the the Avalon as simply too much a price premium for what was essentially the same car. Deja Vu? Should serve to break the dealer monopoly on parts etc., which is good.
I agree with you, they shot an arrow across the Avalon. If their marketing guys are smart, they will beef up the Avalon for 07. They did this once before and the Camry back then killed the Cressida.
Unless people want to fight with torque steer, there isn't room to add any significant amount of more power and power isn't a problem that needs fixing anyway. They can concentrate on marketing the added room, the few unique features it has over the new Camry and maybe drop the XL.
They probably should have detuned the Camry engine for less power and no need or recommendation of premium fuel.
Living in the Motor City, we watched the unveiling of the 2007 Camry at the auto show (live on local news...) and I have to say that they did re-design the Camry with a very similar tail light assembly as the Avalon, if not a bit cooler!!!! However, the license plate is still centered high between the tail lights and Toyota still incorporated that weird strip of chrome above it. As a result, I think that the Avalon has a cleaner, more refined look from the rear... We are going to the auto show next week and look forward to seeing and comparing the Camry and the Avalon side by side. Hope someone can post pictures soon.... Dan and Laura
I bet the next gen. Avalon will have an optional V8 available with 300+ HP. I wouldn't be surprised if the RWD Crown which can be had with a V8 replaces the Avalon as Toyota's flagship.
agreed, anything over even 200hp will create TS issues with FWD cars and the one thing the Av doesn't need is more power. The 07 Camry V6, I'm guessing, will nudge $30k with all the bells and whistles and sounds a lot like the Av XLS except a few grand less, the SE - a Touring reincarnate? It would make more sense to really differentiate the Av by making it RWD and/or AWD and perhaps juicing the engine to 300 or so. But then we would all be driving 'LS350s' - creating a problem for Lexus.
I couldn't agree more. I also think Captain2 has it about right. However I do think in the world of high gas prices, 300 HP might reduce MPG, and Toyota won't go there. But if they find a way to keep the current MPG on the Avalon with 300 HP, then a move in that direction might be a possibility. Personally I think Toyota will upgrade the Interior of the Avalon with more luxurious finishes and a little more pizazz to it's style with more room inside and larger trunk space to give a reason why the Avalon over the Camry. I don't see the reason for 300 HP.
My guess is that Toyota is hedging its bets on what the public wants these days. They're offering what appears to be "Conservative Looks With High Performance." Why the emphasis on performance? Daimler Chrysler has done well with its Hemi powered products; Ford is selling Mustangs like crazy; GM is considering reinventing their Camaro, other competitors have ramped up their performance with higher power, etc. Toyota has historically chosen the middle ground, but competition is tough in the automotive business and I think Toyota doesn't want to get left behind, hence we're seeing higher performance. However, with gas prices at record levels and going higher, this performance issue will change, and we'll probably soon see a reversal where gas mileage will be the next big selling point. Toyota is well placed to be there when that happens.
Given my nickname, I naturally wonder if anybody knows how long the new Camry will be? My guess is 3-4" shorter than the Avalon, and the difference will be in rear leg space.
Toyota certainly the industry leader in hybrids etc - and there apparently will be a Camry and Avalon hybrid. Think the jury is still out on them, however, given that the payback is relatively long and we still don't know the actual longevity of these $3000.00+ battery packs. And then, you have the whole weight issue as it relates vehicle handling - the Accord Hybrid notwithstanding, these cars are not built for anyone that enjoys driving. Technology has allowed mfgrs. to compete in this seemingly endless HP race for the last few years - while actually improving fuel economy in many cases. Don't see it ending anytime soon because there is something a little intoxicating (and probably a little safer) about having all that power! As gas prices continue to rise, the real hit will be the 5-6000 lb. SUVs which already the mfgrs. are trying to give away. As it is, I can drive down the highway and know that my Avalon does better on a gallon of gas than 80-90% of the cars/trucks I see and furthermore will outrun a higher percentage than that!
This has been a really controversial subject in these forums and seems to upset those who are happy with their Avy's. So a new discussion forum is open to address the hesitation problem called "Toyota-Lexus transaxle shift delay". Not much going on there now. Pretty active talk at the "Transmission problems with the Lexus ES-300 site" where this problem that some like to claim is only hype has been discussed for 3 years now. I have read of complaints of hesitation in some 2006 models, but can't recall if anything was specifically referencing the Avalon. A search of this forum may help answer that.
As most of you know the Avalon was always designed for the how should I put this so no one gets offended; older crowd. Camry has always been always will be a family sedan. Nothing more, nothing less. The family sedan is the biggest segment in the automobile industry and therefore the most competitive. In order to remain competitive and maintain it's market share in that segment Toyota has re-designed the 2007 Camry with the same ideas that went into the new Avalon. How to get more market share while keeping its current Camry owner base happy. More horsepower, a little more exciting styling, more safety features, and staying ahead of the competion. There's 76 pics of the XLE and SE on www.pressroom.toyota.com enjoy. :shades: Mackabee
It should look quite different than the photos since you don't get to see what they use on the LE in place of the fake wood and fake metal. Also, all the XLE photos the posted have leather. You don't get to see what the standard cloth looks like. An LE interior will look much different than the photos of the XLEs pictured.
"A controversial subject in these forums and seems to upset those who are happy with their Avy's." Yes, it is a controversial subject, yet I don't know why it's necessary to add comments like "seems to upset those who are happy with their Avy's". I suggest that may only be meant to incite more controversy and little else. As a matter of fact, the truth of the matter is exactly the opposite. Way more nastiness in these discussions is directed toward those who say they have no problems with their rides. Perhaps this is because in all forums discussing it, favourable reports vastly outnumber the unfavorable ones, who knows. But it is a fact. Favorable reports do outnumber the unfavorable ones by a wide margin no matter where you look. Take for example your referenced "active talk at Transmission problems with the Lexus ES-300 site" If you examine this forum closely, two things can be noted very quickly. The first is that only about 30 or so actual complaints exist there (over the 3 year period)--with a huge amount of pro and con discussion accompanying almost every posted complaint. Is this "Hype" or not? Most would agree that it is. A lot of it gets nasty, hype or not. Second, and perhaps more important, within that same forum there are several hundred posts by others where posters state they don't have any hesitation; don't notice it; wonder what the fuss is all about; don't consider it a safety issue as alledged; and so on. (many of these favorable posts are followed by nasty comments from those who don't agree BTW) So this subject is indeed controversial, but perhaps the catalyst for controversy seems to flow from acrimonious and very negative reaction from the few who complain about problems and find the majority don't always agree with them. I would agree this could be a frustrating experience for the ones who say they have problems, and may be the main reason for their sometimes angry responses. Meanwhile, back to the Avalon discussion?
In light of the discussions here about the actual MPG people are getting in their Avalons and the many comparisons to the Chrysler 300C, I thought this blurb from a NY Times article was interesting. This was in an article discussing the EPA's plan to change their mileage calculations to more accurately reflect "real world" driving and the fact that few car owners ever see the numbers on the window sticker when they pull up to the gas pump.
The most inaccurate results came in city driving, especially involving hybrid cars. But popular models like the Chrysler 300C sedan also had inaccurate estimates: the magazine calculated its fuel economy in city driving at 10 miles a gallon, versus the 17 m.p.g. estimate on its window sticker, a difference of 41 percent.
Kinda makes the 14MPG (actual) I get in city driving with my old Suburban look a lot better! Still want a Avalon though!
this actually came from a recent CR article on the same subject - and yes, I'm sure we have a number of city-bound Av drivers that get actual mileages in the teens. I drove a Suburban for over 10 years and did get 15-16 overall on about a 70% highway mix - as opposed to my Av's 27. But, under the same conditions that an Av would get 16 mpg or so, I don't believe there is any V8 powered 5-6000 lb. truck that could realistically crack that same 10 mpg that you cite for the hemi Chrysler..
this actually came from a recent CR article on the same subject - and yes, I'm sure we have a number of city-bound Av drivers that get actual mileages in the teens. I drove a Suburban for over 10 years and did get 15-16 overall on about a 70% highway mix - as opposed to my Av's 27. But, under the same conditions that an Av would get 16 mpg or so, I don't believe there is any V8 powered 5-6000 lb. truck that could realistically crack that same 10 mpg that you cite for the hemi Chrysler..
I dont know the EPA actually calculates its mileage but my 2003 Camry gets very close to what the EPA rates it. Generally, in stop and go traffic I get anywhere from 17 to 23 mpg and on the highway i got as high as 33 mpg (my car is a V6 btw ). EPA ratings are 21/29. I think EPA ratings are possible to acheive if one can control their right foot but i know with 268 HP under the hood it is very hard to do. :P
your Camry sounds like my Avalon (mpg wise) - the Avalon a substantially larger and more powerful car, of course. The problem is, of course - what actually is 'City' driving. If I lived in Manhattan, the land of eternal gridlock, mileage probably is better termed in blocks per gallon and then you have a good portion of the population that uses a car for little more than 5 minute local trips to the grocery and back. Top that off with the obvious influence of driver habits and that the mfgrs. design the cars to maximize results on these non-road tests - then, you have some large variations. However, don't think it is too much of a problem as long as everybody understands that these numbers are only relative to each other and not an indication of what to really expect.
I don't know if this has already been discussed in this forum or not. I did a search with keyword 'VSC' and I didn't see where anyone had talked about disabling it. I know how, have tried it and it does work. If anyone cares to know, just respond to this post and I will tell you how to do it. I live in eastern PA and was stuck in the snow and the traction control kept the wheels from spinning so I couldn't go anywhere. However, after disabling the VSC I was on my way.
Not that much. If you scout the websites that are currently posting 07 Camry pics you will see there is an 07 4 cylinder with cloth interior. :shades: Mackabee
Many cars have an off switch for people who want to play around spinning the tires for fun and doing donuts. The off switch resets itself back to on everytime you restart the car.
Comments
lights adjusted way too low!
Hi black phantom this is for u as u requested and for few avvy owners
as they asked me! And I hope it helps
It's very easy to do all you need is a 10mm O type spanner for easy
access to rotate the bolt
Now as the pictures below shows the 2 bolts that must be adjusted as
clockwise.
The best time to do this mod is in the night and u shall park your car
ahead of white wall and 15 leg feet away :roflmao:
WARNNING: DONT ADJUST IT TOOO HIGH U'LL BLIND THE INCOMING DRIVIERS AND
TEST IT WITH ANOTHER CAR AND READJUST IF IT'S TOO HIGH!
Mine works like a champ and when I tested mine they looked like if
they're adjusted too high but its not! When u drives the test car you'll
know what I mean! Just adjust it to your desired position
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/bahrainizupra/HPIM3131.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v68/bahrainizupra/HPIM3130.jpg
and sorry for the wide pics !
cheers
Ali
Mike
lights adjusted way too low!
think that this could be a dangerous 'recommendation' and probably illegal in most states in the US. HID lights can be blinding to oncoming drivers especially aimed too high
http://www.toyotanation.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5140/cat/771
Avalon 2005 - 95,318, 2004 - 36,460
http://theautochannel.com/news/2006/01/04/205039.html
They can concentrate on marketing the added room, the few unique features it has over the new Camry and maybe drop the XL.
They probably should have detuned the Camry engine for less power and no need or recommendation of premium fuel.
We are going to the auto show next week and look forward to seeing and comparing the Camry and the Avalon side by side.
Hope someone can post pictures soon....
Dan and Laura
Why the emphasis on performance? Daimler Chrysler has done well with its Hemi powered products; Ford is selling Mustangs like crazy; GM is considering reinventing their Camaro, other competitors have ramped up their performance with higher power, etc.
Toyota has historically chosen the middle ground, but competition is tough in the automotive business and I think Toyota doesn't want to get left behind, hence we're seeing higher performance. However, with gas prices at record levels and going higher, this performance issue will change, and we'll probably soon see a reversal where gas mileage will be the next big selling point. Toyota is well placed to be there when that happens.
havalongavalon
(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Technology has allowed mfgrs. to compete in this seemingly endless HP race for the last few years - while actually improving fuel economy in many cases. Don't see it ending anytime soon because there is something a little intoxicating (and probably a little safer) about having all that power! As gas prices continue to rise, the real hit will be the 5-6000 lb. SUVs which already the mfgrs. are trying to give away. As it is, I can drive down the highway and know that my Avalon does better on a gallon of gas than 80-90% of the cars/trucks I see and furthermore will outrun a higher percentage than that!
Editting to add some links for you:
luvmyavalon, "Toyota Avalon 2005+" #9774, 30 Oct 2005 10:08 am
algee, "Toyota Avalon 2005+" #8432, 2 Sep 2005 6:04 am
atley, "Toyota Avalon: Prices Paid & Buying Experience" #799, 6 Jan 2006 1:47 pm
toolate2, "Engine Hesitation (All makes/models)" #2172, 9 Nov 2005 10:40 pm
:shades:
Mackabee
"everytime I try to leave they pull me back in"
Mackabee
:shades:
Also, all the XLE photos the posted have leather. You don't get to see what the standard cloth looks like.
An LE interior will look much different than the photos of the XLEs pictured.
Yes, it is a controversial subject, yet I don't know why it's necessary to add comments like "seems to upset those who are happy with their Avy's". I suggest that may only be meant to incite more controversy and little else.
As a matter of fact, the truth of the matter is exactly the opposite. Way more nastiness in these discussions is directed toward those who say they have no problems with their rides. Perhaps this is because in all forums discussing it, favourable reports vastly outnumber the unfavorable ones, who knows.
But it is a fact. Favorable reports do outnumber the unfavorable ones by a wide margin no matter where you look.
Take for example your referenced "active talk at Transmission problems with the Lexus ES-300 site"
If you examine this forum closely, two things can be noted very quickly.
The first is that only about 30 or so actual complaints exist there (over the 3 year period)--with a huge amount of pro and con discussion accompanying almost every posted complaint. Is this "Hype" or not? Most would agree that it is. A lot of it gets nasty, hype or not.
Second, and perhaps more important, within that same forum there are several hundred posts by others where posters state they don't have any hesitation; don't notice it; wonder what the fuss is all about; don't consider it a safety issue as alledged; and so on. (many of these favorable posts are followed by nasty comments from those who don't agree BTW)
So this subject is indeed controversial, but perhaps the catalyst for controversy seems to flow from acrimonious and very negative reaction from the few who complain about problems and find the majority don't always agree with them. I would agree this could be a frustrating experience for the ones who say they have problems, and may be the main reason for their sometimes angry responses.
Meanwhile, back to the Avalon discussion?
The most inaccurate results came in city driving, especially involving hybrid cars. But popular models like the Chrysler 300C sedan also had inaccurate estimates: the magazine calculated its fuel economy in city driving at 10 miles a gallon, versus the 17 m.p.g. estimate on its window sticker, a difference of 41 percent.
Kinda makes the 14MPG (actual) I get in city driving with my old Suburban look a lot better! Still want a Avalon though!
Steve
alan_s, "Toyota Avalon 2005+" #10630, 12 Dec 2005 7:36 pm
:shades:
Mackabee
But by all means don't forget to re-enable it afterwards, it may one day save your life.
The off switch resets itself back to on everytime you restart the car.