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I just had my first alignment, it was a load-bearing alignment with laser-guided wheel sensors, and I had a good talk with the technician about this problem. We found something very interesting in the process.
He claimed most factories do a basic, non-load-bearing alignment before the car is completely finished, that just checks to make sure the wheels are correctly cambered, castered, and pointed in the same direction - this is NOT true toe adjustment.
Anyway, we found that the rear tires had a net toe of zero (pointed in the same direction), but they were both pointing one degree to the left, if viewed from above the car. The front tires' toe was within specs. The interesting thing is, this would cause no abnormal tire wear, but it would require the driver to turn the steering wheel to the left to drive straight! It would also cause a slow drift to the right, if the steering wheel were allowed to center itself. Essentially the rear wheels would "steer" the car to the right.
The tires were also balanced and rotated (front to back only). They are the infamous Bridgestones.
Since the alignment, I have no drift, the steering wheel is centered, and I am waiting to see if the problem resurfaces after some more driving, as previously posted.
PS- It's hard to tell when the steering wheel is level (centered), as all horizontal lines of reference in the car interior are slightly curved or not fully horizontal....
Geno
99 SE V6 5-speed
On mine, the lock starts out like this: |
and when I've turned clockwise and taken the key out, it's like this: --
Then the trunk release doesn't do anything.
Put the key in the trunk lock (it should be vertical ( | ). Turn it 1/4 turn counter-clockwise. Remove the key. It should be horizontal ( - ). Now the trunk release will not work.
Tires:
215/60HR16 Michelin Pilot XGT H4's work really well. They are still very quite but handle 2x better than the Potenzas. I think they were $90 each on tirerack. Beware the X-ones are only (T) speed rated to 118MPH and the XGT will be better than the P7000 in the snow. The P7000 will out perform the XGT on dry, though.
You have to post while we still have WE. When they go to the new board who knows what is going to happen! I want to get my fill now before everyone disappears!
fastdriver
There is NO "new and improved" version coming tomorrow! Maybe the end of the year, maybe sooner.
fastdriver
I THINK everyone moved! ;-)) I KNOW that the lack of activity on this board is because everyone is happy with their Toyotas. I miss reading all the nice things people were saying about their cars. I just wish that more of them, besides automophile, would post pics at photopoint.com.
BTW- Did Toyota come out with any new colors for the 2001 Solara? Thanks.
fastdriver
Welcome back CLIFFY1...!!! Will you still be checking in on this site? Hope so.
99 SE V6 Diamond Pearl White
18,000 miles and still smoooooooth...
I can't say for sure, but I don't think there is a POWER trunk release on the 2001 Solara. I think it's listed as a REMOTE trunk release and that means it is opened remotely by using the lever under the drivers seat. If someone knows for sure, please feel free to correct me. It's very confusing when they list it as being a remote trunk release because we all assume it means we can push a button on the key fob. Another reason I don't think they added this option is because the convertible is the exact same Solara we all have, just with the top cut off. It doesn't have the remote either. Maybe they will add that next year.
A PLACE FOR YOUR FRIES:
Just wanted to let everyone know that the inside hand slot where we pull our door closed in our Solaras makes a great french fry holder. A lot of us eat on the run and it's always hard to keep things from spilling. If you place the fries in the door (still in the fry holder please), they will not spill and will be easily accessible. This car just gets better and better.
SUNROOF OR MOONROOF:
There's always a lot of discussion about whether the "hole in the roof" is called a sunroof or a moonroof. I have an answer that satisfies most people. IT'S A SUNROOF DURING THE DAY AND A MOONROOF AT NIGHT!
There still aren't a lot of Solaras out there and I'm surprised how much I get complimented on mine. People are still asking me what it is. I think the 2-tone Red/Silver makes it distinctive and classy looking. I look forward to every drive. I only have a little over 5,000 miles on mine, but absolutely no problems to report.
Still loving my 2000 Solara SLE.
Is it a dark blue or light blue? I'll have to check this out. Thanks. Welcome back.
fastdriver
I also notice we've generated a few posts since yesterday.
The biggest problem is that here in Atlanta it's impossible to find a V6 5-speed to test drive. I've test driven the V6 auto with the sport package and the 5-speed SE V4, but I'd just like to hear from some of the V6 5-speed owners out there. I've seen a few posts complaining about the shifter being 'sticky.' What are you guys finding as you get a few thousand miles on the car ??
Also, one salesman told me that there was a short throw shifter that he could get installed for a few hundred bucks...any thoughts on this ??
Final question...my two favorite colors are the fairway green & the twilight blue...any thoughts on these colors.
Thanks in advance,
-brian
only sticky shifting i have is sometimes it's balky getting into reverse--but since i only use that when backing out of driveway or a parking space, i can put up with that--plus it's occasional, not all the time...
i have 26000 miles and no problems shifting to first, 2nd, and so on...
don't know much about a short throw shifter...i'm not into that stuff...the only thing i added is a padded center armrest option for $40-- the car comes with a center armrest, but the optional one sits a bit higher and is better padded-- more comfortable---
i also installed a 12 disc fm modulated cd changer (it came with the jbl cd also, but i like the option of loading 12 cd's and having wider selection of tunes via wireless remote)....
i may add a wood dash kit, just to "spice" things up a bit now the the "allure" of a new car has worn off...
you won't be using the left footrest as much as honda accord v6 owners, since they only have the automatic tranny option-- the less-sporty less fun-to-drive accords do have better coinboxes however.
i didn't rotate tires so my fronts have worn thin after 26000 miles which has me a bit peeved. bridgestones i'm not happy with.
the msrp was $26,700-- i paid $24,400... this was in march 99-- i'm not the greatest negotiator, plus now that the car's been out for a while, i would think you can get a better deal than that.
Can you post the pics at http://www.photopoint.com so we can all see that green beauty with ZAINO! It's easy. If you need help, just ask.
Thanks.
fastdriver
Thanks. I think I know the color. Has the Corolla had it for a while? A friend of mine has a dark blue Corolla, maybe a 1999 or 2000. Would be interesting to see what it looks like on the Solara.
fastdriver
The link to the pics works just fine. Thanks for posting them. If you read this before you check your e-mail don't worry about sending them to me. Hopefully in a month or two I'll have one of these sitting in my driveway.
-brian
205/60HR16 is stock, you can go 215/60, Michelin says 225/55's will fit, but they won't without bending in the wheel wells (ick). Most good tire shops wouldn't mount them on the 16x6 alloys anyway...
They also say 215/65's will go, but you can't use a larger diameter tire than the 215/60 because it will rub on the strut guard (the 215/60 has a little less than a 1/4" clearance to the guard).
So in a nutshell, your best bet is 205/60 or 215/60. Anything else could be trouble.
My Review of the Pilot XGT's:
I drove 2 hours in a torrential downpour this morning and had no problems in excess of 65 MPH. I did hydroplane once for a very short distance, but that was over a couple inch deep puddle on the side of the road at 50+ (the wall of water was twice the height of the car).
Dry cornering is significantly better than the bridgestones.
They are very slightly louder, but completely un-noticeable at 65 with the stereo on.
The car feels very stable and predictable with the XGT's - much more so than I ever felt with the bridestones. I contend that the slalom times would match the Accord Coupe V6 with just the tire change.
I rotate my tires every 7500 miles and the bridgestones lasted a whopping 22,600 miles.
'99 SE V6 5-Speed. 23,100 miles and still flawless.
Blue is nice, though, too.
ABout 3 weeks ago, I took my SLE in to have a couple of leaky struts replaced. After, they must do a wheel alignment, so I mentioned that the car has the famous left pull, and asked them to please pay attention to it. Of course, it wasn't fixed. When the Toyota survey form came, I indicated the problem was not fixed, and that I wan't happy about this.
This week, the service rep called and chewed me out about the form! He said it cost him a lot of money! It seems that Toyota grades the forms, and perhaps gives bonuses on performance. Also, he said it is very strangely graded, and because I did not grade everything as "excellent" he got 12.5 out of 100 points! I suggested that we try to get the car fixes ASAP, so I could send in another "glowing" survey.
So, I took the car in yesterday, and he had a technician ride with me to witness the pull. When I got back, he said he would have to refer it to the Toyota field rep - since I had turned in the report he was "no longer going to put himself out for me", that all service would be "to the letter of the law" and no more, and that "if I wanted better service I could go to another dealer" !!!!!
In other words, because I had turned in a truthful survey that I wasn't delighted that they didn't fix my car, he wasn't going to help me any longer. !!!
Also - I showed him the yellowing bumpers, and he said "with a survey like that, you expect us to re-paint your bumpers?" . In other words - forget it.
We will see how it goes, but I may need to change dealers. Just a word to the wise - be careful how you fill out those surveys - they may directly influence the quality of service that you get!!! Cliffy - any insights?
Thanks for posting the pics! Your car looks great especially with that Zaino shine! We need some more pics showing the reflection of the surroundings in the car.
automophile-
Sounds like MY experience with the 2nd "5-STAR" Chrysler dealer I went to. They expected me to LIE for them! LOL....... NEVER happen! If that's your dealer's attitude now, then it's time to call Toyota customer service and let them know EXACTLY what he said to you and WHY you filled out that survey the way you did! Isn't it amazing how they all think that in this day and age we are going to put up with their mediocrity or incompetence!!! Time for you to make a webpage too like I did with my Christine! LOL...
fastdriver
Surveys are VERY important to the service writers, just as they are to the salesmen. I don't know how the advisors are paid but for the salesmen, there is serious money associated with CSI.
I'm not going to tell you not to answer honestly. Just keep in mind that you are directly affecting people by telling Toyota of your dissatisfaction.
Now, you have a couple of choices from here. If you generally like the service department but are uncomfortable with the current relationship with the advisor, get an appointment with another one. Explain the situation and even describe the reason for the last survey. You may even want to apologize (even though it isn't necessary) about the last survey.
Talking to the service director at the store may even be a good idea. Just tell him you want to continue your service relationship but do want the alignment done correctly. In fact, at this point, you should probably have this conversation no matter what else you do.
The other option is to find another service department. If you live in a metro area with plenty of choices, this can be very easy. In the DC area, you are never more than 20 minutes from another store.
IF these CSI's are SO important to the dealer, all the MORE reason that the service rep should have made SURE that the car tracked straight before giving him the car back especially since automophile told him BEFORE they did the alignment that the car had the famous left pull. I don't believe that the dealer was not aware of this problem on other Solaras considering where automophile lives! He's not in some small, hick, backwoods town where a dealer may not know about or have heard of this problem.
As for directly affecting people by telling Toyota of his dissatisfaction, HOW else can he get places like this to CHANGE and LISTEN to the customer instead of just doing their usual thing and not correcting the problem? Maybe they are so used to doing this to people who don't complain about their service, that they become complacent and think that they can do it to everybody. Automophile isn't one of these complacent people.
Some people just buy a car and drive it and don't take care of it. As I sure you know from automophile's car pics that have been posted, he isn't one of those people. He takes pride in that car and wants things right. I don't think complaining about a car going left would fall into the category of nit-picking!
As for apologizing- NEVER! For what? For telling the truth? The dealer should apologize to him for not correcting the problem in the fiirst place. Isn't automophile's time just as valuable as the dealer's time? IF the tires are defective, then Toyota should contact Bridgestone or whatever tire he has and have them check it out since I believe the tires are guaranteed by the tire manufacturer and not Toyota. I had this same tire problem on my 99 Chrysler 300M. The Goodyear LS tires were DEFECTIVE! Afetr 10 1/2 months of dealing with the "award winning 5-STAR" dealers, I solved the problem MYSELF with Goodyear. THIS is what the "5-STAR-a step above and beyond dealer-" should have done for me!
From things you have said on this board, I know that you are one in a million! I wish you were at a dealer near me. I know that you see things on the other side of the fence, but I think you have also seen what I have described above- complacent, ineffective and indifferent dealer repair shops. Cars aren't cheap anymore. Some people do work hard for their money and just want things to be right.
Sorry for the rant, but it recalled everything that I have been through with my Christine for the last 29 months including being "chastised" by the dealer's son for the way I filled out a CSI! I filled his head with information that he had NO clue about! I think he needs to get out of the showroom and into the service department more. That way he'd have a better handle on what's REALLY going on.
fastdriver
I genuinely like the service writer, and if I had known that this would afect him personally, I may hav filled out the survey differently. However, it was obvious that no one even took the car out on the street after the alignment, The tech noticed the pull as soon as we pulled out of the driveway. That's why i was ticked off.
So Now, I am being "punished" for being honest about how I felt when I found that my car was NOT repaired correctly. It just doesn't seem right that this service rep feels they should be rewarded for being nice, even if the car is not fixed!
As I mentioned, I will see how it goes the next couple of weeks. There are plenty of Toyota dealers around here to choose from.
fastdriver - I can see that the trials and tribulations of the Chrysler service department are still fresh in you mind! And - you ARE right.
I didn't give the service dept "straight A's" because they didn't earn them! Simple as that. I figured that they would try harder the next time to get a better survey, not threaten to withold services like a spoiled child.
I'll let you know what happens. I must say, after being the spoiled one with Lexus, this is a little disheartening at Toyota. Maybe I should trade the Solara in for another ES300, but keep the Solara seats? - Hmmmm! Think they'll notice?
I didn't mean to jump in, but this business of filling out A+ CSI's for unsatisfactory work just rubs me the WRONG way! You want A+ CSI's, then do A+ work! It's as simple as that! Case closed.
Maybe the seats in the 2001 Lexus ES300 have been changed? ;-))) If I see one at the car show today, I'll compare the two and let you know.
fastdriver
You really stirred up a debate with your opinion on service. If Toyota, it's sales and service people want to receive "completely satisfied" ratings they should earn it. After all the real reason Toyota instituted this program is the ongoing horrible customer satisfaction Toyota continues to receive in the national J.D. Polk surveys. You should be affected directly for poor service. No different than any other business. Furthermore if Toyota treated it's customers as well as they make their cars(in most cases) this would be a non-issue.
I'm tired of being bombarded with the "completely Satisfied" B.S. every time I buy a new car. I wish the dealership cared as much when my 1 week old car had a chip on the hood down to the metal. Maybe if they did I would be "Completely Satisfied". Automophile is the one that is owed an apology from the service writer and dealership, not visa versa.
Again, sorry for the rant Cliffy. Your info has been invaluable, but you need to see it from the other side of the desk to understand our frustration with certain dealership and national customer service people.
Everytime I take my Solara/Camry for service, I'm constantly force fed this "Completely Satisfied" BS speech just before they have me sign off on the service. Yet, I still have this chip the size of a quarter right down to the bare metal on my hood that is still unresolved by Toyota...to which I point out to them b4 signing off!
I personally think that a class action solution should be sought or given serious thought concerning these paint issues and/or chips! I certainly don't want to pay $500 to fix something that is an inheritable problem from Toyota.
'99 SE V6 ~18K miles (smooth miles, 'cept for the numerous paint chips)
'00 XLE V6 ~2K miles (very noisey highway miles)
It will try to read a CD to play and it can't so it ejects it. This does it to many different CD's in the changer. I don't think you should have to wait for a CD changer to "warm up"..I mean..if it was like -20 degrees outside I could be a little more understanding but this seems a bit ridiculous. Anyone else notice this problem????