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Toyota Solara

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Comments

  • decondecon Member Posts: 56
    Do you guys do scheduled maintenance other than replace engine oil and filter every 3000 mile and rotate tires?

    My car is at 20,000 miles and the service people say I should get my auto transmission checked.

    What type of service do I really NEED?
  • phatnastycatphatnastycat Member Posts: 73
    ral2167 & Automophile- Thanks for the Zaino info. I checked out the website and does seem like a lot of products to buy. However, the results look to be worth it. I may consider investing in it down the road.

    Westsolara- I'll be sure and check what exactly they want to do for the charge and have them deduct what isn't necessary. I only have a few months left on my lease and I don't want to dump a lot of money into a big service. I have basically just been getting the oil changed every 3K and rotating the tires every 2nd change. I had the brakes inspected and cleaned about a year ago.

    Has anyone out there leased from Toyota before? I am curious what the experience was like in turning in your vehicle at end of lease, how the inspection went and if there were any surprise charges outside of the disposition fee?
    I won't be leasing another Toyota, so I hope I won't have any problems. With my previous Honda leases, I basically just dropped the vehicle off, got a copy of the final inspection report and that was that.
  • automophileautomophile Member Posts: 780
    phatnastycat -

    1. Do NOT PAY any acquisition or disposition fees. DONT! Walk out until they agree to drop them. My Lexus dealer even OFFERED to drop the disposition fee. These are just purely arbitrary fees to rip you off. The same with documentation and messenger fees, etc. They make PROFIT on your sale, that pays for acquiring the car. The make PROFIT when they re-sell it - that pays for disposing of the car. The other fees just go in their pockets. They don't charge these when you BUY a car do they?

    2. Be sure that any fees that you do pay are NOT included in the "cap cost" of the car (the price you finance). Otherwise you are paying interest on these fees for years.

    3. Try to accept that it is really best for you if you do not give anything as a "deposit" or "cap reduction" - $0.00. I try to leave with my new car without giving them a dollar, except for DMV and other fees. Why? The interest you are paying on the car will be less than you are paying on credit card debt. Better to pay 4-7% on a car lease, then 18-21% on your cards. Put the down towards your credit card debt, and then make a higher car payment. The monthly will be the same, but you will come out many $$$ ahead if you don't charge your cards up again. If you don't have any debt - well - good for you!

    4. BE SURE to check the interest you are paying. In Leasing it is called "Money Factor".It will be a number such as 0.0029. Mulitply by 2400 to get the true interest rate. It should be 3-8% unless you are a high credit risk. I have seen where a dealer gives you a great price on the car, and then makes it up in interest. Have them show you the loans that are available, and be sure they go with the lowest interest rate you can qualify for. My Toyata dealer was very good about this and let me see the computer screen. Mine was 0.0025 - the best available at the time.

    5. Returning the car should be as easy as to drop it off, sign some papers and walk away. BE SURE to take photos inside and out at the dealer to prove the condition of the car. It has happened where they have dinged it up after delivery and tried to charge the returner for the damage. Even better - Sell it yourself before the lease expires. If you keep your car immaculate, you can even make money. I made $2500 over the lease payoff on my Millenia because of the great condition it was in - and I didn't even know about Zaino yet! You can also trade it in for another car at any time.

    6. DON'T wait on the Zaino - To wait is a false economy. You will probably not need to buy more for the life of your lease, and you will have the best protection and shine the whole time.

    Good Luck!
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    I've got to beg to differ on a few of your points here. TFS does have an acquisition fee of $250 that the dealer has NO control over. We can't drop it under any circumstances. Dealers may claim they will drop it but they can only do this by reducing the price of the vehicle by $250. If they can do this, it means there were charging $250 too much in the first place.

    Next, your points 2 and three are contradictory. If you believe you are better off not financing the taxes and DMV fees, why would you be opposed to cap cost reductions? They are the same thing. For many people, it makes sense to put a down payment on a lease. Their lease end obligations are the same but they have paid less "interest" and lower payments. Every $1000 down drops the payments by about $31 per month for a saving of $1116 over the term of a 36 months lease.

    You're kind of right on the interest or money factor. Make sure the dealer tells you what it is. On cars with rebates or incentives, the MF can be quite low. If there are no incentives, the "buy rate" (the amount the dealership can put it out for without profit) varies from .00365 to .00495 depending on credit situations. This means that even at premier rates, you are paying the equivalent of 8.76%. Lease rates tend to run higher than conventional rates because the bank takes more risk on a lease. That risk is that the car will depreciate faster than the residual and they will be stuck with the cost. They charge higher rates to compensate for that risk.

    Leasing is not for everybody. It works for many people but you've got to be very diligent in your research and you need to find a basically honest dealership to work with. That is easier said than done but can be done.
  • nori10nori10 Member Posts: 24
    I want to get the zaino thing.. since it seems to work for everyone. But since there are many produt lines.. i don't know what exactly to get. I am planning to get only ONE of their product, for the use after washing my car normally at a car wash. Can someone help me if I am suppose to get a Z-1 , Z-2 or a Z-3?? my solara is fairway green. Thanks a lot.
  • luthor1luthor1 Member Posts: 15
    Having never purchased a new car before I was wondering if the pre delivery inspection charge is legitimate or not. Waiting for the solar sle to be delivered and the pdi charge is $375 can.
  • ral2167ral2167 Member Posts: 791
    i just use z 1 and then z2 on my fairway green solara-- email me and i can send pics if interested, nori. i think the z1 i use just once a year, then z2 more often.... i have 1/4 of the z2 left while i have 3/4 of the z1 left. don't know about that z3 stuff-- what's dat?
  • cliffy1cliffy1 Member Posts: 3,581
    Any dealer can charge any fee they want, but calling it a PDI fee is stupid. PDI stands for Pre-Delivery Inspection and it costs us about $100 to perform it. We are reimbursed from Toyota for this service and I have NEVER heard of a dealer passing it on to the consumer.
  • automophileautomophile Member Posts: 780
    Hi Cliffy - Thanks for your input

    Acquisition Fees - This may be true for TFS, but not for all. Also - the usual gouging for this is as much as $600 - just too much. $250 is almost acceptable! And - the dealer can still elect to "drop" it, however it is done. Disposition fees are always a rip-off.

    Cap Costs - You are correct - I thought about this later after I wrote it (staying up too late!). What I was thinking was that most people feel that they MUST leave some sort of down payment, I wanted them to be sure that the fees were kept separate.

    However, anyone with ANY credit card debt is still FAR better off to put any available cash to the credit cards, and to pay higher car payments. The amount saved by the end of the lease can be huge! The same for buying of course ( as long as they don't run the cards up again! )

    Thanks for the MF info
  • mickey24mickey24 Member Posts: 2
    You people seem like experts on Toyotas, so I was wondering if any of you could tell me whether or not I need to purchase the Toyoguard protection group with the paint sealant, fabric protection, undercoating, and glass etching? Is this something that is really needed with Toyotas to maintain their appearance? Never owned one, so I don't know what to do. Please help!!! Also, is it true that you have to run premium gasoline in a Solara? That is a rumour that I heard. Thanks for any help you can give me.
  • nori10nori10 Member Posts: 24
    Thanks for the reply Ralph. I think I will go for the z-1 and z-2 just like you did! and pictures... saw tons of them on this disscussion board already, and that's what persuaded me.
    Hope your solara is shining green :)
    nori10
  • automophileautomophile Member Posts: 780
    Paint sealer, interior treatment and undercoating are all cash cows that the auto industry has been milking for years. They are highly overpriced, super high-profit versions of treatments that you can do yourself. Some, like some of the paint treatments and undercoating can do MUCH more harm than good. The warranties on these items are based on the hope that you forget about it or move or sell the car before you try to make them honor it.

    Paint - Zaino your car yourself after you get it home (or at least use a really good clay and wax). If you really care, DON'T let the dealer wash or wax it - this is where a lot of the scratches get started in your new paint.
    Interior - Scotchguard your interior yourself, if you can still find some at the Hardware store.
    Glass etching - This is supposed to stop selling of parts if your car is stolen, but shop it around.

    In Short - NO - you don't need it.
  • robmb52robmb52 Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2000 Solar SE with the 3.0 V6. I have recently changed from regular oil to fully synthetic oil. Was this a smart move? Does anyone know the real difference between regular oil and synthetic oil (besides the price)? I heard that you can wait between oil changes up to 5000-6000 miles. Is this true?

    Thanks.

    RMB52
  • luphyluphy Member Posts: 31
    I also recently switched my oil from regular to synthetic oil. Go to the synthetic oil discussion thread to hear all the debate (under Maintenance). One thing I definitely noticed was the quick heat-up time...usually my car would idle at high 1000s for at least 5 mins before working its way down to the low 1000s during midwestern winter temperatures. Now, it only takes a couple minutes...and I did see a slight decrease in fuel consumption, but I really can't say whether that's from the oil or from the normal break-in (car had about 3800 miles on it when I switched to synthetic). To sum up the synthetic board: Mobil 1 seems to be most trusted and most widely available (5W30 on my V6 Solara), and either Mobil 1 or PureOne filters (they recommend PureOne over Mobil 1 for engine configurations with horizontal filters like the Solara). Evidence points towards oil changes up to 25000 miles, but most people do 10K, and conservative ones do maybe 7K with oil filter changes done once inbetween oil changes as well.
    I plan to change out my filter at 3500-4000 miles and then change my oil at probably 7500.
  • jraysjrays Member Posts: 20
    mickey24: The ToyoGuard and the "protection" packages "offered" by other dealers is not worth the money they charge. It's all pure profit and to make matters worse, most dealers automatically put it on all new cars, so you don't have a choice (I live in the Southeastern region). I can't fault them for trying to get the most profit out of a customer, but give me a break. In fact, I don't think any auto dealer charges what this "protection" is really worth, which is probably about $100. To prove my point, has anyone ever bought a USED car and seen this so-called "protection" package listed as an option? I mean if this is such a great thing when a car is new, wouldn't the dealers list it among the options when they are reselling that same car? Think about it (and keep your money).
  • westsolarawestsolara Member Posts: 18
    FWIW....Klick &K lack of Car Talk fame say that the latest research indicates
    you can drive at least 5000 before changing the oil and there will be no
    negative consequences. Also, took my 2000 Solar to the dealer this AM
    to determine the origin of a noise in the rear just after acceleration and was
    told this is NORMAL and in fact is the gas moving in the tank!!! First time
    in my ancient years I have encountered this situation.
  • automophileautomophile Member Posts: 780
    SYNTH OIL

    There is little doubt that synth oil is more slippery, and better for your car than dino oil. However, be sure not to change to synth oil TOO SOON. If you do, there may not be enough friction to allow the rings and bearings to seat properly. Some car makers even use a special "break-in" oil to help this. Estimates of the "proper" time to change to synth oil range as high as 10K miles, but no lower than 5K miles.
  • luphyluphy Member Posts: 31
    Fyi, and not to start a debate on synthetic oil here but Porsche and another car company (can't recall off the top of my head) ship their cars out of the factory with synthetic oil....and so far I haven't run across any hard evidence of a 'break-in' oil used by car makers.
  • ackbar15ackbar15 Member Posts: 2
    Toyotaparts4u.com and Camryman.org forum members have struck a deal on the Camry/Solara Kazuma Superchargers!

    Here are the prices as follows:
    Camry Supercharger: $2,150.00 + Shipping
    Solara Supercharger: $2,250.00 + Shipping

    We will need a total of 20 buyers for the deal to go through... So we will need all the buyers we can get... The offer ends April 30, 2001. . .
    Please email me at ackbar15@yahoo.com if you have ANY questions. Or go to https://www.toyotaparts4u.com/group_buy_form.htm to place your order or for more information. This is a TOTALLY legitmate group buy by a VERY reputable Toyota dealership that sells parts online.
  • phelpsmphelpsm Member Posts: 21
    Quick Question...
    My girlfriend has a Cougar and just got her 30K mile work done. Her book said something about a Transmission Flush (I figure this includes a new filter and the such). But our book doesn't say anything about it. The only place (correct me if I'm wrong) that talks about transmission fluid changes is under "Special Operating Conditions". I even looked under the 45K, 90K and 120K checks. Maybe I just missed it but my questions is when should transmission fluids/filters be changed??? How long do they usually last???

    Thanks, Mike
  • luthor1luthor1 Member Posts: 15
    My solara sle arrived today and I will go in tomorrow to drive it and check it out before signing. As this is my first new car what should I be looking for other than the obvious scratches. Also, is it possible to determine the build date from the vin number and if so how thanks.
  • phatnastycatphatnastycat Member Posts: 73
    Look inside the door on the driver's side and you should be able to find the manuf. date.
    Definetly take an EXTENDED test drive of the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle will hold a straight line on a flat road. The car should not pull to one side. Trust me (and many others), if you have one that shows this tendency, you will go through many trips to the dealer to get it fixed (and you may never get it fixed).
    Outside of this problem, you should have an extremely enjoyable car to own.
  • luthor1luthor1 Member Posts: 15
    Thanks, this was my second solara test drive and it was the same as the first. Steering was a bit dead on center but no drifting or pulling either way not quite as linear as the accord coupe, but still good. It has the michellin tires and from what Ive read the potenza's may have been part of the problem. Hope you've been able to get your steering problem taken of, it really is a great car.
  • phatnastycatphatnastycat Member Posts: 73
    Glad to hear everything checks out well with the way your Solara drives. You have a good one. The Solara can be a great car to own.
    I too have the Michelin tires. Unfortunately, my cars problem has been unable to correct and at this point with just 4 months left on my lease, I'll just live with it. World Omni is throwing all kinds of offers at me to try and tempt me to buy my car at end of lease. I told them, I wouldn't buy if they gave it to me for half price. :D
    Besides, even if my Solara was trouble free, I'd still want a new car. That's why I lease. So that I can get a new car every 2-3 years and let the bank deal with the depreciation. I could never buy a car, because the thought of a $500+ monthly payment for 5 years just doesn't appeal to me.
    Anyway....
    Best of luck and enjoy your Solara.
  • denniswadedenniswade Member Posts: 362
    Just follow the maintenance schedule in your owne's manual. Anything else is just dealer BS.
  • phelpsmphelpsm Member Posts: 21
    But if you would have read my whole post (#819) you would have seen that I have checked the manual and I can't seem to find anything about Transmission Fluid being mentioned except for "Special Operating Conditions". If I am wrong please correct me, but that's why I am trying to find out about when or if we should change out the transmission fluid.

    Thanks
  • denniswadedenniswade Member Posts: 362
    I didn't mean to be rude either (I thought I was being helpful).

    Once again -- if your owner's manual doesn't say to change it, don't worry about it. Simple!
  • luphyluphy Member Posts: 31
    I seem to recall that the side airbags in the Solara only protect the torso right? I can't find any documentation of this anywhere though...anyone know for sure? Has anyone been in a side impact that triggered the side airbags? Anyone know the cost of replacing the front and/or side airbags?
    Also, I recall someone posting a message previously that they disconnect the sensor to the passenger seat that tells the car whether someone is sitting in it or not. If the passenger front airbags are similar to other cars, I would think it has a sensor to tell whether someone is sitting in the passenger seat or not and will then decide whether to deploy the passenger front airbag (and probably the side airbag, too?). I have no documented evidence of this, but I would strongly suggest that no one disconnect the sensor to the passenger seat's 'occupant sensor' just to prevent a little light from flashing on the dash everytime you have something heavy on the seat - and potentially compromising your passenger's safety in the event of a crash.
  • bee12bee12 Member Posts: 3
    I am buying my first car and my aunt wants me to buy a solara. I on the other hand, like the cougar. I know you are all Solara fans but, for the extra money, should I go against what I want?
  • 99solara99solara Member Posts: 51
    Yes we Solara fans, but owning a vehicle does not always make you a fan. Sometimes ownership will drive you away from a bad choice. Consumer reports shows the Cougar as a big black dot (poor Reliability). This is a factor that Toyota seems to do well in year after year.
    All of this being said, you should get what makes you happy. After all it is your car and your $$.
  • phelpsmphelpsm Member Posts: 21
    I own a Solara and my girlfriend has a Cougar. They are both really nice cars. I'll list the most noticeable differences that we have come up with.
    Solara:
    - More comfortable and roomier seats
    - Larger Sunroof
    - More interior room
    - Just a bit better radio (our opinions)
    Cougar:
    - Better handling (tighter suspension but it's still not rough)
    - Blind spots looking over both shoulders
    - Better styling

    Acceleration is about the same on both cars (both have the v6). She does have an automatic vs my standard.

    All this is our opinion but I wouldn't mind answering more direct questions if you have any and would like to contact me via email.

    --Mike
  • jabeck8925jabeck8925 Member Posts: 3
  • jabeck8925jabeck8925 Member Posts: 3
    Luphy, thanks for you advice on the passenger side airbag and the passenger seatbelt light indicator. However, my Toyota service center assures me that the passenger side air bag is not controlled by the passenger seatbelt warning light. The passenger air bag will deploy in the case of a front impact wether someone is in the seat or not. Therefore, I have decided to pull the dash apart (easier done than said, i mean that :)) and remove the little light bulb that causes the passenger seatbelt light to flash. Was this a good idea? I dunno. But I did it anyway and will simply replace the bulb before I take it to the service center for any maintenance.
  • phatnastycatphatnastycat Member Posts: 73
    I took my Solara in last week for the 30K mile service. When I picked it up it was driving without a pull for the first time in nearly 25K miles. Not sure what they did, but it drives like the car I had expected it to all along.
    The service costs me $150 with a coupon. Not sure if I paid too much, but regardless it was well worth it. Now I can fully enjoy the final 4 months of my lease.
    -PNC
  • denniswadedenniswade Member Posts: 362
    is a beautiful car -- but the engine is harsher and the quality simply isn't there, compared to the Solara.

    If Ford would tighten up on this car, they'd have a real winner.
  • nrl76nrl76 Member Posts: 30
    I am coming up on the 30K mark and was thinking of having the service done. Where do you live? I have not seen a $150 coupon for this service.
    What eles did they do that was noticeable?

    Thanks for the information.

    Neil
    '99 SLE
    Red\Gray - 29,000 miles

    PS - I am in LA/Santa Monica
  • phatnastycatphatnastycat Member Posts: 73
    nrl76-
    I am in Atlanta, GA. It was a dealership special. Let me know if you are in the Atlanta area and I'll give the dealership info.
    -PNC
  • m12billboym12billboy Member Posts: 2
    I have read so many postings that discuss the problems solara owners have been experiencing. "clanking " noise when gong over bumps, constant pull to the left ing the steering, squeak in the seats, and unresponsive service department at Toyota dealers.

    I was all set to purchase a 2001 Solara sle until I read about these problems. Is this a car I should avoid? Would a test drive of the car aI am considering tell me if these issues are a problem, or do they develope over time? Have these problems been experienced in a 2001, or do they exist only in 1999 and 2000 model?

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Billboy
  • nrl76nrl76 Member Posts: 30
    Billyboy-

    I have a '99 SLE and it had the Strut Tower clunk. It was a quick fix by the dealer. I would not call it a major problem by any means but make sure that you listen to the suspension when you go over bumps in the road.

    Neil
    '99 SLE
    Red\Gray - 29,000 miles
  • gdanczykgdanczyk Member Posts: 26
    After reading all the posts and from personal experience, I'm convinced the pulling left problem is tire related. All other problems posted seem to have been fixed by the dealers. Car service at dealers is going to vary slightly for each dealership, but in general Toyota has been excellent in my experience. What are your other options?
  • ral2167ral2167 Member Posts: 791
    i went to the dark side-- sold my fairway green V6 solara 5 speed machine for a 2001 accord coupe LX V6...just had to lose the leather seats....so all those smart aleck remarks i made at the expense of the coupe and their owners over the past few years,please disregard...... i'll miss the solara moonroof, but not the coinbox.
  • automophileautomophile Member Posts: 780
    M12billboy -

    You will find problems listed for ANY car on the forum. Remember that people with problems post much more often than those who just want to say "Really enjoying my Solara - just wanted you to know!"

    And - all the "problems" that you will read about here are REALLY minor compared to what you may read about on other forums. Coin box? A little harmless clunk when going over big bumps? BIG DEAL!

    In General the Solara is an excellent car for the money. I was test driving cars that are twice the price last weekend, and while they may be fancier with more technical feature, they did not drive smoother or quieter or faster than my Solara.

    If you want a good-looking, good driving, quiet, 2-door coupe with a full-size back seat and great reliability, you cannot do better at the $25K price
  • phatnastycatphatnastycat Member Posts: 73
    I 110% agree with Automophile. Hands down, you will not find a better looking, better driving, better equiped car under $28K than the Toyota Solara SLE.(Period)
    Yes, I have had my problems, but few cars are without them. Read through the "high end" car topic boards and you will not find a car that's completely 100% trouble/problem/defect free. That's just the nature of cars.
    I was frustrated with my Solara and with Toyota for quite a while until I had my one major problem resolved. I think my problem was a fluke and just need the right tweeking to resolve it. Now my car is a dream to own.
  • m12billboym12billboy Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for putting the Solara "problems" in perspective. All of your posts help a great deal.

    Billboy
  • westsolarawestsolara Member Posts: 18
    I have a Silver 2000 Solara and recently put a 5/8" gold
    accent stripe on the horizontal body strip on each side
    of the car and it looks fine. Also, went to VIP and got
    some mud guards for $24.00 for two sets and, with a
    slight modification, installed them using the existing
    screws found on the vehicle.
  • luphyluphy Member Posts: 31
    I have a 2000 Green SLE with everything but the traction control and gold-trim. The only "problems" I had with the car was some problems with the car starting during its first few hundred miles....dealer could find nothing wrong, and the problem eventually disappeared (it would take me two cranks to start sometimes...I think it just needed to be broken in *shrug*).
    The other problem was some noted subjective increase in ride harshness...I never experienced the "clunk" that others have. But in all honesty, I think it was all psychological because the car continues to ride very smoothly, especially when compared to other cars. And I never had any of the left-pulling that others have problems with...someone thought it may be due to the Bridgestones, and it may be because I have the Michelins. As for the coin box....well, it works fine for me..no problems with it working loose or anything.
    My biggest gripe with the Solara is the rear window dot matrix which makes it extremely hard to get a perfect tint (Toyota desingers must have been drinking too much rice wine when they designed that...how could they think to put those dots in a sports coupe when they must know that it makes it harder to tint, and that most drivers would want to tint).
    As for the Solara being one of the best finds for under 25K...I agree to a certain extent. If you want a car with better handling with the same equipment, but with a harsher ride and maybe slightly cheaper interior materials, the Accord Coupe could be had for 2-3K less. Go up 2-3K more and you might want to consider the Acura CL.
  • gpoltgpolt Member Posts: 113
    How much did you get for your Solara? Why did you go over to Honda v.s an SE with cloth?
  • ral2167ral2167 Member Posts: 791
    i got 15900 for the solara 99 v6 5 speed-- private sale but was contingent on the buyer agreeing to let a honda dealer do what they call an "In and Out," -- which the buyer did agree to.... an "In and Out" is where the dealer handles the paperwork, as long as I buy from them, so in effect i was able to deduct the 15900 from the cost of the 2001 accord coupe LX V6 i bought to save darn near $1000 on tax...

    the reason i didn't just trade the car in to a dealer directly (as opposed to selling privately) was the dealers weren't willing to give me anywhere near 15900 for the car-- due to the 5 speed mainly they say-- 5 speeds are brutal on resale...

    i went with a honda cause after two toyotas, i was just in the mood to change back to honda, which i had owned prior.. i basically switch between hondas and toyotas every one or two cars (which i tend to keep 3-4 years, except for the solara which i hated the leather seats, which is why i got rid of it after 2 years)...plus honda had the 3.9% financing incentive, even on the V6 coupe.

    i also penalized solara for its lame coinbox which vexed me throughout my ownership...solara does have a better tilt steering wheel mechanism.
  • glengloglenglo Member Posts: 2
    Is there anyway to turnoff the climate control so none of the controls are lit. I looked in the manual but I didn't see anything at first glance.
    I have a convertible and I don't want the climate control on when the top is down. But I always have some light on the climate control (recirculate or fresh/flow thru light). Even when it is off I can feel a very slight heat coming thru. I have a SLE
  • qibbleqibble Member Posts: 26
    I am looking to add heated seats to my 99SE. Has anyone tried or have any info on the after market stuff? I've checked out a couple of web sites and they look promising. It'll run me about $200 to add this feature to the front seats. Not bad for warm buns during the winter. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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