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2005-2007 Toyota Avalon

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Comments

  • y_althaniy_althani Member Posts: 19
    Hi bro sh5bar? joof ilprofile coz the forum rules states that I cant post it here :shades:
    I might get my Black Beauty next week inshalla :confuse: u can have a closer look at it :p;)
    there is a light green 1 parks oppiste Bahrain islamic bank tower next to traffic light in diplomatic area in the morrining

    Yousif :D
  • havalongavalonhavalongavalon Member Posts: 460
    jackstacker,

    a. steering column = connects the steering wheel to the mechanism that steers the front wheels

    b. TSB = technical service bulletin (manufacturer advises dealers of a potential problem, a need for repair or an upgrade).

    This is not called a "recall", there have been no reported accidents so far, but there is a clear safety concern. A weld may be missing in some of the first 4900 Avalons and if so, the steering system could suddenly snap apart without warning, and you would lose control of the car.

    havalongavalon
  • jordan7jordan7 Member Posts: 77
    When I had my car for only 2 weeks I drove to Miami. I varied the speed often since the car had only 300 miles on it when I started. I did not use cruise control. I used 93 gas with speeds of 55 to 80. I averaged between 30-31 throughout the trip. On the way home to Maryland, I drove more between 75 and 85 also using 93 octane gas. I did not notice any change in milage always above 30 for the highway driving. I now have 3400 miles on the car and for combinaiton driving but mostly in the suberbs, I am getting around 24 MPG. I am very pleased with this milage and it is slightly better than my 98 Avalon.
  • grozagroza Member Posts: 89
    "The windshield made a loud cracking sound (like the sound of a rock hitting your windshield). .. Suggestions?"

    Rock

    Groza
  • benkaybenkay Member Posts: 8
    Anybody ever tried this film "bra" to cover up the front-end of your Avalon? Is it really 'invisible' or does it make it look cheesy? Is it worth it? Any particular recommended products?

    I live in Midwest where bugs pretty much rule the night. The last couple nights that I drove back from work, the bugs were hitting my windshield in such enormous rate that I thought that it was raining. The front bumper had hundreds of splattered little flying insects, and it only took 15 minutes of driving. I washed my car at the gas station's touchless car wash. After $7, pretty much everything came off, but by the time I got home, I already had a big splat on my bumper and I drove less than a mile!

    Anyway, I'm concerned of my Avalon's well being. I would appreciate any suggestions.
  • bahraini_zuprabahraini_zupra Member Posts: 98
    thanks for the replay
    sure i would be glad to see it in person but ive already loved the white more but i may change my mind after i see urs tho :D

    i'll send my phone number or msn messenger to ur yahoo mail .

    ali
  • cafpafcafpaf Member Posts: 65
    Even though I am having my cassette player replaced, books on tape is exactly the reason that Toyota states for including the cassette player in the first place.
  • azhuyckazhuyck Member Posts: 25
    soulmaster: I purchased Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 235/45/R18. They are the exact rolling diameter of the Michelin OEM tires 215/55/R17 that were on the Avalon. The trick is to find a rim that has the correct off set.
  • soulmastersoulmaster Member Posts: 12
    Greetings Koketo and Azhuyck:
    I am currently running 245/40/19 with Kyowa Design wheels on my black Touring. This combination looks great and rides very smoothly. If you would like to see this set up go to http://www.msnusers.com/ToyotaAvalon.Tell me what you think.I am curious to see the factory 18" wheels?
    Cheers,
    Soulmaster
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Just had 3M Paint Protection Film installed on my 05 Blizzard Pearl - it really looks good and is hard to see - is not cheesy looking at all. Dealers are supposed to be certified by 3M before they can get the material. My dealer installed in on the complete front end and about 8" up onto the hood, as well as on the back of each of the door mirrors. Guaranteed not to fade the paint since there is no UV protection in the film which would cause fading. Go for it.
    zekeman1
  • avalonbobavalonbob Member Posts: 35
    Has anyone installed this paint protection film on a black car? I was wondering if it would be more visible or if the edges would be more apparent.

    If so, let me know how it looks.

    Thanks
  • grozagroza Member Posts: 89
    "Just had 3M Paint Protection Film installed on my 05 Blizzard Pearl - it really looks good and is hard to see - is not cheesy looking at all. "

    Zekemeister: Having been reared in a traditional Polish family, you don't have to justify clear plastic coverings as "not cheesy looking" to me. I grew up with clear plastic coverings over sofas, tabletops, arm chairs, whatever. To me it's haute couture. I was thinking, if it could be applied to the Av interior - what do you think - can the 3M Film can be wrapped over seats, steering wheel, console?

    Groza
  • koketokoketo Member Posts: 8
    thanks for you post and pictures ,your car looks great ,though i have to say, i`m not too sporty like you but the same look very nice, i know you should be very happy with the power we have in the car,right?i`m scare sometimes with to many horses,jejeje, and thanks Azhuyck for replay, i have 500 miles no problem ,zero, i guess i`m lukie too. well all my friends and family are crazy about the car ,really ,Let me tell you ,the other day a i let my friend drive my car because his cousin have a CLS 500 mercedes and his drive it all the time you know,the new one,and he toldme that mine feel heviest than the mercedes and better look inside ,that he felt de mercedes like a chieper car than the avalon and this guy don`t like to talk bull... he really got impresive whith the car,image i`m very happy whith the car i told you my other car is bmw x5..... so i know a litlle bit what i`m talking about....
  • canefirecanefire Member Posts: 12
    hey benkay!

    We installed Clear Shield 4ml thick clear urethane film at a reputable tint firm for $350 discounted for fire fighters. It is invisible but you can see the line rumning on top of the hood when viewing from close quarters. We had it installed over the entire front end, 2/3rds up the front hood, on both sides of the front side panels (1/2 of panel) and on both side view mirrors. It is invisible on all body parts except as noted above.
    After suffering multiple front end and mirror dings on our pearl white 95 XLS and 95 SC400, we decided to invest in this protection. The touchup paint we were using was inadequate in our opinion. Our warranty is lifetime - a good bargain.

    Have fun with your Avalon!
    canefire :D
  • vicmvicm Member Posts: 18
    Have a Avy Ltd, no key start, when I push the start button there is a buzz then the engine kicks over. Is that sound normal? It also does it when I shut down except if my foot is off the brake. Other than loose fog lights it been a gem. Over 500 miles and no problems, 26 mpg around town, as high as 32 on the highway doing 65-70 mph. Great vehicle..
  • just__mejust__me Member Posts: 508
    avalonturing05, I would not lie about such a thing. That's why I said it's even hard for me to believe and in fact I told my wife to remember this so if any of my friends don't believe me I have a witness. I have no reason to lie about such a thing. Anyway, I did forget to post the speed I was traveling at. The average for when I was in a 55 mile speed zone was 63 and when in a 70 mile zone I was at 68, so if we want to average between the two we can use 66 MPH, although most of the second part of the fill up was done from MD to NJ, so closer to 63 would be more accurate. I kept my A/C on the lowest blower set at 72. I slowly accelerated and no fast stops, I let the cars fly by me like never before. The 34.3 MPG was reached going downhill in MD, it happened about 3 times than would fall back to 34.2 and eventually settle anywhere between 33.6 to 33.9, but it seemed like for long periods it was at 33.8. WHAT BLOWS ME AWAY IS THAT THIS MPG IS BASED ON THE SECOND FILL UP OF 89 OCTANE FROM BP, NOT THE 93 OCTANE. Also I forgot to mention, usually when I fill up the blue screen shows something like 355 miles, but this time I noticed on the second refill the blue screen showed 375 miles, the first time I noticed that 20 mile difference. Like Deann, when checking the miles to gas the computer does seem accurate. Anyway, believe what you want, I just stated the facts as I saw them on the blue screen.
  • just__mejust__me Member Posts: 508
    dcallies, see my post 6467
  • jordan7jordan7 Member Posts: 77
    my Limited makes the same noise just before you start it and stop it after pushing the button. when i had it in for service, it did not do it (just like when you go to the doctor the pain has gone away). has any other Limited owners experienced this buzz and what could it be. I have been told it is the anti-lock brakes adjusting, the fuel pump????????or computer, but still do not have a good answer. Any thoughts out there?
  • rewoprewop Member Posts: 35
    vicm writes: Have a Avy Ltd, no key start, when I push the start button there is a buzz then the engine kicks over. Is that sound normal? It also does it when I shut down except if my foot is off the brake.

    It's the steering wheel lock being turned off and then set upon start-up and shut-down. This is covered in the manual.

    Rewop
  • littlejohn600littlejohn600 Member Posts: 80
    Anybody out there heard of a fix on the new Avalons concerning the problem of not being able to read the odometer during normal daylight because of dim lighting?? This happens even with the lighting control fully clockwise.
    If you have this problem, please E-Mail Toyota.

    http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_prod_lvl1=53
  • avalonturing05avalonturing05 Member Posts: 32
    Listen don't take it too hard I,m not saying you are lying but you did say its unbelievable-----anyway about your fantasies about 33 34 35 36 just kidding.

    Now the milage you gave me and the speeds you mention are more realistic
    now then before especially down hill---was your air-cond on ?that makes a big difference.

    be carefull about putting low octain then what is recommended which i think
    is 91 because the computer is adjusted for that type of octain and timing.
    It can damage your car due to out of syn and cause knocking

    remeber you want a higher explosion in the gas not low for computer mixture

    anyway when you have long trips bring the camera--i sure like to see that 34.2 ;)
  • hank3hank3 Member Posts: 26
    I wish my avalon had some of the high numbers you guys have been talking about. I drive mine back and forth to work each day in the city. The trip is app. 10 miles and I probably dont average over 30 mph because of the stop and go. I use 91 octane gas and I try to keep my foot off the gas. According to the stats on my screen, I have been averaging anywhere from 17-18 mpg. Any tricks to getting the 21 mentioned? I am assuming the computer automatically resets the trip and mpg each time? Is this correct?
  • azhuyckazhuyck Member Posts: 25
    Soulmaster: Koketo With great difficulty i managed to post some picture. I also installed gold emblems. Here is the URL Address. http://groups.msn.com/ToyotaAvalon/2005avalon.msnw?albumlist=2
  • just__mejust__me Member Posts: 508
    avalonturing05 Yes, I had the A/C on as I said and set at the lowest blower level possible and at 72.
    hank3, Once you start driving and put on more miles you will see the miles begin to improve on the blue screen. The more miles you go the better MPG average. But if as you say you only go ten miles stop and go, then yes you won't be getting good MPG.
  • limiteddriverlimiteddriver Member Posts: 234
    The lighting is a little dim, but I'm used to it and don't care. If you put your nose closer to the dash you can read it.
  • azhuyckazhuyck Member Posts: 25
    zekeman: I just moved my xm-antenna to the center of the trunk. There are two strip of 3m tape on each side of the antenna about 1/4 wide and 1/2 long. the antenna is also magnetic. I think toyota put them on to keep people from just lifting up the antenna. I just used a hair dryer to heat up strips and used my hands to pull off. There is enough wire to move, but you must loosen the tape that is apply under trunk lid as well the hinge on the trunk.
  • deaniedeanie Member Posts: 172
    Hi Havalongavalon:
    I'm sure you did get 36.1 mpg, but as you said it was just for a few kilometers at 50 mph on a flat hwy, and in the real world, you cant travel at that speed for long on modern roads or hwys without causing serious traffic problems.

    I'm guessing the only way you could have determined that fuel usage was during the few miles immediately following a gas fill-up because the mpg calculator only displays the average mpg for the entire tank used, not a real-time at the moment reading of what your mpg is right now (Toyota should redo the system to let us do this - it's just common sense Toyota!). personally, my mpg meter reads 31-33 mpg for a few miles on local heavily trafficked raods after filling up at my favorite station as long as I catch all green lights, so it can obviously be done - just not for very long. I once averaged over 30 mpg for over 100 miles but my speed was much lower than I thought as my wife told me after the trip (she was monitoring my speed the whole way), and while there was traffic, it wasn't heavy enough to prevent me from slaloming around traffic and chosing lanes to effectively drive as if without traffic (I usually just watch my rpms, not vehicle speed).

    Avalon is so smooth and quiet below 70 mph that I can no longer stand such low speeds on the hwy for long due to the boredom, and a lack of patience because it seems as if I'm not moving at all and it'll take forever to get where I'm going.
    Regards,
    Deanie
  • deaniedeanie Member Posts: 172
    That hwy fuel economy over 30 mpg is truly impressive, but were you using the AC or not? If you were, I don't know how you did it.
    Regards,
    Deanie
  • just__mejust__me Member Posts: 508
    Thanks for believing me. There would be no point in stating what I said if it weren't true. My trip to NJ was very smooth. I just basically coasted all the way even through Washington, no stops and goes. What I don't understand is why I got better mileage after filling up with the 89 Octane? That's when I went as high as the 34.3 MPG, and averaged out at probably around 33.8 MPG. The BP 89 I would imagine would have given less MPG then the Enmark 93 that was my first fill up. Of course a good part of going through MD and NJ was at the 63 MPH, so maybe that's it. The earlier trip was closer to averaging 68 MPH, could that have made such a difference? Well either way, I was excited and had to post it. My son-in-law understood my excitement as I showed him I had three quarters of a tank left that really surprised him. On my 04 I had a little more than a quarter left. I guess the roads and weather have a large affect as well as how one drives. I would think that when Toyota lists 31 MPG for highway it's based on the legal speed, I would assume they use 55 MPH, or is it 65 MPH? So for my car the way I'm driving it, I'm getting better highway mileage, and that was a huge part of my excitement. It made me realize I don't need a Hybrid. Anyway, thanks for trusting my word havalongavalons . Have a good evening.
  • ronharvronharv Member Posts: 51
    My '03 Avalon shifts with consistently greater smoothness than the '05. The new car, especially on hills or even mild inclines, often vacillates between 2nd and 3rd as if it can't make up its mind which gear to use. Nothing of the sort occurs with the '03. I figure it's pointless to bring this up with the dealer. But I have come up with a solution. Unless a long highway or freeway drive is in the offing, I'll drive the '03 and my wife'll use the new one. While she's aware of the shifting oddity (flaw?), it doesn't make her mumble in annoyance.
  • rwb2rwb2 Member Posts: 85
    The octain may get you a slightly better mileage but the computer retards the timing automatically and generally prevents knocking. The Car Talk guys have mentioned this in their column and on their riadio show many times. I've got a 96 avy in my garage with 110,000 miles and it has seldom seen hi-test and I have never had the first engine problem (knock on wood). However, horsepower is affected due to the timing adjustment made by the computer. On trips between Indianapolis and Columbus (200 miles of the flatest land in the country) I average right around 30 mpg if I keep it under 75. I get close to 27 around town on the freeways. I've got about 3,500 miles on my 2005 Ltd. What a great car.
  • buyer777buyer777 Member Posts: 70
    I have gotten over 30 mpg a couple of times on my 1997 Dodge Intrepid, 3.5 V6..so I would expect to see similar on a highway cruise from Avalon
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Just wondering. Was the calculation done using US or Canadian gallons to arrive at the mpg. Since Canadian gallons are about 1/5 larger in capacity it will make a difference. Canadian mpg's are higher than the US's when calculating from metric to the imperial system. If the calculation was done using US gallons, it will probably be close to or exceed Toyota's estimated Canadian highway mpg, which is 39. Either way, still pretty darn good.
  • hank3hank3 Member Posts: 26
    I cant wait to drive a trip and see what kind of mpg I get on the highway . I'm in TX also so A/C is mandatory and probably the main reason it is so low. I keep the A/C around 72 and my wife prefers 75.
  • benkaybenkay Member Posts: 8
    I see that a few people had good results with the paint protection film, and no negative testimonial yet.

    It seems that everybody had it done at dealers. I saw a do-it-yourself kit on E-bay dirt cheap. Bad idea, you think? :confuse:
  • grozagroza Member Posts: 89
    Eureeka. Groza found it. After an exhaustive search (okay, he did a Google, alright?), here is what several authoritative sites say about rotten egg smell:

    WHAT IF I PREFER TO USE GASOLINE WITH HIGHER OCTANE RATINGS?

    You can, but there are no real benefits, other than the gasoline manufacturers making more money off of you. When you use a fuel with a higher octane rating than your vehicle requires, you can send this unburned fuel into the emissions system. It can also collect in the catalytic converter. When you over stress any system, it can malfunction or not do what it was designed to do properly. In the early 90's, an early warning symptom was a rotten egg smell from the tailpipe. Easy fix, go back to using regular 87 octane gasoline. The rude odor usually disappears after several tanks of gasoline.


    Groza
  • ron6ron6 Member Posts: 27
    If you watch the display you will see that the trip time resets itself to "0" each time you shut off the engine for a few minutes. The "mpg" resets itself each time you fill up the tank.
  • bahraini_zuprabahraini_zupra Member Posts: 98
    hey guys its been about a month since i ordered my blizzard limited from the dealer but that bad thing is the Mirrors dosent has the turn signals indicators :( so i asked about there prices in toyota parts and they are 400% each :o and they told me i'll need the assembles and do i my owen harness to let it work :( the goood thing my limited really got the POT light under the mirror but not the turn indicators :(

    any help or backup would be appreciated :)

    thanks
    ali
  • grozagroza Member Posts: 89
    "I would think that when Toyota lists 31 MPG for highway it's based on the legal speed, I would assume they use 55 MPH, or is it 65 MPH?"

    just me: Good question. The guvment (EPA) dictates rules for Fuel Economy Test Driving Schedules. In West Virginny, we used to call them people revenoo-ers.

    Manufacturers perform the EPA tests on chassis dynamometers, not on the road; i.e., the cars are not "moving" in traffic - they're strapped down with the driven wheels turning a drum to load the engine. Here' what the EPA test schedules are:

    City
    Distance 11 miles
    Time 31 minutes
    Avg speed 20 mph
    Top speed 56 mph
    Stops 23
    Idling time 18%
    Engine temp @ start Cold
    Ambient temp 68 to 86 F
    A/C off

    Highway
    Distance 10 miles
    Time 12.5 minutes
    Avg speed 48 mph
    Top speed 60 mph
    Stops None
    Idling time None
    Engine temp @ start Warm
    Ambient temp 68 to 86 F
    A/C off

    Canadian test rules are more complicated, as they involve actual highway use, with Moose avoidance included. Groza doesn't have enough time to get into these.

    Groza
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Is it 3M material? Personally, I wouldn't go with anything other than 3M; the company that applied mine told me they had to go through a 3M class and be certified on installation, before they could even get it. There is alot of stretching involved so there is a tight fit...if you're real good at do-it-yourself things, go for it; but I would make sure it's 3M.
  • blaquebyrdblaquebyrd Member Posts: 11
    I have an XLS with the JBL system that I want to add XM radio to. I should have purchased it from Toyota but I didn't want the antenna on the trunk. After reading 3puttmax's posting at #5618 I called Toyota to see if they'd install it with the antenna inside the front windshield. The "accessory specialist" gave me the standard Toyota line about the antenna is designed to be on the outside of the car and that's the way their installer must install it. I told her that I'd seen a smaller antenna installed inside the windshield and she said she'd have to call her counterpart at XM radio before she could authorize Toyota to install it there. She called me back yesterday and said the XM rep said that the smaller antenna is recommended for the windshield install because of the slope of the windshield. The XM rep also stated that there shouldn't be any drop off in connectivity with the windshield install versus the trunk mounted install. So I ordered the smaller antenna from Circuit City (it's on sale for $23) and I'll take it to Toyota when they install my system next week.
  • paul_ppaul_p Member Posts: 271
    My wife and I are buying a 2005 Avalon XL that, if it drips water out the exhaust, will be something we will not be too concerned about, since my '93 Toyota truck (with 211,000) miles sometimes drips water when it is cold started in the winter during the first minute or two. OE exhaust lasted until 203,000 miles. This is on a vehicle that has traveled almost to the moon (which btw is 221,460 miles away, at its closest point!) :) Enjoy your Avalon - I miss the Cressida, but long live the Avalon!
  • 3puttmax3puttmax Member Posts: 119
    Well done. That antenna price is less than half what I paid. Don't forget you also need the Terk XM DUAL TO SINGLE SPLITTER (XMSP), as well as the XMICRO antenna, in order to connect to the Toyota XM receiver.

    Max
  • havalongavalonhavalongavalon Member Posts: 460
    Hi Deanie,

    Thanks for your tips last week on removing any residue accumulated at the ends of the wiper blade travel. There was indeed a thin film there and I removed it, but the squeaky noises continued. Next time it rained I had a close look at the wiping motion from outside the car and saw that the bottom end of the driver's side wiper was chattering markedly during much of the motion, in addition to squeaking. The dealer has since replaced both blades, so far they are working OK.

    Regards,

    Havalongavalon
  • havalongavalonhavalongavalon Member Posts: 460
    Hi Deanie,

    Exactly as you guessed, I got my best-ever fuel economy reading during a period of several minutes of uninterrupted level highway driving at about 50-60 mph, immediately following a gas fill-up.

    I agree that it would be nice to have the option to switch between average mpg since the tank was filled, and instantaneous mpg. It is only a matter of software upgrade and one more switch.

    But I also share your feeling that constantly monitoring and trying to optimize fuel economy by keeping it under 2000 RPM or so gets boring. It sure takes away from full enjoyment of the car's potential. And as we all know, it's good for the engine to rev it up once in a while!

    A steep uphill is coming up ahead, so move over Dr. Jeckyll, let Mr. Hyde drive for a while...

    Regards,

    havalongavalon
  • blaquebyrdblaquebyrd Member Posts: 11
    Thanks didn't know I'd need the splitter also.
  • wiktor256wiktor256 Member Posts: 12
    It may be difficult to put the antenna in the break light housing. I was trying to do this myself, and I gave up. Eventually, I placed the replacement antenna on the side of the rear console just below the back windshield. I have to problems with reception so far.

    I highly recommend the Terk mini antenna instead of the original one. The installation is easy, and it would be even easier if I didn't have have to remove the old antenna.

    Wiktor
  • wiktor256wiktor256 Member Posts: 12
    Has anyone have an aftermarket remote start on their Avalon? I've read that many people were not happy with the original Toyota setup.

    Can you let me know which brand and model you have installed? My dealer was trying to install an after market remote start on my Avalon, but they gave up after 4 months, and gave me my money back.

    Wiktor
  • havalongavalonhavalongavalon Member Posts: 460
    Hi Petl,

    I used US gallons when I converted from liters/100 km to mpg.

    As you say, Canadian ("Imperial") gallons are 20% larger (about 4.5 liters, compared to 3.8 liters per US gallon). So, 36 mpUSg = 43 mpCIg ... which in fact exceeded the estimated 39 Canadian highway mpg.

    Now, since Canada went metric decades ago, I really don't understand why Transport Canada still asks car manufacturers to report fuel economy in both liters per 100 km AND miles per Imperial gallon. Wouldn't you agree that in Canada the Imperial gallon is an obsolete measure by now? Wouldn't it be more useful to rate fuel economy in liters per 100 km and in miles per US gallon, to allow consumers a more direct comparison with US performance figures?

    Regards,

    havalongavalon
  • havalongavalonhavalongavalon Member Posts: 460
    I am reminded of what a specialty instruments salesman once told me:

    "stainless" means just that: stains LESS...!

    LOL,

    havalongavalon
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