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Comments
Where did you buy your HL? I live in central NJ and would like to pay around that much for a similarly equipped HL. Also, how long did you wait for yours?
No wait....bought it just as it was getting off the truck! great experience.
i can e mail u the details if u want
veekay1
Additionally, they did not not have a center storage console between the front seats. Were some of the 2002 Highlanders built w/o the console?
Any help would be appreciated.
thanks!
Oh no, say it ain't so! :-)
By the way, we had 12” of fresh snow in my city and the AWD system performed flawlessly. Though the standard Bridgestone Dueler tires were given a poor snow traction rating in Consumer Reports magazine they proved to be more than capable in the recent storm that hit southeastern Virginia.
I haven't had the joy of ownership of a new Highlander. I live in the San Francisco Bay area and was wondering if I can ask your advice of good dealers that are fair and honest in this market. That may be a oxmoron but lets give them the benefit of the doubt. Any help is greatly appreciated.Also wanted a advice on the 4cyl versus 6cyl.as we arent hauling.
Thanks in advance....
Is this something that an aftermarket supplier might be willing to custom fabricate?
Exactly the problem I encountered.
You might have more luck, and less expense, locating someone who has a 6 cyl w/leather that wants to swap for cloth.
Why is Lexus/Toyota doing these "funny" configuration limitations?
Why not sell the public what the public wants instead of deciding what they "want" in the back rooms of the factory somewhere.
Purchased my silver 6 cyl AWD limited at San Francisco Toyota on Van Ness Ave last April. My salesperson was Steve Bruggaleta. I found him friendly, straightforward and not pushy. I was able to get it at Edmund's TMV price (HL's were being sold at sticker and above at the time). He also gave me a very fair trade-in on my 93 Ford Taurus Wagon and found my HL within 2 days after speaking with him. In regards to 4 vs. 6 cyl, the added power of the 6 is a joy on the highway and getting up those steep SF hills. Downside is the mileage. With the hilly terrain and stop and go traffic, we only get around 15mpg in town. Hope this helps.
Good luck finding a sunroof in the 4cyl. You could always special order the car if you have 4-6 weeks to wait for it.
Barnabyb: Get the 4cylinder, it's got more than enough power if you drive reasonably, and the improved gas mileage/decreased cost is significant.
on the issue of the timing belt, please advise where in the toyota manual that it says to replace the belt at 90,000 miles. my recolection is that for the hl, there is no mention of belt replacement.
thanks.
Wally
"The 4 cylinder comes with a timing chain, while the V6 has a timing belt. "
Oh no, say it ain't so! :-)
>>
Sorry, but that's bass ackwards. One of the very rare times when Steve is mistaken.
Should read: The 4cylinder comes with a timing belt, while the V6 has a timing chain.
Belted 4 (2AZ-FE)
Chained 6 (1MZ-FE)
<:)
Invoice: $24,800 + $675 pure profit + approx. 256 TDA + $99 title and docs = Purchase price: $25830. MSRP $28,029
I'm sure he'll low-ball my '99 Eddie Bauer Explorer trade.
Thank you for replying. Paul
I'd give that a lot of long hard thought.
That's the mistake I made moving from a Jeep Cherokee Limited to an AWD RX.
"Looking in the FSM, we have timing chains, NOT timing belts on both HL engines."
Now you say:
"Should read: The 4cylinder comes with a timing belt, while the V6 has a timing chain. "
Uh, OK. Is this a joke or what??!!
Also, this is my first "new" car...do I need to keep it below 55mph for a certain amount of time, or is that a myth?
Thanks everyone, your comments and suggestions were a significant reason why we went with the HL. I will let you know how it goes!
twylie "Jeep Wrangler" Oct 1, 2001 4:26am
Steve
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A lot of posts about timing belts vs. chains...
Maybe I should have just suggested the potential difference in maintenance costs was two extra spark plugs in the V6...
I am curious as well about the A/C coming on in "auto" climate-control mode. Any thoughts on that?
why does my A/C indicator always come on when I go to automatic mode?
answer:
Basically because NipponDenso engineers are some kind of idiots.
Shortly after A/C became common in automobiles some bright young engineer realized that in the process of the A/C cooling the incoming airflow it oftentimes also dehumidified it. And that of course helps prevent and remove condensation from the interior windshield surface. So from that time on, until about the mid-eighties, it became pretty standard to use the A/C, supplemented by lots of heat, whenever the defrost/defog/demist function was activated at least as long as the A/C was functionally effective, usually only above about 50 degrees F.
Then some idiot decided that if a little bit of something was good then a LOT would be excellent!
NOT!!!
If you wish to use the A/C below 50F (when the RH is usually below 50% anyway, with a few regional exceptions)to dehumidify the airflow then the system must become SUPER EFFICIENT.
The A/C evaporator, the device that does ALL the work, cooling and dehumidifying, cannot be chilled below freezing. So that leaves very few ways to increase its efficiency, my 92 LS400 evaporator is extremely dense and complex, over 10,000 square inches of surface area. The longer the air molecules take to move through the evaporator the colder they become, so in order for the system to work the airflow must be very low.
The entire Lexus product line uses the A/C system EXCLUSIVELY to help prevent and remove condensation from the interior surface of the windshield in defrost/defog/demist mode, a system which is entirely NON-FUNCTIONAL for this purpose with outside temperatures near, at, or below freezing.
So if you hear of someone inexplicably leaving the roadbed and being killed on a snowy and cold day driving a Lexus or Toyota think about this. Maybe s/he lost sight of the roadbed because his/her windshield fogged over virtually instantaneously.
And now along comes toxic mold to further muddy up the issue. Prior to the mid-eighties there was no reason to run an A/C below about 50F, so heat was used exclusively heat the windshield and evaporate condensation from its surface and to lower the relative humidity.
Above these (50F) ambient temperatures when the A/C was used what moisture that was condensed onto the evaporator vanes but didn't run out the drain tube would evaporate away fairly quickly and not cause a problem.
Remember that extremely dense and complex A/C evaporator in my 92 LS400? It came from the factory coated with a porous nylon film into which was embedded an ant-microbial substance.
In the summer of 1991 Lexus already knew that their use of the A/C in already cool climates for these purposes was creating an environment, cool, damp, dank, that encouraged mold and mildew growth.
Look around on the internet at just how many products that have been developed in the last ten years or so to combat the "gym sock syndrome", the mold and mildew smell we all now have to live with because some idiot engineer decided to try a new gimmick.
Remove you A/C compressor relay when the ambient temperature fall below an average of 50F. And turn up the system heat when you activate defrost/defog/demist mode. The response you get for removing condensation from the interior surface of the windshield will be one damnsight quicker than the A/C can EVER be, and it will continue to work that way all the way down to sub-freezing levels.
AND you won't have to worry about toxic mold.
On edmunds town hall read:
DEFOG/DEMIST GONE AWRY?
With a suggested change interval of 120,000 miles, I don't think the extra two spark plugs will be a factor, although it is my understanding that these "special" spark plugs are priced as if they were made of gold! I doubt if many people will leave theirs in for that many miles, however. Many will probably change theirs sooner. Time will tell.
Good of you to notice! Like a few others here, I messed up, as I didn't look closely enough at the drawings in the FSM.
When many commented later about which engine had what, I looked again, and found that I had made a mistake. Imagine that!
The Toyota owners manual is not to clear here also. They speak of:
Drive belt measurement with Borroughs drive belt tension gauge No. BT-33-73F (used belt), lbf:
2AZ-FE engine Automatic adjustment
1MZ-FE engine 115 plus/minus 20 degrees
This would lead many to believe that there is a belt, and not a chain for the V6, and that the "belt" (for the V6) is somehow adjusted automatically. This truth is that there is an automatic chain tensioner for the V6 that adjusts the CHAIN on the V6, and somehow that fact got lost in the translation.
IF anyone has a doubts as to which cam drive system their motor has, they should check with their dealer to be sure.
------ 30 ------
I'd give that a lot of long hard thought.
That's the mistake I made moving from a Jeep Cherokee Limited to an AWD RX."
Will,
I've used the 4WD function on my Explorer exactly twice in three years, mainly to see how it performed. I don't need the expense, the weight and maintenance of 4WD.
How 'bout the price? I didn't see any, "You big DUMMY"'s so I guess it's OK.
Paul
If it were I, I would stick to something that would go in snow.
I have NEVER said anything close to "the Chrysler T&C being the best 4WD".
What I have said is that the T&C AWD is VERY LIKELY a much better 4WD than the RX, HL, or the poor MDX.
Ever since FWD became so popular the industry has been trying to solve its LTS handling problem. When you encounter a LTS in a REAR WHEEL DRIVE, RWD, even with an automatic transmission (as most are these days) instinctively lifting your foot from the throttle will not have a detrimental affect, in most cases it will even be helpful. But that's only a small part of the equation, if your dad has never driven a FWD on LTS his reaction will be the same as he would for a RWD, and in many FWD vehicles that can be extremely dangerous.
The Cadillac engineers had this problem in SPADES with their high torque V8 northstar engine, lift the throttle on a LTS and instantly do a 180, or worse. Their near term solution was to put an over-running clutch between the engine and the driveline, so that the "deceleration" torque of that engine didn't BRAKE the front wheels on throttle lift.
You may have alreay noticed that their, Cadillac's, new long range plain is to rid themselves of FWD vehicles altogether.
Even my 2001 AWD RX300 will automatically shift the transmission into the highest gear on throttle lift (unless cruise control is active, and NO ONE should have cruise control active if LTS is even suspected, EVER!) to prevent or minimize engine braking and the resulting potential for loss of control in this predominantly FWD (even with the AWD {VC} fully activated)vehicle.
I have heard arguments recently that back in the early eighties the increasing popularity of FWD was the initiating factor for more thoroughly exploring/expanding the use of ABS. Until the advent of FWD, mechanical brake pressure proportioning valves were the common solution for allocating brake HP front vs rear. With FWD, engine braking on the front became a VARIABLE to be reckoned with. Because of the driving and handling dynamics of RWD, this engine braking variable didn't have to be reckoned with, as a matter of fact it was considered an ASSET, especially on LTS.
Be carefull out there....
Driving into the upper parking lot at the summit became a challenge, one after another I watched as vehicles had to give up the "climb", back down and turn around.
A Dodge/Chrysler FWD minivan was first, almost made it but then lost traction and never regained it. Honda Odessey next, even less success. Toyota HL, couldn't tell the model, didn't even make it to mid-point. Aerostar not only did fine there but went all the way up to the third parking area.
Our youngest grandson soon got too cold and my wife and I returned with him to the car. My curosity got the best of me so I cruised the lower parking area until a parking spot opened up within sight of the bottom of the first incline.
Lots and lots of vehicles couldn't pull the incline, most of them recognizably FWD. Quite a few vehicles did make it but some that didn't were quite a surprise.
An 01 or 02 (VSC badge) RX AWD. He was clearly having trouble on the incline but he wasn't going to give up easily. I finally got out of our car and walked over to help by pushing and of course this made him just a little peeved. He finally had to give up and back down the incline.
It was clear that his rear wheels were "driving", but apparently not enough to be of any help. I thought that I could also hear the TRAC "thumping".
But the real surprise of the day was a late model 4runner that couldn't pull the incline. That driver was REALLY peeved. He even put in "low" range before he finally gave up.
Absolutely no one seemed to have any trouble (driving, walking is another story)within the snow and ice packed LEVEL parking areas.
The incline:
Maybe 5% or less, and about 25 yards, packed snow and ice with some gravel and sand. We arrived late in the day, around 2 PM, and I'm sure the incline had been sanded early that morning but by now there was clearly more slippery surface than otherwise.
It was so slippery in the center that you couldn't walk on it without falling and I watched several kids slid down the center of the incline in their ski boots.
Why did the Aerostar do so well, equipped with simple summer tires, over others that shouldn't have failed? I don't know enough to be really sure but I suspect it was the fact that the Aerostar is basically RWD, 30/70, and switches to 50/50 if the rear wheels begine to slip.
But why didn't the 4runner make it? The driver was using a conservative approach, not gunning it like most would.
I'm wondering if this new type of LSD, using the brakes for implementation, just isn't up to these types of challenges. The reports I keep hearing is if you aren't carrying enough forward momentum when you hit a slippery area then you dead in the (frozen) water.
Is there anyone out there with this type of experience with the ML?
My confusion came from the way Toyota labels their two engines.
The 2AZ-FE is the 4 cylinder motor, and has a timing chain. You do not want to know the labor involved to change out that chain.
The 1MZ-FE is the 6 cylinder motor, and it has a timing belt. One more thing to worry about.
Is this one of those motors where IF the belt breaks, the valves and pistons are damaged?
What is the recommended 'by the factory' replacement interval for the V6's belt?
And does anyone know why the HL has 220 HP, but the new 2002 Camry V6 motor is only rated at 192 HP?
The HL is a variable valve timing engine and has improved intake runners plus a new exhaust which improves the performance over the Camry.
At least IF the belt on the V6 should break prematurely, there will be NO damage to the valves and pistons. Good news, indeed!
Wonder how the new 1MZ-FE (V6) engine would make the 2002 Camry perform? The way my HL runs, you'd swear it has more than only the extra 28 HP. The more mileage it accumulates, the quicker it seems to get. It is at about 9000 miles now.
I too have and continue to experience our HL 2001 Limited to pull to the right. And yes, it is a definite pull. If I let go off the steering wheel, the car pulls into the right side within a few moments. Naturally, the greater the speed the faster it pulls. At 60 mph, it will change lanes within 25 yards. The dealer attempted to fix the problem by switching tires. After a warranty check and they rotated the tires again, the drifting/pulling returned. A Fred Haas dealer mechanic in Houston even suggested that I try driving ONLY in the right side of the highway to avoid the crown in the roads!
Regarding the 10,000 mile mark - I purchased my V-6 non-Limited FWD in June. It has been great. The only problem I have had (other than the earlier production brake fluid cap issue that was promptly addressed) was with my HomeLink visor. It was an actual physical problem, not a programming problem (in fact it did indeed program okay)....apparently a problem with a connection or contact or something within the visor, which can happen with any electrical device, of course. My dealer's service department checked it, determined it was indeed bad, and replaced the HomeLink visor without a problem...great service.
Anyway, I sure like my HL. I'm very glad I purchased it...I had a '97 Honda Accord prior to the HL, and was planning on a new Accord until I discovered the Highlanders.
wwest "Toyota 4WD systems explained" Jan 2, 2002 12:30pm
It might save yourself a little time over using the "cut and paste" routine for the whole message.