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Comments
"2. The airbag dash light comes on when very cold and will not go off until shutting off engine. "
Saw this last week and decided it was something to worry about later. Lots of nasty things happen when it gets this cold. My daughter's coolant reservoir (97 VW) departed this vale of tears this AM.
-24C here now.
Do you have the heating/climate controls set to "recirc"? This could cause any moisture brought into the car to stay in the car, and later condense on your windows.
Another thing - check the coolant level in the reservoir. I small leak in the heater core could also cause this - although I would guess that you would smell the unmistakeable sweetness of coolant.
In the alternative turn the A/C off manually, turn the blower full up, and lower the rear windows slightly about 20 minutes before you finally shut down for the day.
Good luck.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But to turn it off when you're already having problems with condensation is just going to compound the problem. It may help when you're parking indoors to crack a window or moonroof, but again, it depends on the circumstances. If the outside humidity is high, it will also compound any problem you have.
Hope this helps.
Ken
Any suggestions on where I can rent one for a couple of days? I am in Southern California.
Thanks,
Mirko
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Not sure what the complaints are about the seat. I am a big guy and this is one of the more comfortable seats I have parked myself in. My job gives me the ability to rent a lot of vehicles and I can honestly say this is one of the more comfortable ones. Interesting note, my Chiropractor drives a HL Limited and the first thing he checks out are the seats.
As for other issues, I agree with the high beams, lots of width but no real distance. I don't find the tree accessories that "intuitive". Everything else about this vehicle I do like. Most importantly my wife drove one for the first time and in her words "whats not to like!"
Moisture condenses on these chilled evaporator surfaces at the molecular level, and then gradually builds up to droplets large enough that gravity overcomes viscosity and then those droplets start flowing down the surfaces and thus out the drain tube and onto the ground.
The final point is that when you shut the car down after just having used the A/C the 10,000 square inches of evaporator surface area will still be holding as much as a quart of moisture as a thin molecular film. That thin film will now evaporate into the system plenum and from there into the cabin and in many cases subsequently condense on any nearby cool surfaces, most likely the interior window surfaces.
Personally I have found it more beneficial than not to open the A/C compressor circuit during the winter months, both in my C4 and RX, and then use windshield airflow heating alone to control condensation and humidity levels.
Wwest, I enjoy our discussions as well as our disagreements about what works and what doesn't. I'm also glad to see that you state that "personally" you have these experiences just to clarify that what you experience may not be what every other Toyota and/or Lexus owner experiences.
Ken
>time and in her words "whats not to like!"
True, and I am still glad we bought ours, but there are always things that emerge after longer trips that are not apparent during shorter ones. My comments on the seats were based on 35 hours of driving over four days, in the worst weather that the maritimes can provide, solo. Several reviews that I have read have commented on the short seat bottoms (limited thigh support) and that they look nicer than they feel. I have the Limited, with leather, and I wonder if the fabric would not have been a better choice.
I am used to driving BMWs, which generally have nearly perfect control/instrument ergonomics, but not necessarily great seats either. Does not stop me from buying them.
Toyota charges a pretty high price for this car here in Canada, and other manufacturers can include things like wheel-mounted sound system controls on cars that go for far less. I think they are intentionally segregating the market from the Lexus product, which price-wise is not that far up from the Highlander Limited. Honda does the same with the Pilot and MDX. For less money than the Highlander, though, the Pilot offers many more (and better) convenience features. Just doesn't, IMHO, drive as well.
My experience with condensation, after 12,000 miles and most of a winter in Tennessee with some snowfall and lots of rain and cold, is that running the AC and defroster is the best way to clear the windshield...as it has been my experience in every other car I have driven.
Question: my 2003 Highlander has the towing package with "pre-wiring". Where is this wiring located on the vehicle? Do I need to buy a wiring adaptor kit? If so, where can the kit be purchased and is it easy to install on my own?
Thank you.
I'll bet they tend to rust after a while because of it. Guess we'll just have to bring an old sponge with us next carwash trip.
Guess there's more beauty to the alloys than meets the eye.
"Moisture condenses on these chilled evaporator surfaces at the molecular level, and then gradually builds up to droplets large enough that gravity overcomes viscosity and then those droplets start flowing down the surfaces and thus out the drain tube and onto the ground.
The final point is that when you shut the car down after just having used the A/C the 10,000 square inches of evaporator surface area will still be holding as much as a quart of moisture as a thin molecular film. That thin film will now evaporate into the system plenum and from there into the cabin and in many cases subsequently condense on any nearby cool surfaces, most likely the interior window surfaces."
What this ignores is where that moisture came FROM in the first place - the inside of your car. If you never turn ON the AC, the air inside your car isn't run through the compressor, thus the moisture doesn't collect there - it STAYS on your windshield, floormats, etc. At least by running the AC, you draw the moisture out of the passenger compartment and into the condensor where it will eventually run out of the system. Who cares if the car fogs up after you get out? You're not driving it then. And if that's a really big concern, shut the AC off the last 5 minutes of your trip and let it blow hot to dry out the plenum - if it's THAT big a deal.
Steve, Host
That motion requires just a little more force than I thought would be necessary, but it could be what you're finding to be a pain in the neck (groan).
One question, though... Some of you suggested that I turn on the AC along with the defroster, and others indicated that the AC is automatically activated in Toyotas when the defroster is on. Which?
Thanks again!
From the 2001 Highlander brochure: "And the front bumper has all-aluminum reinforcement, designed to transmit force to the side members and dissipate it, while the rear bumper is reinforced by a solid steel bar."
I was rear ended at low speed by a person on a cell phone about 6 months ago. What was a little scrape on my HL's rear bumper cost his insurance company $408 (new bumper cover: $204, paint and clear coat: $144, Labor: $60).
Unfortunately for him, we were both braking at the time and his Volvo actually rode under my HL, and the HL's towing eyelet that's located close to the muffler sliced through his front bumper, headlight, and hood.
Could it be that the engine is still breaking in & will improve with mileage?
I forgot to mention my Highlander is a AWD but still,12mpg! One of these days I will get a chance to check the highway mileage. Any others using all this petro? Thanks.
Also, are you calculating the mpg the "correct" (i.e., old fashioned) way or using a mileage computer in the Highlander?
Maybe it's possible that the engine/tranny computer is set for short hops learned from your driving style and could benefit from a reset? Anyone?
Steve, Host
I wonder if this is a Limited model feature, only on factory leather seats(I doubt it but??) or if only the 2001s had this adjustability?!?!
Since you have driven the HL so little I am assuming you have a 2003; perhaps there may have been a model year headrest change in 2002 or 2003. I see two ways to determine what has changed:
1) Stop at your dealer(or somehow find a 2001 Ltd w/ factory leather) and see how they operate.
2)If you can not find a used 2001 LTD to inspect, go to the Parts department and have them compare the part# of a 2001 HL Ltd with leather to the headrest's part # installed in your HL.
Perhaps you can purchase other(i.e. 2001 or LTD, or w/leather) factory headrests to install in your HL. Sorry I can not direct you to the exact part #, but be assured there are HLs that have this adjustability!
Hope this helps as I have had back problems in the past (i.e. I was standing in my dry cleaners and a car drove through the picture window striking me). Good luck, Dan
- Buying a replacement headrest might be an option, as might the "reverse" maneuver described by jwfjwf. As for the notches to hold it in place, those could be done by a machining shop or anyone comfortable working with metal.
The moisture condensed on the evaporator had better NOT have come from within the car! If it does then you have been violating the first rule of defogging, NEVER use the system in recirculate.
The evaporator surfaces can NEVER be chilled below 32F absent clogging with frozen moisture.
Early Lexus/Toyota automatic climate control systems would disable the A/C compressor COMPLETELY and TOTALLY if the OAT declined below about 35F. Newer models use the evaporator's downstream air temperature sensor to disable the A/C compressor WHENEVER that airflow is below 32F.
So it should be clear to all that the A/C cannot be used to facilitate defogging/demist functionality below those temperatures.
The ability of the A/C system to dehumidify the incoming airflow and thus be an aid in demisting/defogging the windshield/windows can also be severely limited by the unforgiving and unbendable laws of physics.
As you can already see, the A/C system cannot, is never used, to chill the incoming airflow below 32F. In order for the dehumidification process to occur the air mass must be chilled to its dewpoint, the point at which the air mass can no longer hold the level of moisture it contains and that moisture begins to precipitate out of the air mass as fog, rain, etc, but in our case condenses onto the evaporator vanes.
So the ability of the A/C to aid in defog/demist functionality declines precipitously with OAT temperatures and humidity.
But, try this yourself, after your vehicle interior acclimates to the system setpoint, say 72F, switch the system to defog/demist and verify that the airflow temperature to the windshield actually DECLINES as much as 20F below the footwell airflow outlet temperature.
No heated airflow, no dehumidification functionality and the windshield is fogged over, good luck.
Finally, if you have an early, say 90 to 95, set of shop manuals you will find a caution note to the mechanic/technician warning of sudden windshield/window fogging if the A/C system is inadvertantly or automatically shut down during test driving in cooler and humid climates.
I am traveling at the moment, our teamseattle #5 car won the SRPII class at Daytona, but as soon as I return I will publish the warning note.
He goes into a detailed explanation of the ionization, etc. of the process, then the kid says "I thought it came from the sky". "Um, yeah."
For some reason, that pops into my head when I read certain posts.
Also meant to say there was something in the paper work about inspecting/aligning a energy absorber, impact bar, and side supports (parts of the bumper that LandDriver and Steve mentioned, I assume).