Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Lloyd
I saw a picture of the tch w fog lights and someone asked where the owner got them. I didnt see the amswer but thats probably because I dont know how to look for it.
If someone is willing to help me out, please tell where I can get fog lights installed without screwing up the complicated electrical system; I hit a deer a month ago with my old volvo> Rather not hit one with my beautiful blizzard pearl anniversary tch
If you have a concern about messing something up, I'd stay with original TCH accessories and wait until Toyota comes out with a fix.
I'd love to put the Camry SE struts/shocks in the TCH. Does anyone know if they would fit?
The local dealers (DC) aren't interested in exploring this for me.
Thanks. By the way, I love the car...except for the struts!!
There's been some discussion on greenhybrid of this. You might want to do a search. Remember, with your batteries in the trunk area, and the extra HSD components in the engine bay, it changes the weight, and possibly the weight distribution vs the SE, so it might be hard to just use the SE struts.
I am not sure if an aftermarket supplier has replacement or upgrade struts yet for the TCH... if you find any, please let us know, as there are several of us that might consider it.
Well at less than 25,000 miles my tires are shot. Unfortunately they will only put back on the Bridgestones. I would have been willing to pay a little extra for something else. I typically have good experiences with Bridgestone but not this particular make.
Just so you know I've had the tires rotated and balanced at 5000 mile intervals (overkill in my opinion_but relatively cheap) and had an alignment in that milage. Tires are still shot. Not very good for a non-sport tire.
I figured I'd get a hassle from the dealer but they fully agreed that they needed replaced.
The owner's manual says this time can be adjusted, but by the dealer.
Does anyone know how to get into the computer to adjust this?
Thanks.
Does anyone have a relatively easy way of adding the fog lights - either DIY or professionally?
A remote control kit, as above, looks the cheapest easy way to go. I'm going to do that, once I get some lights that will look right. (Waiting for some clones of the factory lights) As to load, not a problem. Consider that the system can handle an auxiliary load just fine, from one or both of the sockets inside the car.
A more expensive solution would be to get a factory stalk assembly from a model that has fog lights, and factory fog lights. I'm too cheap to do that, you might not be. Would look a bit better.
Of course, any warranty issues that arise may be a problem. Your choice how to proceed...
Since putting xenon headlights in I hardly ever use my brights. With all the cars I have owned, this is the first time that has happened. Check with a local dealer how installing the xenon voids your warranty. I was warned about this but never looked into the details.
Still, the xenon lights have eliminated the need to put in fog lights. If I had put them in through an after-market dealer, they would have had to drill into the frame and put a lovely toggle inside the car.
I have a blizzard pearl anniv tch.
I saw a white Saab with light blue zenon lights. Did they give you a color choice? I think the purple ones would spoil the look of the car.
I love my tch more than when it was new. The mechanic at Conicelli told me the reason for the low speed brake squeak is that the pads are hard and should last about 50k.
With my Volvo I was lucky to get 15 to 20 k
The lights cost me $500 with the installation taking 45 minutes. The lights make an incredible difference.
My Toyota mechanic says the charging system will handle the current flow as long as they dont splice any of the existing wiring.
I would like to have a backup camera installed for my wife, if you know anything about people having them installed let me know
I love my TCH so far and the mechanic says Toyota know about the brake squeak and they are trying to figure out a fix. He also said these brakes should last 50 k or more because of the regen system. Thanks for your reply and keep writing.
If I owned a hybrid I would only allow electrical modifications to be done by the dealer. The electrical system is integral to the HSD; If you have problems with the computer / HSD / battery charging, etc., Toyota could claim that any non-dealer-installed electrical items caused damage. And they might be correct... :surprise:
Hybrids are computer controlled, multi-power-source vehicles that run as a combined system; the electrical systems are carefully set up and matched by computer code. This is not your father's 1955 Chevy, and you cannot modify it extensively. Unless you want to, of course; it's a free country. But be prepared for possible problems during warranty claims.
The answer was that if some electrical problem occurred in the area where the wiring has been changed that most likely it would not be covered by my warranty.
I was also told a story how a Toyota mechanic saved $100 on an alarm system at Circuit City and then had a mechanical problem related to the installation of the alarm which ended up costing him $2,000! They also said that since my headlights have been installed for months I probably have nothing to worry about and that most legitimate after market installers will usually stand by the work they do.
Which confirms the stevedebi post about warranty's
Do you know who sells the best? Is it Superiordash.com or autoanything.com or toyotapartsforless.com? Anyone have an experience with their products or the installation (I assume professional installation is best- do you know anyone in the LA area?) It seems like one can over do it with the trim kits, and that using only some of the appliques looks more elegant. Does anyone have photos or personal experience with this? Any thoughts on the best woodgrain color for the gray leather interior?
Other accessories I'm considering include:
Floor mats - is there a middle ground between the heavy duty all weather mats and the clear plastic ones? I'm looking for something unobtrusive that would also catch spills.
Rear bumper applique - do you think this is necessary. I saw there already is a protected area by the the lip of the trunk?
Sport shift knob?? - anyone have experience with this accessory? Does it only come in black?
Thanks
As for floor mats.. try the berber... they have held up well in two of my cars.
Yes, if they knew they would have totaled it... Parts were over $15,000 with two modules totaling $7,000.
My Toyota dealer took my car to the after market shop and had my headlights installed... a bit to my surprise. Because it is minimally invasive they weren't threatening me about voiding my warranty.
A dealer told me that and I take everything they say with a grain of salt.
I have the 50th Anniversary Edition TCH and the parts guys didn't know they existed!
Toyota still includes them as an available accessory on their web site.
Which sets off the 'put on your seat belt beeping and warning light'. Which lasts about two small blocks as I drive out of our neighborhood.
Any way to turn this off (and back on of course)?
pat
Because of the problem, I asked the dealer if they would give me my money back for the BSM if they fell off and they said they would just stick it back on.
I am the brand new owner of a 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid, and I have a few questions. The first question (for now) concerns the VIP Security RS 3200 Plus system. Has anyone had it installed after initial purchase? Is it worth paying the extra few hundred dollars to have the Toyota dealer add it on my vehicle or is the factory standard engine immobilizer/door arm/disarm system sufficient enough? Is it worth the extra money to have alarm sounding capability and glass breakage alarms? I like bells and whistles and was wondering if it is worth the money (probably around $360 installed plus tax). I will look forward to your advice.
Paul
Love my TCH and I too like all the bells and whistles, am quite computer savvy and have completely given up on using either of these functions. I am quite skeptical that even a Toyota taught class would help, having read and reread the manuals... but if you can make it work beyond adequate, I would be interested to know how.
Isn't that really a very harsh statement to make? The Nav with voice guidance is a "useless piece of equipment"???? What exactly do you need that requires voice guidance? When driving, the Nav is de-activated for entering locations, only in Map mode. And if you needed to enter a destination, you'd be packed somewhere which should make use of your hands free to get it done.
I mean, people just loves to complain for the heck of it. I own an '08 TCH with Nav. I never use the voice guidance cos I can certainly use my fingers on the touch-screen to enter info I need to find. I also have an '03 LX470 with Nav, and a '99 LS400 with Nav. I have seen the evolution of Toyota's Nav system from the Gen-1 (in my '99) to the gen-7 in the TCH. I've never had to read a manual to operate these systems. Even my 15-yo finds it pretty easy to use....
This isn't rocket science folks.... The Nav system is written in a language you can understand. So what's the problem? Could it be our expectations far exceed the reality of these machines we buy???