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Toyota Avalon 2008-2010

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Comments

  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    Wow, can't say as I'll be looking forward to the day I'll be paying these fees:(

    How many miles on the car?

    Rough roads or nice smooth roads?

    My 2008 (Touring Edition) is 11 months old with 31,000 miles on it, and I'm wondering how long before I have these issues.

    Skip
  • mlinggamlingga Member Posts: 60
    43.5K miles.

    Most mileage is highway, with the usual suburban stuff on weekends. No rural roads or NYC grade potholes.

    Yeah, the bulb price is outrageous. Might be something else, but suspect that too will be a ton of $$. Oh well, so much for "ultrareliable Toyota" (I've had my share of minor and somewhat more major issues).
  • popsavalonpopsavalon Member Posts: 231
    ML, first a question. Did the tire pressure sensor go bad after recent installation of new tires?

    Then a statement. Dealer's comment of "bulbs going bad" after random occurances of lights going off and then coming back on would prompt me to look for a dealer/service tech who could spell "find the real problem". You are obviously dealing with folks who don't have a clue about some of the new technology.
  • mlinggamlingga Member Posts: 60
    pops: no recent tire changes. I am suspicious it was a bad sensor to start as I brought it in once before for similar problem and was told they had "fixed it" under warranty. Oh well.

    As for the headlights, I agree, it's absurd to suggest that random outages affecting either light could be the $800 bulbs going out. I may have to search Atlanta for a more competent service source.
  • whethersonwhetherson Member Posts: 12
    bought used 2008 avalon( 38000 mi.) not sure if motor oil in it is conventional or synthetic what should I do at next oil change
  • tfeltontfelton Member Posts: 80
    Definitely switch to synthetic; either 5W-30 or 0W-30. Try and do it yourself. A dealer will charge up to $50 for a Mobil 1 oil change. You can buy a 5-quart jug at Walmart for $26 (this week) and a Toyota oil filter is $5.95.
  • TheHopperTheHopper Member Posts: 4
    I have 2008 Avalon and need new tires. I live in PA so snow / wet traction is important. Any suggestions? My current tires are the OED - Turanza El400.
    Thanks ...
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    I went down this road last year, and purchased some very nice, very quite, very expensive tires … Bridgestone Blizzak, that SUCK in the snow. they might be better for you, depending on how much snow you get in your area.

    These ARE wonderful tires if you like quite (which I do), these ARE a great tire, if you want a smooth ride (which I do), but they don't work very good at all in deep snow.

    Here is a great site for tire information:

    - http://www.tirerack.com
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Clean and burnish the battery posts/conenctors and if that doesn't work replace the battery.

    HID headlights DO NOT like marginal supply voltages.
  • papasavalonpapasavalon Member Posts: 14
    Does anyone else have an issue with poor visibility due to the poor lighting provided by the Avalon's backup lights? If so has anyone gone to some sort of aftermarket solution (please describe)?
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    Not sure what the problem might be but Prius owners have filed a class action lawsuit in New York against Toyota claiming HID headlight defects in some year models. Is this the same headlight fixture and bulb? Maybe... Also, HID lights normally, but not always, flicker as they age before burnout but your model is much too recent for age to be a factor.

    And, following another post, HID lights run off a ballast to control voltage. If the input voltage drops below a certain level the ballast will not work and the light cuts off to prevent damage. Given that most Avalons have high battery post corrosion levels, cleaning the battery posts is an excellent idea. Try it, maybe have the battery checked by a local auto parts store, post the results....
  • doug3030doug3030 Member Posts: 20
    I buy my Mobil 1, 5w30 at Walmart, take it to my Toyota dealer who changes the oil, use their filter and charges me a grand sum of $21.00. True, it costs just about $50.00 total but I find the dealer is much more familiar with the car. Once had a Chev Impala, took it to a quick lube for an oil change....drove two blocks and it siezed up. They didn't put the oil plug back in....
  • jdfurnjdfurn Member Posts: 3
    We had Goodyear Assurance TripleTred's put on our 2003 and drove them for about 50,000 before we traded the car (with lots of life left in them) and thought they were the best tires we ever had. We live in WI and they drove well in the snow. We will definitely look at them when we need tires for our 08.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    How can you be sure the McD graduate changing your oil doesn't fill the engine with the dealer's re-refined oil and "market" the Mobil 1.....quick 20-30 bucks.
  • dkelly4dkelly4 Member Posts: 2
    We live in Utah and do a lot of mountain driving in our Avalon and have found that Octane 93 gives us a big boost in miles per gallon. Our Avalon usually will get around 28 to 29 mpg, but using 93 Octane will give us 30 to 32 mpg.
  • dkelly4dkelly4 Member Posts: 2
    We recently changed the oil in our 2008 Avalon (bought this car used and this is our first oil change) and have a very slow leak around the bottom of the filter cap. Is this a normal flaw? The leak is not enough to have to regularly add oil, but is definitely there. Any suggestions? Tightened everything and everything seated well so am sure nothing is leaking because connections are loose.
  • tfeltontfelton Member Posts: 80
    Is the difference in octane ratings between grades where you are because of the altitude, or what?

    My wife is in Utah right now with our '98 Sienna and will be back Tuesday evening. I told her to get at least the middle grade when she gets gas.
  • tfeltontfelton Member Posts: 80
    The filter cap should not leak at all. I assume you're talking about the small cap at the bottom of the filter housing. This has a rubber O-ring and it may not be seated properly or there could be some kind of damage or scoring to the cap or housing. If it is damaged my inclination would be to get a new filter housing. A small leak can become a big leak.
  • jpm1908jpm1908 Member Posts: 17
    I just finished a test. I did fifteen tankfuls of regular octane followed by fifteen tankfuls of plus octane in my 2008 Avalon Limited. The mileage per gallon achieved was nearly identical.
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    My experience is that moving up to 89 octane from 87 octane produces additional mpg that exceeds the increase in price paid per gallon. Moving up again to 91 or higher adds nothing in mpg but might produce a little more power. This happened on all three Avalons we have owned, one of each generation.

    My driving is in the southeast, mostly suburban or interstate, and may give different results than driving extensively in mountains. Just recorded a good 28+ mpg on a trip from GA to Nashville, TN and back in my '07 Limited. And we cruised at 75 to 80 mph for most of the trip along I-75 and I-24.

    The answer of course is, "Do what works best for you.".... :)
  • whethersonwhetherson Member Posts: 12
    now and then my information screen will brighten or dim can this possibly indicate a elecrical short
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,856
    Thats a normal occurence caused by the lighting conditions outside. For example, driving under an overpass can cause the display to dim thinking its dark out.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • popsavalonpopsavalon Member Posts: 231
    My 2007 XL does not have any automatic dimming for the instrument cluster or the display screen. It is controlled by a knob on the dash. Random dimming could indicate an electrical issue.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,856
    Whenever I drove under an overpass or it wasn't quite dark enough my panel lights and blue screen dimmed and got brighter all the time. If the knob on the dash board was not turned all the way to bright (there is a "click" at full bright IIRC).

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • whethersonwhetherson Member Posts: 12
    can I change from conventional oil to mobil 1 without having engine problems? 38000 mi on engine. 2008 avalon
  • tfeltontfelton Member Posts: 80
    You can definitely change to synthetic oil. You can buy a 5-qt jug at Walmart for $26 (last time I looked). They're the only ones that sell in that size. You might also consider using 0W-30 instead of 5W-30. You're supposed to get a little extra MPGs over the long haul.
  • popsavalonpopsavalon Member Posts: 231
    I have seen a couple of posts about 5-qt oil jug prices. Hope everyone remembers that the Avalons require 6.4 qts instead of the more common 5 qts.

    If folks are having oil changes at the quik-lube places, they might want to make sure about the 6.4 qts there, also.
  • whethersonwhetherson Member Posts: 12
    previous owner has stains /blemishes on silver plastic radio cover and other imatation aluminium areas .plastic polish wont work . any suggestions thank you.
  • rpfingstenrpfingsten Member Posts: 154
    I have an 07 avalon xls with just under 34K miles on it. Took it on a road trip just last week from our home in Louisiana to Branson Missouri. I have never burned anything but 93 octane in it, except for the times I've been in Branson where there's no 93 octane to be found. Anyway one way to Branson is 365 miles from our driveway to the hotel parking lot. I was surprised that we made it there with about a 1/4 tank left. we averaged 29.2 miles per gallon. I thought that was quite good considering about 120 miles of that trip is going up and down steep hills. I'm confident had we stayed on a relatively flat highway we would have eclipsed the 30 mpg mark. Still, 29.2 is quite good, especially considering I set the cruise on 75 for as much of the trip as possible.

    Roland
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    My thoughts are that these aren't stains, but more likely burnt into the plastic. But if they are some kind of stain, try Lestoil, SimpleGreen or any other strong household cleaner.

    Be careful what you use, and make sure it isn't alkaline or acid based, as this will lkely stain the plastic in such a way, it WON'T come out. It would actually burn the finish on the plastic (kind of turn it white).

    Skip
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    I have 32,000+ miles on my '08 Avalon Touring Edition, and have on several trips, averaged 30+ miles a gallon. Be aware, that a quarter of a tank after a long trip means you'll likely put 12+ gallons into the tank when you fill it up.

    I run mine until the fuel light comes on, and then about 50-75 miles more, and end up putting in 16+ gallons when I fill up. I've done this many times on trips and average around 480 - 520 miles (one trip I had 556 miles on it when I filled up) on the tripmeter at the time I fill up.

    Skip
  • targetmojo10targetmojo10 Member Posts: 8
    I have a 2008 Avalon Limited. Cold wearther recently caused the tire pressure sensor light to come on. How do I reset it? The reset button is not located where indicated in the manual.
  • jdfurnjdfurn Member Posts: 3
    If they are properly inflated and everything is working properly, the light should reset itself. Does with us.
  • blackdog4blackdog4 Member Posts: 67
    My 2006 Ltd had the sensor light come on also with the recent cold spell. When all four tires were checked, they read 291/2 psi. I filled them to 32 psi. The warning light has remained on. I also do not know what the next step is other than going to the dealer.
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    Well I had one replaced about this time last year, and now it sounds like BOTH front axles are gone!

    One hell of a noise coming from the front end. YES it worst when its cold, but its there all the time (When turning sharply, and under acceleration).

    The car is 12 months old this month, and has 32,000 miles on it. But this is not the kind of wear I'd expect from a car like this.

    This does cause me to think harding about waiting for the 2011 Avalon (or what ever they are going to call it, if anything), or start looking at something different.

    Mercedes S600?
    BMW?
    Lexus LS 460L?
    Cadillac?

    My wife's 2003 Camry has had NOTHING replaced. It has 50,000 miles on it.

    My 2008 Camry, all-be-it not as comfortable on long road trips, had no issues with it. I had that about 1 year and put on 30,000 miles on it.

    Not sure I want to keep this car for another years or so,waiting for whatever might come from Toyota to replace the Avalon.

    First off, is it going to be worth the wait?

    Is it going to be priced at a point I can afford to trade in on?

    Will this car with 40,000 miles on it, be worth as much or is it worth more now?

    All things to think about I guess.

    Skip
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    Check the spare.... happened to me, in Florida no less.. :)
  • blackdog4blackdog4 Member Posts: 67
    fin-I checked the spare and indeed it had low pressure. After inflating it to proper pressure, the warning light went out in about 30 seconds.

    The owner's manual sections on the spare tire and the tire sensor did not mention a sensor on the spare.

    Thanks and Happy Holidays
  • targetmojo10targetmojo10 Member Posts: 8
    fin and blackdog4 - Thank you so much for the tip. I added some air to the spare and viola! -- the low pressure indicator light turned off. Thanks again and Merry Christmas
  • whethersonwhetherson Member Posts: 12
    price for my low beam halagon bulb (2008 avalon touring) from autozone store was $25.00 what are these $800 bulbs i am reading about?
  • mlinggamlingga Member Posts: 60
    fin and wwest:
    sorry--have been off-line for a while and missed your posts regarding my unreliable headlights. Problem is gradually getting worse: my poor daughter just drove home and realized that she was running only the fog lamps, not the headlights. We are getting intermittent loss of either one, or occasionally both headlights.

    The possibility that it's voltage related is a great one, and I'll clean the battery posts and get the battery tested (though at less than 3 years old, that would be a pretty wimpy battery). Hope that is it, as I am expecting some ridiculously expensive electronic glitch.
  • mlinggamlingga Member Posts: 60
    The Limited model uses auto-levelling HID headlights, which now to my regret have become a very expensive and unreliable luxury on my '08. Wish I had simple halogens like you.
  • nceencee Member Posts: 419
    The Touring model has the same headlights (I have one and I checked).

    Sucks to be us:(

    Skip
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,856
    The Touring model has the same headlights

    That is one I could never understand. Why did the Touring and Limited models get the HIDs and not the XLS? Really disappointed me when I leased my '06. Same thing with my '09 Genesis, you can only get HIDs with NAV. What does one have to do with the other? Darn packages.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • doug3030doug3030 Member Posts: 20
    I wish I could replace my HID's with plain 'ol halogen lights. The self levelingdims are okay (except for the replacement costs) but the high beams really suck. The reach on the brights are so bad, if I leave them on, oncoming vehicles are not bothered by them. On the other hand, my wife's 2010 Camry throws light WAAAY down the road.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Have you checked to be sure your high beam bulbs are working??

    New HID's are mostly of the "bi-xenon" type, a low beam position and a separate high beam position with the high beam position "enhanced" with a pair of halogen bulbs. Generally the high beam bulbs are also used for DRL functionality.
  • kbetts1kbetts1 Member Posts: 36
    Not sure where you guys are getting the $800 figure. Are you including the balast?

    OEM forgetaboutit..

    Aftermarket....

    HID Bulbs are DR2R for '05-'07 and DR4R for '08-09

    You may be able to find them even cheaper with some looking but expect to pay $50 a bulb minimum and $80 for a ballast

    As for the lights that go off and on it has to be a bad ground wire. Nothing else makes sense. But just in case here is an HID troubleshooting guide...

    http://www.stoncolighting.com/library/TechData/Troubleshooting.pdf

    HID's really need to be adjusted as I posted earlier to gain maximum benefit. Also, uping the wattage of the driving lights might help too for filling in the abrupt cutoff of the HID's.
  • whethersonwhetherson Member Posts: 12
    I have been reading how disatisfied people are with there stock HID bulbs and the short light throw they present. Apperantely the stock xenon HID is 4300k. What I have found we would probabely be happy with 5000k to 8000k for max brightness. My left beam on my 2008 (18 mth old) Avalon has been flickering, so I will probably change both sides of my HID D4R bulb to a higher output than the stock. There are some very reasonable prices on line (must less than dealer cost). Would appreciate your thoughts on this.
  • mlinggamlingga Member Posts: 60
    I started the latest headlight discussion, as my '08 Limited headlights are intermittently shutting off. Your comments are very interesting. Some questions:
    1) Do you not find it very strange that your bulb is burning out after only 18 months? I thought HID bulb life expectancy was much longer than that. Is there any chance you are having early signs of the same problem I am having? It started wtih just the left headlight periodically shutting down, but now it can be either, or occasionally (and with much amusement on my part :-o) both. I do not believe this is due to simultaneous premature burnout of both bulbs.
    2) I had a problem previously with extremely short throw on the headlights which was caused by a misalignment of the autolevelling mechanism. You might want to check on this too.
    3) I am not sure how much higher color temp bulbs would actually improve throw distance/brightness. I thought it was mostly a question of how blue vs yellow the light appeared.
    4) Prompted by your post I looked online at D4R bulbs--&about $75-100 each. Got to love how my Toyota dealer quoted me $800 to replace them. So, Toyota can't make a profit selling cars? Let's just gouge our existing owners! Any idea how difficult it is to replace D4R bulbs yourself?
    5) to others who responded to my initial post, have not yet had a chance to clean battery posts and get battery tested, as low voltage has been suggested as one possible cause of the headlight malfunction. Will post back with results.
  • finfin Member Posts: 594
    Note: Color temperature as measured in degrees K is not the same as lumens or foot candles or any measure of brightness. As you go up in K from the factory setting you will actually produce less light. The primary thing that changes is the color of the light. This is the reason that standard HID lights are set in degrees K as they are.

    This is a common misconception as HID lights are frequently compared to standard headlights and the HID's are much brighter, yes.
  • mlinggamlingga Member Posts: 60
    more obsessive headlight info: I now realize that this is a known problem in the Prius, which uses the same D4R HID bulb. Toyota even has a Customer Support Program in place: see this link

    Toyota headlight problems with Pruis

    Why my dealer did not put two and two together and mention this to me is, putting it mildly, frustrating. Their quote of $800 to replace bulbs also contradicts the factory's decision to lower the price of the Pruis HID bulb (also a D4R) from $300 to $150.

    I will see what they say when confronted with this information.
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