The sales figures shouldn't be surprising. Your Denali may be a better vehicle than a Yukon yet doesn't sell anywhere near as well. Price plays a big role in sales and so does availability as sometimes Sequoias were hard to come by. When I got mine it was tough to find one I wanted, but there were 5 Yukons on the dealers lot.
Went to pick up my Sequoia the other night, after its first servicing. As I pull into the lot, the SALESMAN quickly approaches with, "Can I help you sir?"
I respond, "YES! I need a 2002 Sequoia RIGHT NOW, and I HAVE THE CASH!"
He slows his jaunty walk and looks totally bummed. He said he wished he could get me one, but they don't have one on the lot, and he doesn't know where he could get one.
Just then, the service guy drives mine out, and I exclaim, "I'll take that one!"
You should have seen his face as I hopped in and drove away.
{I had already dropped my wife off to pay the bill at the cashier's office before I drove onto the lot}.
I've done extensive towing with 5500 lbs and the Sequoia is an excellent tow vehicle. Lots of power and stability. You should have a good towing experience as long as you stick to towing limits. Differing opinions on oil changes. While more is good, the first one is a little different in that you want some of the metal parts in your oil to help all of the parts fit properly and wear off any rough spots. I'm not a mechanic and I know that's not technical but I got from someone who is. I would say change after your trip. That's when all the crud will be in your engine and should come out. Good advice on taking it slow- it can never hurt, but again I towed 2500 km's in the summer over mountain passes with no resting the truck. Synthetic oil and differential fluid seems to be popular and can't hurt. I've never used it and it's not recommended in owner's manual. Always drive with overdrive on except when going downhill to use as engine braking. That's right from the manual.
Finally to all-please read owners manual from cover to cover. Some great stuff in there!
Just a little tip on a discovery I made for cleaning alloy wheels. Anybody in a winter climate or lots of salt on roads probably has had those hard to get off black spots on their wheels. After trial and error I've discovered Eagle 1 etching mag wheel cleaner. Don't let the name frighten you- it's fairly mild and you don't leave it on for long. Does an amazing job with no negatives. Works great for brake dust too. I've actually used on my wife's Camry as a guinea pig (don't tell her!). Just a great product.
I'm on a slippery slope here, as there are many opinions on oils and frequency of changes. I like to get the bits of metal out of the oil as soon as possible so additional wear is minimized. Most of the bits are worn off in the first 1000 to 1500 miles. Unless the manufacturer specifically states that the oil should not be changed before the first scheduled maintenance (Honda, for example) most maintenance fanatics, like me (and my dealer), change early. It's cheap insurance, especially if the engine is going to be working hard like towing a trailer. Subsequent changes can be done by the book at 5,000 miles, in my opinion, because of the larger than normal volume of oil in the engine; ~6.5 qts. with the dinky Toyota filter, and ~7.0 qts. with a full size filter.
My opinion on overdrive: The manual says NOT to use overdrive when towing in order to maximize engine braking. I think that if the engine can pull without shifting in and out of overdrive (hunting) all the time then use it. Frequent shifting is not good for the trans -- causes excess wear and heat. I tow in hilly country so I don't use overdrive.
your second post on GM's "adventurism" into futuristic protozoids called aztek/rdv/avalanche was more tempered with realism of what operates n the ground. i am gratified to see that you did not bring up the ridiculous comparison of the sales figures of these three vehicles against the sequoia... they do not belong in the same arena/space.... i mean, how can you compare the sequoia's limited 60K annual production (ca. 5K / month) and selling every single one, to a combined 150K annual units of the pontiac aztek/buick rdv, and selling a pitiful combined 6,000 units/month (or 72K / year) ?
symptomatic of GM's gradual but inevitable decline are the azteks, rdv's and avalanche. sorry to bust your bubble, but have you checked the edmund's review of the aztek lately ?
if you did not like the article and fail to read it to the end, here is their conclusion:
"Dominant over all they surveyed, in 1519 the Aztecs were suddenly confronted with a small force possessed of superior technology. They couldn't develop a response in time and their empire fell in an astonishingly short time."
Think GM here....
epilogue:
the old 70's and 80's pontiac ad had "we bring excitement, pontiac pontiac...." as catch phrases. can we say this of today's pontiac division of GM ????? how about buicks, cadillacs, oldsmobile (what ??), saturn, etc... and the list goes on and on and on....
wanna do something good, ask to run the GM marketing department, maybe you could right this sinking ship before it runs aground... ahoy ahoy...., lol ! those $2002 cash rebates and 0% financing simply potpones the day of reckoning....
We have several "comparison" topics for the Sequoia vs. various GM makes. Please check the SUVs topic list and pick one. This topic is for stories, questions and answers about the Sequoia, not endless posts bashing GM or Toyota. Thanks. Steve Host SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I am unsure what you are referring to on the letter/number designation. Other Michelin (SUV sized) tires have letter/number designations, to my knowledge, the Cross Terrains do not. If you have more info, I'll check it out. tirerack.com and Michelin's on web site have good descriptions, although I find Michelin's site cumbersome, it's a flashy, glitzy site, but was difficult to use to find the information I wanted.
As for the price, Fortunately I live in West Virginia. Unfortunately I live in West Virginia. In other words, WV is a great place to live but the selection of retailers is really lacking.
I bought mine at Sears for $164 each. Previously they had been on sale for 147, being the bright guy I am, I bought them when I needed them, after the sale was over. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they go back on sale during the 30 period which Sears will refund the difference.... film at 11.
bought our Sequoia 12/15/01. Both TRAC and VSC-Off lights came on and stayed on on 12/24/01. Brought to dealer the day after Christmas. They spent the whole day to check it out and, finally, they found out a sensor in the steering wheel was bad. Took them a whole week to order the replacement and another WHOLE day to change it. I was told they had to disassemble the steering wheel in order to put the new one in and recalibeting took long time too. Anyway, the lights are off now. When I push the 'VSC/OFF' button, the light won't come on. Is this because that the vehicle has to be in 4WD mode? Also, when I stopped at light, if I lift my feet off the brake a little bit I will hear a kick noise seems coming from transmission. Does anyone else notice this? Is this normal? Should I have dealer to check this out? Any response will be greatly appreciated.
The VSC can only be turned off while in 4WD if I'm not mistaken. As far as the transmission, check to see if your air conditioner is on. That will cause a "kick" when you're standing still. My K1500 pickup did the same thing.
for the towing and oil advice. I'll be towing 28' camper at 4200lbs round trip from NC to FL. All flat and overdrive should be no problem. Sounds like I need to change oil prior at about 1800 miles. Thanks again.
I stand corrected regarding towing in overdrive. I can see the reference to towing with overdrive off to maintain engine braking. The manual is a little ambiguous as it states different information on pages 133,136 and 240.
I wonder why Honda doesn't recommend oil change earlier than schedule?
No doubt about it, the manual leaves a lot to be desired.
It's a great mystery that Honda oil thing. I never found any reference to 'break in' oil in the owner's or shop manuals. The dealer was adamant about not changing the oil until 3750 miles. I figured that there must be something to it because they could have taken my money for an extra oil change. There have been many posts on the Odyssey forum with the same experience. When in doubt, I take the dealers advice.
Honda uses a "break in oil" in their vehicles which needs to be left in for a specific amount of time. Toyota uses no such oil.
As for OD, leave it off when towing. The engine does work harder like this, but the transmission doesn't have to work as hard. I tow a 4200 pound boat with my Tundra and ALWAYS leave the OD off.
My guess is that the Toyota version of the new Runner will be "decontented" over the Lexus to the point of keeping prices about where they currently are. That means $33K to $38K for the 4WD model.
Now, just to stir a bit more speculation, I also know Toyota has a new 3.8 liter V6 coming out next year, so it is possible that both engines will be available on the Runner.
I got the same advice when I brought my Acura CL in for its 1st oil change. When I brought it back in after 4K miles, a different service-writer (at the same dealership) said he never heard of the 3750-thing.
I purchased a new Sequoia in December, and I've noticed some things which are odd. Has anyone else experienced these, and if so, should I have them checked?
1. The truck takes a long time to start up (sometimes up to 10 seconds before the engine turns over). 10 seconds may not seem like a long time, but my 94 Camry and my 84 VW Rabbit turn over quicker than that. Battery meter on the dash indicates that the batter has a good charge (it should after less than a month of ownership!).
2. Auto temperature setting also takes a while to turn on. I press the Auto button, and I have the temperature set, but sometimes it takes up to 20-30 seconds before the fan turns on. Is this normal?
3. The Bridgestone tires that came with the truck seem a bit noisy.
Do these things seem normal? Should I have them checked out? Weather here (Gloucester, MA) has been consistently between 37-45 degrees, and I just crossed 1000 miles on the truck, so it's had time to break in, and the weather has been cool but not below freezing.
1. Do you mean that the starter is on for 10 sec before engine starts or that nothing happens for 10 secs before starter kicks in. Either way is not normal. One sec after I turn key to start my engine is running. Take vehicle back to dealer.
2. It takes 2/3 minutes on my vehicle before fan starts. It waits for temp to rise which is normal. You don't want cold air blowing in the winter. If your time is only 30 sec that's excellent.
3. I don't have any experience with Bridgestone. I have very quiet Michelin Cross Terrain tires.
The fan speeds up as the air warms. This way it does not blow cold air blowing around the cabin. Very nice feature indeed. My wife's Seq starts up much quicker than that. Bring it to the dealer ASAP.
Your starting time does seem excessive. I do remember reading somewhere that Toyotas in general and Sequoias specifically did require some cranking before starting. Some vehicles (Dodge for example) fire up immediately. I guess it's in the setup. Get it checked out for peace of mind.
Our Toyota also takes a while before starting. Not anywhere near ten seconds. Maybe a couple of seconds. Just longer than other vehicles. Takes a while to get used to it.
I don't have any complaints with Bridgestones. The tires on my other nameless vehicle are Michelin Cross Terrains. They are better than the Bridgestones as far as ride, appearance and noise, but not worth scrapping the Bridgestones in my opinion.
Does anyone have an opinion on the Bridgestones vs. the Dunlops? All Canadian Sequoias have Dunlops and my wife's Camry has them-they've been great. I think a previous posting stated the Dunlops were a "better quality" tire? Any thoughts?
Has anyone else had trouble w/ their fuel door not opening when the lever is pulled? Mine started not working good after I had my Seq. about 5 months. I had to pull 3-4 times on the lever (harder than I think I should) to get the door to finally pop open. I took it to the dealer and he sprayed some silicon spray on the cable, but after about 2 weeks it has started doing it again. It doesn't do it everytime, just about one out of every 3 trips to the gas station. I have read the forum for about a year now and have not seen any other post concerning fuel door release problems. Any suggestions?
If the cable is pulling, but just not hard enough to open the door, you can adjust the catch on the door. I've done this a few times. There is a metal clip that keeps the door in place. When you pull the release, a pin is retracted from that clip. Open the door and carefully bend the clip away from the pin. Do this in small increments and see if it doesn't help.
Mine has Dunlop and I'm not quite satisfied w/ the ride at very low speeds. It seems like there is a flat spot on one or more tires, due to the 'thumpy' ride that is very noticeable at low speeds.
Hello everyone. Time for me to give you all an update. For some of you who don't recall, I'm the one who settled on a 01 Canadian Sequoia Lmt over buying one here in the states. Got it for almost 5k cheaper than what a dealer here in Albany, NY could of given me. This forum helped me make the decision I did and I thank you all for your input.
Overall satisfaction: extremely and "YES" I would buy it again in a heartbeat. For those of you considering a Seq, test drive them all and know what is most important to you before you do (size, towing, costs, features, etc..). Take it for more than an around the block ride and ride it hard, brake hard, accelerate hard. Last but not least, contact a local dealer and ask if they can get you a CND Seq at auction. Guaranteed to save you thousands.
Tires: Dunlops. As 714cut noted, CND Seq comes with Dunlops and this is a great tire. Quiet and excellent in the snow. No need for me to get snow tires. Feel very comfortable and safe on the Dunlops.
4WD: We (Albany) just got our first big snow storm last week (18 inches, dusting for Buffalo) and the Seq handled the snow much better than my Mountaineer or Explorer did (the added 1k pounds probably helps). As someone else noted, the hesitation due to the Traks system is quite annoying and even dangerous. I guess the 02's addressed this but how annoying. Haven't noticed if it still does this while in 4WD mode. Besides that, the entire 4WD system is impeccable.
Stereo: Not sure if the CND Seq have a different system but the one in mind sounds great (JBL Premium / 6 CD chgr). No vibration in the back from the base like some have posted. Oddly, this system is suppose to have 10 speakers but for the life of me can't figure it out. Have the two small ones up front above the seats. Have two speaker grills up front in each front door (possibly there's 2 speakers in each one). Then I have the two speaker grills in the back in each door (again, possibly two speakers in each). If that's the case, there's the ten but if there aren't two speakers in each grill, than I have 6. You all follow that. Regardless, it sounds damn good.
Brakes: no problem-o. Have 6k miles on it and all is fine thus far.
Noise from window being down: Big freaking deal. Haven't even tested to see if this is the case. Like someone else noted, just keep your windows up or crack another one to avoid it.
MPG: Put 1000 miles on it (started at 5k miles) and getting around 13-15 mpg (true reading). Yeah, not good but my Mountaineer was only getting 16 (at best) so no biggie. Would still get this vehicle if it got 10 mpg. Not an issue for me.
Towing: nothing yet but the tow limit (6.5k) is well in my limits. Will be towing a 4.5k lb boat this summer. Will report on towing then. Please, no need to bring up towing again. Don't want to bring the "heat" back.
Engine/Tranny: extremely satisfied. Very well engineered engine (no ticking) and the tranny is the best I've experienced. My first Toyota and very impressed by the power and how quiet the engine is and how smooth the tranny is.
Heating system: Excellent but the blower is a bit loud (no biggie). Can't report on the A/C yet.
All weather mats: Very happy with the Toyota Seq all weather mats (from toyotaguys.com). Actually, they're on special right now. Custom fit over the others, does the job and looks good.
Futures: still debating about the gold badging (have a black Seq). Anyone out there have a black Seq and the gold badging. If so, do you like how it came out and did you do it yourself. Or does it make your truck look a little to fancy. Also debating on the wood dash look. Opinions here appreciated especially if you did it yourself.
Sorry for the long post for those of you who like to read the 2 sentence ones but I hadn't posted in quite sometime and wanted to cover most of all the issues I saw posted here. One last tidbit: I had earlier posted that two co-workers who drove GMC Yukon XL's were quite impressed with the Seq. They both loved the Seq much better after taking it for a spin. One has already traded in his 01 for an 02 Seq and the other is waiting until the 03 model. They like their GMC but feel the Seq is a much better overall SUV.
Thanks again for all your help and keep the helpful posts coming...
Great to hear from you, glad you're enjoying the Sequoia. I enjoyed reading your post. I particularly liked the end You know everybody talks about price and is obviously concerned about price but when you drive the Sequoia you get that solid feeling of quality which makes you feel like it is good value.
Flat spots in your Dunlops doesn't sound normal... maybe have balancing checked and also check inside the wheels and see if there is any mud, dirt or ice buildup in there. That has the same effect as out of balance wheels.
Thought I'd update everyone. Just got my Sequoia back from the dealer. As usual, they managed to put another "ding" on the SUV that wasn't there previously. I had my hubby and father-in-law look at it (since they paint cars for a hobby) and they said it was something they could fix. I didn't want to have to leave it at the dealer AGAIN just so I could come back with another scratch or ding!!! My case was escalated through arbitration/resolution before I finally got results. This meant the Regional distributor got involved. Continual frustration for weeks on end. Even the dealer's cust. svc manager (if you could call her that) was useless. She tried to pawn me off from day one and only bothered to call when the National Svc Center contacted her. The Regional distributor told me to speak to the general mgr or owner for some compensation for the month's + worth of frustration. Guess what I got??? A free oil change!! Yippee!! I get to make a car payment with no use of my car for a month in exchange for rust, dings, scratches and a free oil change!!!! And my car is only 6 months old!!
If you are in the N.E. Florida area, my suggestion is NOT to use Arlington Toyota. They stink when it comes to repair work and service - even though they are the ONLY certified Toyota repair center in Jax, Florida.
1. The VSC light and traction light. When I first purchased the car the VSC light button did not work. The light never went off when I pressed the off button. The dealer told me that it wasn't a big deal because it should always be on. I am embarrassed to say that I believed him. Well, six months later the engine light remains on along with those other two lights. I brought the car in and ..... the next problem.
2. Sulfur smell. I have brought it in 3x for this. First, it was an "undercoating" that Toyota sprays on the cars it sends to New England. It smells just like sulfur. Second time, it was because I was using the wrong gas. Only mid to high grade from Exxon or Texaco. Third time, it is now .... a problem with the "charcoal canister" and I need a new emissions canister which is responsible for the smell and the engine lights being on.
I bought a new car to avoid all these problems. At this point, I don't believe a word they say. I notice there were a lot of messages about the VSC light not working correctly so I don't feel as stupid but I am still annoyed.
3. Each time I pull out from a low space in the road it feels like something is scraping under my car. The dealer thinks I am a pain and doesn't know what I am talking about. Of course, I cannot reproduce the problem unless I am in a particular spot.
P.S. I forgot to mention the smudges all up and down my car from top to bottom and front to back. It took the dealer a long time to get them out. When I picked my car up last night, the service mgr (who came in on the situation at the Regional dist.'s request), tried to pin the smudges on me. He said that my car was never in the paint shop so it couldn't have been the dealer that did it (the body shop mgr told him this). However, the body shop repair technician had already told me that the smudges probably got there from the plastic wrapped around the car when it was in the paint shop...also, why did my mud flaps have paint drip marks if it never made it to the paint shop??? I then questioned that if it never made it the paint shop I must have defective paint, right???? He tried to say it was an environmental thing or maybe where I parked, etc. When I mentioned none of my other cars have the same problem, he backed off.
Like I expected the cheap retractable antenna that came standard with my SEQ is starting to bend now after occasional scrapping with the garage door. Has anybody tried to change or replace this with the short flexible type? I hate this antenna so much that I am not even sure if I'll have it replaced with the same kind when it eventually breaks.
Also, is anyone else having problems with the storage cover falling off frequently? Sometimes it falls off even if there's nothing in the storage. The clip that comes with it is very wimpy.
I consider myself a long time Toyota diehard (my Seq is my 8th straight Toyota) and I love my SEQ. However, little things like these are just plain annoying.
My VSC and TRAC lights came on and only went off when the brake fluid was topped off so that the level was at the max line. On the subject of VSC, has anyone had any luck getting their dealer to replace the VSC chip in their 2001 with the less sensitive chip from the 2002?
Your first and second problems are unrelated. The VSC can only be turned off when you are in 4WD. If you tried to turn it off in 2WD, it will not happen.
The VSC and TRAC Off light will come on in a number of circumstances. They are warning lights that are tied to your check engine light. Combined with the sulfur smell, I am guessing that you have a problem with your exhaust system and the warning lights came on to alert you and your dealer of this. More than likely, it is not a major issue, but it does need solved. I suggest finding another dealership to service the thing.
Hi, go habs. Hockey, huh? I'm glad that you are happy with your new Sequoia.
On the gold package with the black- I test drove a used one in that combination, and thought that the black with the gold was very elegant looking indeed. I vote for the gold! I ended up buying a new white '01 one instead because of a good price from a dealer with five or six '02s right before Christmas, and kept the silver badges because it matches the grey interior better.
On the wood trim- I evaluated a million different packages. The Toyota available option wood grain for the radio looks quite cheesy and plastic when installed, IMHO. The deep, thick real wood grain that you can install yourself seems as if it goes in well, but I test drove a different used one where the heavy coating on the real wood had chipped near the 4 low lever, making it look cheap, too. This used vehicle was at 12,000 miles. And, one of the wood appliques had slipped, leaving a dirty streak on the "hammered aluminum" look of the Limited.
I ended up skipping installing the woodgrain because of these observations. I have come to like the hammered look better and better because I think it will wear better over time. But, with my zillions of teenage passengers, I tend to see more interior vehicle abuse than the normal owner, I imagine. I'm just happy if the hamburger wrappers are off the floor, now.
When: Saturday Jan 19 Where: Pine Barrens (Lebanon State Forest, NJ) Meet: Intersection of Rte 70 and 72 near Whiting, NJ Time: 10:45-11am Who: AWD/4wd Vehicles (no 2wd please) What: Off-road Trail Ride through the barrens, will be fun for all, we encourage Subarus, Rav4s, CRVs, Isuzus, Highlanders, 4-runners, Santa Fe, Explorers, etc.
I took my '01 Seq in and told them the trac control was too sensitive. They agreed and called the dealer tech line like I asked them to. Toyota told them to replace the module with the '02 version. Went in last night to have this done. Now they can't get the Trac and VSC lights to go off, and the Trac control does not work at all. They need to call Toyota again to see what the problem is. I checked my brake fluid when I got home. It's at max (I topped it off about 3 months ago). Dealer thinks the module is bad.
I am getting ready to take the plunge on a new 4WD Limited. How much over invoice should I expect to pay here in NC or in the Southeast? Any suggestions for who to call at dealerships or over the internet? I am prepared to order and wait because I want a specific car with specific options. Also, the color options are still poor. Why is there not a Blue available in the Limited? I think I will get Black, but does anyone have any experience with the Black? Is it a nightmare to take care of?
Hey hockeymom, thanks for getting back to me. I may very well go for the gold badging since I think it would look pretty sharp on black. I agree with you on the wood grain. It could end up looking cheap and the hammered look is growing on me. Yes, I'm a HUGE hockey fan (Montreal Canadiens of course). I'm a transplant here in the states coming from Quebec. Love your handle.
dog71: Speaking of black, it's a great color and it really isn't that hard to keep clean. Even dirty it looks ok. This is my first ever black vehicle and I love it. The blue Seq SR5 really don't look as sharp as the black so go for black.
714cut: from my earlier long winded post, what do you make about my speaker question. Is this how the 10 speakers are laid out? Let me know. Perhaps it's a Canadian thing. Keep your post coming. You and others like cliffy1 have been very helpful.
Someone mentioned something about the storage compartment not staying closed. Well, I have the same problem (rear drivers side). If this is all that goes wrong, I'll be happy. Time will tell...
Been away for awhile, just caught up reading posts.
Reason most dealers are clueless is that they sell, not inform. Clifford (Cliffy) is so so different (same with Dianne, but that's another story).I relied heavily on Cliffy and almost drove 400 miles just to buy from him.
12k on my april bought, SR5 Silver sky. No major issues, (bad door pin switch, one poor fitting kick panel by drivers left foot). No other problems, smells, hickups, just straight running Toyota that exceeds expetations (of course coming from a Chevy blazer, my expetations were real low).
Had about 4 inches of snow up here in NY the other day, tried to push the seq to see what she'd do. Truly amazing beast she is.. in 2wd, intentionally stomped brake pedal, tracked straight and true with ABS going off, but very little vibration (far better than the blazer). then rolling at 10 mph, punched gas to power slide. Truck would not allow back end to kick out (VSC thing). in 4WD, same abs and VSC test. No different. hith the highway and did 65 in 4 wd, no different than driving in June in 2 wd. just can't go into 4wd above 60 I found out.
Did you catch highlights of the game between Boston and Ottawa last night? Even the goalies were duking it out! Our teams would never do that would they? You are correct about the speakers. Two in the pillars, and two speakers in each enclosure in the door!
The brake light has a mind of it's own - goes on or off at will. It is usually on at start up, stays on for 10 to 30 minutes and then may go off. It will come back on periodically, particularly when braking. I haven't checked the fluid level yet - will do that 1st thing in the morning.
VSC Off and VSC Trac lights are also on most of the time. They are on when the car is first started and will not go off until the car is fully warmed up, shut off and restarted. The lights may come back on randomly.
Interesting note - The lights usually only malfunction in cold weather (sub 35 degrees).
I have had my truck for just over a year - about 19k miles. Obviously I need to get my lazy but into the dealer to get this fixed. Anyone else seen anything like this?
Comments
Price plays a big role in sales and so does availability as sometimes Sequoias were hard to come by. When I got mine it was tough to find one I wanted, but there were 5 Yukons on the dealers lot.
I respond, "YES! I need a 2002 Sequoia RIGHT NOW, and I HAVE THE CASH!"
He slows his jaunty walk and looks totally bummed. He said he wished he could get me one, but they don't have one on the lot, and he doesn't know where he could get one.
Just then, the service guy drives mine out, and I exclaim, "I'll take that one!"
You should have seen his face as I hopped in and drove away.
{I had already dropped my wife off to pay the bill at the cashier's office before I drove onto the lot}.
Differing opinions on oil changes. While more is good, the first one is a little different in that you want some of the metal parts in your oil to help all of the parts fit properly and wear off any rough spots. I'm not a mechanic and I know that's not technical but I got from someone who is. I would say change after your trip. That's when all the crud will be in your engine and should come out.
Good advice on taking it slow- it can never hurt, but again I towed 2500 km's in the summer over mountain passes with no resting the truck.
Synthetic oil and differential fluid seems to be popular and can't hurt. I've never used it and it's not recommended in owner's manual.
Always drive with overdrive on except when going downhill to use as engine braking. That's right from the manual.
Finally to all-please read owners manual from cover to cover. Some great stuff in there!
My opinion on overdrive: The manual says NOT to use overdrive when towing in order to maximize engine braking. I think that if the engine can pull without shifting in and out of overdrive (hunting) all the time then use it. Frequent shifting is not good for the trans -- causes excess wear and heat. I tow in hilly country so I don't use overdrive.
your second post on GM's "adventurism" into futuristic protozoids called aztek/rdv/avalanche was more tempered with realism of what operates n the ground. i am gratified to see that you did not bring up the ridiculous comparison of the sales figures of these three vehicles against the sequoia... they do not belong in the same arena/space.... i mean, how can you compare the sequoia's limited 60K annual production (ca. 5K / month) and selling every single one, to a combined 150K annual units of the pontiac aztek/buick rdv, and selling a pitiful combined 6,000 units/month (or 72K / year) ?
symptomatic of GM's gradual but inevitable decline are the azteks, rdv's and avalanche. sorry to bust your bubble, but have you checked the edmund's review of the aztek lately ?
here it is for your reading pleasure
http://www.edmunds.com/news/column/motorcitymusings/45010/article.html
if you did not like the article and fail to read it to the end, here is their conclusion:
"Dominant over all they surveyed, in 1519 the Aztecs were suddenly confronted with a small force possessed of superior technology. They couldn't develop a response in time and their empire fell in an astonishingly short time."
Think GM here....
epilogue:
the old 70's and 80's pontiac ad had "we bring excitement, pontiac pontiac...." as catch phrases. can we say this of today's pontiac division of GM ????? how about buicks, cadillacs, oldsmobile (what ??), saturn, etc... and the list goes on and on and on....
wanna do something good, ask to run the GM marketing department, maybe you could right this sinking ship before it runs aground... ahoy ahoy...., lol ! those $2002 cash rebates and 0% financing simply potpones the day of reckoning....
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I am unsure what you are referring to on the letter/number designation. Other Michelin (SUV sized) tires have letter/number designations, to my knowledge, the Cross Terrains do not.
If you have more info, I'll check it out. tirerack.com and Michelin's on web site have good descriptions, although I find Michelin's site cumbersome, it's a flashy, glitzy site, but was difficult to use to find the information I wanted.
As for the price, Fortunately I live in West Virginia. Unfortunately I live in West Virginia. In other words, WV is a great place to live but the selection of retailers is really lacking.
I bought mine at Sears for $164 each. Previously they had been on sale for 147, being the bright guy I am, I bought them when I needed them, after the sale was over. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they go back on sale during the 30 period which Sears will refund the difference.... film at 11.
When I push the 'VSC/OFF' button, the light won't come on. Is this because that the vehicle has to be in 4WD mode?
Also, when I stopped at light, if I lift my feet off the brake a little bit I will hear a kick noise seems coming from transmission. Does anyone else notice this? Is this normal? Should I have dealer to check this out?
Any response will be greatly appreciated.
The VSC can only be turned off while in 4WD if I'm not mistaken. As far as the transmission, check to see if your air conditioner is on. That will cause a "kick" when you're standing still. My K1500 pickup did the same thing.
I wonder why Honda doesn't recommend oil change earlier than schedule?
It's a great mystery that Honda oil thing. I never found any reference to 'break in' oil in the owner's or shop manuals. The dealer was adamant about not changing the oil until 3750 miles. I figured that there must be something to it because they could have taken my money for an extra oil change. There have been many posts on the Odyssey forum with the same experience. When in doubt, I take the dealers advice.
As for OD, leave it off when towing. The engine does work harder like this, but the transmission doesn't have to work as hard. I tow a 4200 pound boat with my Tundra and ALWAYS leave the OD off.
Now, just to stir a bit more speculation, I also know Toyota has a new 3.8 liter V6 coming out next year, so it is possible that both engines will be available on the Runner.
1. The truck takes a long time to start up (sometimes up to 10 seconds before the engine turns over). 10 seconds may not seem like a long time, but my 94 Camry and my 84 VW Rabbit turn over quicker than that. Battery meter on the dash indicates that the batter has a good charge (it should after less than a month of ownership!).
2. Auto temperature setting also takes a while to turn on. I press the Auto button, and I have the temperature set, but sometimes it takes up to 20-30 seconds before the fan turns on. Is this normal?
3. The Bridgestone tires that came with the truck seem a bit noisy.
Do these things seem normal? Should I have them checked out? Weather here (Gloucester, MA) has been consistently between 37-45 degrees, and I just crossed 1000 miles on the truck, so it's had time to break in, and the weather has been cool but not below freezing.
Thanks
2. It takes 2/3 minutes on my vehicle before fan starts. It waits for temp to rise which is normal. You don't want cold air blowing in the winter. If your time is only 30 sec that's excellent.
3. I don't have any experience with Bridgestone. I have very quiet Michelin Cross Terrain tires.
Paul
I don't have any complaints with Bridgestones. The tires on my other nameless vehicle are Michelin Cross Terrains. They are better than the Bridgestones as far as ride, appearance and noise, but not worth scrapping the Bridgestones in my opinion.
Any suggestions?
Overall satisfaction: extremely and "YES" I would buy it again in a heartbeat. For those of you considering a Seq, test drive them all and know what is most important to you before you do (size, towing, costs, features, etc..). Take it for more than an around the block ride and ride it hard, brake hard, accelerate hard. Last but not least, contact a local dealer and ask if they can get you a CND Seq at auction. Guaranteed to save you thousands.
Tires: Dunlops. As 714cut noted, CND Seq comes with Dunlops and this is a great tire. Quiet and excellent in the snow. No need for me to get snow tires. Feel very comfortable and safe on the Dunlops.
4WD: We (Albany) just got our first big snow storm last week (18 inches, dusting for Buffalo) and the Seq handled the snow much better than my Mountaineer or Explorer did (the added 1k pounds probably helps). As someone else noted, the hesitation due to the Traks system is quite annoying and even dangerous. I guess the 02's addressed this but how annoying. Haven't noticed if it still does this while in 4WD mode. Besides that, the entire 4WD system is impeccable.
Stereo: Not sure if the CND Seq have a different system but the one in mind sounds great (JBL Premium / 6 CD chgr). No vibration in the back from the base like some have posted. Oddly, this system is suppose to have 10 speakers but for the life of me can't figure it out. Have the two small ones up front above the seats. Have two speaker grills up front in each front door (possibly there's 2 speakers in each one). Then I have the two speaker grills in the back in each door (again, possibly two speakers in each). If that's the case, there's the ten but if there aren't two speakers in each grill, than I have 6. You all follow that. Regardless, it sounds damn good.
Brakes: no problem-o. Have 6k miles on it and all is fine thus far.
Noise from window being down: Big freaking deal. Haven't even tested to see if this is the case. Like someone else noted, just keep your windows up or crack another one to avoid it.
MPG: Put 1000 miles on it (started at 5k miles) and getting around 13-15 mpg (true reading). Yeah, not good but my Mountaineer was only getting 16 (at best) so no biggie. Would still get this vehicle if it got 10 mpg. Not an issue for me.
Towing: nothing yet but the tow limit (6.5k) is well in my limits. Will be towing a 4.5k lb boat this summer. Will report on towing then. Please, no need to bring up towing again. Don't want to bring the "heat" back.
Engine/Tranny: extremely satisfied. Very well engineered engine (no ticking) and the tranny is the best I've experienced. My first Toyota and very impressed by the power and how quiet the engine is and how smooth the tranny is.
Heating system: Excellent but the blower is a bit loud (no biggie). Can't report on the A/C yet.
All weather mats: Very happy with the Toyota Seq all weather mats (from toyotaguys.com). Actually, they're on special right now. Custom fit over the others, does the job and looks good.
Futures: still debating about the gold badging (have a black Seq). Anyone out there have a black Seq and the gold badging. If so, do you like how it came out and did you do it yourself. Or does it make your truck look a little to fancy. Also debating on the wood dash look. Opinions here appreciated especially if you did it yourself.
Sorry for the long post for those of you who like to read the 2 sentence ones but I hadn't posted in quite sometime and wanted to cover most of all the issues I saw posted here. One last tidbit: I had earlier posted that two co-workers who drove GMC Yukon XL's were quite impressed with the Seq. They both loved the Seq much better after taking it for a spin. One has already traded in his 01 for an 02 Seq and the other is waiting until the 03 model. They like their GMC but feel the Seq is a much better overall SUV.
Thanks again for all your help and keep the helpful posts coming...
If you are in the N.E. Florida area, my suggestion is NOT to use Arlington Toyota. They stink when it comes to repair work and service - even though they are the ONLY certified Toyota repair center in Jax, Florida.
2. Sulfur smell. I have brought it in 3x for this. First, it was an "undercoating" that Toyota sprays on the cars it sends to New England. It smells just like sulfur. Second time, it was because I was using the wrong gas. Only mid to high grade from Exxon or Texaco. Third time, it is now .... a problem with the "charcoal canister" and I need a new emissions canister which is responsible for the smell and the engine lights being on.
I bought a new car to avoid all these problems. At this point, I don't believe a word they say. I notice there were a lot of messages about the VSC light not working correctly so I don't feel as stupid but I am still annoyed.
3. Each time I pull out from a low space in the road it feels like something is scraping under my car. The dealer thinks I am a pain and doesn't know what I am talking about. Of course, I cannot reproduce the problem unless I am in a particular spot.
Help.
Also, is anyone else having problems with the storage cover falling off frequently? Sometimes it falls off even if there's nothing in the storage. The clip that comes with it is very wimpy.
I consider myself a long time Toyota diehard (my Seq is my 8th straight Toyota) and I love my SEQ. However, little things like these are just plain annoying.
Thanks for any help.
The VSC and TRAC Off light will come on in a number of circumstances. They are warning lights that are tied to your check engine light. Combined with the sulfur smell, I am guessing that you have a problem with your exhaust system and the warning lights came on to alert you and your dealer of this. More than likely, it is not a major issue, but it does need solved. I suggest finding another dealership to service the thing.
On the gold package with the black- I test drove a used one in that combination, and thought that the black with the gold was very elegant looking indeed. I vote for the gold! I ended up buying a new white '01 one instead because of a good price from a dealer with five or six '02s right before Christmas, and kept the silver badges because it matches the grey interior better.
On the wood trim- I evaluated a million different packages. The Toyota available option wood grain for the radio looks quite cheesy and plastic when installed, IMHO. The deep, thick real wood grain that you can install yourself seems as if it goes in well, but I test drove a different used one where the heavy coating on the real wood had chipped near the 4 low lever, making it look cheap, too. This used vehicle was at 12,000 miles. And, one of the wood appliques had slipped, leaving a dirty streak on the "hammered aluminum" look of the Limited.
I ended up skipping installing the woodgrain because of these observations. I have come to like the hammered look better and better because I think it will wear better over time. But, with my zillions of teenage passengers, I tend to see more interior vehicle abuse than the normal owner, I imagine. I'm just happy if the hamburger wrappers are off the floor, now.
Best wishes. Hockeymom.
When: Saturday Jan 19
Where: Pine Barrens (Lebanon State Forest, NJ)
Meet: Intersection of Rte 70 and 72 near Whiting, NJ
Time: 10:45-11am
Who: AWD/4wd Vehicles (no 2wd please)
What: Off-road Trail Ride through the barrens, will be fun for all, we encourage Subarus, Rav4s, CRVs, Isuzus, Highlanders, 4-runners, Santa Fe, Explorers, etc.
****Details****
dog71: Speaking of black, it's a great color and it really isn't that hard to keep clean. Even dirty it looks ok. This is my first ever black vehicle and I love it. The blue Seq SR5 really don't look as sharp as the black so go for black.
714cut: from my earlier long winded post, what do you make about my speaker question. Is this how the 10 speakers are laid out? Let me know. Perhaps it's a Canadian thing. Keep your post coming. You and others like cliffy1 have been very helpful.
Someone mentioned something about the storage compartment not staying closed. Well, I have the same problem (rear drivers side). If this is all that goes wrong, I'll be happy. Time will tell...
Reason most dealers are clueless is that they sell, not inform. Clifford (Cliffy) is so so different (same with Dianne, but that's another story).I relied heavily on Cliffy and almost drove 400 miles just to buy from him.
12k on my april bought, SR5 Silver sky. No major issues, (bad door pin switch, one poor fitting kick panel by drivers left foot). No other problems, smells, hickups, just straight running Toyota that exceeds expetations (of course coming from a Chevy blazer, my expetations were real low).
Had about 4 inches of snow up here in NY the other day, tried to push the seq to see what she'd do. Truly amazing beast she is.. in 2wd, intentionally stomped brake pedal, tracked straight and true with ABS going off, but very little vibration (far better than the blazer). then rolling at 10 mph, punched gas to power slide. Truck would not allow back end to kick out (VSC thing). in 4WD, same abs and VSC test. No different. hith the highway and did 65 in 4 wd, no different than driving in June in 2 wd. just can't go into 4wd above 60 I found out.
Great truck, continues to impress.
Neil
(a satisfied owner).
You are correct about the speakers. Two in the pillars, and two speakers in each enclosure in the door!
VSC Off and VSC Trac lights are also on most of the time. They are on when the car is first started and will not go off until the car is fully warmed up, shut off and restarted. The lights may come back on randomly.
Interesting note - The lights usually only malfunction in cold weather (sub 35 degrees).
I have had my truck for just over a year - about 19k miles. Obviously I need to get my lazy but into the dealer to get this fixed. Anyone else seen anything like this?