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Toyota Avalon Electrical System Questions

139 messages,  Last post on Oct 07, 2009 at 9:33 AM

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#2 of 139 Rear Window Defrost by bjk2001 Oct 21, 2002 (8:28 pm)
Our 97 Avalon XL rear window defrost is not working. I checked fuse is fine and every time I pushed the defrost button on the center console defrost light will lit up and I can hear a relay on the driver side clicking. Does anyone have any idea what went wrong?
#3 of 139 my 1997 Avalon is awful by tiredmom2 Nov 07, 2002 (8:15 pm)
Is anyone else having these problems or did I just get a lemon?   -My 1997 Avalon with 56k miles is on its 4th battery. One time, we were driving down the road when all power went out. One mechanic told me he thinks the alternator is over charging them.   -There is now a loud moaning noise when I turn the steering wheel. Dealer tells me I have a leak in the rack and pinion and need it replaced for $1200.   -The left rear door's window quit working a few months after the warranty expired. Dealer says motor has a short in it. Will be $408 to replace.   -The speaker in the left rear door has static if it works at all. Dealer says bad speaker that needs replacing.   -The left brake light is out. I tried a new bulb, doesn't help. Interior indicator light stays on saying that light is out. I told dealer all of this. Dealer kept car all day to check and came out and told me that "just needed new bulb". I then walked the rep around the car and showed him myself that the light was still not working and that the indicator light was still on! Dealer couldn't tell me what was wrong with this. Said there must be a short somewhere.   I asked the rep at the dealer repair shop if he didn't think it odd that so many things could have "shorts" in them in the left rear side of the car. Seems beyond coincidence to me. He thought it was all perfectly normal and I should willing hand over large sums of money to fix it. Needless to say I walked out.   I have already had the struts replaced (under warranty thank goodness). The car has always had a lot of road noise too. Very annoying on long trips. I think I am going to find some local mechanic to fix cheaper and sell ASAP. I am going to sell and buy a Honda before the year ends. My last car was a Honda and never had any problems.   I am so disappointed. I bought Toyota because I thought they were reliable. I loved how roomy the Avalon was. Now I realize that leg room doesn't help me when the car won't run.   Would love to know if anyone else has had similar problems. Perhaps my car just "fell off the truck" or maybe it got hit by lightning on the truck! What ever happened, it is a piece of junk.
#4 of 139 yup, by nippononly Nov 07, 2002 (9:15 pm)
I think you got hit by lightning!   Rear lights that don't work can be a sign of an accident that has been repaired - have you owned it since new.   Have never had a problem with toyota power windows before, all the way out to cars that were 15 years old or more.   OTOH, their stereo speakers were never anything to write home about - no surprise there.   The old Avalons were always noisy too at high speeds - mainly tire and wind noise.   Six years old is a lot for only 56K - your batteries might be dying prematurely due to low use and consequent discharge. Either way, it does not need to be a guessing game. Just have someone measure the output of the alternator to see if it falls within specs. I'd be surprised if a Toyota alternator gave up the ghost after 56K.   The moaning noise sounds a lot more like the power steering pump than the rack and pinion - I think you need to go to a new dealer, and get a second opinion on the expensive repairs. They may be incompetent, or they may be milking you.   PS If you need a power steering pump, there are cheaper reputable places to get it replaced or repaired than the dealer.
#5 of 139 incompetent by tiredmom2 Nov 07, 2002 (10:42 pm)
I think the dealer is incompetent. They don't know what is wrong. Either that or they think I am stupid enough to believe what ever they say and just hand them my check book. Maybe it is the woman thing. I came close to telling the guy that I have more degrees behind my name than he has neurons in his head. Not that my education helps me understand auto mechanics one bit, but it would have made me feel better to tell him off. I didn't waste my time. Just got my keys and left.   Anyway, I have called around and talked to some local mechanics. They can replace rack and pinion for $500. They will of course inspect it themselves before replacing to be certain that is indeed the real problem.   I took it to the dealer for eval to see if it might be something covered under a recall. Also, I had a coupon for a free inspection with printed list of required work and cost. When I went to pick the car up, they tried to charge me despite the free coupon. I protested and their response was "the visual inspection is free but the actual diagnosis costs". I told them they were full of it and I wasn't paying a penny since I already signed a work order for a "free inspection" that said it included a written list of recommended work and costs.   I have owned the car since it was new. I drive it just about everyday. I work about 20-30 minutes from home. All driving is highway driving. We use my car for family outings also- weekend errands, dinner, church, vacation.   When we lost all power while driving down the road, we were actually on vacation 6 hours away from home (and one hour from civilization). A local mechanic was kind enough to come out and help us back to our hotel until he could look at the car the next morning. After looking it over, he thought that maybe the alternator was stuck in the on position causing the batteries to overcharge.?? I don't know.   I am dumping this car as fast as I can and getting a Honda Pilot or Odyssey. ---- Speaking of rip off dealers, the Honda dealer tried a major scam on me when I had my old car. Years ago in college, I bought a used Honda Civic. It had been in a wreck before I bought it and the front end dented and rubbed a hole in the radiator. I replaced the radiator and had the front end repositioned to not rub on it any more. Not long afterwards, the air conditioner quit working.   I lived only 2 blocks from the dealer so thought I would have them check it real quick. Well, the guy comes out shaking his head and sits down and says he has bad news. He proceeds to show me a written list of all the things that need replacing including the radiator. He says the ENTIRE a/c system needs to be replaced for so many thousand dollars. I looked him in the eye and said "oh really, you mean my brand new radiator that I just had installed is already bad?" He knew he was busted and started stuttering, "uh, uh, well I didn't say it was bad. I'm just saying that it isn't a Honda part and so we should replace it." I took the car to a local mechanic who found a wire had popped loose. Cost me $50 bucks to replace the wire.   Despite the bad Honda dealer experience, the car was great. It was totalled by a teenager before I bought it. While I had it, a tree fell on it. All this and it just kept on ticking.
#6 of 139 Battery Terminal Check - Avalon by fin Sep 27, 2002 (7:03 pm)
Based on postings from another Avalon topic, ALL Avalon owners should check the battery terminal posts for corrosion. Seems the cable ends may be inferior in design or material and allow premature corrosion at the post. My '99 had a little more than expected after 4 years. If you find a problem, fix it before the cable fails. Or have the dealer fix it if still under warranty. Most Avalons do not seem to have this problem but look to be sure. A minor event in an otherwise wonderful product.
#7 of 139 97 Dashboard fule gauge light by bjk2001 Jan 01, 2003 (11:18 pm)
My 97 XL dashboard fule gauge light went off for a while then it came alive for a few weeks. Just 2 weeks ago when it starts to rain it went down again!
#8 of 139 "Tick" sound in fuse area by mbt1 Jan 10, 2003 (11:51 am)
I noticed a single tick in the fuse area on the left side of the dash shortly after I shut off my wife's 2000XL. Is that normal? Thanks for your help.
#9 of 139 mbt by nippononly Jan 10, 2003 (2:57 pm)
this sounds like the solenoid for the lights in the armrest that stay on for a preset amount of time after you turn the car off, then turn themselves off. Could that be it?   nguyet - sounds like your HVAC fan might have died? Either that, or there is a problem with the electronic controls for the HVAC, but since manual blower speed lights light up, my vote is a dead fan.
#10 of 139 RE: Heater Fan by nguyet Jan 10, 2003 (3:16 pm)
nippononly - Thank you for your time!

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