Leighcm

Sledge hammers usually work pretty well....

You definitely did the step where you turned the car off?

Okay, let's try it step by step: 1.) Make sure the trip/odo is on "ODO". 2.) Turn the car off. 3.) Press and hold the trip reset button. 4.) Turn the ignition switch two clicks to "ignition on" while still holding the reset button. 5.) The light should turn off in about 5 seconds.

Yeah, octane booster is a scam. Yes, it helps a little, but the with the price you pay for it, you may as well step up and buy the next grade of fuel. Or just forget about the whole thing and drive with the regular gas. I think if you check your owners manual, it will say something like "use regular fuel; for improved performance use premium".

Hmmm...bad head gasket...maybe. Is it running warmer than usual? Does it run cool on the expressway and then heat up in town?

Yes, that's definitely the right answer...make sure it's on ODO.

Yeah, fix-it tickets aren't too bad...you can take them out, get it inspected, take care of the ticket, and put them right back in!! :P

It's the same basic rules for everything, gas, hybrid, diesel to maximize mileage...common sense, mostly. Here's what Toyota has to say: http://www.toyota.com/about/our_commitment...ze_mileage.html Maximize Your Mileage Here are some quick and easy tips to get the most out of any vehicle: Plan ahead-combine several short trips in order to minimize cold engine starts. Accelerate at a moderate pace Monitor highway speed. Fuel economy suffers at about 65 mph and plummets above 70. Regularly check and maintain proper tire pressure. Don't carry unnecessary loads. Excess weight reduces fuel economy. Use the air conditioner and defroster only as needed; both reduce fuel economy. Hybrid drivers can take these steps to maximize mileage, too: Monitor the flow of traffic to plan your moves well ahead. If traffic is slowing, use moderate early braking or coasting instead of hard braking. In slow-and-go traffic, accelerate to the desired speed, then lift off the throttle to maintain that speed under electric power. You may be able to sustain speeds in the 20-40 mph range without engaging the gasoline engine.

Perhaps a mildly leaky injector?

Nice!! ...I miss my Supra!!

You don't....it's automatic. It's more of an AWD system with a viscous coupling that helps divert or apply power to the wheels as necessary.

Look at Edmunds.com True Market Value. It's an average of the prices of the vehicles sold in a particular ZIP code. If you're trying to negotiate on a hybrid right now, you may as well forget it. Every dealer is going to make a profit, and justifiably so. It's the basic economics law of supply and demand.

The DVD (not CD) is only data. It has the maps, and some of the loading software. The firmware is actually in the nav system. Think of the nav system as the computer and operating system, and the DVD as a program running on it within the operating system. The only way to overide the latest nav system is to disconnect the speed sensor.

Looks good!! Nice work!!

Regular oil is cheaper. Synthetic will easily run double or triple the price. Choose one or the other, and don't mix them. However, in a Corolla, regular oil is fine. Your car is going to run forever anyway, and the synthetic won't give you a significant edge. Just make sure you do your regular maintenance, and 200k is easily attainable.

Yes, and the Toyota ones will come with (I think) a one year warranty.

I don't think there's a Toyota accessory that can be added on after the fact. If you have bluetooth, there will be a button somewhere that looks like a person's face in profile. You probably don't have it because you would've had to pay extra for it, at least $300 or so. You may be able to find an aftermarket kit...I think there's a wireless one available now.

If you disconnect the speed sensor, you have to cut wires. You'll void your warranty on electronics. It's possibly only useful for 20 seconds or so each time you try to use it because the system has a back-up speed sensor through the global positioning. It'll grey-out after after a short time period. There's no new overide, but there's a kit that does basically the same thing by disconnecting the speed sensor...not a Lexus part, someone else.

Unfortunately, that no longer works...it was hidden in 2007 and could be fixed with some minor DVD burning, and I still can't get it to work in 2008. At least not on a 2008 GS350.

Sounds like a great start. If you just have fine scratches, get a light rubbing compound and that will help you get them out. Deeper scratches may require buffing, wet sanding, or possibly even painting...(hopefully not). There's two kinds of pinstripes: you can get ones that are just a really long sticker for probably $50-100; or you can have one handpainted for $100-200. The handpainted ones look nicer and are much more durable after the paint sets.

Toyota engineeers will only allow you to do things that take less than 6 seconds. They believe that any more than that is dangerous...too much time looking away from the road. So, you can only do simple things: speed dials on the phone, pre-programmed quick destinations, basic radio functions, and emergency services. That being said; there are two ways to use the nav system while driving: 1.) Use voice commands. Hit the voice command button the steering wheel, then hit "help" on the pop-up menu on the screen. You'll go into a screen with lists of commands. 2.) Disconnect the speed sensor. It's hooked into the back of your nav screen. You'll have to pull the screen out, disconnect the sensor, and you'll lose some functionality in the nav like phone speed dials and ASL for the radio. This may only help you for 20 seconds or so though...be forewarned. It will also void your warranty.

yeah...I hear ya on that one!

Naz...where have you been? It's been a long time!!

In most Toyotas, the backs of the seats are not leather. The front of the seats and headrests, possibly the door panels, and maybe the steering wheel and shift knob are leather.

It depends on the warranty. You need to provide us with a little more information: is it a Toyota Financial warranty, what coverage, deductible or not, term, miles, etc. It may or may not be a good deal based on the warranty they tried to sell you. If it's a one year powertrain only, it's not a good deal, but if it's a 7 year/100k comprehensive warranty, it's a great price. If it's an aftermarket warranty company, pass on it as you can have lots of problems with the company. Don't respond to those offers in the mail either unless it's from Toyota Financial. Many aftermarket warranty companies don't like to cover claims, or make you pay upfront and maybe get reimbursed, or only pay out up to the total cost of the warranty. I can tell that if you are going to buy a warranty, sooner is better. If you buy a warranty while the car is still under factory warranty, they're cheaper and you can get better, longer coverage. Think of a warranty as insurance...you hope nothing will go wrong, but if one thing does, it'll probably pay for itself. If two things go wrong, you're ahead of the game.