Leighcm

Do you have an alarm system? Aftermarket alarms are notorious for draining batteries. Also, you probably shouldn't worry about long trips...unless your alternator isn't charging the battery, a long trip would be good for it.

Can you program kwi files? That would be really helpful... That's all that's standing between me and fully functioning nav. Of course, you could always clip the wires leading the speed sensor, but then you run into issues with warranty. It's all over the internet...just google "Lexus nav hack 2008" or "Toyota nav hack 2008", and it'll bring up tons of stuff. There's about 12 forums trying to figure it out, both Toyota and Lexus sites. As for audio: if you've been driving a Lexus with the Nakamichi or the Mark Levinson system, of course the Toyota system won't compare. That's just part of what makes a Lexus a Lexus and a Toyota a Toyota. I wouldn't mind having the GS450h, but I really wanted AWD, so I decided against a hybrid this time. Maybe next time...Lexus hybrids are geared towards performance, so I'm sure whatever I get will be fast with ultra low emissions!

Ha!!

duct tape could be fun...

The button for fresh or recirculated air...

Quite often, yes. One prime example that's not covered is the strut noise on the late 90's Camrys and Avalons. There's a TSB, but that is definitely not covered by warranty...been there, done that... :(

Kumhos can be pretty nice. I had them on a BMW 8-series (believe it or not). I wanted the Pirellis, but the specs and ratings on the Kumhos were identical and the tires were half the price.

Sweet!! Got pics?

Welcome to TOC USA!!

I've never known peeling to be an issue. I've seen some kits that are real wood get discoloration from water or sunlight, but no peeling. You have to realize that they use some pretty serious adhesive with those kits, and they are not likely to peel. You already have a lot of items on your Rav4 that are "stuck-on", and they're pretty permanent. Go look closely at your car: the emblems on the outside, any body side moldings, some interior trim pieces, etc...all "stick-ons" with a 3M type adhesive.

Figure every 5 years for body style change on any cars/car based vehicles, closer to 7 on trucks.

Congrats on the Camry hybrid! I haven't driven one yet, but it looks really cool. There might be something in the audio settings that could fix your issue. I haven't played with a 2009 Camry nav, so I'm not positive this is available to you, but try this: go into Audio, then look at the lower left corner for some settings (I think it says something about "sound" or something similar. Hit the button, it goes into a different screen and it may show a display with pictures of the seat layout. You can change the focus of the system to the driver's seat, the front seats, or all four. As for the Nav hack: nothing for the 2008 or newer cars yet, darn it. I'm working on it. 2007 only took me a month; I'm now 4 months into trying to hack a 2008.

TSB = Technical Service Bulletin. Means Toyota is aware of a problem, has a fix for it (usually), and may possibly offer warranty coverage for the problem if your car is out of factory warranty. For example, there was a TSB on my 2007 GS350 for excessive brake dust. The fix was to give me an entirely new set of rotors and pads that didn't give off as much dust. Brakes usually aren't warranty items as they are wear items, but these were covered.

Yeah, it's a toss-up between performance and longevity...which is more important? The softer, stickier tires are (depending on the application) quieter, ride better, hold the road better, etc., and the harder tires last much longer but are prone to noisiness and a rougher ride.

There's two components to starting the car: one is the actual ignition, and the other is the computer chip that tells the car it's okay to start. If the chip is in the car, but there's no way to turn the ignition, then you can't start the car.

A key needs to be hidden in the vehicle because they are security keys with a computer chip in them that is required to start the car. You need to have it hidden in the car near the ignition, so that when the remote start sends the signal to start the car, it reads the chip in the key, and the car actually starts.

I think I mentioned this in another post, but here goes: If you service your car at the dealer, here are the benefits: 1.) Factory trained mechanics that are ASE certified. 2.) History is on record if you need a warranty repair. 3.) You can complain to Toyota corporate if there's a serious issue. 4.) They have the proper Toyota recommended maintenance schedule. 5.) If you establish a good relationship with them, they will sometimes even get things covered when you're out of the factory warranty. If you service your car somewhere else, here are the benefits: 1.) It's a little cheaper in the short term. Haven't you heard the horror stories about Jiffy Lube, etc. forgetting to put drain plugs back in, forgetting to put oil in, etc.? If your car breaks down because of something those guys do, you're not under warranty. It's only twice a year...spend the extra $80/year and get it done right.

No, it won't change your gas mileage, as long as you keep the same overall dimensions. Look at discounttiredirect.com, tirerack.com, etc...they have upsizing charts. Make sure you have the right dimensions, otherwise you'll run into issues with (possibly) wheel rub, speedo/odo inaccuracies.

Depending on the company that the tire maintenance warranty is through, it can be a great program. I had an acquaintance who purchased it for an SC430, then managed to blow out 3 tires and destroy 3 rims in one massive pothole incident. The tire warranty people paid out over $3k to them. It really depends on the warranty company, and even on their relationship with the dealer you got the warranty from. Any "tires for life" promotion always requires you to do all maintenance at the dealership offering the program...it's just a hook to get you to do your maintenance there. It's not a bad thing: at least you have Toyota trained technicians working on your car, and it's much easier to get things covered under warranty if you have a good history with a dealership. You may spend a little more, but at least you have competent people taking care of you...and then you get free tires. Average Corolla tire replacement time: depending on the tires, the driver, the car, and the driving conditions, anywhere from 20k - 50k.

Accessories usually take a few months when the new models come out. You could probably purchase a cargo net for another model, as long as you choose one that's similar in width...they really are not that different. Go get one for an older Corolla or a Camry, and check to see that it fits before you leave the dealership.

I know some of those had a shift issue with the transmission...check with your local dealer as it may be under warranty or at least have a TSB.

I think almost any kit you could buy, including the Toyota ones, are going to be overlays. Toyota used to have an accessory kit for the wood trim, and it was always an overlay, sometimes real wood, sometimes not. Check out this site: http://www.exoticwooddash.com/FlatDashTrimKits.aspx This looks like something you could easily install yourself.

2002s may have the old override: menu, volume, upper left corner, lower left corner, upper left corner, lower left...new screen should appear, press and hold "override" until the border color changes (it might beep). Then go back to map...you should be able to program a destination while moving.

Congratulations on the new car and welcome to TOC USA! Cressidas are wonderful cars; it was a shame they were discontinued. Good luck with the repair.

That's definitely an eBay item.