minor issues

[thtupid]

Hello. Sorry but I have this real nuisance of an issue all totally my fault I suppose...well you guys know the little cubby hole behind the gearstick area? It has a little hatch that folds back. Well somehow a 50 cent coin has fallen behind the lid where it moves back so now my lid is jammed and does not open fully. Would anyone know how to remove it without costing a bomb or breaking the thing and getting it replaced? This is for the current camry atara. There's just nowhere else to store coins i'm afraid :(

[Altezza]

Will have a look at my cover and get back to you.

Colin.

[Kanmuri79]

I keep my garage opener and a wheel lug lock head in there and agree that **** can get stuck easy as.

[Altezza]

thtupid.

I have had a look at my “coin holder” lid and I have 2 questions.

Can you see the coin?

Is the coin "stuck" behind the lid? (Eg towards the back of the car) or under the front of the lid towards the 12v socket?
Colin.

[thtupid]

Hello Altezza. The 50c coin is sitting vertically behind where the lid opens to. So if you open the lid normally there is a little gap so to allow it to open. In that gap now I think is a coles docket and a 50c coin. I can see it if I tilt it slightly and glance from a low angle. Cannot see it since it's obscured by the lid. It's such a nuisance. hehe. My cousin got an atara R and it's just a hole there with no lid. I envy him now. hehe

[Altezza]

Have had another look at my lid. I would suggest that a bit of wire shaped into a “hook” and see if you can fish it out.

It will be fiddley but could be worth the trouble.

See the photo that I have attached of the “hook” I have made.

Let me know how you go. Colin.

Edited October 3, 2013 by Altezza

[thtupid]

Wow that's a really good idea! Thanks! I'll do it as soon as I finish exams and have time. It's so annoying to not be able to open it to stick my phone charger in and stuff. hehe. What kind of wire did you use? I've gotta scrounge around to see if I have something stiff enough. Have you tried that hook yourself?

[Altezza]

Yes the wire will need to be "stiff". If you find / think the wire is not strong enough, twist 2 bits together, (with a battery drill? ) and see how you go. Just a bit of wire I had around my garage.

I was going to put a 50c in there and try it but I decided not to. ^_^

Let me know how you go. Colin.

Edited October 5, 2013 by Altezza

[thtupid]

yeah don't try it. hehe. I'll let you know when I get around to it which will be after my holiday

[Altezza]

Hi. How was your holiday?

How did you go getting the 50c coin out?

Colin

[thtupid]

Hello Colin. My holiday was okay thanks for asking. Darn hot though now...this heat is not good at all! (In Melbourne).

Anyway, my problem has gotten from bad to worse i'm afraid. I finally got around to nicking a paper clip from work and tried to make a hook out of it but it didn't work. What is worse is that I think there are now more coins in there even though I tried to keep my coins to a minimum. It's gotten to the stage where I cant even stick my phone charger in anymore. In fact the lid has come apart from the base which hinges on...I hope it's not broken. Kinda think it just snapped off one of the hooks and I don't see any broken bits of plasic on the cover but yeah...so sad...

I've booked my service for two weeks time...is it okay if I'm 2000km over my 30k? I've been so busy it's the only time I can make it :`(

Anyway the mechanic said he will look into it for me...it's not Toyota though. I got myself talked into this promotion down at the shops stupid me...feel so bad...but at least it's 130 bucks for 3 services (and fine print says +50 bucks for synthetic oils) so it works out better I guess. I just hope they can fix my hatch and my car doesn't die from dirty oil!

Thanks for asking btw.

[thtupid]

btw...I know it's covered elsewhere but nobody really answered me...if I stuck "nicer" headlights into my car, would it void my warranty? And if not, what do you recommend? I don't care about the looks...just want brighter headlights! Almost killed a cat once and I did kill a marsupial (dunno if I can say the actual animal in case some animal lover starts raging at me)...poor thing...although it was totally gone the next day so either it ran away miraculously, got cleaned up or is stuck under someone else's car...

Edited February 7, 2014 by thtupid

[Altezza]

Hi. Re better head lights. I fitted "brighter" globes to my 2000 Avalon. It helped.

As light globes are not covered by" your warranty" you should not void your warranty by fitting them.

I will try and find the packaging and get the info.

Re the 50c coin. Let me know if it can be removed by the "serviceman".

If not I will look for or make up a new "hook" and get it to you.

Colin.

[thtupid]

Okay thanks. Hopefully he can get out my coins. Think I have over 2 bucks in silver there now...

[thtupid]

Hello Altezza. Okay so I took my car to the service centre...new one coz I got sold a voucher...130 bucks for 3 services. Thing is though, the promised "drop off and pick up"...was done in my own car. So I got a stranger to drive my car to a fro to make a total of 4 trips there a back. Second thing, the person who sold me the voucher said "no problems the mechanics can fix the ashtray for you"...they could but they were gonna charge me and told me to go back to Toyota. 3rd...they gave me a semi synthetic oil of a brand I have never heard of...I dunno if that is good for my car or not but I totally feel like I got jibbed bad. So I will probably not go back again until after my capped services.

But the reason I'm back here again...no I did not get my coin slot fixed. I will have to take it back to Toyota again which will mean making an appointment and possibly missing out on locum work...grrr. Damn you new place.

[Altezza]

Thanks for the update. I can understand why you feel uncomfortable with the “service” you received. What was the brand of oil and
how much did it cost? Let us know how you go with Toyota and the coins. All the best. Colin

[thtupid]

argh! i really want to use colourful language but i wont. they will not fix the lid for me unless i pay. im so tempted to just go down and get my car back coy door handle seal is also loose. what made it worse was they guy who served me...or should i say talked down to me like i was an idiot wasting his time. never again will i go back to this dealer. i think i will skip the rest of the capped service or at least go somewhere else. id really like to tell u guys where this aweful dealerahip is but i dont want to get sued. btw want to make an appointment? be ready to be on hold on the phone for over 10mins.

anyway back to the lid...the aweful person said i broke the lid most probably coz his vast 4 years experience at toyota and 10 years in the industry says so. He also said he's never seen somebody break the lid before therefore implied I must have been a very stupid person to do so with his demeanour. So I will ask my previous mechanic if he can do it. I rather pay him double than pay the dealer another cent.

And really...about 3 hours to fix a seal on the door handle?! I know they were busy. And working at an eye clinic I know busy. But come on 3 hours...I just took my car in the end without getting anything done.

Honestly fellas, all the promise of unparalleled customer service is a lie (unless you own a lexus)! I should have gone to Nunawading and saved myself a thousand or so dollars.

Sorry for the rant. hehe

Edited April 2, 2014 by thtupid

[thtupid]

Oh and does anybody know if the transmission shifter is meant to light up (not the stick...the letters) when the headlights are on (ie night)? I swear they use to be on but nowadays it's off all the time. :(

[Altezza]

Hi. Mine are on in our 2013 Atara SL The “letters” all light
when the parking lights and the ignition are on. The sad news is that if it is
a “globe” it will not be covered by warranty.

The clip below is for a different model Camry globe replacement but may be helpful.

[thtupid]

Hey Colin thanks for that! You reckon that will work for the current model camry too? Coz it looks mighty similar...I'm asking coz of the ashtray lid. hehe.

I dunno if it's a globe though that's the thing coz sometimes the light is on and sometimes it's not. Regardless i'll get it checked at my next service I suppose. Say, does your SL have that blue light to the gear shift too? That looks snazzy!

hehe at around 10 seconds something sounded like a terrible snap.

Edited April 19, 2014 by thtupid

[Altezza]

Thanks for getting back. Let me know how you go with the dealer. Thanks. Colin.

[thtupid]

Hello. FINALLY! My car is now whole again! Ahh the feeling is so good...it's like I bought a new car all over again. I don't know if I am allowed to praise dealers but if I'm not please delete moderator. But the Nunawading Toyota service people were so good (although the door is still not fixed but he promised to do it next time. He thought I was talking about something else). Personalised service, car wash, a trip home...it was all just so nice. Compared to the place that shall not be named...

Anyway, the ash tray lid is finally fixed with the coins removed! I don't know how much was back there. Frankly I don't care if the guys kept it as a tip because they didn't charge me a thing for it. They did charge me 26 bucks or so for the light globe which apparently the filament was loose...I suspect it was more a loose fitting than loose filament but meh it's fixed. I will definitely go back again. At least until my capped servicing is up. Thanks a lot for the help Colin you have been very kind in responding to my woes.

One thing though. Apparently 30k service was meant to do brake fluid too. The guys at the other place did not do it. Nor did they specify the correct time on my sticker. It was my fault for not realising the service was every 15k and not 10. But anyhow, it was nearing my 9 months apparently. I don't care now it's all done. Next service will be 60k or 9 months away. All it will all be dandy. I'm so happy! And a clean car! Haven't seen my baby clean in a long time...

Edited July 16, 2014 by thtupid

[Altezza]

Great news. Glad your baby is “purring” again. A good “car mechanic” is worth their weight in gold. I received good service with my Toyota service and I sent them an email.

All the best. Colin.

PS See my email below to my local Toyota place.

“Good morning Kimberlee.
Thanks for your help yesterday.
Two comments.
Please pass on our thanks for the "car wash" and a pleasant surprise for me ( a blokey thing ;-) to find that the battery terminals had been sprayed with a protective blue coating.

Kind regards,
Colin”

PPS. How did your “exams” go?

Edited July 16, 2014 by Altezza