junebug1701

As I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread, my transmission was replaced with a remanufactured unit by my Toyota dealer at 19,000 miles. I am now at over 46,000 miles and the noise has never come back, not even a trace.

This is what the Toyota maintenance guide for my 2008 says is required for the 50,000 mile service: 50,000 Miles or 60 months Replace engine oil and oil filter Rotate tires Visually inspect brake pads/discs Additional Maintenance Items for Special Operating Conditions Driving on dirt roads or dusty roads: Inspect ball joints and dust covers Inspect drive shaft boots Inspect engine air filter Inspect steering linkage and boots Re-torque drive shaft bolt (4WD) Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis Driving while towing: Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis That's it! There is no way this could possibly cost $1000 or even $800! Now of course the dealer will try to sell you injector cleaning, cooling system flush and anything else they can think of to make more money. Ask them if TOYOTA requires it, and if they say yes, ask to see it in writing.

I got your 'Facetime' right here, bro!

Sunsett, what was the mileage when the whine was first reported? Here in the US, all Toyotas come with a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. When my RAV4 transmission was replaced, it was still under the basic 3 year/36,000 mile warranty, but it would have been covered under the powertrain warranty according to the TSB.

I also experienced the 40 mph whine in my 2008 RAV4 Limited. It became noticeable at around 15,000 miles, and with 20,000 miles on it in September of 2011 the Toyota dealership replaced my transmission with the new version. The whine was completely eliminated and I think they must have updated the controller because it shifts smoother as well. When coasting to a stop I had always felt a pronounced surge when the torque converter unlocked and now it is smooth as silk. I peeked at the service manager's computer screen and it showed that the cost of the transmission was $3300 and $1117 in labor (US dollars)--good thing it was under warranty.

Yeah, I head that they are replacing it with a 'revised' oil line that has a 'better reinforced rubber hose' and 'improved clamps'. Only time will tell though if it will really last. Apparently they are saying that the metal line will void warranty due to the fact that it can be damaged by vibration etc on the previous years' engines. We'll see about that. What changes did they make to the 2009 engine? If the new models come with the metal line I don't see why the older models aren't compatible.. They know the problem, yet they don't let us consumers do anything to fix it before it could seriously screw up our cars.. If you car was built after April 2008, it SHOULD have the all-metal line. My RAV4 has a build date of July 2008 and DOES have this new part. So any V6 built after that should be OK. I don't think any changes were made to the engine in 2009.

It's the same on my RAV4.

Toyota has finally acknowledged this problem! The have started a "Limited Service Campaign" in the US to fix this VVT-i hose problem. The bad news is the LSC only covers 2005-2006 Avalons and 2006 RAV4's. This could change--according to the LSC: "Toyota is currently investigating how this condition may affect other Toyota and Lexus vehicles." This LSC document is available for downloading here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/0p4z5a The other bad news is that Toyota went cheap with this fix--only the rubber line and 2 clamps are replaced!

Right you are about the 2GR-FE. I have noticed the sulphur smell in my '08 under hard acceleration sometimes. Toyota issued a TSB here in the US related to this problem, but it only applies to the '06 models. It involves replacing the catalytic converter: http://rav4world.com/tsb/2006/EG048-06.pdf

This is a known problem with the "Steering Intermediate Shaft" in 2006-2008 models and a TSB has been issued by Toyota in the USA: http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2008/T-SB-0318-08.pdf

Here's another discussion of the problem that Toyota is now calling a "drone" noise: http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21109

There is a TSB in the US for this problem: TSB Number: TC006-07 Bulletin Title: DRONE NOISE & VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS Release Date: April 24, 2007 Applicable Year(s): 2006 - 2007 (VIN Specific) [2GR-FE] File Size: 438 kb Description: Some model year 2006-2007 4WD RAV4 vehicles equiped with a 2GR-FE engine may exhibit an intermittent drone noise and vibration at highway speeds, peaking at approx. 60 mph. A new 4WD computer assembly has been made available to address this concern. http://www.RAV4World.com/tsb/2007/TC006-07.pdf

I just read about this same problem being resolved on RAV4WORLD. The problem turned out to be a wire in the harness that was never connected at the factory. As michaelweare pointed out, this is probably the VSS signal. Without a signal from the vehicle speed sensor, the GPS doesn't know the car is moving, so it doesn't give you turn-by-turn directions. Check out this post: http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21603

Normally in town I get around 12L/100K's--this is mainly short trips and stop and go traffic. In April I took a road trip and got 8.3L/100K. I can go 684 km's on one tankful and still have plenty of reserve left. Not bad for a V-6! Oh, and I use the cheap low octane fuel.

Thanks for the welcome... No - not on RAV4world. I thought that was just an American site? I did find an Australian RAV4 owner's site but it doesn't seem that anyone had posted on it in a long time... Aside from the compact 4WD club of WA do you know if there are any RAV clubs here? RAV4World is an international site--you'll find RAV owners from many different countries including Australia. Lots of good people on there with a wealth of information you can't find anywhere else. Check it out!

"Mad World" from the Donnie Darko Soundtrack.

That last picture sure looks like a RAV4 to me. :D On my RAV, the resonator is white and looks a lot like the washer fluid reservoir. It's located inside the fender in between the headlamp and front wheel.

How about the ones who force their way in front of you and then wave thanks? Like you had a choice.

They are pretty much the same. Some of the features of the ZR6 (moonroof, leather seats, NAV system) are options on the Limited. I'm comparing the 2008 models here. Looking at the pictures, the Limited comes with adjustable crossbars on the roof rack--looks like the ZR6 only has rails. The Limited comes with 6-spoke alloy wheels while the ZR6 has 5-spoke. The ZR6 has the repeater lights on the fender and the antenna on the roof. The Limited has no repeaters (they have been added to the mirrors for 2009) and the antenna is on the fender (moved to the roof for 2009). We also have the option of 2WD--my Limited is 2WD as I had no need for 4WD. In 2009 the Limited has also added push-button start with smart key, a VSC disable button, auto on/off headlamps, and the aforementioned changes to the mirrors and antenna. For some reason they made the power driver's seat optional in '09--you pretty much have to get the heated leather seats to get it now. There may be more differences but that's all I can think of right now. You can go to buyatoyota.com and check it out. When it asks for a zip code use 70805.

On this side of the planet, the RAV4 is Toyota Truck Division's best seller, and the 2nd best-selling compact SUV right behind the Honda CR-V. I saw a listing of the top 10 selling cars in the US, and the RAV4 was number 7. Visited my Toyota dealer on Friday, and he only had 8 RAV's on the lot. He says he can't keep them. Back in November I considered a Highlander, but for what I paid for a top of the line RAV4 Limited V6 I would have ended up with a stripped out Highlander. I'm happy with the RAV, it has more than enough space for passengers and cargo, and the V6 makes it fun to drive!

I saw some videos on the local TV news the other day that amazed me. A lot of them are probably on YouTube. Some idiot was reading a large hardback novel on his steering wheel while driving. A woman was talking on her phone holding it with one hand while making gestures with the other. Another clown was wolfing down a huge cheesburger while driving and a woman was applying eye makeup in the mirror. Scary.

Here's a video showing how the hood struts work: This is one of my favorite mods--inexpensive and practical. It should have come from the factory like this!

No, I ordered it from a Toyota dealer in Florida for a much better price. They sell it on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...em=140313277868 This seller on Ebay has it for a little less: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...em=120394335416

There should be a 12V outlet inside the center console box. Below that should be an audio input jack for MP3 players. If you open the back door you should find another 12V outlet on the panel to your left. These 2 outlets are controlled by a blue relay which is located behind your glove box. I removed the relay and soldered a jumper wire between pins 3 and 5, then plugged the relay back in. Some owner's leave the relay out and make up a jumper with terminals that they plug into the relay socket. Either way, you are bypassing the relay and feeding 12 volts to those sockets at all times. There is another 12V socket up front by the cupholder, but that one is tied to the ignition relay and it would be more difficult to make it hot all the time. These outlets are standard equipment on the RAV4 here in the US even on the base models. The light is an LED sensor light. It has a motion sensor that turns it on when I open the compartment. It also has a photocell so it won't come on during the day. And it turns itself off automatically after a minute. Installing it was a snap, I stuck a piece of velcro on it (the rough side with the hooks) and it naturally attaches to the felt inside the compartment. I had the rear mat replaced by the dealer after I found out that it didn't match the front mats. After showing them the color difference, the admitted that it was the wrong mat and gave me the one with the RAV4 logo. The picture shows the old mat.

Welcome Remko! I know you will enjoy your RAV! Most of my mods are quite subtle--I usually go for mods that add functionality, safety, or protection. I added a rear bumper protector to prevent scratches: Mud guards to keep the side of the car cleaner: A small LED light with motion sensor to light up the rear storage compartment: I also installed gas-filled hood struts and got rid of that cheapo prop rod: Other mods include a module that locks the doors when the shift is moved from Park, changing out the pathetic beep-beep horns with a pair of FIAMM horns that make it sound like a real car, and modifying the 12V accessory sockets in the rear and console to be powered all the time.