Finally!-Resolution to 06/07 Avalon Shifting-Accel Issues

[Mike Murrell]

I bought a one day subscription to -> Toyota | Lexus Service Support
in order to download repair doc. On this site is all sorts of valuable information, to include TSBs - trouble service bulletins. At the very bottom of the TSB list was Toyota TSB EG029-07, the one a lot of us have been waiting for. It was dated 6/6/07.

It addresses the sloppy shifting and erratic acceleration many '06 & '07 customers have experienced.

If your VIN is less than the following, this TSB could be what you've been waiting for:

4T1BK36B#7U243331

The # in the 9th digit is a check digit and will vary from car to car.

The vehicles year is the 10th digit in the vin. In this case it's 7, so this should address all '06 Avalons and '07s up to this number.

I have tried to attach this TSB. Hope it shows up.

************************************************** *******
Update posted 7/1/07 - if you cannot open the pdf below, you may try to save it to your C drive if you like. I managed to do that and the content of the TSB was then saved to my C drive. Merely trying to open it indicated the content was no longer available.

I have reposted this pdf in a newer thread opened by TedT. You should be able to open it there until the people who run this forum take it down.

I have the TSB posted in txt format @ the toyotanation.com forum in the avalon section in a thread with the same title as this one.
************************************************** *******

[smuook]

2005 models get the fix also... along with new exhaust manifolds and o2 sensor under warranty!

TSB EG033-07

[Mike Murrell]

Yesterday I finally got around to taking my wife's '06 Avalon in for TSB EG029-07.

It's now a new car.

The hesitation in engagement coming off a stop and the lungeing forward when accelerating are gone.

The car now shifts and accelerates the way a $30K car should.

[AvalonDoug]

Can you just take it in to have this work done ? I'm assuming there is no recall on this ?
Is the process to take it in and just mention this TSB # ?

[Mike Murrell]

Theoretically you should be able to merely drive up to the service dept. at the Toyota dealer of your choice and request TSB EG029T-07. This TSB is for the 06-07 models. 033 is for the 05s. This is not a recall.

I'm a complete skeptic when it comes to dealerships simply because of how they operate as a whole. You may run into a service advisor who tries to play dumb or push you away. Then again, you could get lucky and hook up with one who has a professional attitude.

I would print the TSB, then call the service mgr. at the dealership you intend to use and discuss it with him ahead of time. If he also acts dumb and claims he's never heard of this, you have 2 choices:

- Call the dealerships General Mgr. and get him involved
- Contact another dealership.

You may take your Toyota to ANY dealership in the U. S. You DO NOT have to have it serviced for routine maint or warranty work at the dealership you bought it from. Some lame service advisors will attempt to send you away if you did not buy the car from their dealership. Contact Toyota USA headquarters if that happens.

[Bob Frick]

Is there a similar TSB that applies to '05 models??

[Mike Murrell]

Originally Posted by Bob Frick

Is there a similar TSB that applies to '05 models??

Bob - look up above in this thread - another poster listed TSB EG033-07

You may be able to find the actual PDF at -> avalonfaq.com in the download section.

If not call your dealer and ask if they are familiar with it. If so and they're agreeable, you can take the car in. If they balk, you can get it off of:

https://techinfo.toyota.com

My guess is you can call Frank Driffill at Red McCombs and he'll know about 033 and be more than glad to do it for you.

Cavender and the jerks in Boerne have been very stand-offish.

Frank Driffill at Red McCombs has proven to be an atypical dealership service mgr.

[phileast]

Mike,
Thanks for posting this info.
Had my 07 Avalon updated this week.
Everything shifts good now. Including down shifting.

phileast

[gold4runner]

I just had mine done and I can tell a difference. A very good improvement. I have a 2006 Touring model

[lynstevens]

Help! I had my car in for service this morning and asked about getting this TSB done. When driving at slow speeds, it feels as if the transmission is in the wrong gear and the engine is racing. The dealer said I didn't have an error code on my ecm. I read the tsb, but didn't see anything about an error code, unfortunately I forgot to bring the copy with me. Should there be an error code?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

[Mike Murrell]

Originally Posted by lynstevens

Help! I had my car in for service this morning and asked about getting this TSB done. When driving at slow speeds, it feels as if the transmission is in the wrong gear and the engine is racing. The dealer said I didn't have an error code on my ecm. I read the tsb, but didn't see anything about an error code, unfortunately I forgot to bring the copy with me. Should there be an error code?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

There is no error code. Just about any and every '06 & '07 within the VIN range specified in the TSB is eligible for this fix.

One dealer told me some cars have the problem; others do not. I find that hard to believe since they were all likely flashed with the same microcode.

If a dealer is giving you a hard time about the fix, try another dealer in your area.

You are under no obligation to use the dealer you purchased the car from for warranty service. Mention the TSB above in this thread.

[r1-superstar]

Thanks for the heads up.

[ccall]

Hello, 1st time poster, recent reader.

I just had an interesting visit to my local dealer. I asked about the TSB for the reflash on my 05. I had the copy in my hand and the svc mgr was very standoffish, himming and hawing around.

Actually ended up in a shouting match in the showroom with him. Got to talk to the GM and now have an appt to drop it off on Monday for them to "check it". Getting a loaner Camry for the day.

They didn't seem pleased that I had the TSB and was asking q's. My father in law has an 06 Avy like mine. I have told him of this and he related that he had the same accel problem.

Any takers on what they will "find"? What if they tell me that it ran fine(remember that it is an intermittent problem in my case!)?

Great site, good info. Oh yeah , just did my first self oil change, thanks Mike

[Mike Murrell]

There's a big difference between the TSB for the 2005 and 2006 Avalon.

TSB for 2006 is EG029-07

TSB for 2005 is EG033-07

Go to the 2nd post in this thread and click on the EG033-07 TSB. 9 pages of "hard" work for the dealer. The '05 TSB is much more labor intensive and far more costly to him.

Toyota will pay a warranty labor charge to the dealer, but that rate is not the same rate as what's known as "customer pay rate". Toyota pays the dealer what I call a "reality rate" - the real time it takes to fix. Estimated labor times on customer pay work are grossly exaggerated. The dealer makes a lot more money on customer pay work. This is why the dealer you went to was balking. They know what's involved in fixng an '05 Avalon.

More often than not, people have trouble getting warranty repairs performed to their satisfaction. The 19 yr. old who just got out of auto tech school gets the warranty work and the 15 yr. vet in the next stall gets the customer pay work. Warranty pay/customer pay rates are not limited to Toyota Mfg. - its' pretty much industry wide.

You do not have to take your car to the dealer you bought it from. You may take it to any Toyota dealer in the U. S.

If I were you, I'd look around for a "better attitude". I went thru the same thing with my '06 Avalon. Found another dealer 20 miles down the road with a "can do" attitude.

Call around and ask to speak personally with all of the service mgrs. at the Toyota shops in your area. That person makes or breaks a dealerships service dept.

I hope things work out for you.

[ccall]

This dealer is not the one where I purchased. It is much closer. There are some others, and depending on the response that I get, I will shop it around. Makes me wonder about getting a Tundra when I finally decide to go for a truck!!!