Service at Toyota local dealer

[beZzZ]

Went to the Toyota local dealer for an A/T transmission oil change, but what they did for me is the Engine oil change.

At the end, they did both services for me, only charging me for the A/T oil change. Not bad for such a deal, eh?

Anyway, what I wanna say is that even Toyota dealer can get such a straight forward wrong, really have a trust issue with them.

Regarding the alternator problem, here is a solution from Adriaan, thank you for his support:

Ok here the update of that electrical problem I had. Which is solved now.

The big problem is the regulator. If it is taken to a shop they can't pick it up since it isn't under the same load and condition as on your car. I've tried even when the problem turned constant. Toyota couldn't pick it up. Also the regulator is a dealer part only. Shop may say they have but the part alone from the dealer is 275$. So if the rebuilt it for 150$ they didn't change that part or got one from a scrap yard with less kilometres.

So here the fix. If you can get an alternator from a 2009 and up. There a few 09 in the scrap yards now check http://car-part.com. The 06 to 08 have this problem, and toyota know about it there a TSB out about. But they don't tell you the problems it causes if left unattened. The dealer will try to sell you one for 06 to 08 and say the 09 won't work but it does the internal design is different and improved. Get a used one i think new from the dealer is 800$. Once it has a year warrenty you'll be find. If the casing or pulley is damage on the 09 its ok, once the inside is good. The 06 casing and pulley are the only parts that will transfer.

Changing the regulator from a 09+ into your 06 alternator works fine and first but over loads the alternator wire to the battery terminal and melts it. It overcharge and undercharge the battery to the point your not sure which one is failing, and they both fail at once.

Here are some steps I did while i was installing the new alternator. Check your postive battery terminal harness. Make sure the clear fuse is still good i think it 60 & 120amp. Make sure the poles on the black plastic are clean for good contact. The side one goes to the starter and the back goes to the alternator. You'll see where the wire connects to those terminal a bit of the cooper wires are exposed, if you can try to cover off that exposed part. Either with the die electric grease, liquid electric tape, battery terminal grease, anti seize what ever you can get or have. If not over time the condensation will spread down those wire and cause problems later. Had that problem also! Remove battery terminal from postive pole and if you can unclip the back part where two plugs there a bunch of wires there and put die electric grease, alot of moisture gets collected there, and give false reading if it not getting a good connect. Which lead to spending on other stuff which isn't the problem.

Once that is good get the alternator and put the die electric grease again on the pole of the alternator and the wire that connects it. Hope that helps. Spent over 1000$ with new battery, wires, alternator etc.
Since then i've done 20000km with the 09 alternator and it runs great. Smoother than the original 06.

Hope that help everyone, This is based on my opinions, expernices and results.

For more information, please visit this thread :
http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9956

Good luck everyone

[nemelek]

I used a place called the Toy Doctor for years. It was one of the few mechanics I could trust. It is nice to see business work on the long term relationship instead of the short term gains.

[ctrj]

I guess people aren't allow mistakes? We are not perfect.

[bronsin]

My experience taking my car to Toyota is they go over the entire car looking for stuff to fix BESIDES what you brought the car in for. And often its bogus!

[beZzZ]

Originally Posted by ctrj

I guess people aren't allow mistakes? We are not perfect.

nah, I really don't mean that. But if we are willing to pay for the dealer price to get things done, should we expect that they are more professional than the outside shops?

[beZzZ]

Originally Posted by bronsin

My experience taking my car to Toyota is they go over the entire car looking for stuff to fix BESIDES what you brought the car in for. And often its bogus!

LOL, that doesn't happen to me though, but I asked them to check the problem which is same as this thread:

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/sho...d=1#post469305

They just told me to changed the alternator and the battery, which apparently not the best way to get it done, and is the most expensive way.

[WeeYari]

^ Yeah, mine did the same thing. Told me they absolutely will not 'rebuild' the alternator. They will only replace. Still waiting to deal with the voltage regulator myself and save some coin.

[beZzZ]

Originally Posted by WeeYari

^ Yeah, mine did the same thing. Told me they absolutely will not 'rebuild' the alternator. They will only replace. Still waiting to deal with the voltage regulator myself and save some coin.

Yeah, they told me exactly the same thing too, because Adriaan told me it is the regulator problem, which is inside the alternator. Which I asked them, and they told me the alternator can't be taken apart, factory sealed, something like that.

Also, Adriaan taught me a way to get it done, if you want to know, I'll pm you his solution.

[Hershey]

we've had many bad experiences with dealer service centers . Be it CHEVY , FORD , TOYOTA , or others . Seems to us that people just think of you as a nuisance or just don't give a crap .

[RacerFreakXXX]

In any service center you can have these issues, it really is all about finding a good technician and keep using them. It's like finding a good doctor, you can go to 5 doctors for the same problem and you may get 5 different solutions. There are guys at the place I work who would rather have a customer leave happy and there are some that would rather have them leave broke. It's just normal human behavior.

[beZzZ]

Originally Posted by RacerFreakXXX

In any service center you can have these issues, it really is all about finding a good technician and keep using them. It's like finding a good doctor, you can go to 5 doctors for the same problem and you may get 5 different solutions. There are guys at the place I work who would rather have a customer leave happy and there are some that would rather have them leave broke. It's just normal human behavior.

So true, it's really all about human behaviour.

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by Hershey

we've had many bad experiences with dealer service centers . Be it CHEVY , FORD , TOYOTA , or others . Seems to us that people just think of you as a nuisance or just don't give a crap .

It used to be (not that long ago) that "the customer is always right". However, now is seems that the the customer is viewed as a PITA and just a nessary nuisance for being in business.

[RacerFreakXXX]

I think the main reason for the change is the economy. Customers don't have the money to fix their car is something brakes or want everything for super cheap. You have to remember dealerships have to pay for their technicians to get new training and for equipment. Now allt he technicians aren't amazing but i've had some horror stories happen to me at the local service shops. Replacing wrong tires, filling the air up horribly wrong, destroying tires they took of cuz i didn't tell them to keep them, oil leaking from not tightening the filter enough, wrong diagnosis of cel.

[ctrj]

Originally Posted by WeeYari

^ Yeah, mine did the same thing. Told me they absolutely will not 'rebuild' the alternator. They will only replace. Still waiting to deal with the voltage regulator myself and save some coin.

It is not cost effective to rebuild an alternator. By the time you add labor and the parts price, you're spending more than a remaned Toyota alternator to start with!

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by beZzZ

Also, Adriaan taught me a way to get it done, if you want to know, I'll pm you his solution.

It would be nice to post a DIY on this so the information is readily available to all.

[bkrownd]

In the folly of my youth I briefly went to a dealership for routine service on an old Toyota for 2 years, and in that period they replaced most of the exhaust system for big $$$. Never needed that before or since, and recently I started to wonder if they were just picking my pockets... Oh well.

[ddongbap]

I never change my oil.

[beZzZ]

Originally Posted by Altitude

It would be nice to post a DIY on this so the information is readily available to all.

At work right now, wil put the solutions up in a later time. Check back tomorrow.