rear defroster/ steering

[127.0.0.1]

Originally Posted by yarrr

1) That's kind of weird, I thought every car came with one... especially in the frozen north. You could always get a hand defogger and an ice scraper for the really bad days.

2) Ya that's kind of a common complaint. The dealer is correct the power steering makes the wheels wander too easily. Rear sway bar, lowering springs, upgraded shocks and struts, wider tires, hub spacers all help, and the more you do the more solid it feels. Careful though, I joined looking for help with highway wander in the wind and now I'm addicted to modding my yaris.. haha

item 2 incorrect

power steering is 100% off when on the highway. wander has nothing
to do with power steering

[Yaris Hilton]

Originally Posted by 127.0.0.1

power steering is 100% off when on the highway. wander has nothing
to do with power steering

True. The Yaris' electric power steering is speed controlled. It only works when the car is stopped or moving slowly.

There are lots of threads discussing Yaris highway wander. Alignment settings, particularly toe and caster, should be checked if it's excessive. A relatively tall, short, light car like this will always be twitchier than a 1972 Cadillac Sedan Deville.

[DebbyM46227]

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

True. The Yaris' electric power steering is speed controlled. It only works when the car is stopped or moving slowly.

Wow, I didn't know that. I'd even be happy with no power steering at all, my Honda CRX's didn't have it and the only time I missed it was parallel parking in a really tight space.

[rudolfoz]

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

True. The Yaris' electric power steering is speed controlled. It only works when the car is stopped or moving slowly.

I actually took a ride with a mechanic from Toyota dealership and told him about the power steering changing with the speed. He told me that the power steering is constant and does not adjust to the speed. Go figure....

[rudolfoz]

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

There are lots of threads discussing Yaris highway wander. Alignment settings, particularly toe and caster, should be checked if it's excessive. A relatively tall, short, light car like this will always be twitchier than a 1972 Cadillac Sedan Deville.

I used to drive a 1997 Geo Prizm before the Yaris. I was able to drive the Prizm up to 100 miles/hour without feeling out of control. That's why I was little puzzled that a 2008 car would feel less secure. The Toyota mechanic explained that the old cars had CastIron engine blocks, and they were heavier and more stable. The actual weight difference between 1997 Prizm and 2008 Yaris is only around 50 pounds. I guess the tallness of Yaris has to play a bigger role.