'00-'04 Avalon: odometers reset w/ ignition?

I think they were talking about the average gas readout. My trip odometer in my 2001 does not reset itself when the car is turned off. But the average gas readout does making it useless. I think that was changed in 2003.

Thank you, Art. That's useful.

Brent.

This can't possibly be true.

Having the odometer, or anything else for that matter, reset because the key was turned off would completely destroy any reason for collecting and displaying such information. I have a BMW that is equipped with a stop watch, when the key goes off, the timer stops, then resumes again when the key is turned on again. The idea is that the operator is interested in timing something that is pegged to the vehicle actually running. The odometer is something that the operator will want a cumulative display from the last time it was reset, not from the last time the key was switched on.

When it comes to the behaviour of a programmed computer, almost anything can be true. I'm in Art's debt for confirming that the bug was associated with the MPG calculation. As you believe and he confirmed, that flaw renders the feature eseentially useless.

Toyota uses a 5-year model cycle with a facelift for the 4th year. I'm puzzled why, as Art reported, Toyota waited until the 2003 facelift to correct the situation.

Brent "That is the essence of science: ask an impertinent question, and you are on your way to a pertinent answer." -- Jacob Bronowski

I don't think it was really a flaw/bug, but simply the way Toyota intended it to work, and it did not make the fuel consumption info useless. I think Toyota simply thought that people were interested in seeing instantaneous and average fuel consumptions during a single drive, rather than over a longer period.

Doesn't it work the same way in many other brands of automobile?

Probably took that long for word to get back that customers would prefer a longer period average.

Merritt

I have had 2 Chryslers with the same feature and 2 Fords as far back as 91 model year. THe Chryslers both held on to the average economy until you reset it. I believe the Fords did too but I would not swear on my life. I think it would have bothered me if they did not like the Avalon bothered me right away.

Tthe only experience I've had with such onboard computers was with my '89 Scorpio. It allowed the driver to determine when the MPG calculation was reset.

You're likely right. I wasn't considering the time to propose, implement and approve a design change. I guess I'm too accustomed to doing the mods on my own computers.

Brent