White Dust / White Power Yaris Hybrid 2014 MK3 - please help

[inteli7]

Hi guys,

I have a Toyota  Yaris Hybrid 2014 MK3 and some white powder/dust/dots all over the dashboard. The car should still be under warranty as it has been serviced at a Toyota Dealer since it was new in Southampton. 

The car is 9 years and 4 months old and has nearly 20,000 miles. You read that right: 20,000 miles for 9 years and 4 months. When I got it, it had 9800 miles on the clock.

This has been discussed before in 2 previous topics on the forum. 

My car was serviced with them in October, and the cabin filter has been replaced. As the standard one was basic, I swapped the filter with a more enhanced one with activated carbon and other properties. Will this void the warranty if I return to them with this filter? Should I swap back to the old one?

Can someone please tell me how I should approach my local dealer to get this fixed? I expect a lot of fighting so they can avoid doing the work. 

Should I contact Toyota GB right away? If I need to do that, how do I reach them?

 

Thank you,

Dave

 

toyota-warranty-ts-and-cs-june-2022.pdf

[inteli7]

Anyone? 😭

[yossarian247]

Are you sure it's coming out of the heater/ventilation system? I've known screen cloths and demisting pads to shed small pieces of lint which look quite similar.

Not meaning to sound flippant, but my 2009 Auris did this for a while. I ignored it and eventually it stopped!

[inteli7]

Just now, yossarian247 said:

Are you sure it's coming out of the heater/ventilation system?

Not meaning to sound flippant, but my 2009 Auris did this for a while. I ignored it and eventually it stopped!

I detail my car pretty regularly, and there is no other place that this would come from. I use the system on Auto most of the time, and it sends the air through the vent in the middle of the dashboard and feet. Most of the white dust/particles are on the dashboard. 

 

I also control it manually and direct the 2 side vents towards the passenger and driver's handle. The white particles/dust can be found on them too.

[inteli7]

I am thinking of purchasing a dual inspection camera and see if I can take it to the evaporator and see what it looks like. If I see that things start falling apart, then that must be the issue.

[MikeSh]

23 hours ago, inteli7 said:

As the standard one was basic, I swapped the filter with a more enhanced one with activated carbon and other properties

One of those properties could be chucking little white bits into the airflow (yeah, it shouldn't, but stuff happens sometimes).

So regardless of dealer involvement you need to take that out, vacuum around the inside as much as possible, then refit the standard filter until you are sure the problem has stopped or continues.

[inteli7]

25 minutes ago, MikeSh said:

One of those properties could be chucking little white bits into the airflow (yeah, it shouldn't, but stuff happens sometimes).

So regardless of dealer involvement you need to take that out, vacuum around the inside as much as possible, then refit the standard filter until you are sure the problem has stopped or continues.

The new enhanced filter is from mann and looks pretty dark. MANN-FILTER Cabin Filter | Car Parts 4 Less: I don't see how this would be from the new filter. 

If I think about this as a whole, I think I've seen this dust before but didn't pay much attention until I read the 2 posts I quoted in my initial message. I probably skipped my mind as I thought it would be from the thin, genuine Toyota filter, which doesn't seem to do much, in my opinion. 

 

I'll blow, vacuum and wipe the dust out of the car and refit a new genuine filter. I am not a fan of the basic filter as it is so thin and probably doesn't filter much.

The dual inspection camera has been ordered, and I will inspect it and report my findings to you.

 

[MikeSh]

2 hours ago, inteli7 said:

The new enhanced filter is from MANN and looks pretty dark. MANN-FILTER Cabin Filter | Car Parts 4 Less: I don't see how this would be from the new filter.

There is so much counterfeit stuff around these days you can't assume anything is ok. Most of this stuff is churned out in China or similar places and the quality, even of branded stuff, can be variable. Always best to eliminate the easy stuff first or you can spend a lot of time and money chasing a ghost.

[Tomv]

Similar problem with Auris:

 

 

[Chas G]

We used to get white powder on the window cill in the gents at my local pub. I wonder if it was the same stuff 🤔 

[FROSTYBALLS]

On 1/21/2024 at 1:19 PM, inteli7 said:

Should I contact Toyota GB right away?

Toyota GB will want the issue investigated by the dealer, so you may as well approach the dealer in the first instance.

[MikeSh]

3 hours ago, Tomv said:

Similar problem with Auris:

That's interesting. Not a very common issue apparently, so I wonder if there's a common denominator.

[inteli7]

12 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

Toyota GB will want the issue investigated by the dealer, so you may as well approach the dealer in the first instance.

I completed an online form and am in touch with my local dealer. It might be a good idea to keep everything in writing as much as possible to have proof.

My phone records call, too, which will come in handy if needed.

12 hours ago, MikeSh said:

That's interesting. Not a very common issue apparently, so I wonder if there's a common denominator.

I read online that it happens to Lexus, BMW and other car manufacturers. My 9-year-old Yaris has 19,200 miles on the clock and has been in the garage all those years.

The AC system has been gased accordingly during those 9 years. Generally speaking, the car has been looked after, and it is still new in my eyes, ignoring the age.

[Roy124]

Hard to tell from the photos alone but my whole dash, the media system, the gear lever housing are all covered in dust.

I just put it down to electrostatics. Annoying, yes, problem,  no.

[MikeSh]

2 hours ago, inteli7 said:

I read online that it happens to Lexus, BMW and other car manufacturers.

Yes. Unsurprisingly automotive evaporators are of similar construction, so no surprise it's not model/make unique. But given that commonality I'd expect it to be a much more widespread problem and why it isn't is curious.

Best guess is it only happens to old cars and people just live with it because (in their mind) it's not a big deal with a banger. So only the OCD pursue it 

[inteli7]

Just a follow-up to this. 

I chased Toyota Southampton up as I haven't heard back from them in over a week. They want to look at my car for a day or 2 next week. Will keep you guys updated on this whole process!

[wildtapholer]

We've been getting this for a while now on the dash 65 plate Yaris(we've had it 2yrs now) was told it was the evaporator(matrix) whatever it's called, to do with the aircon, it's a bit like the oxidizing alloy under the bonnet but was told it's the coating  what's coming off and it's not as rare as one would think.

[inteli7]

25 minutes ago, wildtapholer said:

We've been getting this for a while now on the dash 65 plate Yaris(we've had it 2yrs now) was told it was the evaporator(matrix) whatever it's called, to do with the aircon, it's a bit like the oxidizing alloy under the bonnet but was told it's the coating  what's coming off and it's not as rare as one would think.

Did they say it is fine to leave it like that? I have seen people who managed to get their evaporator replaced under warranty. (it should be covered under the Toyota Relax Warranty - https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/toyota-warranty under Terms and Conditions) Apparently, that white dust/powder can be calcium carbonate or aluminium oxide, which can be pretty toxic. How do you feel being "exposed" to it for 2 years? 

toyota-warranty-ts-and-cs-june-2022.pdf

[YarisHybrid2016]

My Gen. 3 did this. It's corrosion from the condenser unit. Over time, little bits flake off into the airstream.

Only fix is to remove the dashboard and replace it. I didn't bother on mine.

[inteli7]

21 minutes ago, YarisHybrid2016 said:

My Gen. 3 did this. It's corrosion from the condenser unit. Over time, little bits flake off into the airstream.

Only fix is to remove the dashboard and replace it. I didn't bother on mine.

Isn't the evaporator inside the car under the dashboard and the condenser on the outside? 

I don't see how bits would enter the car if it were the condenser. I see how they will enter the car if it is from the evaporator.

Were you not worried about the health impact that it could have on you? That's what worries me, as I have asthma, and my partner is pretty bad with her respiratory system. If I knew that it is 100% safe to inhale particles over the next 5 years or so, then I would just leave this alone.  The thing is that I do not want to take any chances as my health is more important hence wanting to fix this.

[MikeSh]

1 hour ago, inteli7 said:

Isn't the evaporator inside the car under the dashboard and the condenser on the outside? 

Yes.

But this is the age of social media where words means whatever you want them to and anyone who disagrees with you will be hated. Even male and female seem to be random these days (though I blame plug manufacturers as it's hard to work out which is which with some designs).

[wildtapholer]

On 1/30/2024 at 10:25 PM, inteli7 said:

Did they say it is fine to leave it like that? I have seen people who managed to get their evaporator replaced under warranty. (it should be covered under the Toyota Relax Warranty - https://www.toyota.co.uk/owners/toyota-warranty under Terms and Conditions) Apparently, that white dust/powder can be calcium carbonate or aluminium oxide, which can be pretty toxic. How do you feel being "exposed" to it for 2 years? 

toyota-warranty-ts-and-cs-june-2022.pdf 181.88 kB · 1 download

Our car is 8yrs old now but only 53k miles so it is out of warranty now, so it would be down to the cost, I had seen where it cost someone around £3k to have the dash removed and items replaced, so I can understand why people would either leave it or sell the car on.

[inteli7]

25 minutes ago, wildtapholer said:

Our car is 8yrs old now but only 53k miles so it is out of warranty now, so it would be down to the cost, I had seen where it cost someone around £3k to have the dash removed and items replaced, so I can understand why people would either leave it or sell the car on.

If the car was serviced at an interval of 10,000 miles or 1 year, then it shouldn't be. The Toyota Relax Warranty is for 10 years!

[FROSTYBALLS]

5 minutes ago, inteli7 said:

If the car was serviced at an interval of 10,000 miles or 1 year, then it shouldn't be. The Toyota Relax Warranty is for 10 years!

Depends whether the car has been serviced by a Toyota dealer to generate the Relax extended warranty. If done elsewhere, Relax won't apply.

[wildtapholer]

Our car had been serviced regular but not at a Toyota dealer, plus I'd never heard of the Relax warranty until I bought a Lexus what came with full Lexus history and I became aware of it then, plus you can push the warranty to 11yrs if you have it serviced before the 10yrs is up.