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2007 Toyota Camry Problems and Repairs

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Comments

  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    evidently not everyone with a 4-cylinder is having hesitation problems.

    adding additional grounding isn't likely to fix this.

    where'd you read about throttle lag in honda automobiles?
  • kenlookingkenlooking Member Posts: 2
    It would seem that Toyota would have fixed all the problems described in TSBs. These noises and the transmission problems with TSB issued should be fixed for all future production cars. Why would Toyota continue to manufacture cars on the production lines that are going to require reworking by the dealers? This would be an enormous expense, $M, and reduce their profit margins. Does anyone know if Toyota continues to manufacture cars on the production line with these known problems? Do the stockholders know about this stupid practice, provided it is actually happening?
  • carfreak123carfreak123 Member Posts: 20
    I purchase an '07 XLE v6 / 6spd. back in early November, the car was manufactured during the 2nd week in October. I now have ~3,400 miles on it. Everything seemed fine up until about 3,000 miles when I noticed that the first shift in the morning from 3rd to 4th results in a "flare" of approx500 - 1000 RPM. It seems like it is only happenning on the first shift, after that I can not reproduce the problem. While I don't think that the transmission should function this way, I am leary to submit my new ride to have the valve body or worse yet the transmission replaced. I intend to monitor the issue and push to have it fixed only if it gets worse.

    A couple of questions:

    1) Is this 'typical" to see the problem turn-up after a few thousand miles or does it show up immediately, or both?

    2) Do folks have the same symptom (when the vehicle is cold and only for the first shift from 3rd to 4th?)

    I love the car other than the transmission flare.
  • palpakpalpak Member Posts: 21
    Message #3067 says honda and acura both has 1-2 seconds delay.
  • rsarramirsarrami Member Posts: 47
    Hello All:

    I have made the below list for my dealer regarding my 07 Camry SE. Any information on resolution to these issues would appreciated.

    1. Rubbing or crackling noise from the front dashboard on normal driving, bumps or breaking. I believe technical notes have been issued by Toyota to address this problem.

    2. Very rough shifting at times when initiating acceleration during driving.

    3. Gas cover does not release at times. Second time reporting.

    4. Noisy engine during idling at times. This has occurred on cold days but the engine was warm on each occasions (after driving 40 Klm).

    5. Low air pressure from the fan in the dash air ducts (at all levels).
  • lokkilokki Member Posts: 1,200
    Hi rsarrami -

    I see from another message that you posted that you're in Canada...

    Do you think that any of these problems are related to the cold weather we've been having?

    One thing I'm curious about is the low fan pressure....

    On my car (Not a Camry) , it's a feature that the heater and dash air ducts don't come on until the car engine has reached operating temperature. I guess it's to help the engine warm faster and to keep the heater ducts from blowing cold air on your feet. On my car the fan speed indicator shows high fan speed, but doesn't push air into the cabin till the engine reaches operating temp.

    Does anybody know if the new Camry has a feature like this?

    If yes, then your low fan pressu is a good thing. If not, then you've got a really interesting problem there... I'll be curious to hear what the dealer says....
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    no - that's not what that message says.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    well, because wwest said so. hmmmm.

    but, your not seeing lots of NHTSA entries spanning numbers of years, or other websites reporting same.

    ok wwest, where's the evidence that honda/accura got the DBW implementation wrong?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Just Googe for:

    "throtte lag" hesitation

    First Honda "hit" Honda Ridgeline, is currently on page 4.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    [QUOTE=PsychDoc;2397031]OK, this is a pretty straightforward question. Many have suggested that the dreadful "disconnect" between engine and tranny is a conscious design decision engineered to produce better gas mileage.

    If this is so then it should be pretty easy to design an "override button" that restores complete and instant communication between engine and tranny. The price would be the loss of a couple of mpg of efficiency.

    Assuming that your overall mpg would drop from let's say 23mpg (my overall average) to 21 mpg, would you find this an acceptable price to pay to have instant throttle response?[/QUOTE]

    I have little doubt that FE does improve with the advent of most manufacturers having adopted the new transaxle shift pattern/technique, upshifting upon full lift-throttle events, late in the last century.

    But 2 MPG? Or enough to justify all of the horribly adverse publicity?

    NOT...!!

    For those of you having long experience with manual transmissions think about how useful a clutch pedal would/might be when driving a FWD vehicle with an automatic transaxle on a slippery roadbed. Or in a more severe roadbed condition even a RWD vehicle.

    That's all, sum and total, of what the new transaxle shift pattern/schedule adopted late in the last century, is about, providing drivers of automatic equipped vehicles with a "virtual clutch". For about a decade or so now the AAA has been recommending that owners of vehicles with automatic transmissions/transaxles practice quickly slipping them into neutral in preparation for the day that action might be REQUIRED.

    I can remember years ago learning to lightly apply the rear implemented e-brake of automatic transmission equipped cars to maintain or regain directional control of my car on a low traction surface, especially downhill. Since the front brakes provide ~80% of any braking HP and 100% of the Stearing control it was inadvisable to use the brakes in those circumstance prior to having ABS.

    Now it has come to pass that most manufacturers have realized that engine compression braking, most especially on FWD or front biased AWD, can too easily result in loss of control should the roadbed be especially slippery. Apparently engine braking can even interfere with the operational aspects of ABS.

    On a slippery surface your anti-locking brake system will operate to keep those wheels rolling, FRONT especially, even ever so slightly, all the way down to coming to a complete stop. Throw in a smidgen of engine braking and your ABS will become inoperable at some point as you slow or stop on that slippery surface.

    Ford has just been awarded a US patent for two hybrid vehicle techniques that address this aspect of wintertime driving. I suspect these techniques are fully implemented on the Escape and Mariner hybrid vehicles. Both of these, of necessity (regenerative braking is not as nearly effective at the rear) FWD or front torque biased AWD.

    Ford has also just announced that the new Edge will use a variable displacement ATF oil pump. So, why is THAT important..?

    Because the base problem, the VERY BASE problem, is that the pumping capacity of most ATF oil pumps, with the engine idling, is not sufficiently high enough to support two sequential gear changes, an upshift upon FULL lift-throttle followed almost immediately by a requirement to downshift due to a quick re-application of the gas pedal, a quick acceleration requirement.

    Most ATF oil pumps are of the gear type wherein sizing, volume/flow, is an extremely important design consideration because as engine RPM climbs these pumps will pump higher and higher volumes of fluid, not only wasting a LOT of energy that cannot be put to useful effort, but HEATING the fluid in the process.

    Think about your power stearing pump, provided you still have one. It must work its hardest, maximum pressure/flow, when the car is virtually stopped with the engine at idle. How much could FE be improved if you had a variable displacement power stearing pump wherein the pumping volume could reduced to zero when no assist effort was needed, ~95% of the time.

    Either BMW or MB, I don't remember which, has just adopted a variable displacement engine lubricating oil pump for the very same reasons, improved FE due to less energy being wasted and lubricating oil needlessly HEATED.

    This whole episode started, seemingly, at least for reaching public exposure, with the premature transaxle failures of the '99 ('00??) Lexus RX300's. I owned a 2000 AWD RX300 but traded up to the 2001 AWD RX300 primarily to get HID and VSC/Trac, "virtual" center and rear LSDs.

    I don't now remember if I noticed the early symptoms of the new shift pattern in the '00, but most certainly did in the '01. What I noticed was that just before coming to a full stop while braking lightly the RX would "surge" forward as if the brakes had been slightly released or someone had bumped me lightly from behind. The other symptom occurred at higher road speeds, ~35-45 MPH. During coastdown, no braking, it would sometimes feel as if the RX "surged" forward.

    This puzzled me so I researched the Lexus shop/repair manuals and to my surprise I discovered that, indeed, the RX transaxle's shift pattern caused it to upshift to a higher gear ratio in both of these instances.

    Frankly I wrote it off to FE improvement technique since at the time there was so much "public" resistance to my thinking, stating, that it was a safety measure, alleviating engine braking which might otherwise result on loss of directional control should the roadbed be slippery enough.

    But then the 2004 RX330 came along with DBW, e-throttle, and owners started complaining of 1-2 second engine hesitation, delays.

    So, bare with me for a moment.

    The upshifting technique was adopted for the early, initial, RX300 models. But the ATF oil pump could not supply enough pressure/flow to adequately support that quick sequential downshift. So those transaxles began to fail due to the engine torque rising as soon as the throttle was opened but with the downshift clutches be fully and firmly seated.

    I have little doubt that my 2001 AWD RX300 has a larger, higher volume, ATF oil pump in order to overcome the problems inherent in the earlier RX300s.

    But.

    At 40,000 miles the ATF in my RX300 was looking dirty and smelled burned. I was told by the dealer that I should drain and flush my ATF every 15,000 miles. But what would one expect a dealer to say..?

    So I followed up with Lexus corporate who basically informed me that the dealer was correct, the ATF drain and flush, service schedule, had been revised from infinitely, the life of the vehicle, to 15,000 miles.

    Two things that may be important, however obliquely. My 2001 AWD RX300 came with the trailer towing package which includes an auxiliary ATF oil cooler. Today I'm not sure that ANY 2001 RX300 was shipped absent the towing package and thereby the ATF cooler. Additionally my '0
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Two things that may be important, however obliquely. My 2001 AWD RX300 came with the trailer towing package which includes an auxiliary ATF oil cooler. Today I'm not sure that ANY 2001 RX300 was shipped absent the towing package and thereby the ATF cooler. Additionally my '01 has a diagnostic indication on the instrument panel if the ATF becomes overheated. Apparently this indication is only on the AWD models.

    I once suspected that the VC, viscous clutch/coupling, in the nearby PTO of my RX might be the source of extra heating of the ATF within the diff'l case. I checked the condition of the gear oil in the PTO but it appeared to be pristine.

    In any case the VC was dropped from the RX330 series only to reappear in the RX350.

    So, the higher volume ATF oil pump adopted for my '01 AWD RX300 didn't exactly work out.

    So DBW, e-throttle, was adopted for the RX330 series so as to "protect the drive train". DBW was used to delay the onset of engine torque until the downshift could be completed. So the higher volume oil pump was no longer needed.

    By the way the TSB that most adequately addresses these DBW issues was first issued in the spring of 1993 for the 2002 Camry which apparently adopted DBW much earlier than the RX did.

    My solution....

    Extend the "SNOW" mode functionality.

    Revise the transaxle shift pattern/technique such that it no longer upshifts upon lift-throttle events. Go back to the old well-proven way. Instead have the DBW firmware revised such that it will alleviate the safety problems associated with engine braking by rev-matching the engine speed to the current roadspeed depending on the current gear ratio. And only "rev-match" if it is raining, the OAT is near or below freezing, or the driver has manually activated "snow" mode.

    That leaves us with only the problem of engine braking's potential for interfering with ABS but that could probably be overcome, mostly, by only allowing ABS activation if the VSC sensors signal a need, the vehicle is not following the direction desired.
  • 07cemanual07cemanual Member Posts: 4
    I got mine at Ira Toyota in Manchester NH - keep your ears peeled - the dealers around here have been offering CE manuals at ridiculous prices ($14k) - Of course they'll only have one at that price! I had heated leather seats installed (dealer had this done "in port"). The fit of the leather is not quite as good as factory, but I'm OK with it - and I'm picky...No other problems - I have not seen 35 mpg yet, but I am running snow tires so am not surprised. There aren't too many 5 spds out there, but they do show up now and then - good luck!

    Starter screech this morning was wicked (about 0 °F...)
  • palpakpalpak Member Posts: 21
    whew, ok let me sum it up.

    1. engine braking is not suited for FWD or front biased on severe weather so the front wheels are allowed to revolve further by an upshift. and to improve FE
    2. so, the transmissions upshifts upon releasing the foot from the pedal and when a sudden power is required the ATF pump is overworked which inturn resulted in premature life.
    3. they designed the dbw delay so the pumps are given enough time to recuperate and not get overworked.

    well they did not make it 100% foolproof, the hesitation is not 100% there but is intermitently experienced, also I sometime shift in 4 or 3 so that there is less upshift. is it bad for my car, dont include FE.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Thanks for the info - I am in Ohio, so I don't know what I'll do!?! I could fly in and drive it back (don't want to put highway miles on it new though), or maybe have it flatbed shipped?

    I have had a screech in my old Corolla since new when starting cold (below 15 F), so I wonder if this is the same on the new Camry? I have had no problems with it though(about 95,000 miles).
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    1. Not exactly, the driven wheels are allowed to rotate "freer", with less resistance from the engine.

    2. No, the pump isn't "overworked" it simply isn't turning fast enough to generate the hydraulic pressure needed to support two sets of clutch releases and engagements back to back, in quick sequence. With a "hard-wired" throttle (pre-04 RX330) the engine starts developing torque for acceleration before the downshift clutches are fully seated.

    Result: Premature transaxle failure due to extraordinary wear of the clutches.

    3. Sorta. The DBW delay allows the hydraulic pressure to build up enough to fully and firmly seat the newly engaged clutches so they don't slip and wear prematurely.

    Think of putting your thumb over the end of a garden hose with the faucet barely cracked open. How long does it take to build up enough pressure to spurt around your thumb. Now release the flow and repeat, how long does it take again.

    Remember that most gearshifts, traditionally, at least the ones that must be QUICK and FIRM due to high engine torque output, occur with the engine at fairly high RPM, if not extremely high, where the ATF oil pump will be producing lots of PRESSURE/flow.

    It may very well be that the worse case scenerio involves a bit of inadvertent "dithering" of the gas pedal, Full release, re-apply, Full release, re-apply, etc, of which the driver might be totally unaware.

    The driver is setting there watching on-coming traffic looking for a chance to merge...

    I think I can accelerate into that opening...Oops, No, its closing too fast,..Oh there's one I can get into...
  • palpakpalpak Member Posts: 21
    Ok, I understand now thanks to your explanation. I just wonder how in the heck others claim they have solved this delay by grounding wires, or adding sticky tape on the gas pedal? geesh sticky tape on the gas pedal.
    Its part of the design, and have to live with it. Now, if I downshift to 3 or 2 when I need that power is it bad for my transmission? I mean is will frequently shifting the lever from D-4-3-2 will be harmful? this is the temporary fix I can think of so that there no delay or lag in power. I dont have the tiptronic shifter on my A/T.
  • kul2kul2 Member Posts: 9
    I can't believe I just had the same issue on my new camry xle V6 with VSC. I speeded up to get on highway and after that tried to maintain the same speed but the car just speeded up without any pressure on accelerator. I pressed on brakes but they were very mildly effective. Luckily the car in front was little far for an accident. Finally, I had to shift to neutral to stop the car. :mad:
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    you want to make sure there is / was no issue with the floor mat and the accelerator pedal.

    i think you want to log your case on the NTHSA web site.

    other people have reported issues and one of our hosts claimed the brakes should have been able to stop the vehicle.

    what happened exactly after you shifted to N?
  • kul2kul2 Member Posts: 9
    After shifting to N, it did stop. I turned off engine. Drove to dealer after 15 minutes. It did not repeat.
  • daveturnerdaveturner Member Posts: 25
    5) The insectile buzzing! This happens especially when I first start my car and take off.. it comes straight from the steering column. This one is particularly maddening, if less rare than the front dash rattle.

    I noticed a similiar problem too...I noticed this when I do my montly fluid/tire pressure checks on my Camry LE. I have my Camry on the ACC mode (to power my 12V tire inflator) and I can hear to buzzing noise outside the car and inside the car. Of course, when the engine is running, the engine noise drowns out the buzzing noise. Do you guys know if this is normal? My other cars do not have this buzzing noise. (My best guess is that the buzzing noise is some kind of cooling fan inside the Camry.)
  • alan_salan_s Member Posts: 362
    We have an 06 Pilot and there is no delay in the transmission or drive by wire system. The drivetrain is super responsive. None in our 06 Altima 3.5 either.
  • virusvirus Member Posts: 21
    New to the boards. My vin is 4T1BK46K77U029724. Where do I find the build date? I just purchased this car at the very end of January. I am experiencing flares between 2-3 and 3-4, mostly 3-4. I took the car in to a dealership today and luckily the service tech did see the problem when I took him for a test drive. Unfortunately, he said they have no TSB's available for my Camry and I already have the latest ECM programming. I did report this to nhtsa to have it logged. This is extremely disheartening.
  • nagoya09nagoya09 Member Posts: 9
    my have same problem too, I think it have some thing to do with the pump of power steering fluid, my only start at very cold under 10F.

    my brother bought to camry on july 2006,I hear the same noise when we check some car at the dealer, but we did not buy that car. i picked other camry.
    my made in Japan. the camry make screch noise in the summer is made in usa
  • dan4pwcdan4pwc Member Posts: 8
    i have a quastion but i dont know where i should posted anyway your feedback is apretiated.my camry is Japan maid and i have it for last 2 months recently (4 days ago exactly) i observed that under the trunk in both side its to bulky pices of metal with perforation on them i think they are for instaling the TOW HITCH but i'm not sure and in parking where i park my car its 3 more camry none of them has this 2 pices anybody knows any thing did you ever saw such a thing.
    thanks
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I assume you bought the car new. The Camry has no factory-installed provisions for adding on a tow hitch. The 2007 Camry is rated to tow only 1000 lbs, maximum.
  • dan4pwcdan4pwc Member Posts: 8
    I got it new and i can open them its just 3 screw in each side(painted same color as car) but first i wanted to know if anybody knows any thing about it so wierd that i did not see them befor!
    I thought maybe the japan made camry have this part
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Can you take a picture, and post it? Put it in your 'my carspace', and then post a link in the forum.
  • dan4pwcdan4pwc Member Posts: 8
    i will take a picture tomorrow in day light and i will post it
  • aamixyaamixy Member Posts: 69
    Sorry to hear your problem. I was trying to run a carfax report but the VIN you provided was invalid. I guess you can talk to the dealer.

    Today I stopped by dealer in Sunnyvale, CA about the transmission problem. The salesperson insisted that he never heard of the problem of the cars he sold. But afterwards I talked to his manager, the manager admitted he heard of the problem at early models and assured me Toyota fixed the it already. I wasn't just 100% percent sure about what they told me.
  • virusvirus Member Posts: 21
    It was born on 1/07 in KY.
  • dreasdaddreasdad Member Posts: 276
    Because the Japan built camry is brought over on a ship the front of the car has a place that you can screw in a hook to secure the cars for shipping- that hook is left in the car when it reaches the port. The parts you are seeing are the back tied downs.They are not built for towing but for securing the car in transit.
  • palpakpalpak Member Posts: 21
    There is a label on the driver side door opening. You can find the mfg date and location on the label.
  • geo9geo9 Member Posts: 735
    Those are there for shipping tie down points and/or
    for hookups to move the car down the assembly line....
  • eroc69eroc69 Member Posts: 56
    Thanks for posting those, the last is my hometown paper..
    I have an 07 LX-V6. I dont really know if I have the tranny problem that are so plaguing people. It does hesitate sometimes on acceleration BUT with so much available power I sometimes dont fully accelerate and only depress the pedal somewhat to get get a moderate acceleration. That might be why, when I gun it, it takes off fine.
    BTW- Iam about as anal as a customer can get and I find problems that no one hears or finds.
    MY biggest complaints are the location of the gas-brake pedals being off-set too much to the left causing my right leg to be uncomfortable. Iam only 6 ft. tall. the other MAJOR annoyance is the center stack plastic around the HVAC controls CONSTANTLY tick and squeak. Even if Iam not moving. My 97 Pontiac Grand Prix did that.
    Does anyone know a remedy for those squeaks around the HVAC plastic???
    There is a way to get 'behind' that plastic by opening the c.d. storage door and maybe adding tape or something right??
    Please help, my wife will kill me if she thinks I ahte this car but its not TYPICAL toyota quality.
  • stlpike07stlpike07 Member Posts: 229
    What do you mean LX-V6? Camry doesn't make that model....I didn't read bacl many posts,so......

    The gas pedal on My LE I-4 5sp. AT is where it should be, very close to the side of the firewall and console that goes around the transmission/engine. My right leg rests along the console most of the time and driving is rather effortless.

    Just my opinion...
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Hi Everyone:
    Two weeks ago I took delivery of a 2007 Toyota XLE V6 Camry. I knew that there were some issue with this vehicle, but "comfort" was the primary issue, and since I do alot of highway driving, the vehicle met all my needs. Prior to making the purchase, I contacted Toyota, and I asked about the "transmission issue". I was told that if I purchased a vehicle with a building date of 6/06 or later, there should not be an issue with the transmission. The building date on my vehicle is 11/06. At the present time, I have 1,700 miles on the vehicle. (YES, I drive alot!) I have NOT experienced any of the problems that I have read about on this board! Because I do an extensive amount of driving, I purchased a 6 year / 100,000 mile Toyota extended warranty "0" deductible! I also purchased a prepaid Toyota Maintenance plan for all the major service intervals (every 15,000 miles), and the oil and filter changes / tire rotation (every 5,000 miles) for four years or 55,000 miles. I recognize that Toyota engines have a "sludge potential", so I will be changing the engine oil and filter every 2,500 miles on my own, while the dealership will be doing it under the service plan every 5,000 miles. I will be giving my local gas station a Toyota oil filter when they perform this service at 2,500 miles, so there shouldn't be an issue with the quality of the filter when the dealership changes the oil at 5,000 mile intervals. The vehicle is a pleasure to drive, and I have been getting 28 mpg on the highway using 87 octane fuel. I traded in a 2003 4 cyliner Accord for this vehicle. The one advantage the Toyota has over the Accord is that after I drive for two hours, I can get out of this vehicle without back problems! The 2003 Accord had a VERY bad blind spot on the driver's ourside mirror. The Camry does not have this blind spot. The pick up from a dead stop when entering a highway is "awesome"! The shift pattern is very smooth and positive. I really love this vehicle, and I would make this purchase again! ----- Best regards. --------- Dwayne ;) :shades: :)
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    The sludge problem ended with the 2001 4-cylinder Camrys and 2002 V6 models. From what I've read (and what I experienced with my '97 Camry) is that most people didn't get sludge.

    With the amount of driving you do, it's totally unnecessary to change the oil at 2500 miles. You'd be doing it every 3 weeks or so at your current rate!
  • chuck28chuck28 Member Posts: 259
    I just want to make clear that my Camry v-6 SE has a build date of 7-06 and has many of the problems that are discussed on this forum including the rpm flare.
    I hope your car continues to do well? I also agree that you don't need to change the oil that often.
    Blessing to you
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >Prior to making the purchase, I contacted Toyota, and I asked about the "transmission issue". I was told that if I purchased a vehicle with a building date of 6/06 or later, there should not be an issue with the transmission.

    And you believed them?

    If you drive at 3400 miles per month at this rate, you don't need oil changes at 5000 miles. To attain that mileage you'd have to be doing lots of long motor runtime trips; that burns out the contaminants that collect in the oil from short trips. Rather than change so often, except when the car may get lots of short trips with no long drives to burn away the contaminants and condensates, would be to use synthetic oil. That would be money better spent, but that's my opinion.

    It's interesting about the Accord seats, because that was my feeling when I test drove in 2003. I felt they were minimal design that most youthful buyers would never notice for one reason or another, but my older back would notice. That A-pillar was another design I didn't like. Good luck with your new Camry, Dwayne.
    :)

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    About the oil changes, he still should do it every 5000 miles to avoid any warranty issues later on, plus he's paid for them in advance anyway. Toyota's interval is 5K miles or 6 months, whichever comes first.

    And with such frequent changes, synthetic oil would be a waste of money, IMO.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Oh, Toyota has lowered their mileage after the engine oil problems. I was thinking it was 7500 for severe. Maybe that's Honda.

    I'd certainly document for maximum warranty, you're right.

    But it sounds like he's driving some long trips as a retired person and that means it's less than extreme service. IIRC he's a person who takes great care of his cars and his tradeins are probably worth more than when new! I'm surprised the mechanics don't tell him when he's ready to trade let them know because they'll buy his car from him because of the great care...

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    Here's an interesting thought I had this morning on the way to work. There was a discussion here or on another thread about the 'Maint Reqd' light on all the new Toyota's.

    Obviously it's a helpful reminder to the drivers that now it's time. Innocent on the face of it..

    However now that most new 'electronic' vehicles have a not-so-well-know 'black box' that captures all or much of the electronic data on the vehicle this may also be a potential source of verification by Toyota whether and when the scheduled maintenance was done.

    The indicator comes on 500 mi before the scheduled miles and then stays on until the service is done and it's reset. It avoids the 'Yep I've done the maintenance right on schedule.'..'Oh? Why then does the computer show that you skipped the 10K and 15K intervals and didn't change until 20K?'

    The 'black box' tells all.
  • jofallonjofallon Member Posts: 29
    I'm wondering if the reset has to be done by a connection to the onboard computer and if so, whether third-party companies like Jiffy-Lube etc have access to the correct codes to reset the indicator.
  • virusvirus Member Posts: 21
    Changing your oil every 5k on dino oil is acceptable, but changing it at the 5k mark with synthetic is a complete waste of time. Especially considering the new Camry takes 6.4 quarts of oil. It will only void your warranty if the oil is responsible for the problem. I've done 10-20k oil changes for the last 13-14 years and have never had a problem. All engines were still running as good as new even with 250k on them. I normally change the filter at the 5k-7k mark.
  • kdhspyderkdhspyder Member Posts: 7,160
    It's always done electro/mechanically by using the key and the odometer.

    Actually in all Toyota's now there are three trip meters; trip A ( visible ), trip B ( visible ) and the distance between maintenances ( not visible ).
  • duncan36duncan36 Member Posts: 8
    Ford SUVs have had known rollover problems since the mid 80's. I had a friend who has involved in litigation over an accident in which his Bronco II(Fords small suv prior to Explorer) rolled over with little cause. He said the number of similar cases against Ford was massive, and their circumstances tragic.
    The Explorer just carried those problems forward. Somehow Ford slimed their way out of the lawsuit by blaming Firestone. But it was a design flaw without question. I mean maybe the tires did blowout more than expected, but in no way shape or form should a SUV flip if the tire blows out.
  • aamixyaamixy Member Posts: 69
    Good to hear your V6 is no problem. Could you elaborate the blind spot between the Camry and the Accord? I thought every car has blind spot. Thanks!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Well, sorry, but at 70-80 MPH a front tire blowout makes it really hard to maintain control and not roll, most especially with an SUV.

    The tire blowouts were the result of the under-inflation recommended by Ford to lower the center of gravity of the explorer and thereby reduce its propensity for rollover.

    What they overlooked, or hid, was the fact that an under-inflated tire carrying a heavy load, a load close to its rated load capacity, FLEXES a lot more than one properly inflated. After an hour running at 70-80 MPH that flexing results in a LOT of extraordinary heat buildup within the tread and that causes the tire to BLOW.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    the blind spot in any car tends to be minimized IF one knows how to adjust the mirrors properly (which most people don't learn).

    my take away from a posting on edmunds years ago:
    lean your head against the driver's door glass and adjust the driver's-side mirror so you just loose sight of the vehicle body.

    lean head over shifter and adjust the passenger-side mirror so again, you just loose sight of the vehicle body.

    now the rear-view and side-view mirrors present a complimentary view. the blind spot on either side of the vehicle should be minimal with this setup.

    it will take someone perhaps a few days to get used to the arrangement, but once done, one will wonder how they ever drove with their previous setup. :shades:
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