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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
PS I have a 2005 XLE 4 cylinder.
If the noise happens only once after starting, before you get up to about 10 mph, then it's the antilock brake system doing a self-check. If you have one of the 7% of 2005 Camrys with electronic stability control, you may be hearing its self-check.
Nothing to worry about. I don't hear it on my '05 Camry, but it was definitely noticeable on my '90 Mercury Sable.
1. Did you have a V6 Camry before (the one that was totaled)?
2. Do you now have a 4-cylinder?
If so, I'd assume the V6 is somewhat smoother than the 4-cylinder. I say "assume" because I've only had 4-cylinder Camrys and they've always been perfectly smooth and quiet for me.
If you're not satisfied and think there might be a problem, first check the oil level and correct if necessary. Then if the problem still exists, you need to return IMMEDIATELY to the selling dealer. Try out one or more 2005 (or 2006) Camrys with the SAME engine (and automatic transmission) to be sure yours isn't any louder than the comparison cars. The '06 Camry is identical to the '05.
You don't have to worry about different levels of sound insulation in the various models, because there isn't any difference, from the base Standard model, through the most popular LE, the sporty SE, and on to the top-of-the-line luxury XLE.
If your car really is louder, first attempt to have the dealer diagnose and repair the problem -- the repair will be free because it's clearly going to be under warranty.
If you mistakenly bought the 4-cylinder and now really want the V6, then you'll have to accept some monetary loss for the car you trade in. But think twice before giving up the 4-cylinder: it gets superior gas mileage and costs about $2000 less up front. The 4-cylinder is perfectly adequate in terms of power also.
Good Luck!
This is my first Toyota (an '05 Camry) with the automatic climate control. At outside air temperatures of about 40 degrees (F) and below, should I simply set the controls to "auto" and dial in the desired cabin temperature, on cold startup, or even after the engine has fully warmed?
If the a/c light comes on, should I then manually turn off the a/c (again, outside temp 40 deg. or below)?
Or are you saying to use to always use the manual mode and select the desired temperature and mode (floor, windshield, dash vents, etc.) depending on my preference and whether the inside of the glass is starting to fog up?
I have a garage, so the car won't have frost on the outside of the glass in the winter. The garage very rarely gets below 32 degrees.
Thanks!
Any help would be appreciated since the mechanic is at his wits end now!!
Go to your dealer and have the two C-best options set so that when you manually turn off the A/C compressor it remains off indefinitely until you manually turn it back on.
Leave it off when the OAT is consistently low enough that you have no need for the A/C for cooling purposes.
If cooling mode, coolish airflow primarily from the dash or combined dash and footwell, doesn't discomfort you then don't bother to manually switch it into heating mode until the OAT declines below about 47F.
Below about 47F the need to keep the interior surface of the windshield above the dewpoint of the cabin atmosphere begins to be important so it will be a good idea to remember to manually switch the system to heating mode when OAT's are in that range.
If the interior surface of your windshield ever tends to fog over even slightly that is an indication that the temperature of the windshield surface has declined, or is declining, to the dewpoint. Dewpoint is the temperature at which otherwise invisible moisture molecules in the air begin to condense into droplets, fog in the open air, condensate on COLD surfaces such as your windshield might very well be.
Should that happen the only sure and certain way to remove the condensate quickly is by heating the airflow, thereby dramatically lowering the relative humidify of that airflow. That low humidity heated airflow across the windshield surface will help to quickly clear the windshield of condensate while at the same time heating the windshield itself above the dewpoint.
To do that you will need to turn the temperature setpoint to MAX HEAT and then activate the defrost/defog/demist mode. Once the windshield has cleared you may return the system to your normal operating temperature but be sure it is in footwell, heating mode. If you should need to repeat the defogging sequence later then maybe you should now operate the system in footwell/windshield combined airflow mode to allow a greater portion of the airflow to the windshield for more warming than before.
Since your's is an 05 your climate control likely already has the feature that results in it automatically switching to footwell/windshield combined mode if the OAT declines below ~34F. If you have the c-best option set and have already disabled the A/C then this action will represent no threat, otherwise be prepared for a potential incident of sudden windshield fogging within the new few minutes.
1- P0303 Ignition failure cylinder
2- P0171 B1 Mixture too lean
3- P0141 Sens. Circ. B1 S2 S. heater
4- P0440 Evap. emiss. control system
5- P0441 Evap. emiss. Sys. Flow in correct
6- P0446 Evap. emiss. syst. Vent. circ
7- P1130 O2 Sensor Circuit range B1 S1
8- P1150 O2 Sensor Circuit range B2 S1
9- P0141 Sens. Circ. B1 S2 S. heater
So if you can help me to explain what exactly I need to do to fix all these faults and if you can help me to get a kind of fults explanation paper or book so I can know what's the problem before I go to the mechanics and I appreciate any kind of help.
Thanks
However, there's no way I'm going to let a dealer alter my car. I can just imagine their expressions when I tell them about "C best" options.
From what you're saying, under cooler ambient conditions if/when the windshield begins to fog up, I should:
1. Switch to defrost mode (which simultaneously cuts out recirculated air).
2. Turn up the heat to max.
3. Turn up the fan to full blast.
4. If on, turn off the a/c (keeping in mind that the compressor may still operate).
Is this correct?
1. Turn the heat to max.
2. The blower speed should rise to max once you raise the temperature setpoint or manually to max. Obviously if it doesn't then do so manually.
3. Now switch to defrost mode.
4. If the outside temperature is above ~50F and the A/C is on then leave it on, otherwise yes, turn it off.
If your windshield starts to fog over there is always a good chance that previous operation of the A/C, even as long ago as yesterday, is at fault.
Let me explain.
If you drive from a fairly warm area, above freezing at least, the A/C might operate and as it does condensate will accumulate onto the chilled evaporator vanes. When the A/C shuts down due to the outside temperature declining to freezing, or even because you have defrost on previously and have now turned it off, the previously accumulated condensate will begin to evaporate into the incoming fresh airflow.
So the last thing you wish to do in this instance is activate the defrost/defog/demist mode before making sure that the airflow about to strike the windshield has been heated and thereby has a low relative humidity.
Your choice, but otherwise if you live in an area such as I do, the Pacific Northwest, where the climate is often cool and humid, you really are needlessly risking your life and your passengers.
I had that problem once, and it was a small plastic clip on one of the rods inside the door. If you pull apart the inner lining and look inside, you'll see it's basically a few metal rods & levers doing all the work. In my case the clip that attaches the rod to the actual door handle had cracked. A real PITA to get at, but I just tie-wrapped it back together and it worked well after that.
Without belaboring the issue too much, wouldn't this fogging over problem occur in any car with A/C, at least shortly after cold startup?
I know in my old Volvo 240, I learned to run the A/C and heat together through the floor or dash vents before I switched to defroster mode because the inside of the windshield would fog up in cool damp weather.
And no, I don't want dealers tampering with my car. Luckily, we don't get the cool/damp/foggy weather all that often in central Virginia.
If it's a drive belt, it should be checked periodically for wear, cracks, and proper tension, but you can do that yourself by looking at it and pressing against it with your finger between two pulleys. (The engine must not be running, of course.) Or a service shop can do it at the major maintenance intervals for essentially no extra cost.
Now when we try to original Toyota key, the lock won't turn at all. Based on mssgs posted here, I have tried pulling hard on the locked steering wheel in both directions, changing tilt on steering wheel, and have tried turning the lock with transmission shifted to Neutral using manual override button, but key still will not turn at all.
I think the ignition lock needs to be replaced, but cannot turn key to ACC position to depress release button for lock removal. How can I get key to turn to ACC position? Anything else suggested in troubleshooting would be appreciated.
Big Daddy
"The KGPD algorithm is composed of a driving environments and driver's intentions estimator, the shift schedules for each typical driving environment and driver's intention situations, and an inference logic to determine the most proper gear position for the present situation. The estimator identifies the driving environments and features of driver's intentions, which are divided into some typical patterns. Based on the identified results, the gear-position inference algorithm calculates the best gear position at the moment. In fact, the method just simulates the course of a driver's making gear-position decision when driving an automobile with manual transmission. The test results show that the AMT with the method gives less unnecessary shifting, conducts more proper gear positions, and behaves better in subjective assessment than that with the method that is directly based only on automotive state parameters."
Also, the antenna in recent years had stoppped retracting when it was turned off... over the summer i noticed that if you someone pushes it down a little when the antenna motor starts up, it retracts and then will extend the next time the car is started, making a very loud grinding noise when it's done extending. Only problem is, you have to go back and push it down again to get it to retract again.
If anyone has had these problems, or knows anything that might help me figure out what needs to be fixed before i pay through the nose for someone to open everything up, i'd really appreciate the info!
Have you figured out any solution or even the cause of your sloshing sounds? I took the car to a Toyota dealer and they had a sr. technician look at it. His recommendation was to tear apart the dash and look around. That sounds like $$$$ to me. Even though the car was under warranty, they would not confirm this would be covered. I called Toyota USA 800.331.4331, and spoke to Andrea. She had no clue, and discussed with the other techies. They had no clue either. Nobody at Toyota claims to ever had heard of this problem. So far I have experienced no problems other than annoyance.
cam2003
How else could the rental fleet "work"?
then it's possible there is also an "in-line" fuse in an "in-line" fuse holder, behind the dash going from the ground side of the cig lighter to vehicle ground. you'd have to reach around back there (or try moving the seats and using a mirror and flashlight). maybe removing the cig tray will make the wiring accessible. can't remember the configuration of the camry.
i doubt very much the radio and the cig lighter are on the same circuit from the fuse compartment.
btw, even if a fuse looks like it is OK, you don't know until you examine it closely, and perhaps check it with an ohm meter.
try to see if there is two fuses. best of luck.