Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

210delray

Sounds like worn valve stem seals. I had this problem with my '97 Camry 4-cylinder, and it started around 57K miles. It was covered by the Toyota's powertrain warranty. I don't know about the extended warranty (platinum in your case), but you should have this checked out as soon as possible.

It's not a fatal problem, but it will get worse with time, and if you have emissions testing, the car may not pass.

geffen

I've made my 2006 Camry LE purchase, I also went with the Platinum extended warranty just in case I have some issues, it appears the Powertrain warranty is limited on coverage. Any suggestions on replacement tires? I currently have the Firestone Firehawks Indy 500s.

andrelaplume

I have an 02 which I think was the same platform as your 06. My Camry eats thru tires and is horrible in the rain and snow....in so far as front tire spin goes. I tried Michelins and Goodyears and now have and off brand called Jetsons. Non were any better or longer lasting than the others but the Jetsons were a heck of a lot cheaper!

metalibrarian

04 Camry LE, 4 cyls. This morning I had the stupidity (acquired, not genetic--you can't blame my parents) to drive to work, about twenty miles, mostly freeway, with the parking brake on. Lightly, of course--I could move forward, even coast, without noticing any 'pull.' Only caught on to the problem when I exited the freeway and discovered I had about half my stopping power left. Limped to the parking garage and left it alone all day. Figured I had boiled the brake fluid, maybe blown some connections. Speculated on two possibilities at end of day: {1) puddles of fluid by rear wheels and all braking gone. Call the tow, can't even limp to nearest garage. Or :(2) fluid cools off, nothing is wrong, full braking is restored. Guess what? We live in a benevolent universe and (2):seems to have won out. Drove home cautiously, as you can imagine, always looking for a curb to jump or a tree to hit in worst case. But no incident occurred, no hint of a problem. Questions: what really happened this morning? Could I have done some genuine damage with this overheating that I'd better get fixed soon, or else? This must happen to people from time to time. What amazes me is that cars, often flimsily maintained, work as well as they do and that we don't slam into each other more often than we do. Believe me, Disneyland cannot reproduce the thrill you get when you slam the brakes on at some unexpected stop sign, feel your foot go right to the floor, and watch yourself sally out into cross traffic, uninhibited by any braking action whatsoever. Happened to me once in a beloved '78 Chevette. Did not happen today. But, to repeat, could I have done damage?

210delray

My guess is no permanent harm was done, but to be sure, you should have the rear drums pulled to check the brake linings and the inner surface of the drums for evidence of scoring or overheating. This is not an expensive procedure.

wwest

"discovered I had about half my stopping power left."

It would be unusual if that were the result of a light, or even fairly heavy, e-nrake application. Someone will, can. correct me if I'm wrong but most cars have e-brake implementations that are separate from your normal brakes. But yes, even so, the rear brakes may have become overheated due to the e-brake application but seeing as how the front brakes always do about 70-80% of the actual braking...

andrelaplume

how difficult is it to chang ethe bulb in the dash that illuminated the fan knob and temp knob...mine is out?

mcoctopus

Hi,

Today I resolved to change oil on my own. It'll be absolute first for me to do anything like this. I'd like to know kind of stuff I need. Tools, accessories, safety practices etc.

Along with oil change, I'll also change the oil filter and cabin air filter but I dont know specifications/types of filters available.

Also, how can I reset MAINT REQD indicator?

Stuff I already know:
My engine specs is 2AZ-FE
I need 5W-30 oil.
I need short ramp to lift it by 1 ft.
I need sun glasses so I look cool

Thanks in advance.

210delray

If you've never done an oil change or otherwise worked with tools on your car before, I'd recommend against trying it unless you have someone with you to show you how it's done. People will claim it's an easy 30-minute job. Not the first time you do it, not by a long shot.

And it can be messy and very frustrating -- hard to get enough leverage while lying on the ground to loosen a stubborn oil pan bolt or oil filter, splashing or spilling hot oil on your hands or on the ground, fetching the drain bolt from the bottom of your drain pan, etc.

I learned to do it the hard way, by myself 30+ years ago. Now, of course, it's routine, but I'm lucky because for the last 16 years, I've had access to a lift and a waste oil drain tank inside the air-conditioned building of my employer. When I retire within the next decade or sooner, I'll have to think long and hard about getting under the car again in my garage with ramps, oil drain pans, and no heat or a/c.

As for resetting the indicator light, it's spelled out in detail in your owner's manual -- this is very easy to do.

music479

1988 Toyota Camry tun signals aren't working! Help!!!

kiawah

You'll need:
- an oil filter wrench cap. You buy them at any autoparts store where the oil filters are. They are made to fit over the end of the oil filter, and you put a 3/8" square drive extension in it. Buy the wrench which specifically fits your oil filter. Should be about 3 bucks.
- a socket wrench, and extension, to fit the above oil filter wrench
- either a socket to fit the oil drain plug, or a closed end wrench. The wrench for a 2007 LE-I4 is 14mm, don't know what size your's will be.
- ramps, you already know about
- an oil catcher. It's a big container which catches the oil dripping down when you take the filter off, and when you pull out the drain plug. Probably about 10-15 bucks at an autoparts store.

The instructions to reset the maintenance light, are in your owners manual. Mine involves setting the odometer to a specific trip A, then turning off the key. Then turning on the key while holding the odometer button it, hold it for about 5 secs while the dashes count down. Your model may be different.

kiawah

Could be a bad flasher, a bad turn signal switch, or perhaps a bulb burnt out. Also verify that the fuse isn't blown.

rearwheeldrive

Oil change, It could be tough or easy . I do my own, I dont use any tools but a 14mm wrench for the drain plug.

My filter is on hand tight the drain bolt is not over torqued, so I can easily get it off with a 14mm box wrench.

I put the car up on a curb on the oil pan side, (RH tire). Under the car I use a piece of carpet to lay on. I use a shoe box size plastic container to catch the oil, its $1.00 at Home Depot, comes with lid. When I remove the filter I have a spout made of cardboard to channel the oil away from the engine parts and into shoebox. I then use carb cleaner to spray clean the engine if oil got on it. Replace the drain plug with a new washer gasket and snug tight it. Put the filter on hand tight and add about 4.5 qts.using a small wide funnel.Place extra oil in cleaned out jelly jar. Use the same funnel to put the oil back into the 5 qt jug it came in or a gallon milk jug and recycle it.

First time kit; gasket for drain plug, drain pan, carpet, funnel, 14mm box end wrench, filter wrench.card board, 5qt oil jug.1 pint jelly jar.

When loosening the drain bolt, turn it in a counterclockwise direction. Same with the oil filter. Have the engine warm not hot to get better drainage. Just before removing drain plug put the drain pan in place. Put on latex glove to protect your hand from oil. Pull the plug out fast and have the pan under the bolt so it catches a 6 inch stream of oil to avoid a mess. Place bolt on lid. When drops of oil are all that's left, slide pan out of way and use the lid of the pan to catch drips of oil while re-installing drain plug. Have plenty of paper towels ready if you need to do any quick clean-ups.

Then move on to the oil filter. Loosen it a 1/2 turn and let the oil drain out of it. At this time I start to put oil in the car. When finished adding oil, I completely remove the filter. It may still have oil in it, so be careful not to get it all over engine. l usually let it drain some more after completely unscrewing it from its mount, before pulling it up and out of engine. Get new filter and rub oil around seal on bottom of filter. Install it hand tight. Spray clean engine with carb cleaner. Remove pan from under car. Back car off curb. Start engine check for leaks and re tighten if necessary.

210delray

Because you had the patience to spell it out in so much detail, I'll add a few things specific to the 2002-06 Camry 4-cylinder.

The 14 mm socket size is correct for the oil pan drain bolt. If someone put it on too tight before, you may need to use your leg and foot to get it loose.

You can't drive a Camry over a normal-height curb without scraping the underbody. If you're going to use a curb, get the right front wheel onto it by driving over a driveway curb cut first, or use various-sized blocks of wood to make a ramp. Do NOT get under the car until the front tire is on concrete though and firmly chock the rear wheels! (And put the gearshift in park and firmly apply the hand brake.)

You won't be able to get the Camry's oil filter off by hand -- there's simply not enough clearance between the engine oil pan and the plastic splash guards under and behind the front bumper to get a firm grip. As Kiawah stated, you'll need the properly sized oil cap wrench and at least a 6-inch extension for your socket wrench.

But only hand tighten the new filter if at all possible. It should be turned 2/3 to 3/4 of a turn after the gasket makes contact with the oil filter mount on the engine. If you don't have enough hand strength, find someone who does OR gently tighten it with the oil filter wrench. Don't overdo it, or you'll find it almost impossible to get the filter off the next time, which is why hand tightening is preferable.

Check for leaks before driving off -- run the engine for a few minutes and look underneath for drips. I'd recommend doing the looking after all 4 wheels are on firm, level ground. Recheck the pavement again after you park the car overnight.

As you can guess from the above, I'd still recommend having someone else with experience to help you the very first time.

rearwheeldrive

Oil change problems

I gave my car procedure with only a wrench. His experience will differ slightly. He will need those other tools, in the previous post you gave. My filter wrench is a heavy steel with a spring loaded fingers that open to size of filter then grab on as you turn it to the left. The normal extensions and a rachet are needed though to use it. Its 3/8 drive. It never slips, bends, or breaks like the wrenches. Another thing like you said If the oil pan bolt faces the left side of the car I guess you could use your foot to loosen it. If its the other way around your pulling with both arms toward the front to get it loose, much harder. Our guy at Toyota used to use both hands and really press on the bolt when tightening it. He was 6'2 200# standing under the car when he did this.Crazy. I always said it only requires 20# torque, not the 45-55 he was applying.

I haven't seen a 2002-2006 engine yet. I know older Toyota's the filters are easy to remove and really accessible. It sounds like he might need to remove that plastic piece. Another tool. 10mm bolts? I remove mine when it is time to find oil leaks under the car. I use a sheet of bathroom wall board, its a plastic sheet a few mil thick, to cover the ground while I monitor it for hours while parked. It wipes clean when done.

Here in Vegas, there is concrete everywhere. The residential streets mostly have sidewalksright on the edge of the street, with drop downs at your driveway. I park in front of the driveway then drive slightly on the sidewalk keeping my tire right on the edge of the curb. I only do this if its a emergency and I cant get my car to my garage on level floor with AC, heat, lighting, and my heavy duty commercial floor jack used in pro garages.

I want to know what the first timer is going to do? To change or not to change. He has more than enough info I think. Dont want him to try the screwdriver hammered through the filter route, if the filter wrench dosnt work.

mcoctopus

Kiawah, 210delray, realwheeldrive,

Thanks for your advice. I just finished on oil change and air filter. I'm going to work on cabin filter now but thought I'll take a break (and beer) and reply you all.

Stuff I bought (all prices are approximate):

Oil filter wrench - $3
mechanics tool box - $22
6" wrench extension
Oil drain can $3
Hydraullic Jack - 20
Jack stands - 20
Castrol GTX SAE 5W-30 can - $13
Mechanics gloves - $1
Wheel wedges - $10
Toyota Oil filter - 10
Toyota Air filter - 20
Bosch Cabin air filter - 22

Earlier, I bought short ramps and nearly crashed trying to get my car up. I'd strongly advise against using ramps; hydraulic jack and jack stands are much better and safer.

Everything was as I expected. Except it took less time and was easier than I thought. My old girl is back on her wheels and her whine is replaced with a soft satiated purr.. )

Thanks all.

mcdawgg

I don't like store-bought ramps either, so I made my own. I used 2x10's, and drive and park on top of two of them, which gets the car up about 3 inches - plenty of room for me. I nailed and glued them together, and cut angles to make it very easy to drive up the two levels, and used a third one without an angle on top as a stop.

rearwheeldrive

I hate ramps too. Used them once about 20 years ago, and never went back.

I like the 2x10 idea. I'll have to try it out someday. Congrats on the oil change success. I never use my filter wrench again, but my filter is easy to get to, and spins off by hand.

wwest

If your filter spins off by hand is probably wasn't tighten correctly/well.....

rearwheeldrive

I dont use a tool too tighten it, only use my hand. Thats by the book, and thats how I roll.

210delray

Agree with that. I learned the hard way once by giving it that extra partial turn with a wrench -- never again!

As for getting the filter off, contrary to wwest's assertion, I CAN do this consistently every time with my Nissan Frontier's oil filter. It's hard to get a wrench on the filter due to its location, but I've found with rubber gloves on, I can get enough leverage on the filter to get it to come off.

And no, it does not leak oil from the filter base -- I do have some slight leakage from the 10+ year-old oil pan gasket though.

wwest

I always make sure the rubber seal is well seated on the filter and I also always lube the surface of the seal with oil. Hand tightening would suffice IMMHO if the oil filter in my RX wasn't so heard to get a grip on, so I always tighten about a 1/4 of a turn with a filter wrench.

More than an "ounce of prevention"....??

Usually requires a wrench to get it off too.

seattletwodogs

At 86,000 miles I had the timing belt replaced on my 2001 Camry V6, as part of general maintenance. The invoice noted that timing belt tensioner bolt froze, and needed to be removed to replace the timing belt, The technician noted "can't heat bolt, so cut bolt, drilled out bolt, retap threads and installed new bolts."

After driving the car for 2600 miles, it died and had to be towed to the dealership that did the original job. They said they found a "failed crank sensor" which they replaced. The invoice said the following were also replaced: tensioner assembly for the timing belt, thread insert, and bolt.

Do you think the original job was not done correctly or is it just a coincidence that what was fixed the second time had do do with the timing belt.

Thanks in advance for your response.

210delray

It sounds like the job was botched the first time. I would think you should not have to have paid anything the second time around, except maybe the cost of the crank sensor (part only, not labor).

seattletwodogs

210delray:
Thank you for confirming my wife's and my initial gut reaction. We appreciate your response.

pat

Join Consumer Advice Editor, Phil Reed, and other Edmunds staff for an auto industry chat TONIGHT, Wednesday, 9:00 -10:00 pm/et (6:00 -7:00 pm/pt). To enter the chat, click on the banner at the top of the page.

See you there!

powaybill

[Posted in the wrong forum. My apologies, but I can't see a way to move it myself.]

Well at least I think it is a brake issue. Here's what happens. In the morning the brakes are either soft or normal (haven't figured out why the difference), as I drive to work and make the stops along the way the pedal starts to tighten up to the point of me barely touching the pedal and it is as if I were trying to do a quick stop. Once it gets to this point whenever I take my foot off the gas it is as if I were braking, and I haven't touched the brakes. Sometimes this condition will correct itself while driving and other times I am forced to stop the vehicle and turn it off in order to continue down the road. This seems to be getting more and more problematic.

I've checked the brake fluid and it is fine. All other indications are that everything is normal from my visual inspection (albeit an untrained eye).

So that I am not spending time with the dealer in trying to figure out what is wrong what things come to mind as to what is going on. I've thought of the master cylinder, but thought that it would be more consistent in is symptoms. I've thought there could be air in the lines, but everything I have read indicates that the brakes would be continually soft, which makes sense because the the ability to compress air. As I was looking into this I found that the car probably has proportioners, and this seemed to be a good fit for the issue.

Could any of you give me some further insight so that I can get this resolved with the dealer in short order?

Thanks so much!

kiawah

I would suspect frozen brake calipers, probably the front.

You don't give any important info like how many miles do you have on the vehicle, whether you've changed the brake fluid, and most importantly whether you've replaced the front pads.

The pistons in brake calipers, are meant to float. When you apply the brakes, the pressure behind them force them out, to apply pressure to the pads to squeeze the rotor. When you take your foot off the brake, the slight variance in the rotor spinning should press/vibrate against the piston, allowing it to float back in. As the brake pads wear, the piston's normal working range is further and further out of the cylinder.

What can typically happen, is after a couple of years and if you don't flush brake systems, is that the brake fluid absorbs moisture and crud. That moisture settles behind the piston in the front calipers where it's hottest (they do the most braking), and can pit the cylinder wall. If you then eventually change the disc pads, the installer squeezes the piston back in to the caliper to enable the now thicker brake pad to be put in. When the piston moves back into the cylinder, the wall being pitted and the crud behind the piston jams up the piston, so that it doesn't 'float' freely any more.

So when you put the brake on the high pressure is able to overcome this resistance and the piston pushes out applying the brakes. However, the piston doesn't float back in when you take your foot off the brake. So then your pads are always rubbing, and the rotor overheats and expands. When it expands, the pads grip it even tighter, causing it to overheat and expand even more.

I think you'll find when you have this problem, that if you smell the front rims they'll have that overheating brake smell, and they will be VERY hot. Be careful you don't get burnt in touching them.

The fix is to replace the calipers, which is relatively cheap. I also replace the rotors and pads on my vehicles, as the rotor when it gets hot like that will warp and you'll have pulsating brake pedal later, and the pads are usually worn out. All of those parts are cheap to replace now adays, so to me it makes sense to just go ahead and replace everything and be sure to completely flush/bleed the system with new hydraulic fluid.

atb2

kiawah: excellent post. thx

cthiker

I'm installing a Draw Tite light duty hitch on my 2003 Camry. The two driver side welded nuts either don't have threads or they are so rusted they are nearly gone. I tried to drill and tap the threads on one and really screwed it up. The hole in the nut is now bigger that the 7/16 bolt. What now? Can I tap it for a 1/2 bolt. Is there a self tapping bolt I can use??

dtownfb

I just purchased a 2006 Camry LE (4 cylinder, 41,000 miles) two weeks ago so I'll be hanging out here. I noticed today when I push the rear defroster button, the radio goes "static". I'm assuming that since the antenna is built into the rear window that the defroster is somehow interfering with the radio reception. I can easily take it back to the dealer but wanted to know if this is something I can fix on my own.

Thanks

210delray

Just wondering -- does this occur only on AM? If so, I don't know if it's fixable.

dtownfb

It happens mostly in overcast to rainy weather on FM stations. I noticed it the second day I had the car while driving through a storm but thought it was the radio stations and not the car. On Thursday, during another storm, when I pushed the rear defroster, the radio played static; turn it off and the radio played normal.

210delray

In that case, I'd recommend taking it back to the selling dealer. I would think they would fix it on their dime -- was there any kind of warranty?

dtownfb

Just the remainder of the powertrain warranty but the sales manager is a friend. I don't think there will be any problem with the dealer fixing this.

dtownfb

Just the remainder of the powertrain warranty but the sales manager is a friend. I don't think there will be any problem with the dealer fixing this.

dtownfb

Just the remainder of the powertrain warranty but the sales manager is a friend. I don't think there will be any problem with the dealer fixing this.

dtownfb

It turns out there is an issue with the rear defroster that is causing interference with the radio. They are replacing the rear window.

smithjs

Tomgreen1000 - Did you ever get an answer regarding your noise? I just purchased a 2010 Toyota Camry SE and I am hearing a noise only when I first start the car and the vehicle has been driven a few feet - the vehicle has to hit between 7 and 11 mph for the noise to occur. The service tech is saying it is normal. What was your final outcome.

210delray

It is almost certainly the ABS self-test; the owner's manual mentions it, and my Camry (2004 model) does this under the conditions you describe.

Welcome to Edmunds by the way; please note you're highly unlikely to receive a response from a post that's almost 7 years old.

prob1

Yes, I received a reply. It was too much oil in the engine. I removed 1 1/2 pint of oil from the engine. I am still testing for noise. I think this was the problem.
Overall I like my 2005 LE Camry. The best car I ever own.

chuckhall

Welcome to the club. I have a 2006 Avalon and get the very same noise just after starting to drive the car after it has just been started. Once started you can stop and go forever and not hear the noise but you will hear it every time when starting off for the first time.

The noise varies in intensity from car to car and as you stated the Toyota technicians promise that the noise is part of the Toyota driving experience.

Too bad that Toyota does not still produce the 2000 Avalon (which I still own).

tomusaf_ret

have 02 Camry with wireless entry factory installed. All of a sudden when I am exiting the vehicle the front doors unlock, but not the back doors. have to twice click the fob to open or use the rocker switch on the driver's door. followed owner's manual instructions to reset the 1-4 code options-choosing # 3 which appeared to work. Exited the vehicle twice-no problems-came home from shopping today and back to the same problem. I know that code # 2 works (meaning no doors will lock, because I accidentally went to this code first-and it worked-no doors would lock). can lock and unlock using the fob buttons-- Any ideas?
TomUSAF_Ret

charliel68

I'm glad I found someone else with the same problem...

My 2010 Toyota Camry with 1,500 miles has a clicking noise since day # 1. It would happen only once and after the car has been on (P) park and then shifted to (D). Exactly at 10mph as the car is going forward it comes the clicking noise from somewhere underneath the front by the wheels. The noise I would describe it as a clicking spring.

I didn't pay any attention thinking it's normal, but the clicking noise is not persistent meaning sometimes is louder than others but it's always there. It comes only once as I'm taking off and then is gone until the next time I park it again.

It's a brand new car and I called the dealer and asked a tech. He said it's normal due to the ABS adjusting itself as the car moves forward. I don't know about that, of course he said I have to drop it off to have it checked out.

I posted this issue on another Toyota enthusiasts forum and two replies said it's normal. By the way one of them seems to be an expert with Toyotas.

kiawah

Charlie, this is not a 'problem'.

This is your ABS system doing an initial self test. It is documented in the owners guide.

If you want to absolutely prove it to yourself (which I did), you can have someone else drive the vehicle in the morning first thing with the hood up. You walk along carefully next to the vehicle, with your hand on the ABS pump up in the corner of the vehicle. Look for the thing with the hydraulic brake lines going to it. With your hand on the pump, you will actually feel it click when it does its' test.

For some reason it is very noticeable on a new car, but you should find as the vehicle ages, you will no longer hear it. I haven't heard it in a number of years on our 2007.

jbratter

Hi! I have a 2001 camry solara. The a/c isn't blowing cold. Before I bring it to the shop, I'd like to check the fuse. But it turns out the fuse box cover in the engine compartment is missing! Not sure how that happened... I tried searching for a diagram to see which fuse is for the a/c, but I couldn't find anything. Does anyone know which fuse it is or have a diagram for this fuse box?
thx!!
Joel

kiawah

Little bit different whether you have the automatic A/C or not.

Fuses in the circuitry are:
- 50 Amp Htr, in the fusible link block...it's up in the engine compartment on the drivers side fender wall
- 10 Amp Heater, in the cabin, by vehicle drivers left knee
- 10 Amp ECU-B (auto air only), engine compartment left fender wall

jbratter

thx! Its regular a/c, not one where you set the temperature. I checked the driver's side fender wall and the 10 is fine. I'll check the 50. The panel by the left knee looks to be just alot of wires, not fuses, but I'll double check.

jbratter

ok, all fuses look good. I'll bring it to the shop to get frion.
thx!!

charliel68

Thank you! As I'm doing more research online about it... I found out it's normal. Have you noticed there's another clicking noise at 20mph? This second one is less noticeable. I guess it's a new car thing.

Over all I'm very happy with my new Camry.

Thanks