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So since I am unable to give any names out if people are really frustrated about their new Camary's not being what Toyota is known for, that is a great quality car, you could try to contact your local TV stations (most have a consumer reporter) and your local newspaper and let them know what is happening with Toyota's product.
Someone else on this post also mentioned that they had sent a letter to the owner of the dealership that they purchased from. (that is my next step) Then maybe Toyota will listen to our voices. And either redesign the gas tanks and transmissions or fix the problems that we are all having. Good luck to all of us. I hate to be taken advantage of when I have spent so much of my hard earned money on a defective (or not up to standards product).
Toyota is well aware of the various problems as the CEO of Toyota public apologized in both August 2006 and January 2007 for the car's shortcomings.
That's why I ,for one, decided to wait 'till 2008 for my next Camry.
He did apologize to the Japanese people but it had nothing to do with the Camry.
It's amazing what a little legwork will do for you.
Everyone has an opinion but it takes a little work to have an informed opinion........
And you know that for sure...
While the Camry is not specifically mentioned in the below referenced article...but with 9.2 million recalls just what was he apologizing for???? (BTW, I did not claim that he specifically apologized for Camry problems.)
Copy and paste.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_04/b4018065.htm
I thought that didn't sound right.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Here are my last 4 mpg values for my '05 Camry with a 4-cylinder. This will show how short trips and cold weather kill you:
1/28/07 18,765 miles: 14.26 gal, 21.6 mpg
2/11/07 18,970 mi: 9.54 g, 21.4 mpg
2/24/07 19,176 mi: 9.02 g, 22.8 mpg
3/30/07 19,426 mi: 12.56 g, 19.9 mpg
I live in a town BTW, not a "city." Only 661 miles were traveled in 2 months, which projects out to a rate of only 3966 miles per year.
-severe engine noise when car is idling.It sounds so loud that I can feel the steering wheel vibrate,especially when I'm stopped at a traffic light.It shouldn't be like that on a new car.
-car begins to vibrate at highway speeds,seems like it coming from the front left tire.Perhaps the allighment or wheels need to be balanced,but not really sure.It has the michelin mx4 tires.
-car woobbles alot from left to right when driving straight and making turns.Its hard to keep car stable.Feels like the front end of the chassis is swaying and hopping too much especially when making turns at low to moderate speeds.
-steering is too light and seems like I need to oversteer to complete a turn.It's more noticeable on a windy road like taking an exit off the highway and coming down the windy ramp.Feels like the rear has a hard time keeping up with the front.It takes longer to complete turn.The rear feels like its being dragged.It actually feels like the front is not doing its job right to help the rear come out of a turn.
Its hard to believe that I'm having so many problems occuring this fast.I took it to the dealer today and have to wait till tomorrow to pick it up and see what they say.Is there anyone that can give me some insight on these issues?
Typically a vibration at highway speeds around 55-60 is because of a tire out of balance. "WHY" it got out of balance is the root cause that has to be figured out. It could be out of balance because it was never balanced to begin with, it was balanced but a wheel weight fell off, the alignment of the vehicle is off which is causing extensive wear of tire (hard to think this is the problem in only 700 miles), the rim itself is bent, or a steering/wheel component is out of adjustment or tolerance.
Normally a single tire out of balance, wouldn't cause the other steering/tracking problems you reference, so I would suspect something else is wrong....perhaps a rim that is bent from hitting something.
What the dealership will probably do on the first reporting of a problem, is re-balance all of the tires, and check the alignment. That would be the first step to try and figure out where the problem is.
What I would do after getting it back, is to have someone drive the car down the interstate, while you get in another vehicle and drive/observe your Camry. Watch to see that all of the wheels are spinning and not wobbling or vibrating. Visually sight up the side of the car, observing whether the tires appear aligned correctly. (Do an internet search and learn what caster, camber, and toe-in mean.) Each tire needs to be aligned correctly, and to your eye both left tires should appear the same....and both right tires should appear the same.
From your explanation, can't tell what the engine noise is...but the dealership should be able to figure it out quickly.
I've read in other posts that the michelin tires sqeual at low speeds and may be defective in some manner.Also read that there are others here on these forums that reported hearing severe engine noise on the v6 when the car idles.
I checked out one of my friends 2007 le v6 and you can barely hear the engine idle.I drove it and it didn't exhibit any of the vibrations or wobbles while driving staight or entering a turn.So I basically ruled out the fact that I'm exhibiting normal behavior on my car.
I just have to wait until the service manager calls me and se what he says.The guy seemed like such a jerk yesterday.He said if he couldn't find any problem that it might be the way I was driving and that the car is normal.While I was there yesterday to turn in the car I asked him to have one of the technicians ride with me so I could help pipoint the problem,but he refused because he said they were all busy.I also asked him to give me a history on the car like the date it was built and diven out the factory,but he again refused because he said there is no history that he can pull and that I shouldn't worry because the car is new.
I called toyota customer service and they helped me out alot better.They told me the car was built on february 14 and diven out the lot on the february 28.I picked up the car on march 5.The thing was it was a special order.I ordered it with on january 28 and when I picked it up on the 5th it had 115 miles on it.The dealer told me that the mileage was there because they had to pick it up from the port.It wasn't one of those cars that came off the truck and onto the dealers lot.
I don't know whether the car is giving problems because it driven previously for 115 miles or maybe its a defective factory unit.Maybe they built the car to fast and screwed up somwhere.Since it was special ordered it probably didn't come off the normal factory line and maybe that had something to do with building it.
Can you guys tell me what I should ask the service manager to do if he can't find any problems.If he says he can't find anything then I'm assuming the only thing I can do is to ask him again to have a technician to come along with me and show him the problem.But besides that is there anything in particular I should ask the manager to do or show me like maybe run a diagnostic test and show me the results.Is he suppose to give me an analysis of the results and explain the reason why I may be exhibiting abnormal behavior with the car or just simply take his word for it that there may be nothing wrong with the car.He may call me and say he found the problem,but I'm just assuming that he may call and say there's nothing wrong with the car when indeed there is.The reason why I say that is because he was kind of jerk yesterday when he said that the engine noise I'm exhibiting is normal.I mean he didn't even have anyone look at the car when I complained about it.It was turned in yesterday and I'm waiting to hear from them today.So basically I'm asking you guys advice again because I just want to be prepared before I go there and see what he says.I'll keep you guys informed when he calls me.
I also own a 2007 Toyota Camry V6 XLE. I also have Michelin tires on this vehicle. The Camry originally came with Bridgestone tires, (a Firestone product), which WAS NOT acceptable. I had them change the tires as "part of the deal"!
In terms of "engine noise" I think that I understand what you are talking about with regards to this condition. When I start this engine in the morning, I do notice engine noise! It sounds like a small diesel for a short period of time. On the other side of the issue, I have a "personal choice" of letting my vehicles warm-up prior to driving down the road. So with that fact in mind, by the time I get behind the wheel, the engine noise is not longer an issue! I also notice that there is MORE NOISE on "start up" in VERY COLD weather. We are dealing with an aluminum engine and steel components inside the engine, (piston rods, crankshaft, --etc). The aluminum will expand quicker than steel components. That is why I have chosen to "warm-up" my engine prior to placing a load on the drive train. It is just a "personal choice"!
I have about a three + mile drive on city streets to the highway. I drive these street using the manual side of the automatic transmission. After letting my vehicle warm up prior to driving, I place the manual selector in "3" and the trasmission will shift 1,2,3. I then drive to the highway. This warms up the trans fluid. Once at the highway, I place the trans in drive position. I DO NOT have the "flare problem"!
In terms of the vibration / wobble I passed this by some of my friends who are "car people"! Here is their suggestion. Have someone drive your Camry on a straight level road, and you follow in another vehicle. Look at the wheels of the Camry. See if there is a wobble of the tire from side-to-side. Tires could be "out-of-round" from side-to-side or radially. If you know of someone who will put your vehicle on a "lift" spin the wheels by hand and look for odd conditions.
Now is the time to document all the service that is performed by the dealer. Make sure that you keep all the original paperwork, and you get a copy of every repair order / invoice every time you present the vehicle for service. I keep the original repair orders at home, and I keep copies in the car, because I do alot of traveling.
Keep your service "up-to-date" on the engine. I would let the dealer do all the oil and filter changes, so there is no question, down the road, if something happens because of the noisy engine. I recognize that Toyota recommends 5,000 mile oil & filter changes, but I like to split that interval in half, (because I do alot of driving), so I change the oil & filter every 2,500 miles. (Remember, Toyota in the past had a "sludge build up issue" with their engines!) If you plan on keeping the vehicle, consider putting an extended Toyota warranty for 100,000 miles on the vehicle. Documentation is VERY important! Keep all of your service records.
Please keep us informed as to your progress. Best regards. ---- Dwayne :shades:
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I ruled out the fact that the noise is because the engine is not warmed up.I'm aware that you may have engine noise if you don't let the car warm up before taking out.However,in my case I'm hearing the noise all the time long after the car is warmed up.Everytime I stop at an intersection I hear that annoying diesel truck like sound.
About the vibration and wobbles,he said its gone now because the tires needed to be rebalanced.Also,the problem with the steering he said was normal.He said one of the tech's took it for a drive and found nothing wrong.
I guess the only thing for me to do is to go there and check it out for myself.I'll have to drive and see if those vibrations and wobbles are gone.Their explanation about the engine noise I'm not too happy with and don't think its normal because of the fuel injectors firing.Afterall,when I drove my friends v6 his car didn't sound nowhere close to that kind of noise I'm hearing in my car.
I had the opportunity to check back on this site, and I am glad that you posted again about your problem.
I traded a 2003 Honda 4 cylinder Accord for the 2007 V6 Camry. I selected the Camry because of the comfort of the seats, (nothing more / nothing less)! Had the Accord seats been comfortable, I would have purchased an Accord.
Every vehicle today has issues. We are re-inventing the automobile! I can remember my family members owning 1951 Buicks, 1955 Fords, 1959 DeSotos, 1962, 64, & 65 Chevrolets, 1973 Caddy, ----etc. Non of these cars were perfect! But, in our memory, we think that they were GREAT CARS, mainly because the "men in the family" could repair them on a Saturday afternoon while drinking a 6-pack, and the parts were cheap! "Tune-ups" were done every 10,000 miles, and oil and filter changes were done every 2,000 miles, and most people purchased their oil & filters from Sears. Sears would sell 10W-30 / 10W-40 oil in large bulk containers. Every family had a large container of Sears oil and filters on the shelf of their garage.
The cars of today are just different! Yes, they have four (4) wheels and a drive train, but that is where the similarity stops. They have new sounds and new operating characteristics. They require new maintenance procedures, and they can no longer be maintained by the average individual, and that is where some of the problem is located! Everything today has to be done with special equipment and usually this means going to a dealer or a well equipped shop. This becomes VERY expensive! As the vehicle ages and goes "out of warrnty" the cost of maintenance becomes a BIG ISSUE! This makes people VERY concerned about the condition of their new vehicle while it is still under the original warranty! I think that the extended warranty has become a "way of life" for the car owner! It prevents costly repairs down the road! (100,000 miles)
I am sure that the noise that we hear with a Cold or Warm Camry V6 engine is the normal operating noise for a modern aluminum engine of 2007, but if we listen to these noises, and think about the cars of the 50s, 60s,70s, 80s, & 90s, the sounds take on a totally new meaning! Remember, there were NO electronic fuel injectors on the old cars, so the type of noise emitted by the injector today, would be a "valve lifter problem" of years ago! Yes, things have changed!
I have decided to just enjoy the new car. It is covered by a Toyota extended warranty for 100,000 miles, and if something malfunctions so be it! I will keep the service "up-to-date" to maintain the extended warranty!
Keep us posted because information is VERY important! ---------------- Best regards. ----- Dwayne
Well...
Many new vehicles are now equipped with DFI, Direct Fuel Injection. As far as I've been able to tell Toyota/Lexus has been the developmental leader in this breakthrough technology.
The SFI, Sequential Fuel Injectors, remain, are still being used, but now you have the additional NOISE of a DFI injector for each cyclinder.
Diesel sounds.
Well, yes, sorta.
In order to inject fuel at or near TDC during the compression cycle the fuel pressure must be above ~150 PSI. Not as high as diesel injector with ~18:1 compression ratios, but a LOT higher than required at the intake manifold with SFI.
So yes, some of you may be hearing the "sound" of "diesel" fuel injectors at work, but there are benefits in FE and HP.
I have to say I disagree with djm that you have to take cars to the dealer or well-equipped shop for servicing. I don't, and I do most maintenance myself -- oil and other fluid and filter changes, tire rotations, etc. You don't need any special tools for these. I inspect the brakes and underbody myself, and only have a professional change the brake pads (which is an infrequent occurrence). If anything, cars today are far less troubleprone than those in decades past.
As such, it cannot be considered a valid statistical sample...but, it is, no doubt, a fact that many owners, who may have troubles, are unaware of this board.
Moreover, approximately only one out of a hundred (1%) who have complaints or, on the other hand, wish to praise the car will take the time and trouble to write.
I was reluctant to leave with the car and insisted that they have one of the technicians ride with me just to make sure that the vibration issue was gone.Instead,they sent the manager of the service department to take a look.
I initially thought the guy who I spoke to on the phone and the one I was dealing with in the beginning when turning in the car was the service manager.I was wrong,he was just some guy at the desk.The service manager was someone else and seemed like a very nice guy.
I insisted he drive the car.I sat on the passengers side to observe.When he took the car on the highway he noticed the car was vibrating like I initially complained about.He told me that there was definitely a problem with the car.I could feel the vibration myself on the passengers side.He felt the same vibration on his drivers side.
He told he was personally going to work on it with one of the technicians and try to fix the problem.As far as the steering issue he felt like it was normal,but said what I was feeling could have been part of the vibration issue and he was going to look into it.
I'm quite disappointed.I was suppose to pick up the car problem free and its still there.Its strange they called me this morning and said they got rid of the vibration issue because the tires needed to be balanced.To me it sounded so much like an allighment problem because the vibrations only really occured while driving at highway speed like 65-70.It felt heavier after accelerating even more.However,you couldn't feel the vibration at lower speeds.The car did feel a little wobbly and unstable in the front when driving at lower speed like 35-40.But I ruled out the allighment to be the cause because they said they checked it out and it was normal.
As far as the engine noise I had him look at it before he initially drove the car and dealt with the vibration issue.He said it sounded normal and that's the way it suppose to sound on the v6.Its suppose to be the fuel injectors firing he explained.It was raining outside so when he drove it and stopped at a the traffic light we couldn't really hear it because the sound of the rain was coming in the way.But to me before taking the car there and complaining about it,it sounded so much like a diesel trucks engine.You could actually feel the steering wheel vibrate a bit when sitting inside.
The engine shouldn't sound that loud on a car with only 700 miles on it.In my earlier post I explained that this noise is occuiring all the time even after the engine is warmed up.It could be best heard when the car is idling stopped at a traffic light.
I don't know if I could further complain about the engine noise.They insist that its normal and due to fuel injectors firing.I'm not really satisfied with that answer.Can anyone tell me what to do now about that particular complaint? Is there anyway I could go further with the engine noise complaint even after they insist its normal?How do I proceed to further? Am I suppose to call toyota or something and open an arbitration case?
Also,thanks to Alan in his previous post that the engine noise may be a manufacturing defect.But if thats the case whats next for me to do ?
So in the end I am quite dissapointed.I just bought a brand new car that seems like a lemon.At this point I'm thinking the only possible explanation for the engine noise and vibration issue is that there was a manufacturing defect from the factory.It seems like I might have a lemon case.But I doubt it would go there because they may resolve the vibration issue and insist that the engine noise is normal.Do you guys have any advice how I should proceed? Thanks all for helping me this far.
Good Job Toyota!!
:lemon:
BEING A SEALED TRANSMISSION IT CAN'T BE REPAIRED. I'VE HAD THE VALVEBODY REPLACED AT 500 MILES.
NUMEROUS PROBLEMS PERSIST WITH THE TRANSMISSION.
CONCLUSION:THE TRANSMISSION IS ENGINEERINGLY DEFECTIVE. TOYOTA WON'T OWN UP TO THIS AND TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY YET BUT IN THE END NOT ONLY WILL THEY HAVE TO EITHER BUILD A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR THE 2007 V6 DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION BUT MAY HAVE TO BUY EVERY 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH A V6 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BACK AT THE ORIGINAL PURCHASERS COST INCLUDING ALL SALES TAX PAID AND RELATED COSTS. TOTAL COST TO TOYOTA COULD RUN OVER A BILLION DOLLARS.
EVEN WORSE FOR TOYOTA WILL BE THE FALLOUT OF NOT OWNING UP TO THE PROBLEM AND THUS PROBABLY LOSING AS MUCH AS 50% OF THEIR MARKET SHARE OF THE CAMRY SALES IN THE U.S.
At idle I can readly hear the injectors in my '01 RX300 so I would imagine that the extra six in a DFI engine could be quite loud and thereby more annoying than mine.
I don't have any idea what the actual timing is for the DFI injectors other than near TDC on the compression stroke and prior to ignition. But even so DFI may result in an entirely different combustion "sound" (maybe even a bit like the pinging you hear from a true diesel engine) over a normal SFI only engine.
The Camry V6 uses 1 injector/cylinder and runs at 44-50 psi fuel pressure.
As for the V6 noise, by all means ask to test drive another V6 to see if it makes the same noise. I find it hard to believe a Camry V6 would be so noisy when the 4-cylinder is very quiet to my ears. Then again, you indicated you couldn't hear it above the rain -- can't be that loud then unless the rain was coming down in buckets.
As has been pointed out, the V6 does not feature direct (fuel) injection. This is not very common yet in any gas-engined cars sold in the US.
As for "light" steering, the Camry has long been criticized for this -- it's not a defect, it's just that the steering is considered "overboosted." That is, enthusiast drivers believe it is too numb and offers little feel for the road. But some like it because you don't have to put much effort into turning the wheel.
Doesn't bother me, but then I go back to an era when some cars had enough "play" in their non-power-assisted steering that you could weave a rug. And my aunt's '61 Olds had power steering that made it feel like there was an air coupling in the steering column!
May I suggest that it would be a matter of road force variation in the tires/wheel combination. That means balancing on a standard spin balancer will still leave the wheel moving up and down when it's rolling with a load on it. A known problem since my 1977 Cutlass factory service manual where they describe a way to measure it.
Hunter 9700 The newer balancer can even measure side-to-side thrust due to improper belt or improper placement of belt off center.
Find a 9700 by zip code.
Also, respectfully, the road force variation in my Michelins was affected by trimming the alignment to exactly the ideal, middle of the ranges allowed even though they were within tolerances. Hope this might help with your car.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I drive a truck for a living and feel my truck has less noise on the highway then the Camry. Keep calling the 1800 # and complain.
We can only hope Toyota will resolve these problems with a recall?
i guess you get my drift
The 2007 Camry buy back has already been done in a couple of dozens cases and is being handled on a case by case basis under the lemon law in each respective State.
Good one. I almost spit out the coffee I'd just sipped when I got to that overstatement.
Do you have documentation they are "perfect" or is it possible they just haven't been noticed by the owner because of driving style and not using the transmission in the way that causes the flaw to show up?
Or is it possible the owner was told by the dealer as documented here that this misbehavior is "normal."
Or is it possible the owner decided they like the car, as you said, well enough they accept that flaw and learn to drive around it which fits their driving style.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The nervous way the guy in Service spoke, I could tell he was lying.
Is there some learning? Undoubtedly. Is there anything serious to report on this vast majority. I sincerely doubt it. I think it's not so much a 'flaw' as it is a 'difference'.
As you say those that can accomodate the difference see no problem with the trannies. Those that are more sensitive to the difference see it as a flaw. I've driven enough of them to make it come and go on the same vehicle.
I own a 07camry built in Jan/07. I know a transmission flare issue which I have not experienced, but I am not sure what is the transmission slip problem which you said many owners do not notice. Could you explain it so that a novice like me can understand easily? Is there any way to reproduce the problem so that many owners can notice it? Or, can someone show transmission slip problem (not a flare problem) with the video?
Thanks
If you have the problem, you won't have a bit of trouble knowing you have it.
It started at about 1200 miles with my 08/06 Kentucky produced Camry, and still does it at 5000+ miles.
With my tranny, it ALWAYS slips the first time it shifts from 3rd to 4th after an engine start up, then works normally after that until the next engine start up.
I also almost got read ended on 1-3-06 when my tranny hadn't shifted form 3rd to 4th yet, and I pulled out into traffic when somebody came flying around a blind corner.
I gave it gas to speed up and the tranny just acted like it was in Neutral and revved up a few thousand RPM. (i.e. Tach revved way up speedometer didn't move)
Then once it shifted from 3rd to 4th, it worked normally again.
There IS a problem with my tranny, it does EXACTLY as described in August 2,2006 TSB TC008-06 which was superseded on January 19,2007 by TSB TC002-07.
When I spoke to "Brian" at the Butler Toyota Service Department, Indianapolis on 12-12-06, I even mentioned more than once that my car did EXACTLY as described in TSB TC008-06. Each time I brought it up, Brian ignored it, and just kept nervously repeating his "it's just learning" line.
I did gave the service department a chance to deal with it.They rebalanced the tires and still the vibration occured after they insisted that it was fixed.I'm just glad I had a chance to have the service manager take it for a ride and check it out for himself.I just hope that they fix the problem this time before calling me.
AS far as the other issues go regarding the engine noise and steering they keep insisting that its normal.In the beginning I thought maybe they're right and that its normal.But being that I tested my friends V6 camry the engine didn't sound anywhere near as loud as mine.It also didn't exhibit any of the steering problems I am dealing with on my car.
Its just hard for me to believe that a V6 camry with only 700 miles should sound as loud as a diesel truck when idling at a dead stop.
I guess the only way to prove to the service department that the engine noise is not normal is to have them pull the same car and compare it next to mine.
As far as steering problems go I'm hesitant to believe its normal.I owned a 04' camry in the past and it didn't have any of those steering issues that I'm dealing with now.
I am thinking the steering problems I'm dealing with have alot to do with the vibration issue in the front.It just feels like the steering has a hard time communicating with the front wheels.
I read someones post earlier and its exactly feels like he explained.It gives an unstable feeling on the road being that the car drifts alot and doesn't respond accurately to the drivers steering movements.
When you turn the steering wheel to make a turn it feels like you need to turn the steering wheel more towards the end of turn to complete it.The rear feels like its not moving according with the front on the and feels like its being dragged upon.
I've read in the toyota repair manual that someone posted online to start the car and while its in park to move the steering wheel to the right and left and look at the front left tire.The steering wheel should not move that easily and should require a little resistance while moving it hence requiring the individual to put more effort into moving it left or right .
With my car the steering wheel moves so easily and doesn't feel like it offers any resistance at all.I suppose the steering wheel should offer a little stiffness while moving it to the left or right.This is while the car is in parked.I know if its in drive then its normal.
I moved it all the way to the left so easily.It doesn't bounce back a little to the right like it should when letting go.It doesn't give me the feeling that its communicating with the tires or road.
I mean while moving the steering wheel you should get a feeling of the tires moving along while holding the steering wheel.It should give you the feeling that its communicating with the tires and the road.I don't feel that on my car.I feel the steering wheel move,but not that bit of tightness on the wheel that gives you the feeling the tires are moving.I don't get the sense that tires are moving while the car is in parked.The steering wheel feels so loose and light in that sense.
Also when I visually compared it to the front left wheel it felt like I needed to move to steering wheel alot more to the left for the front left wheel to accurately turn all the way to the left.
Ok,I expalined my issues as best as I could.So please can someone share their insight of where the problem lies.Thanks.
Now the way you're stating it I do have to agree. I believe there's a characteristic of the transmission/programming/motor emissions setup that is a problem. And some people never ask of their car to perform in a way that shows it with the delay. Others may have to use that manner of driving every day in their commute. My own driving style would probably never discover the hesitation problem; the shift flare might show up for me.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You seem to be too happy with your car to be on this site. Why are you on it anyhow?
I really like the car and hope Toyota rectifies the transmission problems.
Hmmmmmmmmm, a mole?
I love my 2007 Camry V6, other than the transaxle "slip" (flare) the first time it shifts from 3rd to 4th after each engine start. I've been lucky as far as fit and finish.
My car is definitely by VIN# and function, a candidate for the TSB TC002-07.
My V6 camry is now 2k miles, and I have noticed the following.
1). After starting the car, shifting from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th is not really smooth (need about 1 ~ 2 second after RPM reaches to 2000). My wife's 2000 altima does it quick. RPM is not way up, just below 2500.
2) When press a gas pedal after a turn with very slow speed (about 5 mph), shifting from 2nd to 3rd (maybe 1st to 2nd) is not smooth (need about 1 second after RPM reaches to 2000). RPM is not way up, just below 2500.
3) When driving uphill, the car jerked a little bit after taking my foot off from gas pedal for about 2 seconds and then I gave it gas. It happened two times.
Are they
normal?
or
because of driving by wire?
or
problem on camry07 V6?
Thanks
Again they said that the engine noise was normal.So I pretty much gave up on that and have to learn to live with it.However,they said the reason why I was having the steering problems was because the wheels were out of balance and that was part of the same vibration issue.
When I took it out for a drive it felt like it was back to normal.The steering was precise and gave me more feedback for the road.It felt like the wheels were sticking to the road this time.The car felt more stable while driving straight and making turns.The only drawback is that this time I hear alot more tire noise while driving straight.
In comparison,before it felt like I was driving on air and I couldn't really feel the road.I guess that's why it gave me the feeling like the car was unstable.That also probably explains the reason why the car drifted alot on the highway while driving straight.Also helps explain for the wobbling from side to side while making turns.Actually,It kind of jumped alot up and down in a hopping motion while making those turns.
So basically the roadforcing wheel balance helped resolve the problem.I'm still skeptical to believe that it solved the actual problem.I have to drive it for another week and test it on the highway just to make sure those vibrations are gone.
However,the steering doesn't feel as loose as it did before.It seems to be communicating accurately with the front wheels and with my steering movements.
My only question is that why were the wheels not properly balanced from the factory in the first place? Maybe they were balanced and that wasn't the problem.And only roadforcing them is a temporary fix that helps hide the real problems responsible for the vibration and steering.
At this point since my vibration and steering problems are gone I'm must accept that the problem lied within the fact that the wheels were out of balance and roadforcing them was the proper solution.
I'm really only concerned that those problems don't come back.Can anyone tell me if roadforcing the wheels was the right thing for the dealer to do? Is it just a temporary fix? I read somewhere that toyota dealers are not even suppose to use that sort of technique to balance the wheels.How come when the dealer initially balanced the wheels it didn't help get rid of the problem? Its only the second time I went that he suggested roadforcing the wheels into balance.Can anybody help me with my concerns? Thanks.
Relax and enjoy your new car!