2009 Toyota Camry

james108

Hi, I have my 2009 Camry LE V6 for 2 months, recently I notice a small buzz sound beneath the dash when cruising at around 30 mph. Have any one experienced the same problem? The buzz noise is on and off in the speed range of 25-35 mph. Thanks.

santocs

There is a foul smell coming when i switch on the A/C. Has anybody experienced it? mine is a 2009, LE 4 cylinder Camry

wwest

SOP.

Go to airsept.com and read about their EED, Electronic Evaporator Dryer.

Or Google for:

wwest "dirty gym socks"

kiawah

I've seen some posts in a number of different cars, which reference a smell when first starting. Seems to be the common link are users who leave the A/C mode in "re-circulate" or "max a/c"...where it isn't bringing in the outside air.

Is this possibly part of how you normally run the a/c?

sweetooth

I just got a new 2009 camry LE with VSC last week. It drives so different from the one i test drove at a different dealer.....the steering feels so stiff and i feel the road through my steering...what could be the reason..it has PZEV sticker on it...i checked the manu. date: it shows 7/08 so it could not be the TSB issue....what should i do? Only for 200 dollar price difference and the choice of color, i chose to buy from this dealer far away from where i live...i feel i should have gone with the dealer next door.....

Any help deeply appreciated.

210delray

Well, it could be that your power steering boost is not up to par, although I somehow doubt it. And "feel of the road" is generally considered to be a good thing. Neither the PZEV classification or the TSB issues are relevant here, nor the fact that the car has VSC.

You don't have to go back to the selling dealer for warranty service -- try the local dealer, and while you're there, try test driving another Camry LE or XLE with same engine -- a 4-cylinder I assume? I'd expect the sport model (SE) to respond differently.

mcdawgg

Check tire pressure.

210delray

Forgot about that one -- it is the first thing that should be checked. But wouldn't one (or both) tires have to be really underinflated for it to be noticeable in the steering effort?

santocs

I have always used the A/C in the outside A/C mode and never in re-circulation. this has started only a week back. whenever i start the engine.. the foul smell starts coming from the A/C vents.

Mr WWEST, i read the article mentioned by you, but is it not an extra fitting for the air conditioning system?

james108

Hi, I have my 2009 Camry LE V6 for 2 months, recently I notice a small buzz sound beneath the dash when cruising at around 30 mph. Have any one experienced the same problem? The buzz noise is on and off in the speed range of 25-35 mph. Thanks.

wwest

The smell results from the growth, and "leavings" of microbes that thrive in dank, dark, and moist evironments.

Your problem results from the amount of moisture left in/on the A/C evaporator vanes after even a brief period of use. If you park the car inside at night it would probably be satisfactory to lower the windows slightly each and every night to let the moisture evaporate out of the cabin.

That procedure worked for my new '92 LS until I did a few modifications not unlike the EED.

kiawah

wwest....yuck,

That description is enough to want me to go spray chlorox on the air cabin filter!

wwest

Some of the newer upscale models, Lexus LS for instance, have a small UV light mounted near the A/C evaporator.

market525

Since you are a Penzoil fan, I would highly suggest the Penzoil Platnium Plus full synthetic motor oil. Do you change your own oil? Most any of the large auto parts stores will stock the Penzoil PP. If you do not change your own oil, I am not sure where to send you .....

As for using oil, makes no sense to me. You should not see any difference in oil comsuption. This oil, changed at 5,000 miles or no longer than 6 months would be an excellent choice.

Good luck with the new Camry.

exler

I just had an interesting conversation with the service manager on the cruise downshift problem on hills and the slight vibration in the 30-45 mph range--I think that TSB-0068 and TSB-0069 apply respectively. He said that reflashing could affect the shift points and I may be unhappy afterwards. He said once it is done he cannot change it back. He said he has done some and there are some unhappy people. Makes me think twice if my problem is not severe--in fact the vibration was worse when the car was new-- not too bad now--hardly noticeable--now have 9K . On the cruise downshift I can override that one way or another. I just do not want to make some small things worse. The service manager seemed sincere on these issues. Not because he did not want to do the reflashing. Any thoughts please.

lucky_777

If there are " some unhappy people" after this TSB they definitely didn't come on this board to share their experience.

mcdawgg

I have not seen any reports of anyone that was unhappy after doing these latest TSBs. I am on Edmunds CarSpace and several other websites, including a Toyota-only board, so this service manager would be the first negative report out of at least 100 positive reports. Maybe this service manager is confusing the old TSBs with the new ones?

aeroengr

:lemon:

In the first 4500 miles, we had FOUR wheel bearings replaced. Right front, left front, right front, right rear. All due to a growling noise and vibration. Four trips to two different dealers while on vacation 1500 miles from home. Three visits to a dealer for the same problem meets the lemon laws in our state.

Went through the arbitration with Toyota, turned down. Filed for a claim under our platinum level warranty for hotel rooms and expenses (since we were more than 150 miles from home) and got nothing. No Toyota rental car while the car was out of service for 9 days.

So we paid extra for platinum warranty that did not work, and now our car has a CarFax history and reduced value. Next step is a lemon law attorney.

lucky_777

Sorry to hear about your problems! Can you provide trim level, engine type, manufacturing date, and factory? On the good note, you got your car fixed and mechanical repairs don't go to Carfax.

mcdawgg

It says right in regular warranty info that Toyota will provide a rental car if repairs are more than a day (overnight). :confuse:

This is the first bad wheel bearing problem I have heard about, so you must have bad luck!

paul3637

Thanks for the advice. Since I will have less than 4000 miles when I get to 6 months, I plan to use regular Pennzoil 5w30 at the first change and Pennzoil Platinum at the second oil change and thereafter. My Toyota dealer uses Regular Pennzoil by default but they also carry Pennzoil Platinum synthetic - and I always have oil changes done at the dealer. They charge less than Jiffylube and you get a good toyota filter instead of an el cheapo fram from a quick lube shop.

aeroengr

Our Camry SE was built in KY in April 2008. 4 cyl. auto. No, the car is not fixed, and yes, repairs do appear in CarFax. We understand that if the cars are not tied down correctly on the transporter, it can damage the hub assembly. It was not just the wheel bearings that were replaced, it was the hubs too. One was found to be not tight. :lemon:

lucky_777

Are you saying that it is not a manufacturing defect but damage done by delivery service while transporting car from the factory to the dealer? Why car still not fixed, what else is wrong with it? You definitely need to talk to Toyota corporate and make sure that they aware of this issue.

kay23

I'm in the process of buying an LE 4 cyl. with the convenience pkg - traction, stability, etc. Wondering if I should buy the extended warranty. My mileage is high - 35,000 per year - and I'd probably keep it until it has about 150,000. Historically, it seems there is little warranty work done on these cars. Anyone know if it is possible to purchase the extended warranty after a year and a half - before the manufacturer's warranty runs out. This is a Canadian purchase.

210delray

I've never had an extended warranty on any car I've owned. But if you decide to go for it, I'm pretty certain you can buy one just before the factory warranty runs out.

deevon

I have a 09 Camry. When I start my car the recirculation air button is always on and when I shift to drive and come of the break there is a jump when I move off is this normal?? There is also a scrapping sound when the first gear shift occurs is that normal too?

kiawah

If you have the temperature knob turned all of the way to the coldest position, it will put the mode into re-circulation. Look closely at the temperature knob, you'll see.

lucky_777

Read here for extended warranty info

alohatofu, "Extended Warranty - Toyota Extra Care" #1, 18 Sep 2007 10:50 pm

This is your call if you want to buy warranty or not. It should cost you around $500-600. Make sure that you buy only Toyota extra care warranty, no third party. Midwest Toyota in Kansas was the cheapest for me.

kay23

Thanks for the info. The finance person at the dealership is going the typical pressure thing. The Toyota Extended Care in Canada for 60 months / 160,000 kms (not miles is $1,599 Canadian. If I want 100% guarantee to get my money back should I not use it, I have to fork out another $270, works out to be approx $2,112 with taxes. In Canada you only have 31 days after vehicle registration to get the extra warranty.

My issue about the extended warranty is that I'm not sure I even need it. Reality is that if I end up with a lemon I should know within the first 20,000 - with my driving, that is about 8 months. It's a bit of the case of betting it'll fail and betting it won't.

I haven't read much about any warranty issues.

lucky_777

I didn't hear about any major issues with 08/09 Camrys besides transmission software that was addressed by TSB back in May.

kay23

Thank you. Contacted Toyota Canada about the extended warranty and they assumed me I can get it anytime within the manufacturer's warranty period. My dealer told me I had to get it when purchasing the car. Anyhow, I've decided to wait and then decide in a year or so.

mcdawgg

07, 08 and 09 - Inline 4 cylinder - no major issues, except the transmission software, like lucky777 said above.

6 cylinder - ???

In my experience and opinion, it is still better to invest the money (not in stocks!) and then use it if you have to for repairs. Chances are, you'll come out way ahead.

camryforlife

This is my first oil change with the 2009 Camry LE and the mechanic ask me if I rotate the tires. Let's be real is this really necessary? I drove an used car for 60,000 miles and I never had to rotate any of the tires.

He said you should rotate the tires every 5,000 miles. Any feedback

sttkailua

Wow! 60,000 miles and no rotation?
If the car was a rear-wheel drive, the
wear might have been uniform.

With the Camry being front-wheel drive, the turning and
power tend to wear the front tires faster than the back.

You can probably get by with rotations every 10,000 miles.

deevon

Everything is of the AC, fan but the re-circulating button is still on. Is it normal?

kiawah

Your response isn't clear.

Let's try it this way.

The system will go into re-circulation mode if:
1.) You push the recirulation button, or
2.) You turn the temperature knob all the way to the COLDEST position.

210delray

Rotating will even out the wear on the tires. Front-drive cars tend to chew up their front tires fairly rapidly. But you can go 10K miles between rotations, despite what the manual says.

I personally change mine about 7500 miles, but I do this myself (and change the oil every 6 months, since my 2 Camrys usually hit the 6 months before going 5K miles).

jmcamry

Hi guys/ girls,
My brand-new Camry Hybrid just got rear-ended 4 days ago. So far the repairs are at $6000. However, they have not checked to see if the hybrid batteries/ cells have been damaged. What is the likelihood they are damaged?...the frame rails on the rear-end have to be repaired, and the trunk is now mis-alinged. Also, the Nav. screen popped out (about a half inch) of the dash. That is also not in the repair quote. I feel like the shop where I took it is doing their best, but my ins. adjuster is taking advantage of me because I am a girl. Any ideas? I would really appreciate it. Thank you

gooddeal2

...but my ins. adjuster is taking advantage of me because I am a girl.

I don't know why people like to use this statement. No one can take advantage of you if you stay on top of the issue.

Battery-you can tell the repair shop to look at it. If it's damaged, it will be replaced.

Screen-Again, you just need to tell the shop to fix it.

The adjuster cannot put in any damages in the quote if they cannot see it. That's why it's an "ESTIMATE". They can make a note but that's all they can do. It's your responsibility to make sure that you get everything fixed.

kiawah

Your insurance company will be paying the repair shop to fix everything, and then collecting from the other person's insurance company since you were rearended by them. If they don't believe they can repair the vehicle for the $$'s the insurance company has initially estimated (for whatever reason, including hidden damage), they'll let them know.

jmcamry

Well, I suppose I use that statement because I have told the adjuster twice, as well as the repair shop manager, and still they say, "oh we didn't know" I AM staying on top of it, but I cannot drive there to baby-sit them; I am on pain meds due to various strains and a fracture in my L-5. Thanks for the response though!!

rearwheeldrive

I would take pictures of the damage much like the insurance does and then send a written notice to the adjuster. Certified mail for your pending court case. Maybe ask a lawyer if they will type up a letter for you on their letterhead. Take pictures of the trunk and let the bodyshop know that is unsatisfactory for a new car and take pictures when you bring the car back to the shop.Get the shop in the picture too! Ask why your car trunk is different than the one at the dealer. Don't tell them what your gonna do.They'll be on the phone to your adjuster before you can say lawsuit.

I dont know what a body shop would know about the your Hybrid Batteries, but each cell should charge at about the same rate. I believe a device on board called a BMS is the way the car knows when the batteries are charging correctly. But I would ask a separate electric car shop who knows about Hybrids to check out each cell for performance and problems with the cars batteries after everything is fixed.

Good luck

deevon

Let me explain completely. When I start my car the light above the recirculating button comes on, I turn off my AC the fan everything and push the button so that it not just cabin air. Then I turn the ignition off when I turn it on the light above the reticulating button comes on again even thought everything is off. This happens every time I start my car even if I have everything (AC, air) off and previously push the button for recirculating air. That’s why I want to know if this happens with everyone or is it just my Camry it’s a 09 if that’s makes a difference

deevon

I have seen on ebay a few times they have these things they call them Gas saver speed chips, performance speed chips and gas savers I’ll put the link to them at the bottom so you can check them out. My question is do these really work and if they do will they have any adverse effects on the car there used in??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:I- T&item=320301924503

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:I- T&item=290261999892

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__GAS-SAVER-TOYOTA-CA- MRY-1990-2008-2007-2006-05-04-03-02_W0QQitemZ250297208278QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20Truck- Q20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ2865QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250297208278&_trkp- arms=39%3A1%7C65%3A10%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

kiawah

I don't know how to be any clearer. There are three knobs, with buttons in the middle. The left most one is the one that gives you the option to turn the recirculation on or off.

Move over to the center knob, the one that adjusts the temperature. If you have that knob turned all the way counter-clockwise to the coldest 'max a/c' position.....it will turn the re-circulation ON.

I suspect you have the center temperature knob in the coldest position, which is turning on the recirculation every time you start the car.

wwest

The operation, automatic operation, of the fresh/recirculate functionality of most cars of asian origin, like fog light control/switching, has long been totally and completely ILLOGICAL..!!

My guess is that if the IAT, Interior Air Temperature, is higher than the OAT, Outside Air Temperature, when you turn on the system power via the ignition key, then the system is programmed by the factory to automatically go into recirculate mode.

IDIOTS.

My personal practice is to switch the system back into fresh mode, run the blower on HIGH to PURGE the hot air from the cabin. Use the A/C only if the interior temperature elevation warrants it. Only after the cabin atmosphere is cooled to or below OAT do I change the mode to recirculate to increase the A/C's cooling effectiveness. I try to not continue the use fresh or/and the A/C if the OAT is near or below my comfort level.

But never, NEVER, use recirculate when the dominant need is HEATING.

wwest

Kiawah,

I think you might be missing a "fine" point of the operation of these systems.

Suppose you want to put the HVAC system, climate control, manual or automatic, in "neutral"..., no heat and no cooling..??

The only way I know to do that is to have it turned on and in MAX cooling and then switch it off. If you happen to switch it off while the reheat/remix door/vane is in some intermediate position it will remain there even after/when you switch the system OFF. Obviously that MAX cooling setting would also result in the system switching, automatically, to recirculate each and every time you start the car.

Before the beancounters intervened there used to be an engine coolant flow shutoff valve in line to the heater core. Now the valve no longer exists and so a reheat/remix vane door left in an intermediate position will result in heating and incoming FRESH airflow.

So the only option becomes: you must reach over and manually switch it back to fresh mode.

exler

I am scheduling the TSB-0068--will this take care of the abrupt downshift when going down a hill when not in cruise also? This is in regards to a 4 cylinder automatic. Thank you.

mcdawgg

From what I've read here and elsewhere, yes.

santocs

I have been always using the A/C in re-circulation mode. And one of my friends also have a same model and he too keeps his car just near to where i keep mine and he is not having any foul smell from his car. I have noticed the smell increases during rainy seasons. but it is not going inspite of me puting the A/C in outside mode for long time.

also when i run without the A/C when the outside air comes through automatically the smell is there.

Can anybody tell me if they have same problem???