Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

dtownfb · August 2009

Not really a problem. Does anyone else have air blowing from the center vents of their Camry even when the position knob is in the off position? I have a 2006 Camry LE and air comes through the center vents. The faster I drive the more air comes through. The side vents don't seem to have this problem.

has anyone else experienced this?

210delray · August 2009

I'm pretty sure my 2004 LE does this also, although I usually have the fan on.

I don't remember if the center vents can be closed manually (I always have all 4 -- side and center -- open).

dtownfb · August 2009

The middle vents can't be closed manually like the side vents. Not really a problem, just like to know if this is normal or not.

wwest · August 2009

You can baffle the flow a bit by putting the system in defrost/defog/demist while you have it on and then turn it off. You might also try putting it in recirculate and then turning it off but many systems will defeat that procedure.

210delray · August 2009

I checked on the way home last night -- you're correct that the center vents can't be closed. I noticed air flows through all 4 vents with the fan off (and the side vents open of course).

Sometimes I use this when the weather is not too cold; that is leave the fan off but turn the temp knob to warm.

dtownfb · August 2009

The only time it is an issue is if the temps are in the 80's and I choose to leave the windows open. The air coming through the vents sometimes gets warm.

I've only had the car two months so I am still figuring everything out. Love the gas mileage.

210delray · August 2009

Agree on the gas mileage!

wwest · August 2009

You can prevent that by turning the system to maximum cooling and then turning it off. By simply turning off the reheat/remixing door/vane may be left in a position wherein a goodly portion of the "natural" airflow is heated.

dtownfb · September 2009

Thanks wwest. I'll give that a try tonight.

While I have everyone's attention, has anyone upgraded their radio in the Camry? the stock radio is pretty boring.

210delray · September 2009

You have an LE with the 3-button manual climate control, correct? If so, I just discovered, similar to what wwest was saying, is if you simply turn on the fan, then hit the inset button to select "recirculate" (green light turns on), and finally turn off the fan, you won't get any airflow through the vents.

Both of my Camrys have the optional JBL setup (factory option) and I'm pleased with the sound.

smithjs · September 2009

Kiawah:

I have posted on here once before regarding the ABS making clicking sound at 7-11 mph which I understand is normal, but recently I have noticed a very very faint clicking sound (same noise as 7-11 mph) occur at 20 mph. Why would this occur twice and why is the second one so faint? Are two clicks normal at different speeds?

kiawah · September 2009

I never experienced any click at 20mph.

When we first got our 2007, I immediately noticed the first clicking as we were backing out of the garage every morning. I thought it was a problem, diagnosed it down to being the ABS system, then read up about the self test that it was doing and found the owners manual reference to it. If there was a 2nd click at 20, I never heard it or paid any attention to it.

I can tell you that for what seems like the longest time now (at least a year or maybe even two), I don't even hear the self test anymore. I know the ABS is still working correctly, as I've tested it in real driving situations!

smithjs · September 2009

Charlie:

After reading your response I have noticed a very very faint clicking at 20 mph. Sometimes I hear it and sometimes I do not. Have you received confirmation from anyone else if this second click is normal? Once again, the second one as you describe is LESS noticeable. The car has to be quiet (no radio, air, windshield wipers etc...) and you really have to concentrate to hear it. The one I hear is extremely FAINT. Curious to hear what you think or what else you found out.

smithjs · September 2009

Chuckhall:

You responded to my first response regarding the ABS noise. I have a follow up question. After reading responses and talking to Toyota I realize that the clicking sound at 7-11 mph is normal, but recently I have noticed a very very faint clicking sound (same noise as 7-11 mph) but occurs at 20 mph. The noise at 20 mph is very very faint and you really have to be listening and concentrating to hear it. Best heard when no noise (radio, air, windshield wipers etc...) Why would this occur twice and why is the second one so faint?

dtownfb · September 2009

Tried it yesterday and it worked as well.

I have the basic radio. I'm not a music connoisseur but I would like to have RDS and HD.

kiawah · September 2009

There is a damper in the HVAC system, which when open allows outside air to enter the air plenum, and when closed recirculates the inside cabin air. What you are doing is closing the damper by putting it into recirculate mode, and then turning off the system.

wwest · September 2009

Due to the dangers of windshield fogging from cabin humidity build up in recirculate mode many newer systems will revert to fresh incoming airflow even when off, or as a standard "turn-off" sequence.

Put the system in recirculate and turn off the A/C and within about two minutes the system will switch automatically to "fresh".

mcdawgg · September 2009

But, if you want to defeat this, push and hold the recirculate button for 5 seconds, and it will not switch back to fresh, except if you switch into or out of the defrost modes. NOTE: be careful, just as you would when cars did not have this safety feature.

jollygreen1 · November 2009

I was fortunate to find a six month old Camry LE (private owner) with 9k on it in 2005. Today (3 Nov 09) I have 61k on it and it has been a great vehicle. I did have the steering intermediate shaft lubricated (Service Bulletin T-SB-0296-08) and it stopped the clunking noise during slow speed turning and it seems to handle a lot better (psychological). The cost was $200 at an independant shop. Toyota dealer would not even discuss because it is out of warranty (matter of fact they were rude). I now have a "rain stick" noise on the driver's side dash during slow back ups, turns and slow forward acceleration. No, it isn't ping. The vehicle gets a consistent 25 to 27 town and at 65mph on the highway it gets 35-37. It will get 40mpg at 60mph (using consistent fill up procedures and hand calculated). Although I would like a new Prius, I cannot justify replacing the Camry.

jackman7 · January 2010

2000 Camry w 120k miles.
No fuel on garage floor; strong fuel odor after driving any distance. Smell not interior, but exterior near drivers side.
Mechanic mentioned canister filter(?) on fuel system.
Where is it, and what do I check?
Any other recommendations? Vehicle runs great, just smells.

kiawah · January 2010

Don't you think you should stop driving the car, and park it outdoors, before immediately getting it to a mechanic to fix?

If you get someone with a cigarette, or some heat ignition source for those gas fumes, you could give new definition to car bomb.

Could have a leaking fuel line, fuel pump, or broken fuel recirculation. I've seen two different vehicles catch fire over the years with a fuel leak......end result is not a pretty picture. One was parked in the garage and almost burnt the house down.

edmund2460 · January 2010

My 03 V6 is due soon for the timing belt change and I'm thinking of doing the water pump too. Total dealer cost is going to be around $700. I think I can find an experienced good mechanic who works on mostly foreign cars to do it for a good bit less. Is there anything about this job and the car that I should positively take it to the dealer, thanks

wwest · January 2010

No....NO!

And forget the water pump...

Old wives(mechanic's) tale.

pappastratos · January 2010

I have a 1993 Camry, the speedometer, tach & gas guage do not work. Everything else does. I repaired 2 broken wires & broken insulation at the driver's door. Any direction ?

blin279 · January 2010

"My 03 V6 is due soon for the timing belt change..."

Are you sure there's the timing belt in it? I have same car, 2003 LE V6 and I was told at the time of purchase (August 2003) that there's chain, not belt. Please explain. Thanks. :confuse:

kiawah · January 2010

Sorry, you either mis-understood or changed which car you were originally looking at, ...............or whoever told you didn't know what they were talking about.

The I4-4 cylinder engine has a chain, the V6-6 cylinder has a fiber belt.

edmund2460 · January 2010

West: Sorry did not check for replies earlier.. What generally is the useful life of a Camry water pump? The dealer quotes something like $500 to do a water pump by itself and about 150 with a timing belt repair.

I take it you are saying take it to a mechanic if cheaper.. Thanks

210delray · January 2010

I don't think you can pin down a mileage for the average life of a water pump. My guess would be at least 100,000 miles on average, maybe more.

But when I had my former '97 Camry, the only time I changed the timing belt was at 93K miles and I didn't change the water pump. (The car was sold at 111K miles, but I didn't know I was going to sell it at the time of the timing belt change.)

By all means, if you can find a good reputable independent mechanic, take your car there. Ask for recommendations from friends, relatives, or co-workers.

mrslawson31 · February 2010

Recently I was told that my 2003 Toyota Camry had a blown head gasket. Before my car ran hot, I was hearing a slushing or gurgling sound coming from the dash. It sounded like water was circulating. The technician at a privately owned repair shop said that my coolant was leaking and caused the car to run hot. The technician put the car on a rack and removed the foam piece and said the coolant was leaking from the head gasket. After further checking the gasket, it was found to have three stripped head bolts. They were able to pull the bolts out by hand. I was told that it was nothing they could do except replace the engine. I went to the dealership today (Springhill Toyota in Alabama) and spoke with the owner. He told me that it was probably something I did and I could have the car towed to them and they would check it out and try to repair it at a reduced rate. He also told me this is the first time he has heard of this happening which I don't believe. Now, it is mighty strange that everyone on this forum is having the same problem, and Toyota or the dealership won't own up to the fact that it is a defect. I did find a kit that is suppose to repair the problem and the cost of it is 345.00. It doesn't do any good to have the engine replaced because you will have the same problem later on. I told my mother to purchase a camry and she bought a 2005 model. Her model has also been having problems. Luckily her car has low mileage and this hasn't happened to her yet. I am very upset that Toyota has been ignoring customer complaints about this situation.

kiawah · February 2010

mrslawson,

Not trying to defend Toyota, but if Toyota stripped the bolts while assembling the engine 7 years ago, you would have had problems immediately. You can't have 3 stripped head bolts and the vehicle run fine for 7 years.

So I suspect that there is more to this story than this most recent overheating episode.

Do you know if the bolts are stripped, or the bolt holes are stripped?
You don't mention the vehicle mileage, or the general condition of the vehicle and prior maintenance performed.....so it's a little hard to recommend the best course of action to resolve.

The slushing and gurgling would be caused by air in the cooling system, which would flow thru the heater core on the inside of the firewall in the engine compartment (and that is the noise you heard). That could be caused by running low on coolant (due to any number of problems w/radiator, hoses, cap, heater core, clamps, water pump, etc); or it could be that a leaky head gasket pumped cylinder air into the cooling system.

Although it is possible that a head gasket was the cause of the problem, it is generally more likely that one of the other more common/typical items would be the root cause of the problem, and with that loss of coolant you ended up seriously overheating your engine.

edmund2460 · February 2010

Well, I don't know much about what's involved in doing a belt. My mechanic is good, but he goes back a long rtime and I don't know if he keeps up with progress. I didn't know if procedures are widely different diepending on the car model.

edmund2460 · February 2010

yes blin279 the V6 does have a belt. I was told by the idiot salesman that it had a chain too at the time of purchase. Sounds like there is a conspiracy here. The V6 is quieter though and that's why we have it instead of the 4

edmund2460 · February 2010

You wrote..."The slushing and gurgling would be caused by air in the cooling system, which would flow thru the heater core on the inside of the firewall in the engine compartment (and that is the noise you heard). That could be caused by running low on coolant (due to any number of problems w/radiator, hoses, cap, heater core, clamps, water pump, etc); or it could be that a leaky head gasket pumped cylinder air into the cooling system "

My wife complains from time to time of hearing this gurgling sound coming from behind the firewall on the passenger side on our '03 V6. She thinks it's only when the air conditioner is on. (I can't hear very well so I can't judge) Our coolant is fine, I'm always replacing that on schedule, could it be a leaky head gasket and if so, how do I go about ruling that out.. Thanks.

mrslawson31 · February 2010

I have been noticing a fuel smell from my car also on the drivers side. I haven't seen any gas on the garage floor. I mentioned to my husband that the filter probably needs to be changed. I have a 2003 Camry. Let me know if you have changed your filter and if it solved the fuel smell. Thanks!!!

mrslawson31 · February 2010

The car has 115,000 miles on it and I had all the scheduled maintenance performed. The only things I had replaced on it was the starter and the battery. The car didn't loose all of the coolant, but had a slow leak. Their was no steam coming from the radiator, but the temperature needle was going up and down. So I immediately pulled the car over and turned it off. I was only like 3 minutes from my house when it happened. When the technician pulled the bolts out, the threads came out along with them. I don't know much about cars, but I thought this was unusual that the technician could pull the bolts out by hand.

210delray · February 2010

Fuel smell = don't mess around guessing! Take it back to the mechanic ASAP.

ctbethbun · February 2010

This is not an isolated problem. Exact same thing happened to me the first week of November, 2009. Gurgling noise, no prior issues at all, no leaks until that week. I had researched and found many of the same problems on car forums going back years. Related to inferior engine bolts. Took to dealer, told them my concerns. The said radiator cap was loose and replaced. As I drove off the lot, the same gurling noise was there so I drove it right back in and told them not fixed. Keep it overnight at the dealer. Next day get a call that the head gasket is warped..yada yada yada. Took back panel and it was soaked with oil etc. $6300 for new engine. Car only had 124,000 miles on it. My previous 1992 Camry (made in Japan vs US crap) sold to a friend finally died at 285k. Do not let them let them tell you it was something you did or just a rare occurence. This is another coverup that Toyota is burying.

tonyp4 · February 2010

For what it's worth, there are hundreds of instances with the Toyota 2AZ-FE headbolts pulling out of the block. It happened to me too on my 03 Camry with 117k miles. It seems the affected vehicles are 02-06 Camrys, Rav4's, Highlanders, and Scions all using this same 4 cylinder motor. It indeed is a coverup.

210delray · February 2010

Links please? I have a 2004 model Camry.

How and why does this happen, and are there any preventive measures to take?

I assume you're referring to the Scion tC, since the xB didn't get this engine until the 2008 model redesign?

mrslawson31 · February 2010

I don't think there are really any preventive measures to take. I guess you have to sit back and wait for it to happen. I spent 1300.00 for repairs and 345.00 for the kit to repair the head. Toyota knows about this problem, but they are acting like this is the first they are hearing about it.

lmacmil · April 2010

I have 2005 SE-V6. At low speeds, like backing out of the garage or a parking space, I hear soft "clunks" (for lack of a better term) when turning the wheel. The clunks are more audible than tactile. At any normal driving speed, I don't hear or feel anything. Strangely, neither dealer I take it to for oil changes has never mentioned anything. Perhaps this is normal (although I don't hear/feel anything like this in my wife's Highlander.)

kiawah · April 2010

Sounds like your constant velocity joint may be bad.

If you look at your front hub, there is a 1/2 driveshaft coming from the transmission to each front wheel. At the hub, there is a boot filled with grease, covering a CV joint. That CV joint, allows the driveshaft to turn the hub (with the tire on it), whether it goes up and down over a bump, or around a bend.

If that boot cracks and water gets inside, or if the vehicle is driven very hard, the cv joint gets pitted and the ball bearings don't ride smooth in the grooves anymore, and you get that clicking. Fast/hard accelerations, particularly when starting from a stop with the wheel turned, can put a lot of stress on the joint. When it first starts out going bad, it is most noticeable when the front wheel is turned, as it is beyond it's 'normal' operating limit when the car is going straight

If bad, the common fix is to replace the halfshafts w/CV, get vehicle re-aligned. I've found in my cars if one is bad, the other isn't far behind. Replace both.

Good luck

Karen_S · April 2010

If you own a Toyota, live in LA or Orange County, CA and have a favorite story about your car, please email your daytime contact information and year/make/model to jfallon@edmunds.com.

lmacmil · April 2010

No, I think it's the intermediate steering shaft. There's a long thread on ToyotaNation on this. Apparently a fairly common problem with Camrys. Even a TSB out on it. I've had a bad CV joint in another car and this noise is not the same.

kiawah · May 2010

Well could be, hard to distinguish the difference in 'clunks' over the internet.

drm2m · May 2010

I have owned three Camrys.

1992 6 Cyl purchased new died at 450,000kms with a blown head gasket.

1993 4 cyl died of natural causes...an accident.

1996 4 cyl died last week at 332,000 kms blown head gasket.

Tomorrow I am purchasing a 4 cyl 2002 LE with 126,000 kms any suggestions that I should know about?

Thanks,

David

drm2m · May 2010

I have owned three Camrys.

1992 6 Cyl purchased new died at 450,000kms with a blown head gasket.

1993 4 cyl died of natural causes...an accident.

1996 4 cyl died last week at 332,000 kms blown head gasket.

Tomorrow I am purchasing a 4 cyl 2002 LE with 126,000 kms any suggestions that I should know about?

Thanks,

David

drm2m · May 2010

kiawah · May 2010

Don't blow the head gasket.....you certainly have been getting your money's worth!

I assume you wanted to upgrade, as opposed to fixing the head gasket.

drm2m · May 2010

I should have added the following;
The 1992 6 cyl purchased new in 1992 lasted 12 years.--450,000 kms.

The last Camry 1996 purchased in 2004 lasted until last week with 332,000 kms.
I ran it for 6 years...she was 14 years old when she finally died.
I bought her with about 130,000 kms on the clock...she died May 15 2010.

The A/C was dead, ($1500) I had to add power steering fluid every two days ($600 to repair)
There was an engine oil leak (1 Litre every week)...the brakes were almost finished,
I had to add a rubber pipe to connect with the gas tank as it leaked when filling.

She did yeoman service....I was waiting for her to die...I could not scrap her before that.

I love these cars....that is why I am going back at it with a very clean 2002 4cyl. LE
This should happen tomorrow...I hope I am as lucky this time around?

David

Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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