Toyota Camry Engine Related Questions

lmacmil · August 2005

Where do you feel the engine shudder/vibration? Do the rpms drop noticeably?

pavlovsdog · August 2005

I have an 02 LE with 19000 miles on it and it does the same exact thing. I had it checked out by a toyota master tech. and he claims that it is the computerized idling intermittently clicking up one notch too high, nothing they could do about it, and it is not harmful to the car. I don't believe that there is "nothing they can do about it"(it's probably just not cost effective to replace "computerized idling"), but I do believe that it is not harmful. Of course it could also be something else, but this was his opinion. If you take it in and get another opinion or a cost for repair I would be very interested.

camry2000 · August 2005

Hi txstudmfn,
I am having the same problem and would like to give your tip above a try. Problem is I dont know where the parts you are talking about are. In your mail you are talking about a site that shows how to do all this stuff with pics. Can you tell me what site it is. That will be very helpful.

Thanks

dalandshark · August 2005

Hi,

As far as I'm concerned, Camry's are the best cars in the world! However, I notice that mine sometimes "surges" when going up a hill or driving slow. When this happens the rpms stay constant and doesn't shift gears (its an automatic by the way). Just curious if anyone else has had this happen or may know what is causing it. Also, when the car is stopped at a stop sign for example, it runs rough, but when shifted into neutral it runs fine? Thanks for you help.

-Alex

chevymalibu · August 2005

had two 1994 camrys. can't say that they ever surged. both 4 cyls and auto. wonder if one of your vacuum hoses is loose or leaking??? as for "rough" at idle at at a light, the car's vibration is getting translated through the steering wheel (bad motor mounts). I used to put it in neutral too and it's nice and smooth. When were the mounts last changed?? Mine went near 145-150K if I remember. I used autozone on the second car to save money over the dealer prices but they went in 18 months and never were as good as OEM's to remove the vibration. On that car, we replaced them with OEM's at 165K and when I gave it to my in-law, it had 202K and vibrated some (not many miles for them to start going but the rear one was never changed). Not sure if that was the problem or not cause the dogbone, front and trans mounts only had the 37K on them. Just a little vibration to irritate me but not bad as when they went. just a thought on the surging, does it do it starting out in 1st and 2nd gear?? like lurching??? if so, the dogbone is gone. Go look at the one on the passenger's side (it looks like a dogbone or dumbell and is on the top of the engine). If that rubber looks shot, that's a problem. good luck.

bent1957 · October 2005

I have the same problem with my '98 Mazda Protege and my trusted mechanic says the motor mounts are worn. I haven't chosen to replace the mounts because it runs about 900 bucks and to me it is optional !

foley · October 2005

I finally got a check engine light caused by code P1411. This is problem with the EGR valve position sensor. $40 later to buy a replacement part at the dealer, the engine surge is gone.

desiyankee · October 2005

Has anybody out here put the super charger on their camry v6. if so did u find any noticeable difference in the performance of the car.

haefr · October 2005

There's NO question that supercharging will have a profound effect on generated torque and power. The real question is how will supercharging affect crankshaft, bearing, connecting rod, and piston longevity, with the added stress on parts originally designed with a milder state of tuning in mind, in generating that additonal torque and power.

tenkiller · October 2005

I have a 02 camry that did the same thing starting at 15000 miles. The dealers were no help. They said it was normal. I think they are full of it. I tryed cleaning the butterfly below the air filter with carb cleaner. It has worked for me so far. You might try it. It only takes five minutes. Good luck tenkiller

haefr · October 2005

I agree with your assessment that the dealers' techs were less than useless. If the butterfly was dirty, then dirt was getting in what should've been a filtered area. A bad airfilter could've been the obvious entry point, but not the only one. Presuming you had to disassemble the intake plumbing from the air filter box to the throttle body, you may well have fixed the source of the air leak upon re-assembly after cleaning the throttle body. (Factory line workers - even Toyota's - do screw up occasionaly.) Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to disassemble again at some point to check for the presence of fine silt in the post-filter intake plumbing. If it's squeaky-clean (as it should be), you would be reasonably confident that you fixed a problem that would've eventually been very troublesome.

typesix · October 2005

That dirt on the butterfly valve are carbon deposits, a common maintenance item on many Toyotas, especially those without PCV valves

haefr · October 2005

Help me, here, typesix. How would carbon deposits (a product of incomplete combustion) form in the intake tract? Also, when did Toyota stop equipping their engines with PCV valves?

typesix · October 2005

I'm not an expert at how the carbon forms, but it is a common problem and is likely related to the PCV system. Some of the Toyota engines don't have PCV valves, like my 89 4 cyl Camry, which tend more to have this carbon problem and need periodic cleaning of the butterfly valve.

mhellmich · November 2005

My 1997 Camry overheated on me the other day while i was driving a short distance. I test drove today and it did just fine. I figured I need to change the thermostat but i do not know where it is located, can someone please help me out here?

haefr · November 2005

Easy - locate the upper radiator hose and just visually follow it right to the thermostat housing.

There are other reasons for overheating besides a failed thermostat - a bad radiator cap, a leak, indifferent or complete lack of timely cooling system maintenance - the list goes on and on. How many total miles on the car, how long has the current coolant fill been in service, and do you routinely check the coolant level at the radiator (NOT merely the overflow bottle!)? The coolant level should always be up to the lower ring of the radiator fill opening - even when cold. Air in the system and/or exhausted antifreeze/coolant chemistry are any engine cooling system's two worst enemies. If you're not familiar with safe cooling system repair and maintenance procedures, this may not be the best time to start learning. Might be better to seek professional help given the age of the car. Corollary #: 53,421 of Murphy's Law dictates that seemingly minor problems will sometimes snowball into major undertakings. (Substitute "always" for "sometimes" if the car absolutely has to be drivable by some specific time.)

cybercliff · November 2005

Would you happen to have the part#? and could you tell me where this part is located on a 1999 Camry Solara V6? The Autozone tech performed diagnostic and it showed the P1411 code.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

haefr · November 2005

cybercliff, keep in mind that a specific fault code (P1411) most often will not result in replacing the same specific part in all cases. The code will be x-referenced in the specfic model year of whatever make shop manual to direct the service tech to the most likely suspects. Tests on each will have to be performed to assure a proper fix. If you're lucky, it'll only require replacement of one part instead of several of the possibilities. If you're really, really unlucky, "hello" kids' college fund...

lovecd · November 2005

It seemed to be loud when I start my 97 Camry in the morning time, after the engine becomes warm, the loudness will be acceptable. I understand this is a 8 years car and the engine should not be as quiet as it in its first few years. But is this normal? Is there any solution to make the engine quieter after the cold start? Many thanks!

haefr · November 2005

Sounds like it's rebuild time. You're probably lucky you can still start and drive it at all. (There's no "Magical Elixer" for a worn-out engine.)

210delray · November 2005

Second opinion here: Just because the engine is "loud" doesn't mean an expensive rebuild is in order. It's hard to diagnose noise over the Internet, for obvious reasons.

Perhaps if you provided more specific info, maybe we could help you better. Or, I'd recommend a reputable, competent repair shop to diagose your car. You don't have to go to the Toyota dealer. Get recommendations for good shops from friends, relatives, or co-workers. Personally, I like independent shops, not those connected with national chains like Sears, Goodyear, Midas, etc.

tenkiller · December 2005

I have the camry with the engine hesitation that started at around 15000 miles. I cleaned the butterfly and it helped for a little while so I have been cleaning it with carb cleaner but it is not a cure. Does anyone out there have any other suggestions. Its a 4cly 2002 It hesitates when stoping sometimes also when backing up. Help Thanks

haefr · December 2005

The fact that cleaning the butterfly improves the hesitation, if only temporarily, suggests you're on the right track. If there's dirt continually re-entering the intake tract and collecting on the butterfly, there's a leak or tear somewhere at or past the air filter. Remove the air filter and hold it up to sunlight. If there's a tear, you'll see it. Check ALL post-filter intake tract links and gaskets - ANY silt buildup past the air filter box is proof dirt is entering the system somewhere. A common pleated paper air filter will adequately filter down to the low single digit micron size numbers. (By the way silt is fine silica and silica is VERY abrasive. Any evidence of silt in the intake tract is also evidence that some of this stuff is making its way into the engine, blown past the piston rings, and has settled as a suspension into the engine oil. Any particles smaller than 20 microns, but larger than low single digit micron sizes, are freely circulating through the oil filter and progressively tearing bearing material up as the levels increase through the course of regular oil change intervals. Presuming you find and correct an intake tract air leak, definitely change out the engine oil and oil filter. Catching a sample of the old oil as it drains (just several ounces) and having it analyzed for wear metals and contaminants will tell you decisively whether silicon levels are elevated. An oil analysis costs about $20.00 through Blackstone Labs and other services, and Blackstone will be glad to forward a collection kit to mail in the sample. I have one done once every year for the peace of mind that wear patterns are continuing at a normal level. In addition to the raw numbers of wear metals and contaminants, Blackstone includes their own comments of what's right [and what they suspect might be wrong, if wear metals are higher than expected] with your car's engine.)

tenkiller · January 2006

Hi, I have a 2002 camry with the 4 cylinder and had the same problem. It started doing that around 15000 miles and I went to both dealers in the area and they had about the same thing to say about the problem. I think the cost effective thing is right on the money. I read where you could clean the butterfly with carb cleaner its under the air filter and it might help the problem as I have done it on mine several times its easy to do and helps let me know if you have tryed it. Good luck tenkiller

rroberts1 · February 2006

Have any other people experienced bad valve seals on your Toyota? My 94 Camry v6 has 126000 miles. Is this engine known for blowing head gaskets too?
Rob

mdchachi · February 2006

I was looking at a '96 Camry LE today. 4-cylinder automatic. It has 144K miles though so I'm wondering what kind of life people are getting out of this engine. Is it a bad idea to get one with this many miles or can I reasonably expect to reach 200K with no major problems?

lmacmil · February 2006

200K is a reasonable expectation for an engine that has been properly maintained. Unfortunately, there's no way to know that unless the owner has a service history and receipts to back it up. OTOH, a 10 yr old car with 144K miles should be very cheap so it may be worth the risk

I would certainly have it checked out by a mechanic before consumating the deal.

haefr · February 2006

Camry engines (4 & 6 cylinder alike) had sludging issues from '94 to '01. At the very least, have a valve cover pulled to check for this. You'll only be out the cost of a new gasket and shop labor for a ten minute job. Any hint of a gritty, black paste would be a deal buster in my opinion. Toyota eventually acknowledged the problem but extended the warranty to cover sludge damage to original owners only.

scoti1 · February 2006

I believe Toyota extended their policy to even second or third, etc., owners, but the trick is, you have to prove that the car has received "reasonable" maintenance. Kind of tough to do unless the car was maintained by Toyota or the previous owners kept and passed on all maintenance records.

I did not realize the problem extended back to 1994. The sludge policy/warranty started with the 1997 MY. It did end with 2001 for the 4 cyl., but I believe on the V-6, it extended part way into 2002, until Toyota implemented the design modifications.

Another sign of sludge would be smoke in the exhaust.

mdchachi · February 2006

Thanks for all your comments.

hylyner · February 2006

Not sure if you intended it, but your post seems to suggest that sludging was Toyota's fault--that they had problem engines.
That was not at all the case, nor is it why the SPA (Special Policy Announcement) came out in 2002. It was a public relations decision because of wrongful negative publicity, not an extended warranty for engine problems.
The cause of sludged engines was found to be a direct result of lack of reasonable maintenance--specifically lack of or insufficient oil and filter changes.
Many such occurrences were because owners had done no oil changes at all, and others had only done them sporadically--not frequently enough to avoid sludge development.
The issue became a cause celebre for a few self anointed activists who blanketed the internet with anti Toyota rhetoric about it for several months.(They actually got banned from Edmunds and a couple of other car sites because of their disruptive tactics) The issue died as quickly as it began, a few years ago.
In response to the bad publicity campaign by the vocal ones, Toyota decided to indemnify anyone with a sludge problem regardless of what cause was invoved--free repairs provided proof of only one oil change per year.
It is now no longer an issue, but a few of the badly neglected vehicles are probably still around.
Before buying any used vehicle(Toyota or otherwise), buyers should try to get a maintenance history, and/or get a thorough pre buy inspection before laying cash on the line.
With the more recent advent of leased vehicles, more and more fairly new but neglected vehicles are showing up in the used car marketplace. So it's buyer beware.

scoti1 · February 2006

Toyota only offers warranty coverage for sludge if the owner can prove that they provided prescribed maintenance, thereby it appears it is the engines inability to meet the maintenance conditions set by Toyota rather than owners not properly maintaining. Toyota implemented changes in the engine design and decreased the maintenance schedule (from 7500 miles under normal conditions to 5000 miles under all conditions) as a result of this problem.

hylyner · February 2006

Sorry Scoti1, but speculative inferences being made about sludge are completely at odds with reality. That's a fact.
It is wrong to suggest the SPA was a 'warranty' of any sort. It was a special policy, clearly and publicly identified as such, issued as a goodwill gesture to show that Toyota stood behind its products. Nothing was ever said about warranty. That's a fact too.
It is wrong to suggest that sludge was caused only by engine design, and completely ignore any influence of inadequate maintenance, and that inadequate maintenance was found to be by far the most prevailent cause of sludge.
It is wrong to suggest Toyota made changes in engine design as a result of any problem, or to correct a problem with their engines.
Toyota clearly stated that a minor change was made to the PCV system so that engines to provide 'greater tolerance to haphazard owner maintenance'. That's another fact.
It is also true that Toyota publicly announced a reduced mileage interval to focus more attention on the need for regular oil changes, mainly because owners were exceeding the old mileage interval and causing damage to engines.
All of the above is clearly documented in any number of public announcements by Toyota officials on this subject.
Most folks would tend to accept statements by those making these public announcements over alarmist claims by anonymous posters dealing in rhetoric and spin, and who have obviously attempted to place blame where it doesn't belong.
I would advise any newcomer to this issue to bear in mind that there are individuals around who are bent on painting a misleading picture of the sludge controversy.
One can only wonder what the motive for doing that might be.

210delray · February 2006

Another thing Toyota did was add the "maintenance required" warning light, which blinks on startup after 4500 miles since the last reset (hopefully when the oil was last changed) and then stays on continuously after 5000 miles. The Camry got the warning light starting with 2004 models.

hylyner · February 2006

You're right, and I had forgotten that.
It was another method Toyota adopted for oil change reminders. They wanted proper maintenance to be an "idiot proof" function, so tried to make it as "no brainer" as possible for owners.
Here's a a typical sludge story FYI.
The other day I took our new HL in for its first service, and the service manager showed me an '03 Sienna in the shop.
It had 46000 miles on it and the engine was toast-completely siezed up. They were taking pictures of it when I was there.
They had opened up both top and bottom ends of the engine. The entire centre section was packed with black jelly-like and well cooked crud. Valve train on each bank of cylinders was the same.
The original oil filter was still on, and packed solid with crud. Oil pan had about 1/2 quart of black liquid (oil?) and was full of crud. There was no evidence of oil ever being changed since the van was new. Oil sump drain plug had the original factory crush washer on it.
Service manager said it was like a few others they had seen over the years. People just didn't bother changing oil, then insisted there was something wrong with the engine and demanded warranty. Typical scenario, and really sums up the sludge fiasco.
The service manager just shook his head and said he couldn't understand why some people never learn.

210delray · February 2006

Regarding your sludge story, another thing I've heard (haven't verified it) is that Toyota uses a slightly longer oil filter during engine assembly at the factory, at least for 4-cylinder Camrys. The replacement Toyota filter is shorter.

This way, if you cry "Sludge!" at 20K miles or more, the dealer can readily determine if the original factory filter is still on the car.

Pretty clever, if true.

marc781 · April 2006

Haefr post is close, yeah there could be dirt getting in. But MOSt of the dirt on the butterfly happens because the PCV valve vents into the plenum. So the butterfly is continually getting coated with PCV fumes, which are oily air from the inside of the engine. That's why it gets dirty.

Your on the right track, maybe next time remove the throttle body (3 bolts and a couple coolant hoses - wait til engine is cool and plug these hoses). Then find the IAC valve and clean it really well too, alot of times it gets gummed up too.
www.toyotanation.com/forums has camry manuals on line for download in adobe will tell you a lot more on how to do this relatively easy task

venkyn · May 2006

I just purchased a 99 used camry with 37000 miles on it (Evans, Georgia). When i start the car in the morning, I get a blue colored emission from tail pipe that lasts a 5 seconds after which it is colorless. What could be the problem ?

thanks
VEnky

marc781 · May 2006

That mileage is really low. So i would say valve job needed but the mielage is too low. But it sounds like you might need to change your valve seals which is a much cheaper job.
The camshaft(s) have to come out to do it. What they normally do is hook a fitting up to the spark plug hole and pump in air to hold the valves closed. (You can also stuff in nylon cord as an alternate method but use care.)
The object is so that the valves dont fall inside the engine when you remove the spring and keepers to change the seals. And the valve seals themselves are relatively cheap but they are not easy to get to, so thats where a high labor cost comes in.

m0w · May 2006

My Camry 1995 can't be started up after a heavy rain recently. Whenever I opened the doors or the trunk cover the alarm system would be triggered. Tried to jump start it and didn't work. Battery is new. Checked fuses and relays and they seem ok.

I had a similar experience several years back. After a heavy rain my automatic windows could not be opened and my engine thermometer showed erroneous readings (reading high temp even though the engine ran at normal temp). All problems disappeared after a few days basking in strong sunshine without help from any mechanical shop.

Could someone give some hints about possible causes for the above problems?

Thanks!

bouceit · May 2006

well if your alarm is activated, thats why the car wont start because most alarms have starter kills on them meaning it wont give any power to the starter till the alarm is deactivated. it sounds like moisture is leaking into the electrical system somewhere under the hood. check all wire connections and harnesses to make sure there is no bare wires anywhere and all harnesses are tightly locked in place.

tenkiller · June 2006

I have a 2002 camry 4cylinder. I was wondering if any one else has been having my problem. At 15000 miles it started to idle rough when stoping or backing. I have ran two tanks with techron fuel addative also have cleaned the butterfly below the air filter with carb cleaner. The dealers have been no help they say its normal. I don't think so I have had lots of 4 cylinders. and they didn't do it. I have had others camrys and didn't have that problem. If anyone knows what to do I would sure appreciate the answer. Thanks

kg007 · June 2006

I have a 02 camry 4cy, 60000 mi, that I just bought and it does the exact same thing. Haven't had time to try and track it down. Idles fine when completely stopped, but just before stopping completely or backing slowly in reverse the idle changes and becomes rough. runs great otherwise. seemes to be connected to the speed sensor, or trans, as the problem starts and stops the instant the wheels move, or stop. also looking for some help. thanks

tenkiller · June 2006

Thanks for the feed back. I got my toyota new and it was fine until it had about 15000 miles. I started to notice the rough idle at times with a/c on. I have took it to both dealers in my area and they tell me its normal. I know they don't know or care. If you figure out the problem I would like to know. The car is great otherwise but the problem makes me want to trade it.

magoo · June 2006

I have a 1996 camry wagon, 2.2 4cyl. The idle speed drops too low after sustained running before adjusting to the correct idle rpm. This condition is at its worst after a 30 minute highway run and then stopping at a traffic light. The motor trys to idle at 400 rpm on the verge of stalling. Later, it will adjust to on and off the gas driving and run fine. Is there a sensor or idle speed motor that may be getting lazy? Thanks a million for any input.

shoshana · July 2006

I have a 2002 4 cyl Camry SE. Lastnight we went to start the car and it wouldn't start. We had the car jumped and the car started. However, it died a few minutes later. We had it jumped again and and it ran for long enough to get us home. Once we arrived home we turned it off and tried to turn it on again - it is dead again. I read the previous posts about the ECU unit failing. Is the ECU unit different in the 4 Cyl. Vs. the V6? I am not the most knowledgable person about these things so I apologize if I sound stupid. I just don't want to end up spending a ton of money on this car if I don't absolutely need to do so. We plan to bring the car to the dealership later today. Anyone have any advice? Those of you who are having these problems, are you replacing the Camry and if so, with what type of car?

We also have a 2004 Sienna XLE. Should we expect the same issue with it? If so, how do we go about preventing it?

Thank you for your time and your help!!

All the Best,
Shoshana

badgerfan · July 2006

Don't jump to conclusions about major problems. Your battery is probably shot. No big deal if that is all it is.

andrelaplume · July 2006

...just changed my 02s battery...tire guy noticed corrosion on terminal and post on battery was in bad shape...anyway, it was four years old.

shoshana · July 2006

Yeah... the terminal and post was corroded badly on ours too. The dealer said to use Coke (who knew) to clean it. That worked but we still needed a jump. Is your 02 an SE as well? Did changing the battery seem to solve the problem for you?

bildow · July 2006

You can go to your local parts store and buy felt rings that go over your terminals to keep down the corrosion they are red and green in color and they only cost a couple of dollars these work great keeping the battery clean. When your battery starts approaching about 3-4 years of use dump it. As the battery get older it dosen't hold a charge as well and I hear it causes more work for the alternator to keep charging the battery when it is weak possibly the alternator to have a shorter life. You can also buy a tool for about 3-4 dollars that cleans the battery post or you can use baking soda to clean cable who are really bad by putting the cables into the baking soda and letting them dry this will help until you can put in battery cables.

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