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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions
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I wanted to know because my mother was in an accident where she says that she could not stop the car. The car was totaled. We contacted an attorney, but it was suggested that the cost to litigate and chances of success to get a favorable outcome were slim.
Nonetheless, I don't want anything else like what my mother experienced happen to anyone else. Hopefully it was just a fluke!
Bill
Did mom have any trouble with the brakes before? Or were they working fine right up until that one moment when she was about to get into an accident? There's no way for the brakes to totally fail that quickly if they were working just seconds earlier.
Was it one of those things where she was driving along and realized she had no brakes and then had no choice but to hit something because she finally ran out of room to coast (in which case the emergency brake could have helped, or even downshifting)?
Or was it a spur-of-the-moment, slam-on-the-brakes-and-pray situation where you close your eyes and hope for the best? In other words, did the first sign that something might be wrong with the brakes show up when she slammed down on them in a panic?
After that incident, when I drive, I feel my car kind of heavy. I feel brake working, even though I press the gas pedal and drive at the high speed. It seems to be dragged and to be pulled out from the backside. When I start from the stop line, it makes another engine sound, ‘boong’ (not so big), and rpm soars up to 3 and it’s really hard to speed up. ( It rocks and feel bumpy) When I drive at the speed of 40 or 50 miles and when I release the gas pedal, the car seems to be almost stopped (speeds down so rapidly, like I press the brake) When I ride a car, I feel very uncomfortable; the car rocks and it is bumpy.
I brought the car to the Toyota dealer shop and explained it. They checked it with their ‘scan system’, and said no error was found in scan, saying that there is nothing that they can do. The technician drove my car around 10 miles and he said it works as it is supposed to do. They said, as there were no errors, there is nothing that they could do. And they added that there had been no complaint like that for 04 Toyota Camry LE. How disgusting it is!!
I feel afraid and stressful of driving this car! It is so unsafe, and could cause a big accident!
Now, I read many posts that look similar to my situation. Is there anything that I can do? I plan to go to another dealer shop for second opinion. Also I will complain to Toyota manufacturer. I wish I could hear a good news Let’s share the story and l’ll update when I hear something.
I can understand the throttle control could be malfunctioned but unlikely the brake would not work.
Good luck!
Tranny cruise control won't handle steeper, hilly terrain. Shifts down once, than twice, than when at top of hill, it will continue to run in this lower gear going down hill and then reluctantly and sloppily shifts back up after an unnerving winding-out of engine and tranny. Seen wording in manual that cruise won't work properly on terrain with too much difference in grade. What a set-up!
I usually buy the extended warranty at initial purchase but decided to wait this time. I hope it doesn't cost me too much for procrastinating.
Be very careful of water under the car as it could be leaks from the radiator or hoses in the cooling system. I frun without coolant, overheating damages can crack and completely wreck your engine.
If the water is confirmed not coming from the A/C alone, check for small leaks on top and around the radiator and all hoses. The plastic top radiator ususally last only 100K mile.
If a radiator is needed, 1 800 RADIATOR has warehouses in most major city, that can deliver a new one for about $66 with lifetime warranty. Yes I bought them for $66. You just have to be assertive and thell them that you bought it for that much before.
You only have to remove a few screws and a few clamps around the hoses to replace it and be assured that you did a good job compared to any radiator shops! Believe me I am not mechanical inclined but did a good job for my daughter's Camry which is now on the 3rd radiator after 200K miles!
However, just today I was cruising on the freeway and noticed on the bottom right of my instrument panel what looked like a check engine light. The manual says it's a "Engine Malfunction Lamp" and that I am suppose to take it to a Toyota Dealer for them to check it out.
The light came on around 24,500 miles on the odometer. Is this just a reminder to get some upcoming 30,000 miles service done on the car, or could it actually be something serious?
Thanks for the help in advance.
epond
guntur "Toyota Camry" Sep 9, 2004 9:07pm
Fill one tank with premium gas (i. e. Shell's new VPOWER with 5 detergents, adding one bottle of fuel injectors cleaner. It should fix your starting problem.
If not, open the air hose into the fuel injector unit, spray in 2 cans of injector cleaner while revving the engine to about 3000 RPM to clean out any gummed up mechanism inside.
These tricks solved my cold starting/idling problem.
You should check both bulbs out, replace, clean or apply bulb oil as necessasy. Make sure the both bulbs are properly seated in the sockets and have good ground contact.
Can anybody help??
mk
Take note, I have had the cold start injector serviced. The car starts fine when cold, it just idles extremely fast.
Steve
Steve
Thanks
1. When first starting car in the morning or after several hours, there's a large puff of blue-white smoke. I've been told this is caused by valve seals. Is this correct, and if so, what would be an estimated cost to replace?
2. There's a "grinding" noise (that's the best way I can describe it) that sounds like its coming from the bottom front of the car when I'm driving. It's worse when I go over a rough road, speed bumps, etc. Doesn't matter if I'm applying brakes or not. I've had the car 3 months. Was told the brakes had been replaced all around. I've replaced timing belt and had new front struts put on. Any ideas what this noise could be coming from?
Thanks,
Jackie
I have a 1998 Toyota Camry LE with 112,000 miles on it. It has the 2.2L 4-cylinder. I have been noticing that when you accelerate up a hill or when you first get going, there is some kind of a "fast rattling" type sound from the hood, but it goes away.
Is this something that is supposed to happen?
I was just curious, but the car runs GREAT. Everything works in it.
Thanks for any comments!
If I remember correctly, I think the car has always done this. But, maybe it is just because it is only a 4-cylinder trying to get to speed? Also, if the car is parked and you rev it, it doesn't stop revving until that EXACT same rotation speed (5800RPM).
Beside that, normal acceleration and driving, the transmission shifts just fine and smoothly.
THANKS!
If I remember correctly, I think the car has always done this. But, maybe it is just because it is only a 4-cylinder trying to get to speed? Also, if the car is parked and you rev it, it doesn't stop revving until that EXACT same rotation speed (5800RPM).
Beside that, normal acceleration and driving, the transmission shifts just fine and smoothly.
THANKS!
I remembered I took my Camry to GreaseMonkey to drain and replace the filter, it cost ~ $90.00 already. They can only drain about 1/3 of the fluid out from the system. A flush usually can suck out almost all of the fluid from the tranny. 30K sounds about a right time. If you didn't drive your car hard and your tran. fluid still looks pink and good, I guess you can wait for maybe 40k or 48k miles before getting a flush.
Thanks!
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