Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

suzannes1 · July 2005

Has anyone had trouble with the floor carpeting? Hard to describe.. on the floor of the drivers seat to the right, where the plastic runs down, and continues to the side of the drivers seat my carpeting is buckling out?? Almost as if the carpeting was cut to short. Curious to hear if this has happened to anyone else.
Thanks!

loucapri · July 2005

wondering have you done something like this before?
If not, I suggest you take it to the shop instead.
It's a messy job even it's not a difficult job (do-it-yourself type)

I think it worth paying someone to have the oil change because that's how I feel after working on it back in May (it's not a camry but the work is similiar)

jdoug6 · July 2005

My 1996 Camry LE 4 cyl. passed the CA smog test on 6/1/05. Approximately two weeks ago, the engine light came on indicating a catalytic converter problem. A mechanic has insisted that I need to replace both O2 sensors, as well as the converter.

You have stated that O2 sensors can be replaced by someone other than a mechanic. Also, how can I be sure that I actually need to replace the converter?

Thanks.

andrelaplume · July 2005

Our '96 RAV just needed a new one. We had it done at Midas for about the same price Toyota wanted for just the part...AND got a 5 year warranty!

mslou · July 2005

the alarm goes off..when i use the remote to open the door and it also happens when i use the key.. i have shut the door with out locking it and it locked up its self. this doesn't happen all the time.the car has the power locks .the alarm went off with windows down and up and no one was around the car.. the alarm has cut off before i can get to it..is this a car battery issue or battery in remote control or a sensor.. thanks for any help..

kubero3 · July 2005

Have 91 Camry with about 100k miles. Seems like oil burns up and have to add oil periodically before next oil change. Oil changes are every 3k with Castrol High Mileage. Does not leak. Any suggestions?

aliyazdihome · July 2005

I have 1997 Totyota Camry. The check engine light came on yesterday. I drove 14 mile to work and now the light is blinking and engine does not have full power. It feel like it going to stop. I checked the gas cap and it fine. Car has 173 K mile. Is there anything that I can replace my self. I know some about car but don't have tester. Thank you for your help

alcan · July 2005

A flashing check engine light indicates a fault, usually a misfire, which if not corrected can damage the catalytic converter. You'll have to get the stored diagnostic trouble codes retrieved first so you know which circuit/system is affected. AutoZone will do it no charge.

larrymit · July 2005

I wonder if everyone reporting hesitation problems with their Camry V6 has tried using the recommended premium gas: While my hesitation hasn't been severe, I noticed that it seemed to disappear after filling up with premium.

Perhaps the hesitation is caused by the retarded spark the engine has to have to burn low octane gas?

typesix · July 2005

How much oil is added and at what mileage is oil added before the 3k miles? I use half quart of oil between 3k oil changes on my 89 Camry 4cyl with 222k miles, mostly due to minor leaks.

ncc4 · July 2005

It's been about a month since you posted this message. I've had the overhead councel apart on my 04 Camry, but I don't know if you still need advice.
Let me know.

we_bulls · July 2005

I have a 1995 Toyota camry bought a few years ago that my son drives. Its kept up pretty well. Car itself has over 300000 mile yes thats right 300000 miles. My problem is I've taken it to a repair shop about 5 times now and they cant find whats wrong. Plugs, distributor wires, cap, rotor,emissions, fuel and oil filters all have been checked or replaced. My problem is the car will stall when you come to a stop especially in the rain. When its dry is not that bad but has a somewhat of a rough idle. The runs fine at a high idle and if you put the vehicle in neutral when you come to a stop. I have a 4 cylinder, fuel injected front wheel drive camry. We have use fuel injector cleaners and it seamed to work for a short period of time. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

loucapri · July 2005

you may want to switch to higher octane fuel and see if it helps.

toyotaken · July 2005

I had a similar problem with an older Camry that I owned and it was diagnosed as the MAF (mass airflow sensor) which had to be replaced. Same exact situations. Warm, or cooler dry weather, it ran ok, rougher when cold or damp, and stalled often when raining.

Ken

another_person · July 2005

I've just started noticing a brownish-orange liquid puddling under my '93 camry. I'm prety sure it is from the AC condenser, because it only puddles over night after I've used the AC. I've never had the AC serviced, should I consider it?

imidazol97 · July 2005

Is this the same color as the antifreeze in the radiator overflow bottle in the engine compartment? Could be antifreeze leaking from heater hose connections close to where the AC drain is located.

210delray · July 2005

It could also be automatic transmission fluid, because the cooling lines and transmission cooler go into the same place as the radiator, which sits directly behind the a/c condenser. Clean fluid is cherry red, but older, worn-out fluid looks like dirty engine oil (dark brown, but not orange). Have you checked the level and color of your transmission fluid?

But I agree with imidazol that it's more likely to be antifreeze.

It will not be the a/c "fluid" because it would leak out as an invisible gas, and there's only a small amount of oil added to the system to help lubricate the compressor.

another_person · July 2005

hum....still not sure what it could be. all hoses to and from the radiator are new, and all the connections seem to be good. All the fluids in the car are fairly new (about a year old) and are at correct levels, so I don't think that it would be any of the coolants.

I guess it's just the condensation that builds up, around the AC components.

If anyone else thinks it might be something else, let me know, thanks for the reply so far.

winsome66 · July 2005

While my O/D is on, the O/D light flashes. Also, It feels as if the car is taking off in third gear - HELP!

When I have it in "L" the car takes off from a full stop just fine. Perhaps a sensor???? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I have 268 K on her and really have no other complaints.

210delray · July 2005

Condensation would not be brownish orange -- it would be clear like water, unless there is some rust present. Have you felt the fluid? Is it oily or watery? You could have a leaking radiator, if the color of the puddling fluid matches the color of the coolant. Coolant would feel kind of slippery, but less viscous than oil, and it would easily wash off your fingers with water.

I learned the hard way while driving a borrowed van that leaking fluid from underneath the radiator area was actually auto tranny fluid. I basically fried the transmission while driving the van, never suspecting at first the fluid was ATF.

harleydudesam · July 2005

sounds like a ground wire comming loose when you stop. The ground terminal is loose and it gets wet and then runs rough

harleydudesam · July 2005

replace the bulb

harleydudesam · July 2005

replace the bulb

harleydudesam · July 2005

any silicon will work

harleydudesam · July 2005

sounds like it was in a accident you might need to get the frame straightened

harleydudesam · July 2005

you shouldn't of had to change the rotors at 12K something wrong! my brakes were replaced at 95k sounds like a brake pad grind normal until you change it

windsong · July 2005

Gear shift problem: My 2002 Camry is experiencing the same problem. At times it will not shift into reverse. I have taken it in to 2 different Toyota Service Centers and they said they have no idea what is wrong with it. And can't fix it unless it happens on them. What did you find out when you took your car in?

nilla1 · July 2005

I have a problem...
I have a 89' Toyota Camry and it will only go in to first gear...could it be the clutch and would it be worth fixing?? I know nothing about cars..so if you know what your talking about please send the advice.. Thanks

another_person · July 2005

The radiator was just replaced last year, and the liquid is more water like then oil, but if it is rust, should I be concerned? I think I need the transmission serviced anyways, (it drips oil when I push the car over 115 a prolonged period) maybe I'll just have them look at the AC and see that's where the liquid is comming from, or if it is somewhere else.

kla132 · July 2005

I have the same problem with my 4 cyl 2004 Camry. I drive 140 miles / day and this started when it was brand new. I now have 48,000 miles on it and it's sitting in my driveway because I had to buy another car to go back and forth to work with. It sounds like a car with 200,000 miles on it going up a hill with bad gas in it. I've been to 2 car dealers and they claim they don't hear it. I now know they are lying!!! I just got it back from my local mechanic who had my car less than a day (one dealer drove my car 1 week and put over 500 miles on it). My mechanic said it's a problem with the VT and it is very expensive to fix. I think VT is the virtual timing. I am about to wage war with Toyota Corporate. I have an extended warranty (100,000 miles) and I think the dealers don't want to bother with fixing it because there's little $$ in it for them. They will fix this car so I can at least give it to my son. I'll keep you posted.
:mad:

210delray · July 2005

Let me get this straight. You took the car to your local mechanic and all he told you is there's a problem with the "VT." And he never told you what "VT" stands for? There's no such thing as "virtual timing." Maybe "Virginia Tech"?

And two Toyota dealers deny hearing anything?

Something's missing from this story.

user777 · July 2005

Camry's have VVT-i "Variable Valve Timing with Intellegence", even in the 4-cylinder model.
http://www.toyota.com/camry/key_features/performance.html

Geesh - maybe kla132 got "Variable" mixed up with "Virtual".

Is that what is missing?

biigdaddy22 · July 2005

Hey guys!! I have a 91 Toyota Camry with about 175,000 miles.. Couple weeks ago I noticed a Grinding sound coming from my drivers side front end.. Thinking that It only happens when making a right hand turn, I got the Power Steering High pressure hose (which was leaking) fixed, and my pump flushed.. No noise for a week then it came back again.. Power Steering is full, not leaking at all.. But Cant figure out where is comming from!!!! When making a right it sounds like something is grinding on the right side, Sometimes when going on a straight away, u can hear it grind once every few revolutions on the tires like it would make a slight grind, go away for s second then grind again.. Can You guys please help me?? Have No Idea What is going on!!! Thanks

ricarey · July 2005

I'm not sure about knowing whether the converter needs to be replaced. I would just get a couple of opinions from mechanics on that one. In terms of the 02 sensors you can definitely do them yourself. You would need the 02 sensor socket (specially designed) as well as the appropriate upstream and downstream sensors for you car model. www.oxygensensors.com is a good site for that.

I would say not to replace the 02 sensors unless you really think you need to because they cost quite a bit of money. I believe you can find out what resitance they should have and can check them that way. You coul always have another mechanic let you know if you need to replace them and then do it yourself. They can be hard to loosen up though (just a warning). If your mechanic does it for you I doubt he'd charge much for labor since it took me 5 minutes for one.

also, what code do you have? I can check my book and see if it says anything about the 02 sensors---they have their own check engine code.

210delray · July 2005

Well, it's hard to diagnose noises over the internet, but I'd guess either front wheel bearings or constant-velocity joint(s) will have to be replaced.

Please do not use boldface type for your entire post.

bwong06 · July 2005

My fear has come, our 2002 toyota camry, which i just switched to synthetic, has an oil leak! What should i do? and is it covered under my warranty.

210delray · July 2005

It depends on where the leak is coming from as to whether it's covered under the 5 year / 60K mile powertrain warranty. (Your bumper-to-bumper factory warranty may have expired by now, as it is only for 3 years or 36K miles, whichever comes first.)

If you don't want to pay for a repair, you have no choice but to see your dealer. If you know a trusted independent shop, you might want to take it there first for a look (and of course pay a little) to diagnose the problem. Then you can consult your warranty booklet and see if it's covered.

peterpan · July 2005

Most likely the brakes assembly is not properly assembled.

The brake rotor could be warped, or the brake pads not seated properly, non OEM brake pads, or the brake pins not adequately lubricated with high-temp grease...Any of those conditions would cause the brakes to scrape or to squeak.

Open up the front brakes and take closer looks, then reassembled them carefully..

allwen99 · July 2005

Hi,

Recently my 60000 mi. Solara SLE got lots of noise from rear tire when driving more than 30 mi. Have the car checked at toyta dealer and the mechanic say the problem is due to Rear Bearing/ Hub wearing out. Ask $332 for parts and $147 for labor. Just don't understand why these stuffs would wearing out? Anybody has the same experience? Should I find someone else rather than Toyota dealer to check again?

Thanks.

alpal1 · July 2005

I have a 1996 Aust made V6 Camry . The engine was re coed after an overheating problem with a blown head-gasket.. Before this problem it had a rough idle at first start with the choke on but went away after warming up. After installing the re co motor the repair guy scanned the engine and up came the code 12.but no light on the dash ever comes on. The distributor was full of gunk and oil so the seal was replaced with the rotor,cap, and the leads. The code 12 comes up again so he suggested a new distributor but there are none available for 3 weeks.. Is there many other items that could make this light come up on a code 12 because I've already spent nearly $6,000 Aust on having the re co motor installed?

Thanks...

rapos · July 2005

Any Experts on Solaras out there?

Two questions...

I recently bought a used 99 solara with 75000 miles on it.

First question: After a only few minutes of driving, the engine heats up to half way on the theromstat. Is this normal? One of my buddies who is a apprentice becoming a mechanic said that this is supposed to happen to make the engine run at the optimal engine heat. Should I be concerned that the engine is too hot and something wrong? I have taken it on a few half hour drives and it was fine, but I did not notice the thermostat or if it ever went above half way.

Secondly, I noticed that the car pulls to the left while driving. I assumed that it was from the tires (which only have a about half a year left in them), or that the car needed a alignment. However, I noticed that other people seem to be complaining about this as well. Is this some defect with the model? Is there anything I can do to correct this problem?

Any help would be appreciated greatly.

210delray · July 2005

First question: perfectly normal, nothing to worry about. As long as the temperature reading stays away from the "hot" end, there is no problem.

Second question: I'm not so sure how "real" this problem is (not yours in particular, but others'). And it seems to affect the current generation Camry and Solara, not the prior generation that you have. The obvious is to make sure the tires are properly inflated. Then if this doesn't work, try swapping the left front and left rear tires. If it then starts to pull to the right, then it's likely a tire problem.

If it continues to pull to the left, then maybe an alignment is in order. But if the tires are that worn, you may just want to get new tires first, and then have the alignment done.

rapos · July 2005

Thanks for the reply!!!

toyotaken · July 2005

You're welcome.

Ken

mjtian · July 2005

Hi all,

I am have a question reguarding my 1998 Camry. I have noticed a strange vibration ever since I installed a new set of tires about a year ago. It is usually not that bad unless I am breaking at a high speed, such as on the interstate or when traveling down hill. I bought the same set of tires for my 1993 Camry and it did not experience this problem. When I recently had my breaks replaces (front) the guy at Midas told me that I needed to replace my Rotors as that was the cause of my vibration. I wasn't sure if he was telling me the truth as I am still running the original rotors on my '93 which has 60,000 more miles on it than my '98. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!

210delray · July 2005

Sounds like warped brake rotors to me. You will have to replace the front rotors, as I don't think today's rotors take very well to cutting -- they're too thin and will warp again.

210delray · July 2005

You're welcome, also.

I noticed I made a mistake in my reply (post #3652): I should have said to swap the left front and right front tires.

dorsiainruins · July 2005

88 Toyota Camry automatic trans.... I've got a question about my camry. when driving, the transmission takes a while shifting through the gears, and right around the third or fourth gear when the RPMs are a little more than 2K, the needle on the tac goes up and down rapidly almost like it's having trouble down-shifting. There's enough trans fluid, and all other fluids are full. Any help would be GREATLY apreciated!!

rodf · July 2005

very recently replaced the master electric window switch because it would not
operate any of the windows. new switch works until the ambient temperature gets
hot then will not operate any of the windows. temperature outside has to be +85 F.
or hotter. usually late in evening when temp has cooled down switch works. bad
switch or something else in the circuit?

chevymalibu · July 2005

Not sure if anyone here does there own stuff on the car but the oil filter numbers are off from what I can tell. purolator is L14477 and fram says 4967 (that is the number for the 1992-2000 models). I looked on my new camry and it's longer than the 4967 filter. Advanced auto # for their brand (made by fram) is 4386 so I bet the fram really is 4386. I'm sure some will say the 4967 has enough paper inside and filter length isn't important but if you compare the filter on the car to the aftermarkets, the purolator L14477 matches whereas the fram 4967 is short by an inch. Napa also lists the 4967 equivalent and is wrong in my opinion.

Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions