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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • camry1998camry1998 Member Posts: 2
    Did you ever get this resolved? I have the same problem. The garage told me I have a faulty AC compressor clutch AND and failing Electronic Control Module (ECM). The clutch still works but slips. The ECM, he claims, is shorting when it gives a signal to the AC to turn on. I have not had anything fixed yet because the total bill is north of seventeen hundred dollars!
  • penizzlepenizzle Member Posts: 104
    If the clutch slips, you know you have problems. You need to get that fixed. As for the ECM shorting out during A/C engagement, I have never heard of that hapenning. Get the clutch fixed first and see what happens.
  • penizzlepenizzle Member Posts: 104
    I cant believe you havent got an answer. Well here it is. Your WATER PUMP is sucking in air. The ticking noise that you here on the right side of the car could also be a water pump if it is coming from the front.
  • camry1998camry1998 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks.
    I had the same thought about replacing the clutch first. Here is the wording from the service writer, "...traced wiring and found the A/C relay would lose its ground at the ECM. Also, we ran power to the cpomressor and found compressor clutch slips when engaged." Does that sound like an ECM problem, or does it sound like the ECM is doing what it should do?
  • donmodonmo Member Posts: 2
    You were right! My car was under warranty and the dealer installed a new steering shaft assembly. Their cost was $250.34 which was covered. I paid nothing. Thanks for your information
  • emcqueenemcqueen Member Posts: 7
    At level running speeds, my 2002 Camry seems to "start/stop"rapidly from an accelaration standpoint. My dealer tells me I need a new EGR switch at around $269 P/L. Is there another less costly alternative to correct this problem or to replace the switch?

    Ed
  • toyoman1toyoman1 Member Posts: 52
    Hey all,

    The camry is running ill again. It has 189,000 miles. The other day while driving home from school it died about 3 times. Then it started again and hasnt done it in almost two weeks. My mechanic said no engine codes were thrown and he let it idle for 15 minutes and it never and hasn't happened again. Now today I was driving it was about 98 degrees outside here in atlanta and I look down and my engine temp is almost in red. I turned the a/c off and I watched the car go back to normal almost immediately. Then later I tried the air again and it didnt heat up. I got home and the coolant reservoir was bone dry. I filled it up and about an hour later it was dry again. Still no engine overheating. Whats the deal? Anyone got any ideas? I am thinking maybe a thermostat was stuck closed or maybe the water pump. Lemme know ya'll... and as always HAPPY MOTORING!!!!! :sick:
  • jimmy57jimmy57 Member Posts: 5
    :sick: IF YOU ARE DRIVING A 2007 CAMRY WITH A FOUR CYLINDER, 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AND ARE EXPERIENCING SERIOUS HESITATION AND POWER LAG, PARTICULARLY FROM A STANDING START AND/OR AT LOWER SPEEDS, I URGE YOU TO READ THIS POST CAREFULLY, AND TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING TOYOTA AT THEIR TOLL-FREE NUMBER, AND FILE A COMPLAINT.

    My wife and I are six-time Toyota owners. Five of the six Toyotas that we have purchased were Camrys, and all but one was brand new. All but one were purchased from the same dealership since 1986. Until now, we have not encountered a single problem with any of them. We recently purchased a gorgeous metallic red 2007 Camry SE (4 cylinder) with a 5-speed automatic, and the hesitation problems we are experiencing have been an extreme nuisance from day one. I believe that this problem is unique to the 2007 Camry, and that the problem may pose a considerable safety hazard. The car, put quite simply, cannot get out of its own way. I only had mine for a week when I realized that the hesitation problems could become dangerous. I took it back to the dealership before I had owned it a week, and the service department said they had not yet heard of any such problems, as the car is an entirely new model in its first year. That seemed reasonable enough, as we were one of the first to buy a 2007 CAMRY SE in our locality. My sales associate and I agreed that the car's computer system may still have been "learning" my driving habits, and that it would resolve the problem over time. But nothing changed over the next two weeks. I recently took it back to my dealership with around 1500 miles on it, after a couple of very frustrating and nerve wracking weeks.

    Both my sales associate and the service manager offered to take a ride with me to witness and to assess the problem. I let the service manager do the driving on the first test run, and right away, he noticed both the "two-second lag" in performance shifting from first through third gear. Even though the car is running, it feels as though it just doesn't want to go. He also agreed that this lack of performance was both unacceptable and quite unusual. The car hits second gear, and then...nothing! It doesn't stall, but it falls flat on its face for about two full seconds before it gets up and goes. This is not a car that I would even think of calling a call a "Sports Edition" in its current state. After our little incident with the test ride, my sales associate, the service manager and I decided it would be wise to test drive another brand new Camry with the same engine and transmission for a "second opinion". Guess what??? Same exact problems and worse! We took it up my sister's steep paved driveway (as I did with my own the week before), and as before, the brand new test car could not get up the hill. But this time, it slowed to a crawl going up the drive, (with the pedal depressed to the floor) and then nearly stalled, rolling backwards! The brakes had to be thrown on to keep us from slipping right back down the driveway.

    My wife and I believe that our 2007 Camry SE is a potentially dangerous vehicle. By potentially dangerous, I do not mean that the car is dangerous at all times, but that the EXTREME hesitation may present a hazard in traffic where snap decisions are unavoidable, and more aggressive acceleration is needed. If you drove this car just once, you would never dare to pull into traffic in a hurry. The car just dies when you try to accelerate. If you round a hard corner slowly enough for the car shift back into first gear, there will be nearly two seconds of "huh?" before it shifts up to second. If you have someone following close behind you, which you more than likely will, it is quite possible that you will get rear-ended. Rightly so, because no driver would ever anticipate your car slowing down after rounding a corner, or anticipate anything as ridiculous as a vehicle that slows down before it decides to pass a vehicle.

    My service manager's hands are tied; there is not yet a fix for this problem. I have to wait until a fix becomes available. For all we know, there may not be one for the life of the car. We were, up until now, a big Toyota Camry family. That all may change real soon, depending on whether or not Toyota recognizes the danger and finds a fix. I called the toll-free number at Toyota and they were very polite and acted quickly to get me a case number. But there is no fix available as of the writing of this post, nor has Toyota acknowledged that this is in fact a problem at all.

    THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE, A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENT.

    I cannot believe that we may actually have to drive this car in its current state until "X" amount of similar complaints are filed by Camry owners. And even then, will Toyota find a quick fix, a computer re-map, or issue a recall? Will someone get broad-sided in an intersection before we see a fix?

    I cannot imagine what winter is going to be like in this car...we live in New Hampshire, where life is a hill, and the winters are brutal to say the least. I'm guessing the hesitation will more than likely cause severe traction problems and possibly loss of control. I'm not talking about a a noisy door panel, a loose body side molding, or a dashboard rattle. This is a serious and dangerous flaw that has been overlooked by Toyota, and I for one, refuse to become a statistic just to get Toyota to find, or NOT find a fix for this horrific problem. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of; a car that can't even make it up a driveway without slowing to a stop and rolling backwards. It is intolerable, and I aim to take the steps necessary to change it before it either drives us out of our minds or gets SOMEONE KILLED.

    LET ME END BY SAYING THAT OUR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN COURTEOUS, HELPFUL, AND RESPONSIVE TO OUR COMPLAINTS THUS FAR. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE OUT OF THEIR HANDS UNTIL A FIX IS FOUND, OR A PROBLEM RECOGNIZED BY TOYOTA.

    BEFORE A FIX CAN BE FOUND, PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE THEIR PROBLEMS KNOWN.

    WE ARE DISAPPOINTED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS NEW VEHICLE, AND APPREHENSIVE EVERY TIME WE GET BEHIND THE WHEEL. IT REALLY FEELS AWFUL GETTING INTO AN ATTRACTIVE, SPORTY CAR LIKE THIS, KNOWING THAT IT JUST DOESN'T PERFORM. IF YOU ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH YOUR 2007 CAMRY, GET TO YOUR DEALER AND CALL TOYOTA NOW, PLEASE!!!!
  • penizzlepenizzle Member Posts: 104
    Obviously there is leak. The first place to check is the water pump weep hole. If it is leaking, you need a water pump, very common on the Camrys of that age. If you want coolant in your car,, dont completly fill up the reservoir because more coolant gets expeled into there. Check your radiator cap as well. Buy a new one just like it from the Toyota dealer. Open it up and put coolant in until the coolant level is up to the neck of the radiator.
  • penizzlepenizzle Member Posts: 104
    There is always a fix for anything. The technichian just said there isn't because there isn't anything written on paper talking about it. If the engine is actually sputering itself, it is probably a problem in the engine and or its components. To me, it sound like the two second lag is a tranny problem. My best bets are on the shift solenoids for the particular gears. The ECM could not be working them properly or they themselves could be bad. Also, the valve body may be bad. Give the technichian these ideas. Anything can be fixed, but It may be hard to get parts. GOOD LUCK. :)
  • stsamstsam Member Posts: 1
    I have the same vibrating problems when the air-con is On when the car is stop(Engage to Drive position). Toyota Service tester taught that it was the Engine mounting crack and the Air-con Compressor that caused the problems. After waited for 6 weeks, both spare parts came and just got it replaced free of charge (under warranty) but the vibration still exist especially in the stop position. The last comments from the tester is "this is normal". I wonder whether is the main electronic control unit malfuntional for the idling module or something else? Please advised if you have this problems fixed. Thanks

    Sam
  • jimmy57jimmy57 Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for your reply. My dealer is working very closely with me on this issue. I am very impressed with their response thus far. I hope and pray that a fix becomes available. I really enjoy owning Toyotas, and would like to continue to do so.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    personally, i don't know if this will help at all - so take it merely as an option to discuss with this responsive dealership if they try new solenoids and new trans valve body, reflash or re-initialize your ecm, maybe even replace your transmission...

    ask them to replace your throttle body actuator and position sensor, and also (probably first) your accelerator pedal assembly (mechanicals and sensor).

    perhaps you should contact the NHTSA and file a report with them. on the other hand, you seem to suggest the dealership is working the problem aggressively to address your concerns.
  • damon34damon34 Member Posts: 124
    I was just wondering where are you from I am from kansas. But you explained my problems right down to a T. And i call toyota about 2 almost 3 months ago and got the same story, never heard of this problem. And i am glad ur dealership is working with you and ur rep. But my dealership said there wasnt anything they could do about it, and the region toyota rep just made me mad by saying there wasnt anything wrong with the car and it drove like a camry and I offered for him to test drive my car for a week and he wouldnt do it. U drove another camry that was worse than yours and my experience of driving two other camrys they didnt do it at all. My questions to you is. Does your car hesitate in the mornings when it is cooler? And does it hesitate all the time? And does it hesitate more when it is hot? Also try this if you havent already Unhook ur negative battery cable and turn on ur headlights to let the battery drain, and see if it keeps it from hesitating for a couple days. Just curious. I have done that with my twice, first time it worked for about week or so and then the second time maybe a couple of days. To be honest with you I just about gave up untill i read your comments in hear. I just actually just go home from looking at new cars. But i am going to make toyota fix this and make it right, so i am going to call up toyota again and complain.
    Thank you for the comments on your car again probally kept me from going out there and getting upside down
  • toyoman1toyoman1 Member Posts: 52
    Yeah thanks!!! Where can I find the water pump weep hole? And what am I looking for on the radiator cap. My radiator was replaced less than six months ago, its brand new. So I am assuming that its not a hose or the radiator cap. Also their is no coolant puddled in my driveway or anywhere that I let the car sit. Is it possible for engine to be burning an entire reservoir of coolant every hour? Or would it only leak out of the water pump when the car is running? Thanks again :sick:
  • flyingjflyingj Member Posts: 7
    I couldn't agree with you more. The car literally cannot get out of it's own way! I have been to the dealer twice and the answer is they cannot do anything until Toyota says to change. I have logged my complaint to Toyota thanks to you and I have also logged a complaint to the NTSB. I made Toyota aware is a potentially life threatening defect and I will hold Toyota responsible. :mad: :lemon: :mad:
  • damon34damon34 Member Posts: 124
    Is there away you can go above toyota?
  • ew3074ew3074 Member Posts: 20
    Hi, everyone. My camry is having some kind of window noise when I close it. It doesn't happen when I open it though. When I looked at the window closely, I saw some scratch that could be taken away if I scratch it off.
    I went to some store. They said may be there is something wrong with the window regulator which costs 250 dollars to fix it. My toyota is just 55K. I thought mine will last longer than that. Does anyone have this kind of problem also?
    By the way,I usually close the door with window a little bit opened, will that make this happen? :confuse:
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    did you mean you filed a complaint with the NHTSA?
    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
  • w9cww9cw Member Posts: 888
    I recently rented a 2007 Camry SE 4-cylinder 5-speed automatic from Budget for a 1,500 mile round trip to NY from IL. The car had just a tad over 8,000 miles on the odometer when I picked up the car from Budget.

    I noticed absolutely no driveability problems or hesitation either during the warm-up period from a cold start, or when it was up to full operating temperature. This is was on two-lane roads, interstates, and city driving.

    The only problem I did notice - big time - was a problem with the cruise control while driving through hilly terrain in PA. The cruise control was useless. With the cruise control on and cruising with the tach reading around 1,800RPM and negotiating a slight incline on the interstate, the transmission dropped down two gears, and the tach immediately peaked at 5,000RPM.

    I have a 4-cylinder with a 4-speed automatic that functions fine through hilly terrain, so Toyota does have a real problem with the cruise control in the 4-cylinder Camry. However, my personal car does not use drive-by-wire technology, rather a mechanical connection from the accelerator to the throttle assembly. Again, I did not experience any hesitation problems, or flat spots, during acceleration at all during the entire 1,500 mile trip. Given the number of complaints of this nature, I wonder why I didn't have the problem on the rental?
  • splatsterhoundsplatsterhound Member Posts: 149
    Fairly common problem with newer toyotas, apparently.

    Check ntsb complaints on 2004 highlanders. Lots of hesitation issues filed with the feds. Who knows what happens then....

    I've complained to Toyota to no avail about hesitation issue on Highlander 5 speed. Same kind of issue you describe with Camry. The delay drives me nuts.

    Good luck! :blush:
  • jimmy57jimmy57 Member Posts: 5
    Indeed, we are also experiencing erratic behavior with the cruise. This car spends more time at 4,500 rpm and higher than I have ever seen. We live in New Hampshire, and the car downshifts into third on even the slightest grade. All that said, I do not expect a fix for it real soon. The hesitation problem, however, needs attention immediately. It's really risky driving in heavy traffic, or on steep inclines, where I said in my original post, the car simply dies; sometimes stops completely.
  • mbolivermboliver Member Posts: 55
    Hi Jimmy, have you made any progress on this issue? I just ordered a 2007 LE with manual trannie and now I am scared and wondering if I should cancel the order. Please let me know any updates on this you have. Thanks!
  • jimmy57jimmy57 Member Posts: 5
    I am flattered that so many people are looking to me for advice; it's nice to know that people are responding. A master "guru" Toyota technician is scheduled to come to my Vermont dealership this coming week to drive a similar car (perhaps mine too) and he will assess the problem. The problem seems to be indigenous to the five-speed automatics, but I do not know for sure. Perhaps we'll have them drive a manual as well, if there's one on the lot. I'm on vacation this week, but I am checking my posts regularly. I believe Toyota is doing the right thing at present, and in my best interest...we'll see.
  • jimmy57jimmy57 Member Posts: 5
    I'm giving Toyota chance to make this right. I am a six-time Toyota, five time Camry owner, and my dealership of twenty years is trying their best to resolve my issue. That's the best one can hope for at present. I don't know that "seeking a higher authority" is necessary at this point. I'm going to give Toyota a chance to make it right. Thanks for reading my post.
  • penizzlepenizzle Member Posts: 104
    To get to the water pump weep hole, you have to remove the timing belt cover, real simple, just a couple of bolts or screws. Then, look ant the water pump near the mid upper part of the engine. Dont confuse with the oil pump, that is on the bottom. Look underneat the water pump pully and you will see a little hole. If it is discolored, your water pump is bad. Also, after all is put back together, take a Long long screwdiver or a tethlescope and run the engine. Listen to the water pump area by sticking the screwdriver head or stethlecope to the water pump area, which is indicated by a radiator hose on the left side of the engine coming out o f the engine. If you hear any noises such as a crunch...crunch or whining noise, you need a new pump. If all is bad, replace the thermostat when your mechanic replaces the pump, do it while its apart. A thermo is about 10 bucks. If there are still problems, there is only one last thing that can be happening causing overheating, a bad head gasket.
  • mbolivermboliver Member Posts: 55
    Good luck! Keep us posted! :)
  • lkzlkz Member Posts: 1
    I share your problem with the 4 cylinder and as a matter of fact my Camry has been at the dealer's now for a combined 2 weeks. I have a rental. I refused to keep on driving my car. I have a reference number with 1-800 number as well. The district manager drove my car on Tues and now three people agree there is a problem. They have been in touch w/Toyota manufacturing who told them to try the oxygen sensor (DID NOT WORK). The head of the service dept actually found the same problem in two other cars on the lot. Thing is the rental drives great. So, apparently this is similar to the problem they are having with the 6-cylinder transmission problem. On the 800 number they acknowledge the 6-cylinder problem and state that .5% of the cars have this problem. Apparently not all the 4-cylinders are having this problem. It is terrible to drive and I get mad every time I get in it to drive. I first thought it was me just getting used to 4-c vs. 300 M but then realized it was getting worse instead of better.

    I have been told that as of now they do not know how to fix it. I was told last week that "they" are working on a program (software?) that will re-program the car but this program has to be approved by the government first before it can be used.

    I want my money back as it seems that this is going to take forever. I am leaving the car in the shop for now and seeing what happens (how long they will let me drive a rental). Now I know though that this problem is being called in by others (there is another post here as well with the same problem).

    I live in NC.... Maybe we need to call and let them know that we know now there are others with the same problem?

    I had a 1999 300 M with absolutely no problems ever, car totalled in a head on, had to buy a car fast. Chose this Camry because of the good reputation of Toyota and the reasonable price....over a Sonata Hyundai. Now have been told that the Hyundai bought 10-14 Camry's and took them apart and rebuilt them and fashioned Sonata after this (really have been told this)...Maybe I should have bought the Hyundai.

    I do not think we should just wait for them. I think we need to be very loud in our frustration. It is not all the 4-cylinders apparently so if we do not make noises it may take forever..... Your thoughts?
  • rollon1300rollon1300 Member Posts: 63
    I would be very interested in what the tech finds and how he diagnoses the problem.

    If you check my posts on the "2007 Camry Woes" forum, you will see that I have been dealing with this issue since March of this year and posting since May. Very briefly, my dealer, Copeland of Brockton, MA, requested a Toyota Field Technical Service Engineer to diagnose the problem, which is essentially like yours, and he duplicated the issue and then described it as "normal characteristics" of the vehicle on the service report. The Customer Experience Center (what a name - it is an experience for sure - all bad) just blew me off based on that description.

    You need to confirm that the tech is a Toyota FTS Engineer, not just a District Service Manager, and have your car diagnosed with a scan-tool. The tech needs to be looking for and recording the air-fuel ratio when the condition occurs, which will be when you apply increased throttle. If they only ride in or drive the car, they are not doing a detailed analysis of the problem, which means they are just trying to cajole you into accepting the problem. You should be driving, as you know what causes the problem and can tell the tech using the scan tool when he should start recording the pertinent data.

    I sincerely hope you will report back to us on the procedure and results. The people who are having this problem need to be kept informed. The 2007 Camry 4-cyl 5AT vehicles afflicted with this problem are UNSAFE, and sooner or later someone is going to be involved in an accident because of this failure to accelerate (hesitation) issue.
  • rollon1300rollon1300 Member Posts: 63
    And yet another one!!!!

    I just posted to "Jimmy57" and found your post when I returned to the forum.

    It is very interesting that you stated I have been told that as of now they do not know how to fix it. I was told last week that "they" are working on a program (software?) that will re-program the car but this program has to be approved by the government first before it can be used.

    To me, this confirms that the lean condition on throttle application is a major part of the issue, since a (EPA?) re-certification means the engine emissions will change with the application of the fix, which must use a richer mixture when calling for acceleration.

    Thanks for your post, and please keep us informed of any updates you might be given.

    My dealer, Copeland of Brockton. MA, has been as helpful as they can be, but Toyota is not being up front with this issue at all - but more and more owners are starting to come forward complaining about it. Although not as "in-your-face" as the 6AT C-clip problem, this issue is going to "sting" Toyota. The word is spreading about it and more people are doing some serious thinking about buying a new Camry.

    All of us with the hesitation issue should post our dealers name and what is/has been done for us. I'd be willing to compile the list and post it on a regular basis as it grows.
  • damon34damon34 Member Posts: 124
    I am sorry all of you are having this problems with ur 2007 camry 4cyls but i am glad that I am not nuts. Everybody is almost describing their car almost to a T like my car acts. Hesitation problem dangerous at times. barely climping up hills. THe cuise control is terrible i dont even use it.But what nobody has answered yet is if their gas mileage has went from good to bad like mine. Mine has lost about 4 to 5 miles per gallon. But nobody else has said anything about theirs so i am just wondering?
  • flyingjflyingj Member Posts: 7
    You're not nuts...Toyota is nuts! I am getting 19 miles to the gallon...sucks! :lemon:
  • toyoman1toyoman1 Member Posts: 52
    Just an update on my coolant problem. I filled the radiator up and the reservoir. After doing so I drove about 2 hours and it went down a little in the reservoir. I topped it off again and checked the radiator again and the radiator was full. It has been a whole day and the car has lost no more coolant. What could have caused the leak stopping, if there ever was one? It lost an entire reservoir and half of what was in the radiator, during this summer. Could it all have just boiled off? Or do I still need to change the water pump, thermostat, and timing belt. The belt was changed at 80,000 miles and it now has 186,000
  • ach1199ach1199 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I am having same problem with my 99 Camry. Was the problem turn out to be the Turn Signal Relay or something else? If it was the relay then where did you find it on the car? I looked under the hood in the fuse box and could not find it. Thanks.
  • aruaru Member Posts: 1
    Hi! I'm in the market for a 2007 SE 4 cyl. But I'm rethinking my choice after reading about the hesitation problem. Is this problem only present in this particular model? Will I fare better if I purchase the 6 cyl or a different model?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Until just recently the only engine/transaxle delay hesiation common threads, seemingly, was Toyota/Lexus, DBW, FWD or front biased AWD, and the V6 w/5-speed.

    Several reports of the problem on the new RAV4 indicate it may have now propagated to the I4. Is the RAV4 I4 mated to the 5-speed?
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    "...Chose this Camry because of the good reputation of Toyota and the reasonable price....over a Sonata Hyundai. Now have been told that the Hyundai bought 10-14 Camry's and took them apart and rebuilt them and fashioned Sonata after this (really have been told this)...Maybe I should have bought the Hyundai..."

    I can't say you should've bought a Sonata. And, not to rub salt in an open wound, I'll relate my experience. After my '96 Accord was totaled (Sound familiar? ;)), I did buy a Hyundai Sonata V6. 3 2/3 years later the only warranty issue to date was discovering a defective cabin dome light fixture switch shortly after delivery. I'm no expert, but I doubt Hyundai intentionally patterned any of the Sonata's key mechanicals specifically after those of the Camry. I don't doubt Hyundai engineers took a Camry or two apart to observe and study Toyota's design considerations (Accords and Altimas, too, for that matter), since that's SOP for nearly all automakers. In other words, why "re-invent the wheel" from scratch when others have already gone down that road? And, if it ain't patented, it's fair game.) However, by observing how others have handled a particular issue, they then have the opportunity to make it better or cheaper (or even both if they're really clever).
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    If the coolant level has stabilized, just drive the car and watch it. You may've had the simplest "problem" in the book after a coolant changeout: trapped air inside the system. If so, it sounds like it's finally worked its way out and burped into the overflow bottle. Since the liquid in the bottle is heavier than air, when the engine cools, it sucks coolant out of the bottom of the bottle to equalize the radiator coolant level as the coolant contracts when it cools. Just keep an eye on it. Once a week you should remove the radiator cap before starting the engine when it's cold to check the level in the radiator. The coolant level in a cold radiator should be right up to the ring in the filler neck that the radiator cap gasket seals against. Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot. Pressurized coolant hotter than the boiling point of water shows no mercy. You can be seriously scalded.
  • toyoman1toyoman1 Member Posts: 52
    Hey thanks for the advice, I had a guy here in town that is my dads friend agree to install a water pump, timing belt, and new thermostat for 320 dollars? This includes all the necessary belts and parts and labor. Is this a deal or am I getting ripped off? :(
  • penizzlepenizzle Member Posts: 104
    If that includes parts, that is a very good deal.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Hey, that's a pretty good deal even if it doesn't include the parts. Dealer quotes are in the range of $1000 plus.
  • smile1017smile1017 Member Posts: 37
    I hope that you all can give me some help. I currently own a 99 Camry with 117K miles. I was just going to trade it in for a new TCH, but when I started my car yesterday afternoon, I noticed a big plume of white smoke coming from the tail pipe. :cry: The mechanic that I use specializes in Toyotas said that it would most likely be the seals and maybe the rings. Now, to fetch a good price for the car, I should probably fix is, but then it means that I am spending more for a car that I was planning to. I would like to get an idea of how much it would cost to repair. If it is significant (the car's trade-in is only $4000), I would rather fix the other problems are are more minor as well.
    The engine gets really bad gas mileage when I use gas with lower than 91 octane. (20 mpg with 87 octane but about 29 mpg with 91 octane) Is this something wrong with the car or is this just how the car was built.
    The mechanism that enables the release of the fuel tank panel - Is it easy to replace and where can I find the replacement cheap?
    Other than that, I have loved this car since day 1 (bought it new). I had the problem starting but not maintaining the rpm to keep the engine running for a while and no one know how to fix it until I found the mechanic that I use now. He only charges me $150 for the idle control unit and it has only been changed once. It will probably be time soon. It seems to go out every 60K miles. Once I fix the seals issue, I would like to know how long people have had before needing additional repairs other than regular maintenance. I am just wondering whether it would be better to just keep the car once I fix it rather than buying the new TCH, great as it may be. Please help. :confuse:
  • bildowbildow Member Posts: 100
    Also have him drain the radiator and engine block of the old antifreeze and you have a great deal change the antifreeze every 2 to 2 1/2 years even with the new 5 year antifreeze to help keep your engine block and radiator clean. Here is something you can also do when you get your car back take it to the local $2.00 car wash and wash out the front of the air condition what looks like a radiator that is in front of your radiator with hot soapy water and then go from the engine side and wash out the radiator not getting the engine wet. You will find a lot of dust mud bugs and whatever that will flush out helping your air condition to run cooler and radiator to help the engine run cooler. Don't forget to change out the transmission fluid every 20k miles. :shades:
  • eg3941eg3941 Member Posts: 2
    Re: my concern about rear seat air conditioning vents on 2005 Camry LE, when I switch the airflow to the floor I do get cool air out of the rear seat vents BUT in a typical hot Texas summer day it is virtually useless so I have to switch back to regular front seat vents and try to direct the air to the rear seat which is also not very effective. Is there an e-mail address direct to Toyota where they respond to questions like this?
  • suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    4 cyl or V6? We have a '99 4 cyl auto with 120,000 miles; gets 30 mpg on any kind of gas on the highway. So far only oil changes for maintenace, but we have only owned it about 2 years. We've been very pleased with it.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
  • smile1017smile1017 Member Posts: 37
    It's a 4 cyl auto and does get anywhere between 29-30 mpg on 91 octane. When I use 87 the mpg goes to about 20-23. I have had regular oil changes and maintenance. Changed the timing belt @ 90K. I have been very happy, but now I'm wondering whether I should retire it and buy a new one.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    If the overall air ducting system is like my RX300 it really helps to close, or close slightly, those front (manual only, always open otherwise)air outlets near the left and right front windows.

    That will "baffle" the dash outlets airflow, "forcing" more of the cooled system airflow out of the rear high level air ducting.

    I have often considered adding booster fans inside the rear ducting to increase the rear airflow. Luckily we don't often have rear seat passengers plus do not have a lot of HOT weather here near Seattle.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    The 2002-06 Camry LE and SE, however, don't have "high level" rear air ducting.

    There are vent outlets under the front seats only, and I haven't yet checked to see if cooled air comes out of them.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    There cannot be such a mileage discrepancy between 87 and 91 octane for the 4-cylinder engine. In fact, there should be none.

    Are you comparing apples to apples: multiple fillups in the same kind of driving conditions? One way to check would be to take a long trip using regular going one way and premium coming back. Of course, this will only work if the traffic conditions are similar both ways and you're not going uphill one way and downhill back!
  • smile1017smile1017 Member Posts: 37
    Yeah. It's similar driving conditions. About 80 CA freeways and 20% city. The reason why I am specific about CA freeways is that there are point where it is bumper to bumper but that is usually about 5 miles going home from work. But the mileage problems, I am really worried about the smoke coming from the tail pipe at start up. :sick: The mileage issue was notice about 1 year into owning the car when I started community about 45 miles one way to work and the premium gas was adding up. I switched a couple of time to 87 and I notice a huge difference in the mileage because I was going to the pump more often. When I asked the mechanic, he just said that it was a typical occurence in cars built in the 90s and early 2000s. When I did the math, it ended up costing me the same so for the convenience of not having to get to the gas station so often, I opted for 91. But this is not major issue. I need to consider whether I need to fix the smoke problem or buy a new car. If I can fix the smoke problem affordably, I would then see about fixing this gas issue. :confuse:

    Update: I contacted several mechanics today and they seem to think that it is the head gasket that needs to be replaced. If this is true, they quoted about $1200-$1300 to fix. This would be worth fixing, but does that sound right to the mechanically abled on this page.
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