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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
- Paul
Can anyone help my dilemna. My wife was driving and the car just died, we had it towed home. It cranks fine, I checked for spark; no spark, rotor turns ok so timing belt must be fine. Ignition setup under distributor cap looks fine nothing burnt or cracked. I have 120k miles on it, Was doing great till now any help would be appreciated.
jwkwiz
It occurs to me that this transmission is touted to be an all-new design. So surely this thunk wasn't "retained" in the new design.
Isn't there a place to write ... a transportation or safety board we can voice consumer complaints. If this is repair able by reburning the ROM with a different program then I think we deserve to know it.
The last time I mentioned this the service advisor told me that a check light would go on if the computer detected a problem with the transmission and not to worry. Groan ... I can hardly wait.
But they don't all do it. My '85 Camry doesn't do it and it runs great.
Also 87-91 Camry 4 cylinder have a history of leaking distributor O-rings
On another car last year ... you don't want to hear this ... the computer died! On that vehicle I replaced it with a rebuilt unit by Python for a LOT less than the dealer would have sold it.
Good luck
I also have noticed the morning cold shift shock that other people have been referring to. I find that by letting it run for a minute or so the idle comes down low enough so that I barely hear it. My power driver's seat had been moving about 1/4 inch on acceleration but by repositioning it I haven't felt it move again.
At this time (450 miles) I am not to happy with the way my new Camry has been shifting. Before I contact my Toyota service rep. I want to hear from Toyota directly if they are aware of any shifting issues with the 2002 Camry V6. The following is what I sent Toyota.
************************************************
Hello,
I have just purchased a 2002 Camry LE V6 automatic (with overdrive). I have 450 miles on the vehicle at this time. I am not very happy with the way the car shifts when left in overdrive. I travel 25 miles one way on back roads at which I can maintain speeds between 40 and 55. Moving along between these speeds I feel the car intermittently holding back and letting go (I can see the RPM's drop by 500 RPM and then go back up again when this happens). This is very annoying to me. This does this quite often on my commute to and from work. The owners manual says to leave the car in overdrive and I only need to take it out when climbing hills at lower speeds and when hauling a trailer. I feel that this should not be doing this in the manner I am driving the car. I have a 1999 toyota corolla with overdrive which I leave in overdrive all the time and do not notice this type of problem.
Before I contact my service rep. (who I don't trust to get a straight answer) I want to hear from Toyota directly if they are aware of any shifting issues in this vehicle. I have been reading some Toyota news groups (cars my year) and they said that there are EPROM updates to take care of some transmission issues. Are there ANY updates that you are aware of that need to be done to take care of any type of shifting problems. I do not want to get the run around from the service department that is why I am going to Toyota directly for the answer.
Thank You
Kurt Morin
Anyone ever have a similar problem or any idea what may be wrong...if anything?
Anyone ever have a similar problem or any idea what may be wrong...if anything?
Again, anyone ever hear of something like this or what it costs to fix...hopefully it is covered under our Extened care Platimum!
My wife just called...This just happened again at Blockbuster Video...Car would not start after TWO attempts this time - no clicking or noise or anything. Some dude saw what was happening and said to put the car in nuetral and try to start it...IT WORKED. (Perhaps it was a coincidence - perhaps it would have started if she had turned the key in Park a third time...?) She has since been able to start and restart the car in park. The guy worked for Ford and said their cars have some sort of Safety switch that goes bad...he did not elaborate. We called Toyota back and I guess they told my wife there is such a part but to watch the situation and see if this is consistently the problem.
Again, anyone ever hear of something like this or what it costs to fix...hopefully it is covered under our Extened care Platimum!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Thanks for getting back to me on this. I definetly have strange shifting problems going on with my new Camry. I sent Toyota the message as indicated in #25 and I just received a reply this morning stating that they are not aware of any shifting problems in these vehicles (bull !!!). I am planning on going to my service rep. this afternoon and have a service tech. drive the car. I know that they are going to experience the symtom but can almost guarantee you that they are going to say that this is normal because GUESS WHAT !!! I have no check light. If they tell me this then am going to insist that they let me test drive another 2002 to see if that one has the same symtoms as mine.
I cannot believe that toyota is not aware of ANY shifting/transmission problems on that particular car. I just feel like they are trying to shaft me. Well I guess the meeting this after with the service rep. may still have hope.
I went to see my dealer this morning and described the problem to the service techs. They said that this did not sound like a problem and from what I was explaining sounded like it was doing what it was designed to do. I asked to test drive another 2002 V6 Camry which they did. I made a couple of observations. As you can see from my other messages #13 and #20 I also have the "Cold Shift Shock" problem. When the service rep started this car it was idling fast (1700 RPM) which you would expect when cold. When he shifted into drive the car surged forward (expected at that RPM) but quess what !!! no cluck. I told him also about this problem and he could not give me an answer as to why mine does and this test vehicle does not.
I did test drive the car and it presented similar symtoms as mine (described in #25) so maybe this is the nature of the beast. After I returning from the test drive and talking to the service reps. they explained to me that this car is what they called "fly by wire" no cables or pulleys. They told me that the computer makes a lot of adjustments (shifting) depending on a lot of circumstances/road conditions. I was led to believe that this is just the way it is.
FWIW
Has anyone else experienced this??
Also my power driver's seat has too much play in it which the dealer could not fix....
========================================================
AERA Engine Rebuilders Association
330 Lexington Drive
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-6998
TECHNICAL BULLETIN
March 2002
TB 1963
Mfg: Lexus/Toyota Model: Car/Truck
Liter: 3.0L
Code: V-6
Year: 1993-2001
OIL CONSUMPTION OR ENGINE DAMAGE ON
1993-2001 Lexus/Toyota 3.0 V-6 Engines
The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information
regarding oil consumption or engine damage on 1993-2001 Lexus/Toyota
3.0L V-6 engines. Either of these conditions has been reported even
though proper oil maintenance has been endured. The cause of these
conditions may be the result of oil pooling in either cylinder head.
If the oil is allowed to puddle several undesirable scenarios may
result.
Depending upon the startup oil level in the oil pan and the amount of
pooled oil while the engine is running, a depleted amount of supply
oil may remain in the oil pan. The amount of oil in suspension in the
cylinder heads may overwhelm both the valve stem seals and PCV system,
causing oil consumption. This oil consumption may or may not produce
oil smoke out the tail pipe as temperatures within the exhaust system
(catalytic convertor) completely burn the oil vapors.
The apparent cause of these conditions is oil sludge accumulation in
the cylinder head drain back passages preventing sufficient oil flow
from the top of the engine to the oil pan. It has also been reported
adding a quart of oil to an engine showing a quart low level on the
dipstick may be misleading. In some cases with excessively sludged up
engines, the amount registering on the dipstick does not equal the
amount added to the top of the engine.
Some AERA members report repeated engine oil flushes and changes may
be a temporary resolve for effected engines. Also, much shorter oil
change intervals are necessary, perhaps as often as every 1000 miles
to keep the sludge from reappearing.
The AERA Technical Committee
http://www.aera.org
Also, when at a long stop light, brakes slowly sink down to one inch from floor. Brake p. Have taken to two different dealerships; service said everything checks out fine. Sent letters, even called Georgetown; so guess it's all in my mind, huh? I asked regional service rep if Toyota would work with me, take this back and I would pay the extra thousands for an Avalon. The answer: they will sell me an extended warranty!!!
My answer was I am not talking about a starter, I am talking about the BRAKES and I am not keeping this car. I am looking at eating a minimum of $7,000 to unload it on another 2002 trade in, different mfg. Have had Toyotas in the past and they have been great. This has been a huge and costly experience for me. Toyota again for me? Even a gold plated one, I think not.
Good luck getting Toyota to back up your problem.
every 4-5 months within the 6K specs. The oil appears to be "thick". this was the case before the March oil change as well and at that time didnt pay too much attention. the Car runs fine.
for deepan: the color of the oil. All your cars take the same oil, correct? Different oils (weights, brand, lots, etc) will have a variation in color. Castrol Syntec is usually dark amber from the bottle.
You mentioned in your note #26 that you believe there are TBS's for shifting problems on some 2002 V6 Camry's with auto transmission. Could you please point me in a direction that would indicate this somewhere. Toyota says they are not aware of any transmission issues on these cars which I do not believe. I just want to find out if there is someone else that is experiencing the same shifting issues as described in my message #25 and if there was a fix for this.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
It is the Neutral Safety Switch that sits just outside the automatic transmission that is the problem. This can be temporarily fixed when you move the automatic gear from "park" to "neutral" or just wiggle it when you are in park or neutral. This happens because the electrical connection on the Neutral Safety Switch (NSS) is worn and "wiggling" it allows it electrical connection to touch again. I had the same problem & so bought a second hand NSS and installed it myself & didn't have a problem after that.
(1). The theft deterrent system can't be activated? I contacted Toyota dealer and was told my car doesn't have this feature. But I could not find any option that includes the theft deterrent system or alarming system. I suspect this is a standard feature in all Camry. You can test your car according to owner’s manual (pages 28-29).
(2). According to owner’s manual (page 88), if the car is equipped with automatic light cut off system, we should be able to turnoff the headlight immediately when we lock the car with keyless remote. This is not what I observed in my car, I have to wait for very long (>30 minutes) before the headlight turns off. I suspect my car doesn’t have this, but this feature is not listed in any options.
Can anybody test your car and send your answers to deng_08844@yahoo.com, many thanks in advance.
dengsg
Thanks for the pointers. I did go out to a site and low and behold I found 2 service bulletins for shifting issues with my 2002 Camry. The service bulletins are as follows.
*********************************************************
Make: TOYOTA
Model: CAMRY
Year: 2002
Service Bulletin Number: 689
Bulletin Sequence Number: 625
Summary Description:
Electronic message regarding shift quality feeling improvements on vehicles equipped with the 1MZ-FE engine.
*********************************************************
Make: TOYOTA
Model: CAMRY
Year: 2002
Service Bulletin Number: EG01301
Bulletin Sequence Number: 625
Summary Description:
Subject regarding U140E shift quality improvements.
***********************************************************
In a message that I sent to Toyota USA I asked if they were aware of "ANY" service bulletins with regards to shifting issues with my vehicle.
I received a reply back from Toyota saying that they were not aware of any service bulletins with regards to shifting issues for my vehicle. I just sent them the 2 service bulletins that I found and are dying to see how they get around this one.
I did not trust the Toyota dealership where I purchased my car for giving me a straight answer that is why I went to Toyota directly. I should have known that I was not going to get a straight answer from them either. I would imagine that Toyota puts out these service bulletins and if Toyota customer support is not aware of them something is VERY wrong.
www.nhtsa.dot.gov
l-502-868-2000 or
1-800-868-9750
engine runs so quiet even at 80mph. I'm happy that I got the v6 instead of the I4. I4 (got it).
I picked the Luna mist metalic over the red and white. To me it looks more elegant.
I am so fed up trying to get a straight answer with regards to this "Cold Shift Shock" problem that I am also experiencing I decided to send a complaint to Toyota. The following is what I sent.
*************************************************
Hello,
My vehicle is also one of many that is experiencing the "Cold Shift Shock" problem. I am not sure if this is the proper terminology for the problem but this is what one Toyota service rep. told a customer.
When I start my vehicle either first thing in the morning or after work the car cold idles at about 1700 RPM which is fine. When I shift the car into reverse (brake on) I feel the car surge backward which is normal because of the higher RPM. When I shift into drive at the higher RPM I hear/feel a cluck or thud while shifting into drive. If I do let the car sit and idle for about 2 to 3 minutes and bring the RPMs down then the cluck/thud into drive does not happen.
I have read of many folks with my year and model Camry experiencing this same problem and others are not. Just for my own curiosity I went to the dealership where I purchased my vehicle and had a service tech start up (cold) a vehicle exactly as mine. I watched the tach and it was at 1700/1800 RPMs and then had the tech shift into reverse and then into drive and quess what!! no cluck/thud going into drive. I questioned him as to why mine is doing this and he could not give me a real reason. This techs brilliant response was to let the car warm up before shifting into drive.
If some cars are doing this and others are not then there is a REAL problem in the vehicles that are having this problem. I am not taking this car back to the dealership again because if there is no TSB from Toyota or a check light from the computer they are NOT going to be able to help. I(we the loyal Toyota customers) need someone higher than the dealership service techs to look into this problem.
If I do not hear from Toyota that they are going to seriously look into my problems then I am going to place a "LEMON" sign on my vehicle and drive around with it until I can get some straight up answers from Toyota. I will also place my problems on any WEB site that I think may help the next person decide whether they want to purchase this vehicle.
Regards,
Unhappy Toyota owner
*************************************************
I also have the strange shifting problem ( I submitted #19) which I am also trying to work with Toyota. For those of you who are having problems please keep pushing to get Toyota to open their eyes and know that there are real problems with these vehicles that need to be addressed. I have the 2002 Camry LE V6.
Regards,
Kurt ...
I also have another issue with my new Camry that has been happening. While descending down a hill ( between 40 and 45) and when I apply the brakes the car will down shift VERY (can even hear/feel a cluck) hard. This has been happening quite often and is not normal. I have seen this problem entered on another site. I will be forwarding this off to Toyota USA.
Regards,
Kurt ...
JD Powers even noticed the poor quality of the new Camry. The Camry isnt even in the top rung any more, its even lower than Chevy.
www.nhtsa.dot.gov
I also posted earlier message May 20 under Camry Owners: Problems & Solutions, message #34
Good luck
way. And both rear rotors showed a lot of grid lines. Some are deep I can felt it with my finger rubbing it. The 2 front rotors still looks very smooth. What's wrong here with the brake?.
I'll bring my car in for service this week. But I'd like to have some
ideas regard to this problem so the dealer won't be bs me.
Any input is very appreciated. Thanks
PS.
To alpha01, tiger8
Do you have any idear regard to
this brake problem?.
I have a 2002 LE4 automatic with 3500 miles on the odometer - I bought it in January. So far, the operation of the car has been flawless - no rattles or squeaks, no shifting surges or noises (in fact, an extremely smooth transmission), the standard brakes (disks up front, drums in the rear, no ABS) work just fine, the car is very steady and quiet, and makes 28 mpg in mixed local/highway driving. It's no street racer, but neither am I; I have no difficulty merging onto a 75 mph highway.
The only problem, and it is major, is with the driver's seat. I have the power option (all the LE4s I saw had it), so positioning is easy. But the seat is much too hard and improperly shaped - in particular, the top of the seat-back angles forward, which pushes my shoulders forward and gives me royal backaches after an hour or so of driving (which is why I didn't detect the problem during several 20-minute test drives).
I have had 3 auto upholsterers work on the seat. They have made it much better - the seat comes, incredibly, with a horizontal metal bar a third down from the top of the seat-back; this is so hog rings can be used to pull in the fabric at that point, but it drove me crazy until it was removed. But even with all the fixes, and a top-of-the-line (= expensive) sheepskin cover, the seat is still uncomfortable over long rides.
I have tried every aftermarket seat cushion available and even bought special "memory foam" and made my own cushioning, but it's simply impossible to overcome the hardness, narrowness, and shape of the seat. The one thing that has induced me to make every possible effort to fix this seat, apart from the financial loss which must result from trading it in now, is my assumption that otherwise it is an excellent car with assured reliability. I am therefore horrified to learn that it may not be all that reliable, after all. I guess I may be back in the car market sooner than I had planned.
All the shifting (transmission) problems that I have been seeing seem to be happening with the V6 engines. I have a person that lives in my complex that owns a 2002 Camry with the 4 cyl. and he told me that he is not having any shifting issues at all (including the cold shift shock that so many are complaining about).
I have submitted 3 different problem E-mails to Toyota USA and have not heard back. Usually they get right back stating that there are no know problems that they are aware of. It has been 4 days and have not heard back so maybe someone is really going to take my problems seriously and start looking into them.
FWIW
Kurt ...