3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
On my 97, both the driver and passenger doors take a good slam to make them shut. At best this is an annoyance, at worst it ends up leaving my dome and/or courtesy lights on, giving me a dead battery the next day.
Do you have to slam your doors to get them to latch all the way? Mine bounces a bit and then latches at half way. I can't for the life if me figure out what its hitting. Once its latched half way, I can push on the door and it moves in and out, but I can't push it hard enough to latch it all the way, you have to slam it to get it to do that.
The door sagged quite a bit when I got it, so I figured thats why it shut hard. But now I've fixed that, and it lines up perfectly. But its still hard to shut.
I did lube up the latch when I first got it, because it creaked. Maybe I'll double check and make sure its got plenty on there. The door 'slides' or 'coasts' toward the door pretty well though. I think there's a problem at the door, unless they are all just like this.
It does not feel like its coming from the hinges. It feels like the door is not lining up properly with the frame or the latch. But it looks perfect from the inside and out.
It feels like the latch on the car is too far inward, and the door has to compress the weatherstripping too far to be able to shut correctly. But the door looks perfect when closed. Is that U shaped latch on the frame adjustable? I would need to adjust it outward a little, that may fix the problem.
I saw it in the service manual that, there is actually a way to adjust the latch mechanism. Look through the manual and maybe that may solve this problem.
Manual sasy you have to adjust the "loop" (or how it is called - the thing on the car frame, not on the door). However, it is a screw that you have to loose and I could not. Mine shuts a bit hard, but it's not too bad.
I bought the bit, its a T40 Torx bit in case anyone ever needs to know. But its not adjustable. I took the two screws completely out, and there is no adjustment there. Just two boltholes.
After really studying it tonight, I think its the weatherstripping at the front of the door. The door may be bent so that it crimps it too tight, I don't know. I tried my best to bent it out but I could make no difference. I guess I'll just shut the door hard.
can you take some pics of the part that you tried to adjust using the T40 Torx bit? on a Gen3 it's a standard Phillips head No3. i'm just surprised that they've gone to torx bits on the gen4 and i guess i'm just trying to see if you've pulled apart the right part. it is usually a common serviceable (adjustable) part.
It's strange that they changed the standard Philips from Gen 3 to Torx... so maybe it is only adjustable on a Gen 3. I will never know, because when I tried to loose the screws, my screwdriver started to bend, so I gave up.
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