5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
We purchased a 2007 Camry LE, 4 cyl, about 6 weeks ago and are pretty unhappy with the throttle/transmission performance. We are getting the standard reply from the service manager, regarding "this is the way the drive-by-wire system works". There is no TSB, yet (apparently). I was hoping that there was upgraded programming and they could re-flash the ECU and improve things.
It hesitates when you need to make a "jackrabbit" start - say pulling across traffic for a tight left turn. When you punch it, it seems to wait a second or two to react. When cruising around town, at 30-40 mph, it gives an unsettling feeling, as it seems to be hunting for the right gear to be in.
It's a very comfortable car and we would be very happy, if not for this hesitation issue. Prior models appear to have some similar behaviours. This is the same engine/tranny combination that has been used since 2004. I'm not sure whether the "drive-by-wire" approach to the throttle/transmission is unchanged or not.
Is anyone else having this experience? Has anyone gotten a more satisfactory response?
Actually I think I know what you are talking about. Mine shoots out of the hole and then around 22-27mph hits this real slow no acceleration hardly at all. Feels like a 25hp vehicle and then gets past that and goes fast again. I don't have the 30-40mph issue though.
This isn't related to it being a 4 cylinder as at other times it does just fine.
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2007 Toyota Camry White SE 2.4L
2001 Ford Lightning Red 5.4L supercharged
1953 Ford F100 (Under Construction) 429 ci
I think it has something to do with the automatic transmission, not performance. I test drove a manual trans I4 and throttle response was instantaneous. My Auto I4 hesitates at times, though perhaps It's leaning the way I drive, or is it the other way areound.
I used to experience this problem and the fact that the car isn't a V6 or V8 has no relevancy. As mentioned, it has to do with the drive-by-wire system. I hated my Camry before because of the very hesistation you mentioned. The car would be very sluggish sometimes and I would literally have to mash down on the accelerator to get going and even then, sometimes I did get the hesistation for a few seconds like the car couldnt interpret what I wanted it to do. But from what i've heard, the drive-by-wire feature is sort of like an intelligent system. Its supposed to learn your specific driving habits and fine tune your car to it. Now, my car performs a million times better. All I have to do is tap on the gas and I'm down the street as if I were driving a V6, while all the other cars have barely gotten going. I still get the hesistation from time-to-time but its virtually non-existent now.
My I4 has the same hesitation problem when in city traffic around 30-40mph.
I've had my car for 1100 miles and over 7 weeks. It's learned how I drive, but it is so annoying. I'm a pretty laid back driver. I don't normally make abrupt lane changes where i need to accelerate quick to avoid getting hit. But if that is someone's driving style, i can see where that 2 second delay in response would be dangerous.
I was just about to post a similar topic, to see if I should take it in to the service center. I have a '07 LE I4. Just turned over 1000 miles... I'm used to driving V6 and V8 sports cars, so I kept watching the tach to see where the shift points were on the automatic... and whenever it its 1500RPM, thats when it smooths out... which is typically about 20-25mph. Same thing decelerating... once the RPMs drop to 1500, you sort of feel the car lurch, like it lost throttle all together...
So how long should I expect to drive it until the drive-by-wire system figures me out? I'm a pretty consistent driver, but its a pain in the ass when you have to react in traffic... like coming to a stop light and the light changes.. if you get back on the accelerator quickly, the car seems startled, and kinda jumps....
Can anyone give more details on this drive-by-wire system?
Folks, I'm also aware of this "hesitation" situation on my 4cyl. But I couldn't help but think that this "learning" thing is just Sci-Fi. Have you guys got any reference that this Drive-by-Wire from Toyota actually do learning? Or rather that it is you who learned how to adapt (like going easy on the acceleration)?
Besides, if it can indeed learn. What if there were more than 1 driver and they have different driving style. How could the system learn the right response? It does not even know who is driving the car!
Folks, I'm also aware of this "hesitation" situation on my 4cyl. But I couldn't help but think that this "learning" thing is just Sci-Fi. Have you guys got any reference that this Drive-by-Wire from Toyota actually do learning? Or rather that it is you who learned how to adapt (like going easy on the acceleration)?
Besides, if it can indeed learn. What if there were more than 1 driver and they have different driving style. How could the system learn the right response? It does not even know who is driving the car!
You could be right. Honestly I believe that I've learned the car...not the other way around. But sometimes I think the car learns me because it still acts differently sometimes even when I perform the same way I always do.
I also have this problem along with other symptoms that are, I believe, related. After complaining to my dealer and getting no satisfaction, I pushed for more troubleshooting and the service manager made a phone call and made arrangements for an engineer from the factory to come and diagnose my vehicle (07 LE 4-cyl 5-speed AT). It took a few days, but I was finally scheduled and met with the engineer who flew in and rode in my vehicle while I demonstated the symptoms and he recorded them using a scan tool. It took about an hour to get all the details he wanted, but I believe it was worth the days work missed to get some motion towards solving this problem. The engineer advised me that it would probably result in a new MAP being developed and sent to all dealers to address part or all of this problem. He did not know what the time frame would be, but advised me to call my service manager in a month (three weeks this past Monday). I will let the forum know when and if a new MAP is released.
I wrote a short note to my dealer detaiing my take on the situation and am including it here:
1. When an attempt is made to accelerate with a slight push on the accelerator pedal,
the vehicle speed increases slowly. However, if the accelerator pedal is slightly
released from that point, the vehicle then speeds up quite nicely. (acts like
engine is lean or starved on initial accelerator.
2. With a little more than a slight push on the accelerator pedal, the transmission downshifts.
3. When traveling with the cruise control set, the slightest upgrade causes the transmission
to go out of lockup, then downshift, then accelerate hard overshooting the speed setting,
then coast while up-shifting and then undershoot the speed setting. Occasionally, the
process repeats and repeats until cancelled by the driver.
(My 2003 Camry LE - 4 cyl/4 speed AT never acted in this manner.
It stayed locked up in top gear even with a substantial push on the
accelerator. On trips through the hills of Pennsylvania and Virginia
the car rarely downshifted and maintained speed quite nicely.)
I didn't pick up on the hesitation situation until after I had the meeting with the engineer. I attempted to pull out of a lane of traffic and get into a faster moving lane. After signaling, I pulled out and hit the gas and the car just acted like I didn't press in the accelerator at all for about 1-2 seconds, and then took off like a V6. It has happened a number of times since. Thjis is a safety issue and could cause an accident.
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