Hi Guys,
I just bought a 2002 Camry. As soon as I got it, I observed that if I turned the steering wheel quickly, I could hear a distinct noise inside the cabin (hard to describe - sounds like a cat whining
). However, if I turned the steering wheel slowly, there was no noise. The noise was worse when the vehicle was cold.
I discussed with my local Toyota service advisor, and he said that the noise is common on this generation of Camry and that it is caused by the steering linkage shaft rubbing against a rubber boot located at the firewall. Today, I hit the boot/shaft interface with with some silicone spray (see red arrow for lubricant location) and sure enough, the noise completely disappeared. You can test for this noise by turning on the engine so that the power steering is active, and with the car stationary, crank the steering wheel hard from one side to the other. Before the lubrication, it made a weird noise. After the lubrication it no longer makes any noise.
Just thought I'd post it on TN in case this helps someone else in the future. It is a quick, easy problem to fix.
Linear Mode
