5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
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I've been away from this site for awhile, but I am back with a new username. I searched for similar issues, but did not find anything so I am hoping someone can help.
Back in September of 2009, my 07 SE V6 had about 120,000 km on in and I started hearing a thump under the car as it shifted from 1st to 2nd gear first thing in the morning. The first 2 days it happened, I thought I was running over a little pebble, but that was not the case. This happened every morning for several weeks, only happening once a day, first thing in the morning. If I stopped at a stop sign or traffic light, it would not do it as I pulled away, just as I left the hotel in the morning. I was working out of town so I never brought it to the dealer right away.
Then after a few weeks, it started doing this 2x a day, only after the car was started, NOT AFTER DRIVING FOR A BIT. It would do it first thing in the morning, and later that day -- maybe lunch time or after work when I was heading back to the hotel -- but only after the car was sitting for awhile and then started up. After awhile, it was happening 3 - 4 times a day, now it is happening constantly.
I took it into the dealer, they couldn't find anything. One theory that they came up with was since the cold weather was here, the ABS system was performing "a cold weather self-test" that might produce this type of noise. But now here we are in June, with 25+ degrees C weather most days, and now the noise is louder than ever, more metallic sounding, and happening EVERY TIME I START UP THE CAR!!!
Just to make sure everyone is clear, it only happens when the car is started up and you begin to drive away. It happens during the upshift from 1st to 2nd, either a millisecond before the shift or a millisecond after the shift. If I start the car and start to drive, I get the thump. If I stop, but leave the engine running, and drive away again, no thump. I can drive all day, but if I don't shut the car off and restart it, I will not get the thump again. As soon as I shut the car off and restart it, it is there only on the first shift, then not again until I shut it off and restart. It is very strange. It has the technician at my dealer stumped. Also, the Toronto Toyota TECH Center that they've been consulting with cannot figure it out either. Last week they tried to swapping out the front transmission mount, but as I was pulling out of the service bay, it did it again and has been doing it ever since, and is louder than ever.
My guess is that when I shut the car off, I am either resetting something in the transmission or the hydraulic pressure in the tranny drops off. When I restart the car, I get the thump. If I don't shut the car off, nothing is reset or the pressure does not drop off, and I do not get the noise.
Anyone experience something similar? Any comments or thoughts or theories? I welcome you input and look forward to the comments. Thanx in advance.
Luckily, I bought the ECP up to 160,000 KM when I purchased the car. Right now there is 155,000 KM on the car. I reported the issue at about 130,000 KM.
Brent
Last edited by Radio Wolf; 06-28-2010 at 08:41 AM.
Reason: Spelling
Good luck with the dealer. I had problems with my transmission which is still under warranty but they said they could not honor it because "someone overfilled it with too much fluid. After going back and forth with Toyota Corp they finally fixed it at no charge. Have you had your transmission serviced before the thumping?
Good luck with the dealer. I had problems with my transmission which is still under warranty but they said they could not honor it because "someone overfilled it with too much fluid. After going back and forth with Toyota Corp they finally fixed it at no charge. Have you had your transmission serviced before the thumping?
The only transmission service performed on this car was about 2 years ago and it was to correct the infamous Camry V6 transmission flare-up issue. Since then, there have been no power-train issues whatsoever and definitely no transmission work. I'm not sure what to think about this one.
Anyhow, the car goes back to the dealer tomorrow morning for another round of "stump the technicians".
OK, apparently they were able to find something wrong with one of the CV axles...... not the typical wear or damage I am use to seeing with these things, but something where it connects inside the transmission. Not sure why it would only act up when the car is started and not make the noise every time you pull away from a stop, but they're gonna swap out some parts next week and hopefully that will cure it,
Well, back from the dealer and even with the new CV axle installed, the car made the same noise as I was leaving the parking space.... GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!! I have absolutely had it with this car. For the past 2-1/2 years, it has been one thing after another and it takes forever for the technicians at the dealer to figure out what the problems are.
And now, to top it all off, even though I paid $2500+ for the ECP up to 160,000 km (currently have 157,000 on the car though I first reported this issue at about 130,000 km), now they are charging me $88 + tax per hour for diagnostic charges -- parts and labor are covered, but diagnostics are not. So now, though they have had several cracks to fix this, I gotta bring it back again for more trouble-shooting and hope they stumble upon a fix.
Now the latest theory is back to square-one with the ABS. Although now its not a "cold weather self test" item, but simply a noisy actuator. Makes sense I guess as it only happens when the car has been started up. But if that proves to be the cause of the noise, there is apparently no fix so there is nothing they can / will do. I tell ya one thing, if I decide I ever want to sell this car, its gonna be hard to do with a loud thumping noise happening everytime you start the car and drive off. The noise never happend for the first 2 years I had the car, now seems to be getting worse. So if it wasn't happening before but is happening now, that means something is changing. If something is changing, is it getting worse? If its getting worse, can it eventually cause me trouble down the road? If so, shouldn't there be a fix?
Just some random thoughts and questions from a very dissatisfied owner. This is not the 1st issue I've had, there have been many similar problems since I bought the car, some of them ongoing for over 2 years.
Last edited by Radio Wolf; 06-22-2010 at 01:31 PM.
Well, apparently I have been given the official word that my issue is not a transmission or undercarriage issue, but simply the ABS system performing it's self test. And nobody plans on doing anything to straighten it out. What a crock of you-know-what!!
First off, since it took 6 months to finally come up with an answer, replacing CV axles and transmission mounts along the way, I hardly classify this as normal since they told me only 1 other customer has had their car in for the same issue. I will confirm how much of a normal occurrance this is later today when I contact the largest Toyota dealer in the country to see what their experience has been.
Secondly, for the first 22 months, my car made no noticeable noise when first starting up and driving away. Then in September of 2009, it started, once a day at first, and very faint. Then after several weeks, it went to 2x a day. Then eventually up to 3 and 4 times a day. Now every time I start the car. And the volume of the noise is much, much louder, to the point where it feels and sounds like something underneath hitting against something else. Another poster likened it to the sound of a sway bar hitting something. That sounds very accurate. I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS, THIS IS NOT NORMAL. In my line of work, I've had the chance to drive 9 brand new vehicles (of all makes) over the last 19 years. Never, and I repeat NEVER, have I experienced anything like this. Once again, this is not normal.
As I stated in a different thread, down the road, if myself or one of my family members gets put in harms way because of a braking issue that Toyota has decided is NORMAL for the simple reason they do not want to fix another one of their screw-ups, they will be in for a fight the likes they have never seen. I've had it with this car, and Toyota in general.
Last edited by Radio Wolf; 06-28-2010 at 08:40 AM.
Well, apparently I have been given the official word that my issue is not a transmission or undercarriage issue, but simply the ABS system performing it's self test. And nobody plans on doing anything to straighten it out. What a crock of you-know-what!!
First off, since it took 6 months to finally come up with an answer, replacing CV axles and transmission mounts along the way, I hardly classify this as normal since they told me only 1 other customer has had their car in for the same issue. I will confirm how much of a normal occurrance this is later today when I contact the largest Toyota dealer in the country to see what their experience has been.
Secondly, for the first 22 months, my car made no noticeable noise when first starting up and driving away. Then in September of 2009, it started, once a day at first, and very faint. Then after several weeks, it went to 2x a day. Then eventually up to 3 and 4 times a day. Now every time I start the car. And the volume of the noise is much, much louder, to the point where it feels and sounds like something underneath hitting against something else. Another poster likened it to the sound of a sway bar hitting something. That sounds very accurate. I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS, THIS IS NOT NORMAL. In my line of work, I've had the chance to drive 9 brand new vehicles (of all makes) over the last 19 years. Never, and I repeat NEVER, have I experienced anything like this. Once again, this is not normal.
As I stated in a different thread, down the road, if myself or one of my family members gets put in harms way because of a braking issue that Toyota has decided is NORMAL for the simple reason they do not want to fix another one of their screw-ups, they will be in for a fight the likes they have never seen. I've had it with this car, and Toyota in general.
Wow, nearly 87,000 miles in 2 years?
I don't hear any noises when I start the car... when I start shifting from Park yes, there are noises.
ABS system checking itself...makes a thump sound at around 15mph when you first drive the car in the morning. I used to think this was strange as well, but I've gotten used to it.
__________________
2007 Camry SE V6
2003 Tundra SR5 V6
ABS system checking itself...makes a thump sound at around 15mph when you first drive the car in the morning. I used to think this was strange as well, but I've gotten used to it.
Has the thump always been there?
Has it happened more frequently over time?
Has it gotten louder over time?
Does it sound like there is something banging around under the front end of your car?
Does it sound like there is something banging around under the front end of your car?
I first noticed the thump sound very early on, right after purchasing the car. Did some research and did find out it was the ABS system performing its checks.
It hasn't happened more frequently over time, always once a day and always in the morning.
It has not gotten louder over time, still the same consistent thump noise.
No banging sound, just the 1 thump noise in the mornings, but it does sound like it is coming from underneath the car.
__________________
2007 Camry SE V6
2003 Tundra SR5 V6
I first noticed the thump sound very early on, right after purchasing the car. Did some research and did find out it was the ABS system performing its checks.
It hasn't happened more frequently over time, always once a day and always in the morning.
It has not gotten louder over time, still the same consistent thump noise.
No banging sound, just the 1 thump noise in the mornings, but it does sound like it is coming from underneath the car.
OK, thanx for that.... sounds to me like we may not be talking about the same thing... or maybe over time, your car will progress to sound like mine, and trust me, you will not like it. I have people sit in my car almost startled when they hear the noise. Now when I say that it is supposed to be 'normal' and it won't go away, they just shake their head and say they wouldn't put up with it. Good luck for me if I ever try to sell this car.
OK, thanx for that.... sounds to me like we may not be talking about the same thing... or maybe over time, your car will progress to sound like mine, and trust me, you will not like it. I have people sit in my car almost startled when they hear the noise. Now when I say that it is supposed to be 'normal' and it won't go away, they just shake their head and say they wouldn't put up with it. Good luck for me if I ever try to sell this car.
Trade it in, the dealers don't care about these issues.
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