intolerable whining sound from the regenerative brake of my 2012 camry hybrid

[Nicu]

All Camry hybrids have this whine - some more, some less. I test-drove like seven of them, and chose the quietest one. Some of them really sounded like sirens! Sometimes I kept looking around, expecting to see an ambulance passing by, or something. I think Prius have it too, I test-drove couple of them as well.

[CamryHybrid2011]

Its nice to know I am lucky at least with this... though I do have other problem with the vibration from the driver's side, I hear no whining noise.

[blaster]

Originally Posted by CamryHybrid2011

You seem to know it all, including that I should actually hear a whining noise when breaking. Sorry to say but you do not know what I hear and what I don't. Only I know.

Keep doing the good work, now that I know you have a financial interest in Toyota, owning some business related to it, I better understand your posts. It wont make a difference though. You are too little and insignificant to affect the bottom line by trying to defend Toyota from us bad posts people. I suggest go and attack all the others complaining about issues with the Camry and tell them its all good and they are imagining things That will help of course as we all know Toyota has 100% record of precision and building cars with no issues at all. right?

Sorry to say but you do not know what I hear and what I don't. Only I know.

And that's a good thing.


I suggest go and attack all the others complaining about issues with the Camry and tell them its all good and they are imagining things That will help of course as we all know Toyota has 100% record of precision and building cars with no issues at all. right?

Finally it comes out. You're a closet Toyota hater.

All Toyota haters share one common thread. They are incensed that Toyota is perceived as doing no wrong. Having no flaws in their products. Being able to sweep recall after recall and known problems under the carpet and still coming out smelling like a rose.

All the while GM and Ford, particularly Ford, trying so hard, coming so far and when a stumble occurs it's blown all out of proportion often unwarranted. So much so it's driven ppl nuts.

[WhiteSands]

Originally Posted by restamp

My TCH behaves just like ISAYGLD describes, but I must confess I think it's a fine whine. (Actually, it sounds like something out of Star Trek.)

One thing that bothers me about learning to stop efficiently with the ECO meter: It's conditioning me to start out braking lightly, increasing the braking action as the car slows down. This keeps the needle from bottoming out, but I'm not sure it is the safest technique for braking a car.

Doing the easy braking when safely possible is a great way to stop or slow down in a hybrid. Your then using your regen braking to help charge your traction battery. Using the regen your not using or wearing out your physical brakes.

[Ron AKA]

Originally Posted by restamp

One thing that bothers me about learning to stop efficiently with the ECO meter: It's conditioning me to start out braking lightly, increasing the braking action as the car slows down. This keeps the needle from bottoming out, but I'm not sure it is the safest technique for braking a car.

I think you have the basic technique correct. The issue is that you need the motor/generator spinning fairly quickly to generate power, and slow the vehicle down. When you first put your foot on the brake you have lots of speed, and the Hybrid Synergy Drive can change the ratio to spin the generator faster. That is why it is so easy to pin the needle early. However as you get closer to the stop I suspect the HSD reaches a limit as to how fast it can spin the generator (source of the whine), and regenerative braking drops off rapidly. You have to make that last bit of stopping force with the real brakes. Probably the ideal way is to brake early and lightly, and time it so you coast to a stop. That will avoid the use of the disk brakes. But on the other hand it may earn you the one finger salute from the drivers behind you.

I think the only thing dangerous about the method is taking your eye off the road to watch the ECO meter. I think with practice you get a feel for how much you can brake without watching the meter.

[BackwoodsOzarks]

This forum is very helpful for me. Many helpful posters on a variety of subjects that are kind enough to share helpful knowledge. Thanks to those. For others, there is the ignore list. When we quote CamryHybrid2011, it defeats the ignore function. Oh the bother as I skip over those quoted posts. My apologies for this off topic post that does not contribute to TCH knowledge.

[Ron AKA]

This thread reminds me of the story of a retired fellow going to the doctor with a health problem. He told the doctor that he was suffering from a terrible case of gas. The only good thing was that the gas had no odour or sound, and as a result he could still go out in public without being noticed. The doctor gave him a prescription and told him to come back in 10 days when he had finished the pills. The fellow came back, and said "Doc, the pills didn't work. This gas problem is just as bad, or worse. The only difference now is that the gas smells something awful." The Doc says "That's OK. The antibiotic cleared up your sinus problem. Now all we have to do is get your hearing checked..."

Since the average age of a Camry Hybrid owner is said to be 63, I wonder if that may be the reason that some have a car that whines and others do not...

[firepa63]

Originally Posted by Ron AKA

Since the average age of a Camry Hybrid owner is said to be 63, I wonder if that may be the reason that some have a car that whines and others do not...

Actually, mine whined once. I got out and slapped it real hard, and it hasn't whined since.

[Tech1984]

Originally Posted by firepa63

Actually, mine whined once. I got out and slapped it real hard, and it hasn't whined since.

That's what she said.

[heartdisease]

Originally Posted by blaster

Utter crap.

Every 2012 TCH made has a generator whine when in regen mode. Matters not the trim level. However, you cannot hear it in the Lexus 300h due to the extreme sound insulation in those units.

I acknowledge that some buyers would be bothered by it. These hybrids are not for the faint of heart. They are an evolving technology and only ppl that dig that kind of thing should apply. Think twice if one's purpose is strictly 100% fuel costs.

Can't say I agree with you or that Toyota would either. They market these to everyone. I test drove a 2012 TCH when were were shopping for a new car for the wife and It was very very quiet. I noticed no whine just a small whirring type noise and it was not loud at all. I think it might have a problem if it is really loud.

[venzoid]

Originally Posted by blaster

Sorry to say but you do not know what I hear and what I don't. Only I know.

And that's a good thing.


I suggest go and attack all the others complaining about issues with the Camry and tell them its all good and they are imagining things That will help of course as we all know Toyota has 100% record of precision and building cars with no issues at all. right?

Finally it comes out. You're a closet Toyota hater.

I don't think camryhybrid2011 is a closet Toyota hater, he is just a Toyota hater in general.
Does this forum have an active moderator? If so, he/she should be more active and remove this troll.

[heartdisease]

Who is a troll and whether they get removed is always being looked at, If you have a problem with a post and think it is trolling 1. be a grown up and ignore it 2. shred their troll argument with facts backed up with sources 3. if it is opinion and not any thing fact based see #1. Or if it really gets you twisted go ahead and hit the report post button but I wouldn't make that your first option.

[dave1812]

I've been on enough forums dating back to 1996 to know a troll. The OP isn't a troll--he is either exceedingly particular and/or has a problem with his vehicle. Let's not be casting stones, please. I know I'm not a mod, but I implore everyone to stay on topic.

EDIT: My bad. I confused the OP with another poster; the latter being the member alluded to by the recent posts regarding trolls. I guess I need a scorecard to keep track. In any event, rather than calling each other names, including "troll", I suggest calmly sending a PM to a mod and let them decide if someone is baiting or trolling. Now back to our originally scheduled program...

[venzoid]

Originally Posted by heartdisease

Who is a troll and whether they get removed is always being looked at, If you have a problem with a post and think it is trolling 1. be a grown up and ignore it 2. shred their troll argument with facts backed up with sources 3. if it is opinion and not any thing fact based see #1. Or if it really gets you twisted go ahead and hit the report post button but I wouldn't make that your first option.

I thought this was a forum for Toyota Enthusiasts, as it says in the header. Have a look at Camryhybrid2011 posts in a thread like Camry vs FFH and tell me where he is Toyota enthusiast. He is blatantly promoting Ford. No problem to have a difference of opinion but continually preaching for 6 pages is just trying to stir up muck.

[CamryHybrid2011]

Promoting Ford? Hahahaha I own a 2012 TCH, check my signature! Check my other posts since a year ago when I got my TCH, reporting its MPG and all.

Seems you do not understand, I want to see Toyota adding features that Ford has and my view is that those features are nice and should not be reserved for Lexus premium cars.

On the other hand, I wonder what person is so sensitive to feel a problem if they read in a comparison thread entitled 2013 FFH vs. 2012 TCH, features one likes about one car?

While its nice to have certain things, e.g. 13 CuFt trunk space, the design I would advice Toyota, is less desirable as it closes the way to fold down back seats completely. On the other hand, I argue that the volume maybe there but hard to use due to the location above the battery pack. Does this make me a troll? This is very beneficial criticism I believe for the designers. How can you offer such if not compare with others out there and point to different ways to do things?

If you read my first posts, where I explain how I ended up buying a Camry, you will see I was looking for the dealer first, not the car. That was me. So all you see is my opinions. If you do not like them, why read them? If it offends you that someone "dares" to say something you perceive to be "negative" about TCH, I am sorry about that. This is totally not personal.

I feel you and few others attack me for no reason, and its a shame you do that. I wont attack you back though.

Especially I do not get it why you need to say that in this thread about the whining sound the OP has. I was stating I have completely no such thing in my car! I cannot hear anything even a slight sound when breaking, the only sound will come up when the speed goes under 25 MPH or so (but such is made on purpose when EV mode is on so to alert pedestrians)

So I am stating I do not have such a problem and you call me a troll in this thread? Why? Surely this cannot be bashing Toyota if I say my car is quiet? Perhaps you are the one whom is trying to attack me in multiple threads calling me names? Or do you and just a few others try to extract and bait me for a response out of this name calling - I would not respond to such attacks, as I do not really care if you call me names. As the Mod said, I ignore you as this is really quite childish behavior so why not follow heartdisease's advice number 1 and be a grown up and ignore me if you do not like what I say? Please!

Peace!