idle air sensor and my wallet...

[borkduck]

This will be a bit of a rant, so bear with me please.

I am replacing the idle air sensor - a $500 part - for the third time in 120k miles. I finally ran across a Toyota mechanic who was straight enough to tell me that this part's life span could be drastically prolonged by performing an annual $50 maintenance procedure on the throttle body assembly to clear it of carbon accumulations.

Thanks a lot, Toyota. Nothing like this is mentioned anywhere in their manual or technical service bulletins for the 4 cyl Camry engine. So, I spend $1500 dollars in five years on the GD thing.

Anyone else have a similar experience to share? I'm going to go after Toyota big-time about this.

Thanks for listening.

borkduck

[Nico]

Never heard of that before !
For such a price isn't it maybe worth buying a used one ???

[WDMAN]

I just replaced my ISC valve for the second time on a 1999 Camry LE. I was told by three or four service mechanics that there is a
design problem that causes carbon built up and eventually your
car will stall while driving. I have a couple of complaints into Toyota for reimburement on replacement of this valve.

The problem began when we were unable to start the car on a
few occations, would no hold idle. This was remedied by holding the gas pedal down for 30 to 60 seconds until car would stay at idle. It was an intermidate problem only happenning every so often. Sound like same problem your'e having???

[borkduck]

WDMan,

Exactly. This is the third time the part has failed in 120k miles on our car; the first two were on Toyota. I should have sold the piece of crap as soon as it went out of warranty. The first time it failed, some bozo at a Toyota service center told me that it was caused by overfilling the oil (!!!) Next, I was told that it was due to running too low an octane in the tank; funny that Toyota doesn't bulletpoint in their owner's manual that you need to burn 92 octane in their four-cylinder engine.

As for your quest in seeking reimbursment from Toyota, good luck. My experience was a complete waste of time and effort. All they would say, over and over again, like some retarded parrot, was that the vehicle was 'out of its warranty period.' When I discovered that the part had actually been re-engineered between the second and third times it failed in my car, I asked them about that. Their reply? They randomly engineer parts from time to time (!!!!!!)

I don't mind being taken for a ride; I do mind being taken for a moron. It will be a cold day in hell before I buy another Toyota product.

Thanks for your input.

borkduck

[WDMAN]

Borkduck,

I must have talked to the same parrot you spoke with at Toyota. Can you believe that the service manager refused to do the repair the second time, and we were only 3000 miles over our 36,000 mile warranty, and only one month over the one year warranty on the part they replaced at 20,000 miles.

I was one step ahead of this parrot this time, I paid for ISC valve repair by check and when they refused to cover this defective part. I PUT A HOLD ON THE CHECK, AND FILED A SECOND CLAIM WITH TOYOTA.

After numerous calls to many Toyota service techs, they all agree
that there is a design problem with this part for certain year Camry's. They have since solved this ISC problem on the newer models. I was advised to burn one tank of 91 octane once a month or so. And add a bottle of Techron fuel injector cleaner to 12 gallons of gas once a year. Use up this treated 12 gallons within a few days, as this stuff is not good for seals and hoses.

I'm fighting Toyota tooth and nail over this defective part, no matter how many times I, "they" have to replace it. Just like David Horowitz says, "FIGHT BACK"

[Stealth]

What years are all of your cars? Mines a 95 and I haven't ever had this problem and I have a total of about 110k miles.

[Tony the Tiger]

Actually, this is a common problem for some Hondas as well... You don't even need to pay $50 for cleaning out the throttlebody either...

Let me ask you a question though. Do you drive your at very low RPM's all the time? Is there a lot of city driving and short trips? These driving habits will allow carbon to build up and oil gunk (from the PCV) at a much faster rate. You can do maintenance yourself by keeping the engine at a high RPM (5000ish RPM) in 1st or 2nd gear and keeping the engine at that RPM by hitting and letting off the gas... The high RPM will blow out most of the carbon inside the engine, and the high vaccuum created by the engine from letting off the gas at high RPM's will help suck out all the crap out of Idle Air Sensor and other sensors. I push the car most of the time, so I don't really need to do this... But I do this for my Aunt's Corolla every two weeks for the past 5 years now. My Aunt's corolla had the idle air sensor replaced once at the first 10000 kms because of her slow driving habits, but since then I have kept the sensor clean for her for a 4 year period

[jornie14]

I have heard a lot of people who have idle problems with their toyotas including me. I drive my car hard so maybe I saved myself from this trouble.

I do have a shitload of carbon buildup in my plenum (which I have to take off every time I want to do some maintinence, bastards!) and I just rescently solved the bad idle problems by replacing hoses, pcv valve, egr valve, etc.

What years have this problem. I have an 89, V6 and I have never heard of an idel sensor, is there one for my year? I know I have the throttle bypass valve, can't you clean these parts instead of having to replace them?

-Jornie

[Protocold]

I was scammed one at 60K. Now is giving the same problem again ag 120K but I just bought a carb cleaner myself and spray the hell out of it into the throttle body and the problem went away.. cost me $5.

[WDMAN]

Thanks to everyone for their input and tips.

I have a 1999 Camry LE. Need to do some checking as I am not even sure where the ISC valve is. All I know is all the Toyota dealers charge between $100 to $150 labor to replace. So not sure if it is easily accesable to spray with carb cleaner. Also, 2/3 of my driving is on the freeway, traveling 70 mph for 15 miles or more per trip.

Keep the post coming, maybe we can solve this scam.

[Protocold]

shouldnt it be IAC (Idle Air Control) valve?

[knell2]

Many of my friends have had many different years/types of Camry. From what I been seeing:

This problem has only happened to all the L-4 (2.2 Liter) with 5s-FE engines. I seen it happened on:

1994(white) / 1995(mine, green)/1995 (white) /1996 ( green) etc.

Friends with V-6 Camry dont have this problem.

The funny thing is all these 4 2.2 L4 camry experience this problem periodically, mine being the most often (every 18,000 or so ). I have it repaired 3 times under warranty. I know this thread is OLD but man Toyota should have a call back long time ago to get rid this problem once for all.

EDIT: I am planning to buy a new car in a year or so and It will not be a Toyoya.

[marc780]

I am replacing the idle air sensor - a $500 part - for the third time in 120k miles.

Bork do you mean "sensor" or idle air control valve. I guess you know what it says on your receipt but please clarify if im wrong. The sensors they normally use are coolant temperature ditto, (which screws into a coolant passage so that aint the one) and mass air flow? But its not the MAF or you would have said that so im guessing here

I just replaced my ISC valve for the second time on a 1999 Camry LE. I was told by three or four service mechanics that there is a
design problem that causes carbon built up and eventually your
car will stall while driving.

It's one of the few weak points of a toyota and you can just try to clean it before paying the man (link). also borkduck, may i suggest a visit to a local pick a part if you have one, they're dirt cheap there. BTW just cause it fits in your pocket and you are really broke does not mean you should cart it out. Stealing is bad. Bad!

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t157470.html

You can do maintenance yourself by keeping the engine at a high RPM (5000ish RPM) in 1st or 2nd gear and keeping the engine at that RPM by hitting and letting off the gas...

I wouldnt even bother with all this borderline anal behavior lol. I'd forget all that, if your idle is getting messed up then you can splice in a clear plastic fuel filter into the PCV line as many people posting here have done. And this will help keep your TBI and idle air control valve clean for a long time (is this a side issue to all your posts.). Point the arrow towards the plenum (intake).