ZZT86

@thisguy  how do you find it ? Any concerns ? Where could Toyota improve it ? Cheers

@Ppm  My daily is a 2001 Camry with the same 1MZ-FE motor/transmission & although I commonly do a fair bit of fwy, it's not uncommon to be in the 9's for economy & in the 7's when 70-80% fwy. I would get the car checked out by someone you can trust, $500 sounds OK if parts included.

ps: Denso Iridium are the preferred plugs for Toyotas, especially V6 which are hard to get at 😉

Brand T usually revise their cars every 2 years or so with a brand spanka every 4.

11.6 -16.6L/100kms is a big variation for same conditions & driving style - was it sudden or gradual? Do you have an "engine" light lit on your dashboard ? Is it running rough or smooth? You could have a faulty component like an oxy sensor.

Best advice for you - drive it. Ask for a loaner for a few hours at least, get a good feel for it as it's very different to a petrol car, especially the powerful V6 with almost instant acceleration. Really depends on your driving style & how you want to drive it. Almost impossible to accelerate anywhere quick these days without fear of losing your license so the Hybrid is great & it's an easy 5L or less/100kms with the new gen car.

ps: pitty Toyota don't offer the SX with the Hybrid option, would be my pick.

According to a senior Toyota service guy I know a long time, none. These new cars are more advanced & well sorted. They go in for regular service not requiring any attention out of the ordinary. Brakes are huge & last a long time, CVT is strong, engines are same. I love the V6 but would most likely get a Hybrid if in the market for one. Will be on top of my list early next year if I decide to get a new daily & am considering selling my Hachi (it just sits in the garage accumulating dust) but $$ values worry me. I'm expecting a revised Camry end of year . . . .

Economy is dependant on your right foot, drive it sensibly & you will achieve the claimed factory economy figures.

How did you go with TS plugged in ? Got a code from ECU ?

Only 32 bit WINXP or WIN7? I thought TS was WIN10 compatible now ?

How much did you pay for that cable ? Let me know how that goes, wouldn't mind getting me own now that I have a laptop 😉

Not sure about OBD scanners, perhaps a Bosch? I know my mate mechanic has the type able to read multiple cars, within the cars menu in the scanner you can go in & read Engine ECU, ABS, Airbag, Cruise Control - I guess all available onboard ECU's, plus states current & past DTC's, can also read live / real time data.

I understand your frustration, it takes minutes to plug in & check for codes, it's not worth $109. My Toyota dealer charges about $150/hour so go figure.

Best to see someone who has a scanner cos that ABS light would have thown a code after a trip sequence, the code will point you in the right direction.

The wheel cable to the sensor could be faulty so when you drive & it moves the code might be tripped - just a thought.

Could be electrical wiring or sensor issue. Connect OBD scanner to vehicle & see what DTC comes up.

Thanks Ash,

Yeah I do have the RM & have thought about the dash reposition & re-tighten but not sure what will avail from this. The centre console will be a pain cos that woodgrain trim is tight as & I don't want to risk breaking it. They're kinda hard to find 😕

I've had a panel beater adjust the door to it's best/correct position lately which has helped but still the problem exists. I will also look to modify the door trim but not sure I can even do this without a proper look at it. We'll see.

Cheers,

I will hopefully engineer a cure for this when it gets warmer.

With an average/achievable fuel consumption figure of 4.2L/100kms, it's no wonder the Camry Hybrid is so popular. The battery issue is a real pest for everyone.

Check you haven't got a missing boot plug. Check boot seal isn't torn, if so you could always try some silicone to bulk it up or replace. Tighten boot by adjusting catch. Get into boot with a torch while someone sprays a jet a water around boot edge & suss out where leak is coming from.

Relays, if any ? Physical connections ?

Have no idea . . . sorry.

^^ @joeallen  you find them firm, soft, bouncy, oem like in comfort/stability?

Suspect you will need to swap out the SD card with one with the correct local maps. No one I know has ever manager to copy or hack into that SD card 😕

Howdy,

Curious to know if anyone else has experienced or seen this odd phenomena - the dashboard fit on my 2001 Camry is unevenly positioned & is a very tight fit on the drivers side. The drivers door pushes up snug against it & as the car flexes makes all manner of noises as they're both touching. The passenger side appears fine. Usually there's an even gap between door & dash - correct ?

Exterior door alignment isn't perfect on the driver's side either, perhaps as a result of the dashboard but it's only drooped slightly lower on the striker side when closed. Gaps F-R appear fine.

It's almost as if the dashboard has bulged sideways preventing proper door closure, it won't close fully unless I give it enough force, other three doors are good.

What could be the cause?

Tried searching for this & no info anywhere.

Many thanks 👍

Going up a steep hill further inclining the motor backwards will leak all over that exhaust & it will stink. I would suggest replacing the rocker/cam cover gasket asap, it's pretty easy on a 5S-FE, it shouldn't effect performance though. If PCV isn't working properly then the engine may be sucking in oil dulling performance. You would need to inspect & test.

When you say the temperature "doesn't get there quickly" - how long are we talking ? Essentially it should only take about 5min for the coolant to get to normal temp. If not then thermostat is buggered.

I presume it's not misfiring & the plugs are fine yada yada . . .

Peep inside the rocker cover through the oil cap - does it have sludge in it ? Does the PCV valve work ?

Take the intake hose off - is it coated in crud ?

My 2cents . . . .

^ All the excellent tips mentioned by John Cadogan in the above video clip are the same preached by advanced driving courses which I believe everyone should do at least once in their lifetime, personally I believe it should be mandatory & perhaps even once a year as re-fresher courses because practice makes perfect.

Todays latest proactive tech such as AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) is a godsend & has the potential to save your car & perhaps your life, unfortunately they're only available on new cars :/