2011 Camry LE 2.5L L4 6 Speed Automatic, 4 Cylinder
Is there a sensor that on the verge of failing works fine when cold but would malfunction ONLY when the car reaches operating temperature?
The computer shows no codes at all…
Yes, crankshaft postion sensor, camshaft position sensor, some ignition modules will do this… not a sensor… don’t know which car you have so I can’t know of you have any of these.
There are other parts that can act like this as well. I won’t go into them unless you give lots of details about your car and problem.
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Crankshaft position sensor.
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Its a 2011 Camry 2.5L L4 6 speed automatic, 4 cylinders.
The car drives fine when cold… then at operating temperature its starts vibrating/hesitating when throttled to accelerate. Between 1500rpm to 2000rpm it vibrates when you put your foot on the “gas” pedal. Above 50mph it drives totaly smooth. It just acts up when the car reaches operating temperature. Thought it might be some kind of sensor…
This problem does not happen in Park or Neutral. Only in Drive.
the computer shows no codes at all. its a mystery bug.
Harmonic damper?
Shot in the dark.
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Argos , why not just go ahead and find a good rated shop and have this thing diagnosed ? You have several threads about it so just tell them to have you approve any repairs they want to do .
Just replacing parts from web guesses might not solve anything . You might even find a shop that will waive the diagnostic fee if they get to do the work.
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Thank you. I will do that eventually. Promise. I’m just trying to gather as much information about this as possible. Sorry for repeating this issue on the forum. Not trying to spam you guys.
When the engine is cold it is operating on Open Loop and based on pre-set parameters in the computer. Once it warms up it switched to Closed Loop using readings from the various sensors. So really the only way to identify it is to put the diagnostic equipment on it and see which readings are out of wack. There may not be a code until it gets far worse or related to something that won’t give a code.
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Thanks, Bing! I really preciate it. I found a well rated shop on Angies List. They probably have all the gear to pin down this problem. I’d probably have to leave it for a day so they can really test the hell out of it.
There are at least 12 engine sensors, there are some sensors that could cause a hesitation when failing, how long does the hesitation last?
Get that vibration checked out, could be torque convertor shudder.
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@Nevada_545 The vibration feels like a short burst. I watch the RPM needle and it shakes up and down a little bit, then once the vibration is done, the needle jumps upward and you can hear the motor reving with the needle. Its like… the needle releases upward and you hear a faster vrooooom at the same time.
It sounds like you have a misfire, but it might not be misfiring enough to reach the threshold for setting a misfire code. To isolate a cylinder for this, you would need a higher end diagnostic tool that can view the misfire registers in real time. These can be had for around $200.
I do think that the issue only happens when you go closed loop so even a cheap code reader will usually provide STFT and LTFT (short term and long term fuel trim). It may be approaching the limits.
You also might need a valve adjustment. If your valve lash has never been checked, it might be a good investment. Check your owners manual to see if the valve lash check is part of the maintenance schedule and if it is overdue, it should be done even if it doesn’t solve your problem. This maintenance requires a new valve cover gasket set so it is not a cheap item.