Camrys in place of Rodeos?!?!

Just caught an article in the paper in regards to Fuji Heavy Industries in Lafayette Indiana. Now that GM is out, Toyota swooped in & is contracting out the assembly of camrys to our old Rodeo builder! Probably right on the same lines rodeos were once built. You have to know fuji does a good job if (tight a$$ed) Toyota trusts them! That says alot for the rodeo.

Joel

yea, that's pretty cool. I wish my Rodeo was as reliable as a Camry.

Don't mistake that last line as a dis towards my Rodeo, I still love it, but the darn CEL is driving me nuts.

yea, that's pretty cool. I wish my Rodeo was as reliable as a Camry.

Don't mistake that last line as a dis towards my Rodeo, I still love it, but the darn CEL is driving me nuts.

Well, as long as you don't have a Camry with an oil burning problem. They had a massive problem with oil sludging engines... yet they somehow survived without the flak. I guess car rating magazines were too scared to criticize...

Yep, the camrys with the 3.0L V6 some years back supposedly were prone to sludge from a hot spots associated with that engine. That in combination with owners not changing oil. 4cyls were always rock solid. The thing that's always P'd me off with 'yota and honda is their 'proud' pricing. They are awesome vehicles, but overpriced. Honda bodies never held up well to rust belt climates either.

Joel

I still love it, but the darn CEL is driving me nuts.


RANT

The car manufactures will not do this but they should eliminate the check engine light and replace it with a digital readout that actually shows what code your throwing. This would relieve a lot of stress. I once did not tighten my gas cap and threw the check enginge light. Was this neccessary? No!
Unfortunately cars for the last 30 years have been designed to create service revenue. Chrysler started the warranty craze to create consumer confidence. Now all these warranties have turned into scams to generate more revenue by arm twisting you to do all your regular maintenance at their dealerships.Change your own oil and don't keep the reciepts, kiss your warranty good bye.
Computerized cars are not for better emissions. Cleaner gas is for that. Computers in cars are only there to stop "do it yourselfers" and independant garages from taking their service market share. Todays engines get less fuel econony now with fuel injection engine cars made with composite materials than they did 30 years ago with heavier steel cars and carburated engines.

Want less stress. Fork out 40 to 200 dollars for a code reader.

John

I agree johnsm.

My light is on, I go fix it and a new code pops up.

It is such a hassle to go get the code read.

I can't justify getting a code reader. I may have to though.

Marc- IMO, you cant afford not to have a code reader. The $40 one I have from harbor freight tools has paid for itself 10x over in the ~2yrs I've had it. Sometimes you can get it cheaper on the website, or stop by the HFT store on Niagara Falls BLVD. It's cheap junk there, but as long as your life doesn't depend on the tool, things there are a good buy.

Johnsm- some OBDII cars will tell you the code. My 1997 jeep wrangler would show the code on the dig ODO with a certain cycle of the ign key. The ~1996-2000 cherokee's had the same feature IIRC. Some of the new fancy cars w/ dig displays can show codes or 'OnStar' will read them for you.

Joel

Marc- IMO, you cant afford not to have a code reader. The $40 one I have from harbor freight tools has paid for itself 10x over in the ~2yrs I've had it. Sometimes you can get it cheaper on the website, or stop by the HFT store on Niagara Falls BLVD. It's cheap junk there, but as long as your life doesn't depend on the tool, things there are a good buy.

Joel


I was at the HF store a few months ago and the reader was $50. I decided to pass on it. I usually go to autozone to get it read (which I've been doing a lot lately. I'd just like to have a car that didn't need codes read all the time.

My Rodeo is driving me nuts lately.

Yeah, I dunno if I'd pony up $50 for this one. IIRC, when I mail ordered mine ~2yrs ago, it was $39 + I had either a code for money off or free shipping. Dont remember exactly. :banghead: It's a good tool for <$39. Did u check for a blown fuse associated with the O2 sensors? IIRC, there is a 15 or 20A fuse for the signal and a seperate fuse for the heater circuits. Might be something to check.

Joel

Also about o2 sensors, does not the check engine light go on at 90 000 miles to remind the owner to change their o2 sensors(whether it needs it or not). The fix for this is to change the pin location in the dashboard. A 1999 Rodeo could be close to that mileage.

John

Also about o2 sensors, does not the check engine light go on at 90 000 miles to remind the owner to change their o2 sensors(whether it needs it or not). The fix for this is to change the pin location in the dashboard. A 1999 Rodeo could be close to that mileage.

John


I think that was only in the older vehicles. I have ~82,000.