Toyota Camry2002-2004 Intake Manifold Noise

[Ben Jammin]

If anyone has experienced a problem with a rattle in their intake manifold you are not alone. This a factory defect in manufacturing and Toyota is totally dropping the ball on this one.
There is a bulletin, but it's for a limited time, either 36k,50k,or who knows.

When you take your car to the dealer the service writers try to act like they don't know what it is, and if you're not aware of the bulletin they will try to charge you between $600 and $800 to fix it.

Although they say it does not cause problems(we don't know for sure and they aren't telling) it sounds like your car is about to throw a rod.
This effectively renders the car not saleable on the used market, as no one in their right mind would buy a car that sounds like the engine is going to blow up any moment.

If you own one of these vehicles, rest assured you will have the problem, which typically starts at about 50 to 60 thousand miles, as the baffle inside the manifold becomes loose and sets a up a vibration/vortex and can't be fixed as it's inside near the number one cylinder.

So, buyers beware, Toyota is giving you the royal shaft on this one.

If you own a Camry and it has less than 50 K miles proceed immediately to your Toyota Dealership and have it replaced, it's only a matter of time until it will happen to your car.
Here is a link to Toyota Motor Sales USA to complain if they give you any run around about fixing it.

http://www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html

[Ducaire]

Originally Posted by Ben Jammin

If anyone has experienced a problem with a rattle in their intake manifold you are not alone. This a factory defect in manufacturing and Toyota is totally dropping the ball on this one.
There is a bulletin, but it's for a limited time, either 36k,50k,or who knows.

When you take your car to the dealer the service writers try to act like they don't know what it is, and if you're not aware of the bulletin they will try to charge you between $600 and $800 to fix it.

Although they say it does not cause problems(we don't know for sure and they aren't telling) it sounds like your car is about to throw a rod.
This effectively renders the car not saleable on the used market, as no one in their right mind would buy a car that sounds like the engine is going to blow up any moment.

If you own one of these vehicles, rest assured you will have the problem, which typically starts at about 50 to 60 thousand miles, as the baffle inside the manifold becomes loose and sets a up a vibration/vortex and can't be fixed as it's inside near the number one cylinder.

So, buyers beware, Toyota is giving you the royal shaft on this one.

If you own a Camry and it has less than 50 K miles proceed immediately to your Toyota Dealership and have it replaced, it's only a matter of time until it will happen to your car.
Here is a link to Toyota Motor Sales USA to complain if they give you any run around about fixing it.

http://www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html

My 2002 Camry has almost 68,000 miles on it, and nothing of this sort has happened yet. (I hope so it doesn't!).

Has anyone had this problem, and THE MOTOR ACTUALLY DID BLOW UP????? If not, and noise is all it is, I can live with it should it ever happen to my car. (I pray it doesn't).

[Brian R.]

There are no TSBs for any intake manifold rattle in those model years. The only engine noise TSBs are the following and they are all the same - rattle of the accessory belt tensioner.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/tsbs/tsbsearch.cfm

Make : TOYOTA Model : CAMRY Year : 2004
Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Service Bulletin Number : 04004 Date of Bulletin : SEP 08, 2004
NHTSA Item Number : 10010160
Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Summary :
ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT SQUEAL/ BELT TENSIONER RATTLE. *NM

Make : TOYOTA Model : CAMRY Year : 2003
Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Service Bulletin Number : 04004 Date of Bulletin : SEP 08, 2004
NHTSA Item Number : 10010160
Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Summary :
ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT SQUEAL/ BELT TENSIONER RATTLE. *NM

Make : TOYOTA Model : CAMRY Year : 2002
Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Service Bulletin Number : 04004 Date of Bulletin : SEP 08, 2004
NHTSA Item Number : 10010160
Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Summary :
ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT SQUEAL/ BELT TENSIONER RATTLE. *NM

(Corrected - see posts 4 and 5 below)

[RIP]

Umm err uhh...there's EG018-04 dated 3 June 2004 and titled Intake Manifold Noise. Applies to 2AZ-FE non-PZEV engines 2002-2004. Other criteria apply. Would be fixed under the standard warranty 3/36 at no cost.

[Brian R.]

I stand corrected. Good catch RIP

Make : TOYOTA Model : CAMRY Year : 2002
Manufacturer : TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Service Bulletin Number : 01804 Date of Bulletin : JUN 03, 2004
NHTSA Item Number : 10008384
Component : ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
Summary :
INTAKE MANIFOLD NOISE. *MJ WARRANTY INFORMATION CHANGE. *TT

[Ben Jammin]

I find it amusing I put up my first post and get hit by some mod, and he's a chemist. What a Genius! This is a real problem that has affected literally thousands of units of 02 & 03 Camry 4 cyl engines. Toyota did have a service bulletin on it but they try to say it's only good for 3/36.
Problem is the internal baffle in the intake manifold comes loose, and resonates due to the vortex.

click this link and see

http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/toy...GD2F66FRTCKKID

[RIP]

Originally Posted by Ben Jammin

get hit

???

[Ben Jammin]

Originally Posted by RIP

???

A long drawn out argument with Toyota, resulting in the purchase of a Honda.

Buy the manifold, and put it on yourself. Cost's $300 or more for a crappy plastic manifold that costs Toyota $10 bucks to manufacture.

Live with it.

The internal baffle comes unglued and vibrates producing a very loud rattle/buzz,primarily at idle and low RPM, tha grows progressively worse over time.

They re designed it in Late 2004, but the old stock(NOS) replacement for the 02 thru early 04 will just do it again after 50 K miles, that's generally when it starts.

Toyota is shafting it's loyal long time customer base.

The older thru 96 were the best ones made.

[RIP]

Originally Posted by Ben Jammin

I find it amusing I put up my first post and get hit by some mod, and he's a chemist. What a Genius!

Lets try this again. What does that statement mean, and specificallly "get hit"?

[Ben Jammin]

I'm in the business over 15 years, and I own the car. And Brian, I can see by your collection of cars you don't have an 02 through 04 Camry, so why are you saying my information is false?

That's a "Hit" to the Chin, if you will.

Your moderator stood corrected, and rightly so. I don't see an apology to me.

Welcome to your forum? Thank You Very Little!

You just moderated a newcomer off your forum. Someone who actually knows what they're talking about.
That would be Me!

Man,Proud Man, Drest In little Brief Authority, Plays Such Fantastic Tricks Before High Heaven As Make the Angels Weep.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR[/quote]

[RIP]

Egads! I think most would agree there's nothing personnal in Brian R's post. Why are you going off the deep end? Yes, he made a mistake. We all do that. No reason to take it personnal. Oh, and are you saying if you don't own the car in question, you can't comment on it?

Oh my god! You're leaving the forum. I bid you a fine farewell oh knowledgable one. Cheers baby.

[Ben Jammin]

Originally Posted by RIP

Egads! I think most would agree there's nothing personnal in Brian R's post. Why are you going off the deep end? Yes, he made a mistake. We all do that. No reason to take it personnal. Oh, and are you saying if you don't own the car in question, you can't comment on it?

Oh my god! You're leaving the forum. I bid you a fine farewell oh knowledgable one. Cheers baby.

When someone makes a mistake, and calls into question another person's statement, that is saying "You don't know what you're talking about". It's rude, and in general bad manners.

An apology to the person offended is in order.

I don't see one. It goes to character assasination.

I'm not the one going overboard here gang.
There's something in life called the undeniable truth.

Now, do you want to Man Up, or try to defend your position of weakness by further commentary, which is futile.

What it is about the internet that brings out the very best in human nature, I don't know. Perhaps the opportunity to be lord over one's fellow man with impunity.

Life is beautiful, it's other people that are ugly.

[Ben Jammin]

Originally Posted by Ben Jammin

When someone makes a mistake, and calls into question another person's statement, that is saying "You don't know what you're talking about". It's rude, and in general bad manners.

An apology to the person offended is in order.

I don't see one. It goes to character assasination.

I'm not the one going overboard here gang.
There's something in life called the undeniable truth.

Now, do you want to Man Up, or try to defend your position of weakness by further commentary, which is futile.

What it is about the internet that brings out the very best in human nature, I don't know. Perhaps the opportunity to be lord over one's fellow man with impunity.

Life is beautiful, it's other people that are ugly.

Brian the chemist wrote:
I'm not apologizing since I never purposefully attacked you. I admitted
my mistake and it isn't the first mistake I've made and it won't be
the last.

The least you can do is read who you are responding to and realize that
it isn't me. Arguing with RIP is really non-productive.

Since you seem to have come here to flame Camrys and not seek help,
having bought a Honda instead, I think this thread is toast. If you leave,
I will certainly shed a tear.

Now that's a quality apology if I ever heard one!

[Ben Jammin]

You're missing the point.

There was a bulletin on this model, 02 thru early 2004 Camry 4 cylinder.

Toyota would have replaced the intake manifold for free, if you were still within the drive train warrant, 5Years/60,000 miles,

The problem usually happens right after the warranty expires.

It's a bad factory defect.

I took the car in while it was still under warranty, and they kept saying the sound was normal. It got progressively worse,and they dodged the issue until the car was out of warranty, then denied the claim.

That's dirty pool in my book.

[RIP]

Hey, welcome back Ben. Yup, it's a raw deal. One of many from many manufacturers. The question is what to do about it. Apparently nobody is getting anywhere with Toyota directly. Do you want to file a class action lawsuit? Most wouldn't and you can't blame them. A huge hastle. So, other avenues would be your States Attorney General office and/or Division of Consumer Affairs, the BBB, local news stations, newspapers. How about posting on any number of consumers blogs out there or make a post here titled "Screwed by Toyota" (might get more attention) to get a better consensous of what folks are experiencing. Once there's a following, then you have to lead. Are you ready?