Camry Hybrid

Thought I would post something Toyta related for a change.

Many of you may remember that I considered our 2001 Avalon a piece of junk. Still do.

2 years ago we replaced our 2 cars with 2 Hondas including an Accord Hybrid.

The Accord Hybrid with its fast 6 cylinder engine got about 27 mpg overall. Not bad but not great.

However my wife found certain things about the car irritating. She missed the auto headlights, auto door locks and other auto features of her Chrysler

300M (still being driven and loved by her parents by the way). Also we are getting a bit old for the Honda's hard leather seats and hard ride.

So she decided she wanted to buy a Camry Hybrid and took delivery about a week ago.

So far I have to say that although ugly, the Camry seems like a fine car. I can't imagine a Lexus being any quieter.

Meanwhile I may have a problem with the transmission in my 2006 Odyssey with just 12k miles on it. After getting off the highway the other day it had a weird siren like sound. When I checked the fluid, there were gray grindings on the paper towel. Of course the Honda dealer could not duplicate the sound today and they said the grindings residue are normal. I've been checking AT fluid since a 1971 dart and never remember any residue on the rag. Anyone agree that it would be normal?

Reply to
Art
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Yeah, the firm Honda ride can turn people over to Toyota. Honda had problems with their transmission designs several years ago, can't imagine a 06 acting up. I'd say automatic transmission is one of Honda's weak links.

The gray material in ATF is usually the clutch friction material. Toyota's Aisin trannies have quite a bit of them too, relative to GM Hydramatics and Fords. And people talk about the famous "Aisin whine".

How's the fluid level? Maybe consider drain/refill?

Reply to
johngdole

Well the whine I am talking about is not normal for the car. Unfortunately it did not do it for the dealer and it did not do it on the same highway ride today. It is almost as if a gear was spinning that shouldn't be. Also the car has never gotton the mpg that Consumer Reports claims it should. I am not talking epa numbers. Consumer Reports got 19 mpg overall. I barely get 16 mpg. I wonder if the AT is at fault.

The fluid level to me looked low. When I took it to the dealer they claimed it was normal. I pointed out that the van was pitched where there were checking it. I moved it. They still claimed it was normal. It read low to me. The residue on the stick that they claimed made it read normal was not a full line to me. It was an issue since they supposedly topped the fluids off last month. The dealer and I parted on unfriendly terms. They reminded me of a GM dealer of the 80's. That isn't good.

Reply to
Art

Reply to
johngdole

I should elaborate that if there are a lot of clutch friction material in the ATF, then something (clutch pack or torque converter clutch) may be slipping and sending all that clutch "brake dust" into the fluid. In large amounts (to make the fluid look gray) it's not a good sign for any transmission.

Typically on a Honda: Warm up the car (til the radiator fan comes on twice). Cycle through the gears and set in Park. With the engine running, examine the level on the dipstick.

Are the shifts soft or firm? Firm I hope. A good firm jolt going from N to D or R? If the line pressure is low then the torque converter stall speed would also be high.

The 06 should be much more reliable since several years ago. IMO, it would be nicer if Honda just uses ZF Friedrichshafen or the new 6T/6L GM Hydramatics. Sounds like that dealer wants you to go away. But you definitely should look into it while under warranty.

Regarding GM, I wouldn't drive past their lot a year ago, but now I'm really impressed with their turnaround to the point I'm willing to check out the new designs: Chevy Malibu, Caddy CTS, Chevy Acadia, etc.

Reply to
johngdole

And what? no praise for the 2 mode hybrid. I think you missed the part where you will mention that the GM-BMW-Chrysler hybrid tech is already used in Seattle's public buses =)

Reply to
EdV

Ok, Ok. Come to think of it, I don't think I'll get a hybrid in the next few years. At least not until the price comes down some more. Even though the Global Hybrid Cooperation system is an excellent one, used in Seattle public buses for years ;) ;) ;)

I do believe most if not all cars in the near future will be some form of hybrid now that new energy bill was passed in the US and EU is setting strict CO2 limits. The Chevy Volt, for example, runs on battery only and has a small engine that functions only as a generator! The 2007 BMW Hydrogen-7 runs on, well, hydrogen or gas. It's just a view of things to come.

Reply to
johngdole

with all this talk of transmissions that whine like a siren, trans dipsticks with metal shavings on them, and on a car with 12K miles, as well as crappy gas mileage, I took a minute just now to go out in the garage and pat my five year old Avalon on the hood and say "good job, pal."

With this kind of report on a new (ish) Honda, I won't be looking at one at a dealer for some time...if ever.

Oh, and another thing....the trans is supposed to give off a "jolt" in shifting between reverse and drive? wonderful.

Reply to
mack

First Honda will want you to buy a tranny flush, at maybe about $100, then you will drive it for awhile, at least till it's out of warranty, then it will be transmission replacement time. Have fun.

Reply to
dbu.

Nice! very well said.

Reply to
EdV

The volt is also a plugin car, based on some videos I have seen. I just dont know if the volt is considered a hybrid or an electric car, since all the power is from the batteries and motor, and as you said the engine is just to charge the batteries.

Reply to
EdV

The old Avalon doesn't use the new U-series transmission, like the

2007 Camry V6, which can skip gears. People would kick these, not pat them.

The little "jolt" I mentioned is during engagement from N. You should feel it within 1.2 to 1.5 second per Toyota on the A-series trannies. Of course, it's not to say a jolt to shake the car loose.

If you have an A series don't feel it, then you have problems with your transmission. But then you won't be the only one.

Reply to
johngdole

I guess it depends on the definition while it evolves. See below:

ABC News By DEAN REYNOLDS Jan. 9, 2007

Chevrolet's new hybrid car, called the Volt, has generated a lot of buzz this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. [snip]

Reply to
johngdole

I see. Technically a hybrid is a cross breed or off spring between two distinct species. So its safe to call the pontiac vibe- toyota matrix as a hybrid. =)

Reply to
EdV

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