HELP! Problems with my 2007 Camry SE V6

That would be my guess, too. The electronic gauge shouldn't have been affected by the dead battery. It sounds like there might have been some sort electrical surge that fried some electronics. Also, the usual suspects come into play, like like loose wires or connectors.

Even if there is oil, I would want to make sure that there is oil pressure before driving it.

Jeff

In that situation, you're probably better off putting the engine in neutral (so you have better braking and steering) for ten seconds or so that it takes for you to slow down the car and boat. Better to have to rebuild an engine than buy a new car and boat and have recuperate in the trauma unit of the hospital.

Jeff

No, the warranty is not gone - at least for the powertrain, which is where you are having problems. "Powertrain Coverage: 60 months/60,000 miles (engine, transmission/transaxle, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, seatbelts and air bags)."

Take your car to the dealer, tell them to call you to authorize any charge before doing any non-warranty work.

Ed

Why? The car needs what it needs, and it doesn't sound like the OP is qualified to debate mechanical issues, nor does he seem to have an independent mechanic he trusts. If he did, he would called that person by now.

Hello, thank you for the helpful tips by some and no thanks to some idiotic posts here.

But anyway, took it to the dealer and they said, and get this, there must be some small animals that got under my hood and "chew up a few wires"

Which in term broke a few sensors there and in term cause the car to go hay-wired on me (including the ones that controls oil pressure, which is why I'm not getting any readings although the engine's getting oil pumped through it.)

Also, they recommend I resurface the brakes because it's off and that causes my car to rumble, and then rebalance the wheels.

So there you have it folks. Small animals....

If you are interested, this damage may be covered by your home owners insurance. You may want to check with your agent. Just a thought.

Small animals are often a problem for wiring. I think they like the taste and texture of the plastic insulation (I am not joking - If I were joking I would ask if he knew any midgets around him who are mad at him, but I wouldn't make fun of midgets, so I wouldn't say that). Schools in NYC especially have problems like this. Unfortunately, they have a lot of small animals (and I don't mean pets) running around, like in the walls.

Sometimes, cars have problems when animals decide to make nests in the engine compartment. I have seen insect nests (I think wasp nests) in the opening for the door near the hinges. And a spider or two have taken up residence in the duct work. Fortunately, after a few days without water or food, they can't run away very fast.

Jeff

When was the last time the oil was changed in the car and where was it changed? Check the engine oil level on the dipstick and check the transmission oil on the transmission dipstick and let us know what color you see on the dipsticks and what the fluid levels are. If the transmission fluid level does not show up on the transmission dipstick but the engine oil dipstick shows way over-filled, someone mistakenly drained the transmission fluid during an engine oil change and then over-filled the engine oil. The extreme engine oil overfill may cause the oil to foam, and then the foam would not circulate through the engine properly, showing low or no oil pressure. If you find this, DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR!!! Have it towed to a competent shop for proper diagnosis and repair.

In any event, if there is no oil pressure showing up on the oil pressure gauge, the car should be towed to a shop for diagnosis and repair. If the oil pressure gauge is functioning properly and engine oil pressure is in fact too low, severe engine damage will result, if it has not already happened.

Regarding the grumbling when you brake, the next step is to remove the wheels for an inspection of all four brakes. With the wheels off of the ground, check to see that none of the brakes calipers or shoes are frozen and that the rotors or drums are not rusted.

I guess I have trust issues. If you give a dealership a blank check, it is no telling what they may decide to do. I've heard plenty of horror stories of people taking their car in for an oil change and ending up with hundreds of dollars in charges. I do have a good independent mechanic I trust, and I do give him a blank check (but when the weather is good, I do my own work for routine things).

Ed

I'd love to actually speak to the customers & service writers who were involved with these "oil change turns into hundreds of dollars" stories.

There is one over in the ford newsgroup right now.....

----- Original Message ----- From: "Joiseedvl" Newsgroups: alt.autos.ford Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 2:52 PM Subject: 15,000 scheduled maintenance

I know guy who was a service manager store that is part of a chain. He was sent to turn around stores where they were doing unnecessary work. The unnecessary work resulted in costumers who did not come back.

I guess they did things like replace rotors and calipers when they changed brakes, even when the rotors and calipers were just fine.

Jeff

They're lucky that's all the customers did. When they sign the work order to authorize an oil change, that's all they're authorizing. The customers should've called the police. On a good day, they might've gotten a smart cop who would've pointed out that any unauthorized work just became a free gift.

Boy you're dumb. Good things dealers aren't as dumb. They usually call the customers, told them that "during our routine complimentary check that comes with the oil change, we found the following _______ that needed to be fix. Would you like us to do them?"

Usually the customer is too frighten not to fix them even if they are suspicious. Who would endanger their lives over a few hundred dollars?

I do have one story. My wife went in for an oil change on our brand new car that only has 10,000 miles. The dealer told her that she needed a wheel alignment, and even told her that it's good to do one on every oil change, it only cost $89.00 She called me and I told her basically to give them the finger and drive the car outta there.

This may sound insane, but it's possible. I recall a story from a half century ago, when an insurance underwriter came into his office looking angry. When asked about his mood, he said "this morning I was running to catch a streetcar and my hat blew off, and before I could catch it, another streetcar came along and cut it in half!" Another underwriter said "Put in a claim for it." "HUH?" "Sure. You've got a homeowners policy covering loss of household goods off the premises at 10% of the face amount. You lost your household goods off premises, and so, if your coverage is $10,000 for household goods, you've got $1000 for goods lost off premises." The guy put in a claim and got his hat replaced.

I'm dumb? I responded to C.E. White's scenario, exactly as HE described it:

"I guess I have trust issues. If you give a dealership a blank check, it is no telling what they may decide to do. I've heard plenty of horror stories of people taking their car in for an oil change and ending up with hundreds of dollars in charges."

There was no mention of the dealership calling the customers. He suggested that the dealership went ahead with extra work, without consulting with the customer at all.

Don't add variables of your own, and do try to read more slowly so you comprehend what's been written.

Saw a Ford dealers help wanted ad for a Service Advisor, its pay was based on commisioned sales. Soooo !

Slim

Very true. I have a buddy that used to work for the dealers, the way the industry works is everyone on the front line has his pay scale alter by commission. Not just the sales but also sales manager, finance manager (for giving out the highest interest rates), and service agents and manager (for getting the most services done, even useless ones.) My buddy racks in $40,000 a month at a Lexus dealer, that bastard.