03 Camry LE US (06 Base Camry Japan Donor Motor
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03 Camry LE US (06 Base Camry Japan Donor Motor
A few years ago I rolled my 2006 Camry. It did enough body damage it wasn't worth keeping. So I pulled the motor, transmission, and wiring harness before scrapping the body. Recently A friends daughter locked up the motor in a 03 Camry LE. I saw it was the same motor but didn't pay attention if it was the same exact one. I noticed this when I had the motor and trans in the car and was hooking up the wiring harness. The donor harness did not plug into the ECU. so, I swapped harnesses to find out the starter, alternator, transmission (extra shift solenoid I think?) air filter housing box (extra emissions set up), knock sensor behind the intake, maybe one or two more small things. Got it all plugged in this time and finally time to start it up! It cranked over but wouldn't start. Emptied A bunch of fuel and put fresh fuel in. it ended up starting but only would cycle one time and rumble till it died. my code reader was saying no ECU found. my buddy brought over his Matco scanner and it wouldn't read the ECU either. The only computer component it did read was the Throttle was reading open at 78% with the car off. switched the throttle body, and it actually started and ran smoothly! So that night I drove the car to work a mile and a half away. it did fine. the next morning i tried to drive home and it kept wanting to die so I just would shove it into gear and try to keep throttling it to keep it running. Took the car to Toyota in town just to see if they could get the ecu to work. they told me they would have to rewire the car or some bullcrap because the ECU/motor are not the same match up. I figured if most the components were switched over it would get it all squared away. I know the emissions are a little different between America and Japanese motors now. so should i just find a used matching motor and swap out again, try to figure out what other components need swapped, or swap the ECU? any help/ advice would be amazing.
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From: PTW
Correct, the ECU and engine don't match up.
However, the engine years are in the same generation of Camry (5th) and as such one may be able swap parts from the 2003 to the 2006 to work with the 2003 computer. This is what is normally done when swapping a different year engine.
Do you still have the old and replacement engine/trans?
You stated the engine when it did run, ran OK. The point being it was wired up to the point it could run.
Is this a stick or auto trans. How did the transmission operate and did the trans wiring plug mate to the cars harness? Toyota stated in 2005 it standardized the 4 cylinder trans model used in all 4 cylinder engine cars and this trans was slightly different.
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Between 2003 and 2006 Toyota made minor but definite changes to the cars.
One change to the 4 cylinder was a completely different electrical design for the throttle position sensor. Using this new design 2006 with a 2003 computer WILL cause issues. If possible swap the 2006 sensor with the 2003. Changing the throttle body may also be required.
The knock sensor is different. You could if possible swap the 2006 for the 2003.
There were other changes between 2003 and 2006 but most can be worked around easy enough.
The idea is to "fool" the 2003 computer to "thinking" the engine is 2006. On some swaps the cylinder heads need to be swapped but this is not one of those swaps.
However, the engine years are in the same generation of Camry (5th) and as such one may be able swap parts from the 2003 to the 2006 to work with the 2003 computer. This is what is normally done when swapping a different year engine.
Do you still have the old and replacement engine/trans?
You stated the engine when it did run, ran OK. The point being it was wired up to the point it could run.
Is this a stick or auto trans. How did the transmission operate and did the trans wiring plug mate to the cars harness? Toyota stated in 2005 it standardized the 4 cylinder trans model used in all 4 cylinder engine cars and this trans was slightly different.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between 2003 and 2006 Toyota made minor but definite changes to the cars.
One change to the 4 cylinder was a completely different electrical design for the throttle position sensor. Using this new design 2006 with a 2003 computer WILL cause issues. If possible swap the 2006 sensor with the 2003. Changing the throttle body may also be required.
The knock sensor is different. You could if possible swap the 2006 for the 2003.
There were other changes between 2003 and 2006 but most can be worked around easy enough.
The idea is to "fool" the 2003 computer to "thinking" the engine is 2006. On some swaps the cylinder heads need to be swapped but this is not one of those swaps.
Last edited by toyomoho; Jan 11, 2025 at 08:43 PM.
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I swapped the parts you have listed already and that was when I drove it. The motor that was in it was in bad shape so I scrapped it. The transmission is correct to the ecu. And it is an Auto trans. Are there any other components you can think of that will need swapped? I might go purchase a new tps.
Correct, the ECU and engine don't match up.
However, the engine years are in the same generation of Camry (5th) and as such one may be able swap parts from the 2003 to the 2006 to work with the 2003 computer. This is what is normally done when swapping a different year engine.
Do you still have the old and replacement engine/trans?
You stated the engine when it did run, ran OK. The point being it was wired up to the point it could run.
Is this a stick or auto trans. How did the transmission operate and did the trans wiring plug mate to the cars harness? Toyota stated in 2005 it standardized the 4 cylinder trans model used in all 4 cylinder engine cars and this trans was slightly different.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between 2003 and 2006 Toyota made minor but definite changes to the cars.
One change to the 4 cylinder was a completely different electrical design for the throttle position sensor. Using this new design 2006 with a 2003 computer WILL cause issues. If possible swap the 2006 sensor with the 2003. Changing the throttle body may also be required.
The knock sensor is different. You could if possible swap the 2006 for the 2003.
There were other changes between 2003 and 2006 but most can be worked around easy enough.
The idea is to "fool" the 2003 computer to "thinking" the engine is 2006. On some swaps the cylinder heads need to be swapped but this is not one of those swaps.
However, the engine years are in the same generation of Camry (5th) and as such one may be able swap parts from the 2003 to the 2006 to work with the 2003 computer. This is what is normally done when swapping a different year engine.
Do you still have the old and replacement engine/trans?
You stated the engine when it did run, ran OK. The point being it was wired up to the point it could run.
Is this a stick or auto trans. How did the transmission operate and did the trans wiring plug mate to the cars harness? Toyota stated in 2005 it standardized the 4 cylinder trans model used in all 4 cylinder engine cars and this trans was slightly different.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between 2003 and 2006 Toyota made minor but definite changes to the cars.
One change to the 4 cylinder was a completely different electrical design for the throttle position sensor. Using this new design 2006 with a 2003 computer WILL cause issues. If possible swap the 2006 sensor with the 2003. Changing the throttle body may also be required.
The knock sensor is different. You could if possible swap the 2006 for the 2003.
There were other changes between 2003 and 2006 but most can be worked around easy enough.
The idea is to "fool" the 2003 computer to "thinking" the engine is 2006. On some swaps the cylinder heads need to be swapped but this is not one of those swaps.
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Joined: Jan 2025
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I’m done working on vehicles. It was warm enough today so I went outside and started to investigate. Swapped my o2 sensor then started looking for vacuum line damage then the intake. I pulled the intake boot and it pulled right off the air box. Car is perfectly fine. Just that one simple stupid issue. I feel like a complete idiot.
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