I have a 2008 Toyota Camry SE with the 2.4 engine and auto trans. If I'm stopped and in drive the engine feels as if it's going to stall, the entire car "shutters". The tach reads between 700 & 800 but if I place the gear selector into either neutral or park it becomes "glass" smooth, I even have to look at the tach to see if the engine is still running! In neutral or park the tach still reads 700-800 rpm and the A/C is always switched off.
I've had it to 2 different Toyota dealers and yesterday to my regular mechanic. 1st dealer said to disconnect the battery and bring everything back to default positions...no difference, battery was off for 35 minutes. 2nd dealer said to have the throttle body cleaned, which I did...no difference. A bit of background with the vehicle, I've had it since new, I drive 170 hiway miles per day, I use Shell branded fuel, oil changes always at 5,000 miles, dealer serviced since new.
So yesterday my mechanic checked everything, engine mounts (OK), any error codes (none) cylinder compression (all within spec) spark plugs (OK except for 1 so I asked him to change them all), he installed 4 NGK iridium plugs and guess what...it still shutters & vibrates!!
Anyone out there have any suggestions?

 

well, there's thing called idle speed control valve... check its harness, maybe vacuum, if any, and out of curiosity, disconnect it with engine running and trannie in neutral.

Thanks to Johan for examples/pictures on his website – to follow the links hold down CTRL and press the link:
1) Spark plugs, plug wires, rotor & ignition coils - Clean and inspect.
2) Check compression – poor cylinder head compression is common for an older car. Big job to fix this.
3) Use a good fuel-injector cleaning treatment into the tank – take it for a good run.
4) Change fuel filter.
5) Remove and clean injectors – might need to replace injectors.
6) Hose to fuel pressure regulator – might be cracked/worn (buy a new one)
7) Rubber hose between Airflow Meter and throttle – cracked?
8) Mass Airflow meter/sensor – if dirty clean it up. Bad Air Flow Meter will cause flat spots in acceleration or erratic spots in the throttle depending on the opening of the airflow meter not usually a complete lack of power.
9) Hose to air filter – cracked?
10) Air filter – replace if dirty, check seals.
11) Distributor cap – if eroded and worn - changed to new one
12) Check fuel pressure - Replace the Fuel Pressure Regulator. Might need to replace Fuel Pump.
13) Check and Adjust valves - throttle valves, PCV valve behind intake runner, Idle Control Valve (ICV).
· ICV Idle Control Valve. Remove and clean it with brake parts cleaner. This regulates the air coming in to your intake manifold when the throttle body is closed and it tends to get dirty, sticky and the motor inside could not turn the valve properly.
· Idle control valve sometime sticks open – causes issues when in Idle
14) Throttle Body - Clean it out and replace the gasket (can use gasket material cut to size).
15) Check all Vacuum lines.
16) Conduct a ‘leak down test’ on all exhaust valves.
17) Check for Oxygen (O2) sensor function tests.
18) Check the wide-open throttle switch under the gas pedal.
19) Check throttle position switch on the throttle body.
20) Make sure connections on battery (under back seat) are very clean. Use wire brush.
21) Check rubber boot between the Mass Air Flow and the DKM.
22) Check for intake manifold gasket leak
23) Have the transmission checked for correct functioning – (by mechanic).
24) Make sure there are no other sources of drag in the driveline.
25) Checked coolant sensor.

Try the RESET Procedure before all of above.
Notes:
The reset procedure is billed as a ‘cheap fix’. It does often give good immediate results, however if there is something wrong with your car (any number of issues as listed above) then over a 2-8 week period the car will likely return to its original state.
The reset procedure removes all mean values stored by your onboard computer that control engine timing, fuel use etc. As you continue to drive the car, the stored values ‘average out’ to best suit the engine condition.
If your car has for example a leaking intake manifold gasket or broken O2 sensors, the readings are quickly going to become ‘corrupted’ with incorrect information. This can lead to the engine running too rich or too lean (check your sparks for evidence). Within a short period of time the car will return to rough idle as the underlying problem has not been fixed. That said – the reset procedure can reset values that are no longer applicable. You may have replaced something on the car (e.g. Catalytic Converters) thus causing a sudden change in normal engine running. The readings stored over 10-20 years will suddenly not suit you recently modified car. The car will however read new values in and average out over time. The Reset procedure simply speeds that process up.
The long and short of it is that this procedure can sometimes fix rough idle and transmission timing and seems to improve the cars performance. However with existing underlying issues as outlined above – it won’t be long before the problems return. Perhaps this procedure could be used if you’re trying to sell your E32 ;-)
Procedure:
1. Disconnect battery cables, first negative, then positive.
2. Cover and protect the battery posts! Leave no potential of a battery short circuit.
3. Turn ignition to position II.
4. Connect both battery cables ("SHORT") for at least 10 minutes. This step drains a capacitor in the ECU/TCU. (Covered the battery with a thick, dry shop towel to prevent actually shorting the battery! – careful of arc welding in my back seat! As the battery was in place, and the cables aren't that long, you could use a very long Craftsman screwdriver and two small vice-grips to actually clamp the negative and positive cables to the metal shank of the screwdriver.
5. Wait 10 minutes - then ignition off, key out.
6. Reconnect battery positive, then negative.
7. OBC says "PPPP", reset time. Start and idle the engine for 5 minutes, then off for five, then out for a drive.
8. Now, with the car in lowest gear (one or two depending on your make), accelerate until at least 5000 rpm is reached. Allow the car to slow to idle, and then repeat two more times. Let the car idle for 5 minutes. All Done!
9. Idle should smooth out over 10-12 miles; shifts should be immediately smoother.

 

Also can ask at the Toyotanation website, a lot more car owners.

Idle speed is 610-710 RPM. If the rpm is staying in this range this condition might be "normal."

 

Toyota dealer #3...looks like a faulty "torque converter". It's going in sometime next week, I'll know for sure at that time once they pull things apart to have a look.

 

That would make sense if the whole car actually shudders.

Please post back with what the dealer finds.

 

I took my 2008 LE 4 cyl. to the dealer (40K miles) and they said the vibration was due to throttle dirt. They cleaned it and changed the oil ( regular maintenance ) and I drove away. The vibration persisted. This vibration happens only when the engine is warm. So after the oil change it was cold and it did not do it. I brought it back, re-did the repair ( clean throttle) and still the same. Anybody has any ideas? When is in neutral or park the engine is perfectly smooth. Only when in drive and at stop position the problem appears. Idle speed is normal in park and in drive. A/C has no influence on the problem. Any ideas?
Thank you.

 

After much frustration and visiting 3 Toyota dealers and one independant service centre I sold my Camry and purchased an new VW Jetta TDi. The last Toyota dealer I visited had the car for 7 hours and after seeing the spark plugs believes that the "head" was over torqued and bolts stripped, anyway I appreciate the info provided in the forum, this car (Camry) was a real disappointment, nothing like my last 2004 Camry SE (it was awesome)!

 

yes, they do not make them like they did before. I do not even recommend Toyotas to friends. Shame. Nissans and Subarus are about the only ones left.

 

This engine had an issue with 3 of the head bolts pulling out of the head due to failed treads in the block.

The VW TDi should be lots of fun and get much better MPG.

 

Try to adjust the hood latch and hood rubber mounts before spending on expensive parts and repairs. I had similar vibration, rattle at idle. Not fixed after motor mounts replacement, throttle and Fuel injection clean.