Every time I go to turn on the A/C my RPMs drop. Then it will shake a little. It doesn't sound like it will stall but gives me a "rough idle." This happens everytime I am parked or at a red light. If I turn on the high beams it will shake too. Anything using a decent amount of power like rear window defrost and A/C or highbeams. My car idles at 560 to 570 RPMs. My friend has the same car, year model, it idles around 650 to 670. I have tried carborator cleaner in the intake and everything, nothing seems to work. Any ideas?

Also I have white smoke that puffs out of the tailpipe only during cold (engine) start-up. It happens whether its hot or cold outside. No sweet smell or burnt oil smell. I didn't think it was condensation especially since I live in Arizona with no humidity. Everyone is saying its coolant but I have no drops in coolant levels. Any ideas on this too?

I forgot to say about 4 months ago it gave me a check engine light P2238 then turned itself off. I never saw it again. Other than that everything works great.

 

The link below has something on this code.

http://townhall.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0e7abb

Wonder if the battery is going bad or alt is not putting out enough amps, the result is the engine RPM drops under electrical load.

On older Camry with the previous 4 cylinder engine would state the white smoke was work valve stem seals.

The newer engine? Unfortunately the newer engine can have an issue with a blown head gasket due to a few head bolts pulling out of the aluminum block. It appears to effect 1-2% of the engines as engines get over around say 60K miles. I don't know if this is your problem.

The link below has some info on this.

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...325124&page=10

Some condensation out of the pipe is normal at times. The white smoke from worn seals would linger around the car for time and get worse over time.

If coolant is leaking, this "smoke" would disappear much faster.

 

The battery is brand new. 5 year warranty battery.

It's the original engine that came with the car. 2AZ-FE. The car was hit on the left front side. Everything that was broken was fixed. It was manufactured December of 2003. My friends car is the same 2AZ-FE 2.4L but manufactured 2 months later. I can try getting readings from the alternator. What is the normal voltage / amp output of the alternator?

Also where do I get to the valve stem seals? What will tell me they are bad?

 

Is the idle speed posted with assy on or off. What is the idle speed with engine warm in Park and all electrical assy off? If the posted idle is this RPM, it is too low and would explain why it drops even more when you turn on a electrical assy.

Don't have much info on the alt.

Should produce 13.9-15.1 volt at 2000 RPM, 13.5-14.3 at 5000 PRM. Measure this with voltmeter at the battery terminals.

At to the smoke, try to determine if possible what it smells like. You state it does not smell like oil or sweet but try to determine what it is or is not.

If it is the seals most likely the amount of oil burned is not enough to make an great difference on the dipstick.

The seal parts are reasonable, the labor to change them would be high. They are pressed onto the valve guides, the valve stem runs through the hole in the seal. This issue is each valve much be removed to replace each seal times 24 valves.

If your not already doing it, monitor the coolant level in the overflow tank. If this drops could be head gasket issues.

 

With stuff like the radio, normal air ventilation (no A/C), headlights, or even charging a phone with the car charger does not bring the RPMs down. Only heavy use stuff like highbeams, a/c on full and power windows. Yeah it idles around 560 to 570. Sometimes if I stop it will idle higher at 640 to 680. If I am just parked with the engine temp normal, it will be at around 590 to 610. As soon as I switch into drive, or reverse it will drop to 560 to 570. Then randomly go up again after coming to a light or stop sign. It doesn't shake though at normal idle with normal accessories on.

If the headgasket was blown wouldn't I know it? Wouldn't the engine overheat? My friend was saying that I would know if the head gasket was blown or cracked. The temp of the engine runs at the same temp as my friends camry.

Is it easy to change the stem seals? Any directions?

 

It appears the idle is too low. Should be something like 750ish. If too low to start with the added load of the alt may drag it down even more.

The engine should have an Intake Air Control (IAC) valve that adjusts bypass air around the throttle body to control idle. The air intake for this valve would be a slot on the bottom of throttle body throat on the intake air side of throttle plate. There would be a slot for the air to exit on the opposite side of the plate.

Use throttle body cleaner spray, with engine running spray into the slot to clean the valve. Toyota may sell something specifically for the problem. Use a throttle body cleaner, CRC may have some products for this. Autoparts stores should sell it.

When spraying the engine will want to stall thus give it more gas. This being an electric throttle not sure if you can move the throttle plate manually, if not have someone inside the car with foot on throttle to rev the engine.

Might also check the PCV valve and hose for plugging.

If a few head bolts have pulled out, the engine may still run OK. As stated monitor the coolant level in the overflow tank. If it drops and continues to do so after refilling the coolant could be going out the exhaust pipe or leaking.

You might be able to check for leaking coolant or dampness in head gasket area on the firewall side

This is an engine design defect that effects a small percentage of engines (at least at this time). In this case the bolt threads failed not the gasket. The symptoms may or may not be typically as when the gasket fails due to overheating, as in running out of coolant or hot rodding the engine.

For valve stem seals, typically the head is removed. The job can be done with the head on the engine. If done with the head on the car, it is very time consuming!

For this process, the cams need to be removed. Then one at a time the valve springs taking off along with the seal which is replaced. In order to keep the valve from dropping into the cylinder compressed air is run into the spark plug hole, or rope threaded down the hole and the piston manually run up to the top to compress the rope against the valves. All this takes a lot of time.

The plus is the head stays on the engine, if doing it yourself the only expense is the seals. Aftermarket seals if available should be under $100 a set. If it is the seals typically the puff of smoke will get larger over time.

 

The engine should have an Intake Air Control (IAC) valve that adjusts bypass air around the throttle body to control idle. The air intake for this valve would be a slot on the bottom of throttle body throat on the intake air side of throttle plate. There would be a slot for the air to exit on the opposite side of the plate.

 

"The 2.4L is a completely drive-by-wire system. There is NO IAC valve." this is what the mechanic I trust and the dealership I went to told me. Everyone is saying idle is controlled by the ECU and I would have to go get the computer reflashed to "re learn idle." The dealership wants to charge me $100 to reflash. If it has no iac valve then it has to be the throttle plate or MAF. We sprayed the carb cleaner in the intake and it picked up a little to 580 590.

Also just yesterday I had my DRL stop working. My highbeams still work so it's not the bulbs. Anyone know what fuse it would be? I looked in the fuse box and it says there are 4 DRL fuses.

As for the smoke it smells like normal emissions, like every other car. No noticeable smell. I smelt it last night. This afternoon I see no smoke. After a about 2 months of seeing it, it stopped.

 

You are correct on the IAC valve, see link below:

http://share.qclt.com/%E4%B8%B0%E7%9...em/0050040.pdf

Service manual states idle 610-710 rpm for auto trans, 650-750 rpm for stick. There could be a sticker under the engine hood with the idle info.

If the smoke smells like normal emission then suggest taking a wait and see position.

It appears each headlight filament has its own fuse, thus four fuses.

The DRL has a 5A DRL fuse plus at least 3 relays. As you may know the lights may not work if the parking brake is set.