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Toyota updates Camry's engine software. (http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/FREE/61016020/1024/LATESTNEWS)

Mark Rechtin - Automotive News - Oct. 16, 2006

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Toyota_Camry.jpg
Consumers and the web forcing Toyota to fix the 07 Camry of its lacadasical power output at critical moments.

LOS ANGELES - Toyota Camry sales haven't been hesitating, but Camry powertrains have.

A raft of consumer complaints and negative postings on Internet chat rooms such as Edmunds.com forced Toyota engineers to find out why 2007 Camry engines tend to bog at critical moments. After all, it's not good for the best-selling car in America to lose power when it's needed most.

According to one dealer service technician, the new Camry has a drive-by-wire system that "learns" driver behaviors. If an owner drives placidly, the software that controls the four-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission is not ready for a sudden change in behavior. That includes flooring the gas pedal to get out of a dangerous situation.

So rather than responding to an abrupt need for more power, the engines and transmissions have tended to hesitate, according to postings on the Internet.

Toyota has issued a technical service bulletin outlining a software modification that can be done at dealerships, spokesman John Hanson said.

"We tuned the engine for an increase in horsepower," he said. "We should have done it for driveability to match everyone's taste."

Of the software, Hanson said: "You can tailor it for how you want it. For people who have no problem with it, there's no problem." Dealers make the modification only if owners report a problem.

The issue hasn't dented sales for the redesigned Camry, which hit dealerships in March and has been in short supply.

Sales of the Camry in September were up 3.9 percent over the same month last year. The Camry's U.S. and Japanese manufacturing plants are at full capacity.

Toyota made a running assembly line change, and vehicles built since early October have the modified software. Toyota says it doesn't know how many vehicles are out there with the old software.

Does this effect all 07 Camrys, or just the standard or hybrid model?

Hi Bob:

___I suspect just the non-hybrid’s as I have not read of this problem from the Camry hybrid forums myself? Knowing the way HSD is tuned, I doubt Toyota would allow much learning to happen with the very advanced SW algorithms the hybrid incorporates already but I would be guessing here.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

But the Prius does learn. After you disconnect the 12V battery for greater than 10-15 minutes you erase the "map" in the ECU's. It may not be as severe as whats being reported for the Camry, but it's there. When the ECU reprogramming campaign occured about a year ago many owners reported the cars drove differently for a couple of tanks. My own personal experience is when I disconnect the 12 V I can expect the car to not always respond the way I would like, so I lose about 5 MPG in the city (but gain on the highway).

Wayne

Although, I read of such a hesitation in a Camry Hybrid review. I belive is was a Car and Driver review, but I can't remember.

I can't see why they would'nt use the same "learn-your-driving-style" idea in the hybrid.

Hi Fire Engineer:

___A lot of newer cars have a slight lean to rich adjustment learning curve with an offset building in as you drive. This report is talking about a loss of performance with a hesitation and is completely different then the rich to lean offset.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

All, thanks for your input. My sister just bought an 07 Camry Hybrid and I was concerned. So now you could say we have two in our family driving hybrids!

Oh yeah, come to think of it, my brother has been making biodesiel in his garage for years now - and he's more of a fanatic than I am.

All in the family!

Bob