ToyotaDriver

05/08/2021 - Saturday Toyota Owners Club of America Hi! I’ve been driving my Camry for a while and need some tech advice to streamline some vehicle service & repairs. With 193,000 miles, there was no evidence that the KYB Excel-G struts and lower coiling springs are not original. Recently, I had the thermostat and gasket replaced and found that the original Toyota Camry thermostat and gasket (gasket still good) and thermostat dated 09 2000 had lasted for almost 20 years? Thermostat was heavy enough to go deep sea fishing with! I have the 100,000 mile Toyota dealer service invoice and there was no mention there of any replacement of the factory KYB Excel-G struts and lower coiling springs? KYB still made the struts but have not received a statement regarding the correct springs to use for replacement of the old struts with new ones? Considering the struts and springs are original, how do I gauge or compensate when replacing them with new KYB, when locating the new proper lower coiling springs? If someone out there can make a suggestion as to how to correctly pair up the proper springs with the new struts, it will be nice. I have not any knowledge nor did my mechanic in solving this problem? Next, what is considered to be the most reliable replacement brand of radial tire for my vehicle? I’ve been using Michelin Defender tires size 205/65-15 tires and had no punctures in over 5 years. I did experience some irregular tread wear during the last 10,000 - 15,000 miles, but no noticeable creaks or spring problems. Except for going over some railroad tracks at 35 m.p.h.. I observed the front end (dipped) going up and down say (3) three times? One fairly reliable tire dealer “advised against using any new 6-ply tires because of the possibility of creation of a rougher ride problem?” But he claimed, I'd get much better tire tread life. Finally, shortly after I purchased and drove the vehicle, before the weather became humid during the springtime, I observed that when I went to turn on the fan switch, the air following through the air vents blew very cold, just like I had just pressed the AC button to turn it on for service without having activated this with the green light on? Is there a possibility that this was an example of an (Eco Air) Ecology Air Technology Feature, designed by Toyota to save energy, possibly by using the environment’s humid air to automatically turn on the electric AC switch button without physically activating the electrical system to possibly save power? In summary, I’ve heard that the 2000 Toyota Camry was originally designed to have some of the technology of a 2015 Toyota Camry, way ahead of its time? If that was not true, I will stand corrected. If any of you have any good suggestions as to solving any of the latter issues, they will be appreciated. Thank you and happy pleasurable driving with your Toyota! Sincerely, TD ToyotaDriver

05/08/2021 Hi! I’ve been driving my Camry for a while and need some tech advice to streamline some vehicle service . With 193,000 miles, there was no evidence that the struts and lower coiling springs are not original. I have the 100,000 mile Toyota dealer service invoice and there was no mention there of any replacement of the factory KYB Excel-G struts and lower coiling springs? KYB still made the struts but have not received a statement regarding the correct springs to use for replacement of the old struts with new ones? Considering the struts and springs are original, how do I gauge or compensate when replacing them with KYB when it came to locating the new proper lower coiling springs? If someone out there can make a suggestion as to how to correctly pair up the proper springs with the new struts, it will be nice. Next, what is considered to be the most reliable replacement brand of radial tire for my vehicle? I’ve been using Michelin Defender size 205/65-15 tires and had no punctures in over 5 years. I did experience some irregular tread wear during the last 10,000 - 15,000 miles, but no noticeable creaks or spring problems. Except for going over some railroad tracks at 35 m.p.h.. I observed the front end (dip) go up and down say (3) three times? One fairly reliable tire dealer “advised against using any new 6-ply tires because of the possibility of a rougher ride problem?” Finally, shortly after I purchased and drove the vehicle, before the weather became humid during the springtime, I observed that when I went to turn on the fan switch, the air following through the air vents blew very cold, just like I had just pressed the AC button to turn it on for service? Is there a possibility that this was an example of an (Eco Air) Ecology Air Technology Feature, designed by Toyota to save energy, possibly by using the environment’s humid air to automatically turn on the AC switch button without physically activating the electrical system to possibly save power? In summary, I’ve heard that the 2000 Toyota Camry was originally designed to have some of the technology of a 2015 Toyota Camry, ahead of its time? If that was not true, I will stand corrected. If any of you have any good suggestions as to solving any of the latter issues, they will be appreciated. Thank you. Sincerely, TD ToyotaDriver