Recommendations for a underrated car for low $ and commuting high Kms

Despite owning one, and appreciating "boring" but hitherto reliable, I cannot recommend the Toyota Camry.

Mine is '98, but I'm assured that the same 'Remote Locking' problem afflicts up to 2008 , and perhaps later.
What's the problem ? - randomly sends an UNLOCK pulse through the car, all doors unlock. Great overnight, or in a shopping carpark !
When driving, this also but not always, sets off the hazard (burglar alarm ?) flashers for two or dozens of flashes, not a great safety feature to confuse other drivers...

So far, NO idea, from myself or several Auto sparkies... The best one was 'Manually lock the LH rear door'...as this is the actuator most likely to play up, apart from the driver's door one. That fix lasted a 3 days.

Shrt story, the system apparantly is both fragile, and almost impo$$ible to trouble-$hoot.
Apart from the actuators being $hundreds, ebay ones are $70 or so. - Reasonable, for a cheap Chinese knock-off, but lets not suggest the BCM, at $2,809 (Genuine, of course). Toyota must surely, be aware that they've had a long-running problem. ?

-That's what one sparky has been reduced to trying for the late model Camry parked in his workshop. For a few weeks so far.

Maybe I'm a grumpy old flatulence, but I reckon such Basic systems should be bullet-proof and last at least as long as the vehicle is registered.

One Call-Out sparkie over here has a website, featuring Camry and another most surprising Jap brand, the mainstay of his business... for the same reason... Remote doors & Immobiliser failures.

A rusty, beaten up old holden or falcon is starting to look good !

These was a problem with most remote central locking systems of the period where they would open or not lock. This was due to the design not shielding the system from common signal sources in a normal environment. These were triggering the system rather than your remote.

Could not lock my Range Rover of the same period at an airport. It also would not lock or unlock at the shops in a street near where I lived. Not locking was better than not unlocking. Some times if you pushed the car a couple of metres it would work again as was out of range of what ever was causing the problem.

Same problem plenty of other places solution by Land Rover was to buy a newer one that had a ‘better’ system fitted.

I've heard stories about locks being triggered while driving down streets.
Here's couple of probably silly questions.
Can some kind of shield be fitted to block interfering signals?
Does it help to fit the system common overseas where the doors lock when you drive off and touch the brake pedal for the first time?
Probably not, but just curious.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I've heard stories about locks being triggered while driving down streets.
Here's couple of probably silly questions.
Can some kind of shield be fitted to block interfering signals?
Does it help to fit the system common overseas where the doors lock when you drive off and touch the brake pedal for the first time?
Probably not, but just curious.

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The doorlocks on my D2a lock up as I drive off, Fantastic idea if you have kids in the car or if you are in the city to prevent a car jacking which unfortunately is becoming more common lately [thumbsupbig]

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Originally Posted by trout1105

The doorlocks on my D2a lock up as I drive off, Fantastic idea if you have kids in the car or if you are in the city to prevent a car jacking which unfortunately is becoming more common lately [thumbsupbig]

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Yes that's a programmable feature. I tried it out when I bought mine, but reverted as it annoyed me. Also the chances of getting car jacked in Perth in a 17 year old disco are minimal and I don't have small kids anymore [smilebigeye][smilebigeye][smilebigeye]. What is more useful is a single press of the fob unlocking all doors. I quickly got tired of 2 button presses as more often than not I was also having to load things into the boot/rear seat.

Cheers

Steve

Quote:

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Despite owning one, and appreciating "boring" but hitherto reliable, I

cannot

recommend the

Toyota Camry.

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So your 31 year old Camry's door locks don't work?
Diddums.

But how is the engine and transmission and suspension etc.

I bought a wagon about that age for my daughter for about $1800 with 6 months rego and good tyres with wait for it 340KK on the dial.

I was astounded at how it drove. It had an auto rebuild at some stage and a new alternator , and when I opened the oil filler I quickly closed it again as there were inches of sludge in there.

It drove them about for about 2 years with minimal problems and only when the main seal leak got so bad that it failed a roadworthy was it replaced.
They called it Moo due to the sound it made.
I reckon those old Camrys are GOLD.
Regards PhilipA

Our refugee friends love old Camrys and Taragos.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PhilipA

So your 31 year old Camry's door locks don't work?
Diddums.

But how is the engine and transmission and suspension etc.

I bought a wagon about that age for my daughter for about $1800 with 6 months rego and good tyres with wait for it 340KK on the dial.

I was astounded at how it drove. It had an auto rebuild at some stage and a new alternator , and when I opened the oil filler I quickly closed it again as there were inches of sludge in there.

It drove them about for about 2 years with minimal problems and only when the main seal leak got so bad that it failed a roadworthy was it replaced.
They called it Moo due to the sound it made.
I reckon those old Camrys are GOLD.
Regards PhilipA

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Engine is pure gold, perfect balance between economy and hoon-ability, as and when (rarely) required. Good mileage generally, no quibble there at all.. Rear dampers have reached use-by date... again, they suit how I drive anyway, almost reminds me the Lady Sarah... soft and comfortable.
If the door locking would die, along with flashing the hazards and bipping the horn... I'd be fine to lock/unlock with the key. Like all my other cars ever did.

I'd be more than happy with the door-locking system being taken out totally, but it appears (correct me if I'm rong) to be interfaced with the Burglar alarm / flashers/horn
And $2,809 BCM, somewhere...

TESLA cars are in the news, and again for the wrong reasons (or Right ones!) This time selling high priced options whether you want them or not. Those of us who waste time on YouTube will appreciate the difficulty of doing with a TESLA, what we think nothing of doing to a Land Rover.... Fix it yourself. Without the 'stealer' getting involved...
Even replacing a smashed door mirror needs it to be 'electronically mated' with the car's computers. By the Dealer.

Tesla now committing financial FRAUD by charging its car customers thousands of dollars for “upgrades” without permission or consent


That philosophy even sinks as low as .... farm tractors... Government now forcing tractor manufacturers to build them like smartphones so they can “brick” themselves and become unusable

But I'm not surprised with anything an American Conglomerate comes at...

John Deere was the company that bought out Australia's only home-grown Tractor brand / factory , Chamberlain Tractors. (Western Australia) but with the assurance it would keep the marque alive.
It didn't.

Now we are seeing more and more 'electronics-dependent farm machinery', with all their reliability and 'proprietary' problems.
Anybody see a pattern ?[bigwhistle]

Where's the I've got a Very Red Face emoticon ?

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After disconnecting nearly every component, the last one....- as usual - struck gold. A 3-wire connector from the driver's lock-barrel to the BCM.

"Everyone" had told me the driver's door 'Master' actuator fails (?) and causes every problem under the sun. Nope, just a simple change-over switch falling apart from Old Age.- I know how it feels !!! .[bigwhistle]

Turning the driver's door key doesn't move the lock mechanism, (only a switch) - the actuator does.