The batteries in the Toyota Camry Hybrid 2015

Dear Members and Fans  of Toyota Camry Hybrid

Main battery in Toyota Camry Hybrid

There are two types of batteries used in the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The main battery is the NiMH (Nickel Metal hydride) battery with approximately 245 volt  placed in the trunk mounted to cross member rear seat. The cost of the main battery is approximately RM 11,000 ( I was informed by the salesman from the company I bought the car ) but it is given assurance for 8 years by Toyota provided that the car is serviced at authorized Toyota Service Centers. Based on my readings, the main battery is extremely reliable and rarely caused any problem except for the possibility that the connectors connecting the battery cells or packs might get corroded. Another thing that we have to remember  is that the battery may still be powered for 10 minutes even after the car is shut-off.

The auxilliary battery in Toyota Camry Hybrid

The second battery in Toyota Camry Hybrid is  also known as the auxiliary battery (lead acid battery)  located at the right side of the boot. The price of the battery is around RM 1400 (Pl check with Toyota dealers). The purpose of the second battery is to power low voltage devices. I learned that the auxiliary battery can last between 2-3 years especially in warm weather like Malaysia.

Washing the Toyota Camry Hybrid Engine : Engine cleaning Toyota Camry Hybrid 2015

Dear owners and Fans of Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry Hybrid has a very complicated system to propel the car. In fact, it has two power sources the petrol engine and the electric motor. With such a complex engine,  the Camry hybrid has obviously more electrical systems such as the inverter, sensors,  computer parts, fuses, relay boxes , and electrical connections.

Camry Hybrid engine 2015

Can we wash the Camry hybrid engine using jet spray . I have not washed  the engine of my hybrid but I can tell you that I will not take the risk of spray washing the engine of my hybrid because such a powerful water pressure can actually cause water intrusion problem to the electrical systems and  there is a great possibility you will not be able to start the car.Toyota might not even cover this kind of liability.

Camry hybrid 2015 Inverter: Blazing orange electrical wires

If there is a necessity to clean the engine , I would use a degreaser (eg  WD 40)  and use a garden hose without the attached nozzle  . A garden hose without the attached nozzle is   less likely to  force entry water  into sealed electronic or electrical areas. Another option is to wipe the dirty area with a piece of  towel which I like to do.

Happy cleaning and enjoy your Hybrid.

US Toyota Camry Hybrid vs Malaysian Toyota Camry Hybrid

Dear Owners and Fans of Toyota Camry Hybrid

US Version

Malaysian Version

Malaysian version

There are actually two versions of the Toyota Camry being sold globally. One is the US version and the other is the so called Asian version. The US version has been given a fresher look with more chiseled and a sportier look  in 2015 . This was done because of the slack in sale in North America. Toyota Camry used to be the mid size best seller until overtaken by the handsome new Honda Accord.We in Malaysia however still get the uncle version but with slightly more aggressive front end look.

The Asian version is sold in countries like Malaysia,Vietnam, Japan, Thailand , Russia and Singapore. The US version is sold in North America . Australia is unique in which both versions are sold with the Asian version called the Classic with a V6 engine. Even in Thailand the revised version has been sold  and called the Sports version. I supposed the sportier one is not sold here because all those who buy Toyota Camry are either people who have retired or those above 50s. 

US version

The interior of the US version is more sportier where as the Malaysian version more of the classique. Given the choice I would opt the US version. But I do like the steering in the Malaysian version which I think exudes more luxury. There are no changes done to the hybrid engine. The power output remains the same-around 200 hp in total.

Engine traction when recharging the battery: What should we do?

Dear Members and Fans of Toyota Camry hybrid

When driving or on the move the gear changes of the Toyota Camry Hybrid is so smooth and seamless, However, when idling for a long time at the traffic light , the engine will automatically restart to recharge the battery that is low in power and there's is a slight traction of the engine which may startle some of the drivers. Please be prepared to change to D position of the CVT gear or put it in P position if you're at a safe place.

The not so pretty rims of Toyota Camry Hybrid

The rims of the TCH are really ugly but distinctive. Please do not change the rims because they are part of the warranty package (Please correct me if I'm wrong). 

The fuel consumption of Toyota Camry Hybrid 2015

Dear Owners and Fans of Toyota Camry hybrid

The Toyota Camry is really a big car. It's actually in a D segment car together with the Honda Accord , Nissan Teana, Ford Mondeo, Mazda 628 and Peugeot 608. The Camry  functions more like a boulevard cruiser and occasionally chauffeur driven in countries like India , Pakistan and Vietnam. But in Malaysia it's driven personally by the owner particularly in this revamped version which does not look executive at all unlike the pre-lifted version.

Toyota Camry Hybrid fuel consumption at 5.2 litre per 100 kilometers

Although it's a big car , the hybrid is actually a fuel miser. It's claim manufacture's  fuel consumption is 5.2 litre per 100 kilometers.I really thought this is just a number which was difficult to achieve but it's truly not impossible. In a test done on the Awal Muharram last Wednesday, I drove the Camry Hybrid  from the Dataran Putrajaya (near the Grand Putrajaya Mosque) to Seksyen 9 Bandar Baru Bangi where my house is , I managed to get just that. It a mixture of highway and town driving.  But I have to confess, I was not driving like a jack rabbit rather an almost normal kind of driving (very light footed). Heck this car is a fuel sipper. Fuel consumption wise it's better than the Myvi.

Camry Hybrid Owners Club Malaysia (CHOCoM) on Facebook

Dear Owners , Friends, Fans and Prospective owners of the Toyota Camry please take note.

Camry Hybrid Owners Club Malaysia (CHOCoM)

The Camry Hybrid owners Club of Malaysia Facebook edition has been officially created today. As such,we have another platform in which we can share our thoughts , opinions, knowledge, and experience on the hybrid. I do welcome your contributions or suggestions. This is not a money making venture but truly a platform to share our experiences.Let's us make this a success.

Issues related to Toyota Camry Hybrid Malaysia 2015

Dear Camry Hybrid Fans

Today is Friday 8/October 2015. Time is 2:45 and I'm back in the office after performing Friday prayers. The weather is nice and without the irritating haze that enveloped the sky after some heavy downpour in Bangi areas. Friday afternoon is actually the best time for me  to do some reading and keeping up with the blogs.

Audio system in Camry Hybrid

Yesterday, I received an enquiry from a fan of Camry Hybrid asking me whether the  DVD player in the Camry can be played using the audio system that comes standard with the car. Before I could answer the question , the person also consulted a Toyota personnel who maintained that indeed the car audio system, the JBL 10 speaker unit, can  play the DVD. I have not actually tried out a DVD player but I will do that tomorrow. I will keep you abreast with what ever new things that I learn.But , I can tell you that the audio system in the Toyota can't actually automatically download  songs on CD that you play using the disc [layer. This feature is wonderfully available if you buy the Accord 2015.

Toyoota Camry Hybrid inverter

 He also wanted to know whether if he replaced or modified the audio unit would it affect the warranty claim. My answer to him is that I myself would not change or modify the unit because Toyota might use it  to invalidate the warranty of the car. This is is a hybrid system and you would not want to actually fiddle with any of the electrical systems especially things like the Inverter which is really expensive. I will wait until the warranty expires in 3 years time.After that period, I would probably do a bit of modification to the audio system. As for now, as long as the car is still under warranty, I would not do any modification. Le's play safe rather than regret later.

8 year Toyota Camry battery warranty/Assurance

It must be pointed out the warranty of the car is 3 years or 100,00 kilometers. That is the bumper to bumper warranty. After the 3 years or  100,00 km, there will be no more warranty with the exception of the battery which is given 8 years of so called assurance. According to Toyota, the bigger batter which costs about RM 11,000 is still under warranty or assurance as the term used by the manufacturer in Malaysia.

Another would be buyer of the Camry also asked me whether the air cond. is  on or working  when the car is at idle. The answer is YES. Unlike some hybrids cars which blow only  hot air during idling , the air con in the Toyota Camry actually works. It is a full hybrid car and  it's just like any other ordinary cars. The air works even at idle and it uses the battery if it is has enough power to sustain  it. I think the electrical power in the car is so powerful that it can light up  a double story house easily. When the battery power is insufficient,the engine  would automatically  recharge the battery. You would not have to do anything except when its utterly critical a light push to parking position will render the charging system to begin powering the air cond. So far I have not faced the problem even under a very long idling.(BUT IT MUST BE WARNED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RECHARGE THE ENGINE IF TH ENGINE IS IN NEUTRAL OR N) The best thing is to hold the brake and put the car  in D position.

Toyota Camry hybrid unscheduled problems and review

Salam to Camry Hybrid 2015 owners and those interested in buying the Hybrid

It has been almost 6 months that I've owned the Hybrid. So far the car has given me faultless driving pleasures except for some minor  niggling problems. I truly enjoy driving the car not in the sense of driving a Civic or Mazda Miata. Enjoyment to me means more of comfortable driving, serene driving environment , comfortable carpet ride  and some playful roughing around the corners occasionally using B type roads especially those around Bangi lama.

Servicing Camry hybrid at 13,000 kms

My Camry hybrid  has accumulated around 13, 500 kilometers of mostly highway drivings and short  office commuting. I guess with that kind of mileage I'm in the category of those driving around 25,00-30,000 km per annum -which is not very much. I would consider myself more of an above average driver. I believe those who buy Camry would keep their cars in the garage or under their porch to accumulate dust. The typical Camry hybrid owners are those who have recently retired or those in the early 50s. They will be driving the car to go to wedding receptions or the occasional reunions organised by their ex secondary school mates to 'show off' what they have. Their main ride is either a Myvi or a Proton Iriz.

The wiper sensor in Camry hybrid just popped out

While driving around in Bangi and hitting an average depth pothole suddenly something just popped out from the windscreen and dangling and rubbing the rear view mirror making some weird noise. I thought it was something that I left stuck in the windscreen that fell off . Then I realized that the case that fell off was actually a sensor casing that is placed just adjacent to the rear view mirror. I think the sensor is used to trigger the wiper mechanism when it drizzles or the lights especially when we drive in a dark place or going through a tunnel where there is little or no light. ( I really don't know what it is but I would appreciate if anyone could tell me what the thing is). Pl refer to the photo above . 

I tried to put it back but was rather unsuccessful. I had no choice but to return to Toyota Kajang service center. I was afraid that my wiper would stop working and I would be in great  trouble if it rained. So I drove to the service center and was greeted by a young guy manning the counter, I told him of my problem and I sensed that he was telling me that the center was fully booked to the brim and that he could not entertain me and it was better for me to come again at the normal service interval. I insisted that I had to get the thing fixed or else I would get stuck in the rain with the wiper not or the lights working . He later consulted his supervisor or someone senior and they agreed that  someone would look into the problem after they are done with servicing other cars. I was not given a number and was told to wait for my name to be called.I knew that it was going to be a long wait if they do actually get the thing fixed on that day.

After waiting for quite a while, I approached a lanky mechanic who  used to service my Hybrid and he willingly agreed to look at the problem. He got the thing fixed in less than 10 minutes  and told me that it was a unique case. (I hope this is true) I didn't have to wait until the service center closes to get my car fixed. Thank you sir my getting my car fixed outside your workload. To Toyota Kajang service center please train your other staff to be more courteous, creative and customer friendly. To Mr Ibrahim I don't know whether that's his name) thank you so much sir for doing a splendid job.

Excessive noise in C pillar of Camry hybrid

For my 20,000 kilometers service , I would like the center to also fix the excessive noise that comes from the C pillar . I believe the noise emanates from either the misalignment of the rubber padding or the door. The noise would get 'worst' with speed especially at 140 km per hour. At 80 km per hour I  can hear the hissing or gushing noise which should not be there at such a slow speed especially in a Camry. I hope  Toyota Kajang Service Center would get it fixed  as best as they can.