I started hearing this noise while I was driving on a newly repaved major street. It sounds like the tires need air or like a steel wheel of a cart rolling over concrete. It's not that loud, though.
I drove the car to Minneapolis in June. Coming home, I went to Spring Green, Wisconsin. To get there, I traveled Wis. Hwy 23 which is quite hilly and twisty. The noise remained but the car showed no new symptoms. When I got home, I raised the rear wheels off of the ground and spun them by hand. No noise could be heard. I raised the front wheels and spun them by hand. No noise. Then I spun them with the engine to about 40 mph on the speedometer. No noise.
Because the car was designed without a transmission dipstick, I took it back to the dealer to have the trans and differential fluid levels checked. They said the fluid in the transmission also lubes the differential and that it was up to the correct level and had no debris in it. They also said my tires are "choppy" and thus, they could not determine the source of the noise because the tires are noisy. I am currently out of a job - I'm a mechanic. I plan on getting new tires before winter, if I am able to afford them. Then I will be able to trace this noise if it is still present. The noise occurs from 25 mph on up.
Update from Oct 2, 2010: I took my Camry back to the dealer in September because I had recieved a recall notice from Toyota concerning the Variable Valve Timing with Intellegence (VVT-i) system's oil supply hose being defective. I had not realized that this hose had been replaced in July 2010. The service write-up man pointed this out and it was confirmed by my previos repair order. At this time I told him my car was still making this roaring noise. He looked at my tires and said they were not going to be safe enough for another winter and they were indeed choppy. I decided that I would go to Discount Tire in Clinton Township and get new tires that morning. I chose a set of Arizonian tires, and the salesman had no comments against this selection. I left and drove the car a short distance and realized these tires were even noisier than the Bridgestone Turanza EL-400's that I had replaced. I had to put at least 300 miles on the new tires due to family problems would allow me to go back to Discount about these new tires being noisy. When I finally was able to return, another salesman informed me that my choise of Arizonian tires was contrary to what the car was supposed to have - wrong spec tires. He showed me tires that were of the proper specification for my Camry and I chose a set of Yokohamas (which I learned later on are a Discount Tire exclusive, just like the Arizonians) But the Yokahamas are a lot quieter and I am now satisfied with the noise level of my Camry again.
I started hearing this noise while I was driving on a newly repaved major street. It sounds like the tires need air or like a steel wheel of a cart rolling over concrete. It's not that loud, though.
I drove the car to Minneapolis in June. Coming home, I went to Spring Green, Wisconsin. To get there, I traveled Wis. Hwy 23 which is quite hilly and twisty. The noise remained but the car showed no new symptoms. When I got home, I raised the rear wheels off of the ground and spun them by hand. No noise could be heard. I raised the front wheels and spun them by hand. No noise. Then I spun them with the engine to about 40 mph on the speedometer. No noise.
Because the car was designed without a transmission dipstick, I took it back to the dealer to have the trans and differential fluid levels checked. They said the fluid in the transmission also lubes the differential and that it was up to the correct level and had no debris in it. They also said my tires are "choppy" and thus, they could not determine the source of the noise because the tires are noisy. I am currently out of a job - I'm a mechanic. I plan on getting new tires before winter, if I am able to afford them. Then I will be able to trace this noise if it is still present. The noise occurs from 25 mph on up.
Update from Oct 2, 2010: I took my Camry back to the dealer in September because I had recieved a recall notice from Toyota concerning the Variable Valve Timing with Intellegence (VVT-i) system's oil supply hose being defective. I had not realized that this hose had been replaced in July 2010. The service write-up man pointed this out and it was confirmed by my previos repair order. At this time I told him my car was still making this roaring noise. He looked at my tires and said they were not going to be safe enough for another winter and they were indeed choppy. I decided that I would go to Discount Tire in Clinton Township and get new tires that morning. I chose a set of Arizonian tires, and the salesman had no comments against this selection. I left and drove the car a short distance and realized these tires were even noisier than the Bridgestone Turanza EL-400's that I had replaced. I had to put at least 300 miles on the new tires due to family problems would allow me to go back to Discount about these new tires being noisy. When I finally was able to return, another salesman informed me that my choise of Arizonian tires was contrary to what the car was supposed to have - wrong spec tires. He showed me tires that were of the proper specification for my Camry and I chose a set of Yokohamas (which I learned later on are a Discount Tire exclusive, just like the Arizonians) But the Yokahamas are a lot quieter and I am now satisfied with the noise level of my Camry again.
- Robert R., St. Clair Shores, MI, US