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Older Camry Maintenance and Repair

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  • imupaboveimupabove Member Posts: 67
    alright. for future reference .. do you know the average charge for a diagnose test?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    I'm not a good one to ask, as I probably do about 98% of the work on our vehicles myself.

    It will vary by geography and labor rates, but I would suspect it would be about an hour of time. I would expect to be quoted 75 to 150 bucks or so, if you drive it out the door without them fixing what was wrong. Would obviously vary by whether an independent garage, a chain, dealership, specialty shop, etc.
  • imupaboveimupabove Member Posts: 67
    sometimes my gas pedal gets stuck... do you any clue this is happening?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    This can happen, if you have a floor mat that slides forward under the gas pedal, or multiple mats.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    I've heard that very dirty throttle bodies also can cause this?
  • typesixtypesix Member Posts: 321
    The tear in the intake hose could likely be the cause of your sluggishness. Try taping over the tear if possible and see if that improves the driveability. The sticking gas pedal is due to carbon buildup on the throttle plate and needs to be cleaned, it's a common issue.
  • imupaboveimupabove Member Posts: 67
    i tried electric tape and duck tape both tapes come off because of heat of engine i think. after driving with the tape it get kind of melted and sticky. i bought a used hose from a junk yard, it should be easy to install right?

    the hose has three holes one that goes in this black box, one goes into the throttle body and the bottom hole, im not sure what it is but its this small black box that looks like a coolant box. does anyone know what that small box is?
  • paul2112cx1paul2112cx1 Member Posts: 1
    My Camry died the other day at a stop sign.Got it back to the house,checked fuses,all seem good...Removed fuel pump and checked it out of the tank(reattached to wiring still in car),tried to start the car and nothing from the pump..Installed a new pump and still nothing... I believe the C/OPN relay controls power to the fuel pump,checked it ,even swapped it with a few others that were the same and still nothing..Car will run if you spray starter fluid so its getting spark..Also the ck eng. light never came or anything else ..Anything else I need to check?????(Pulled codes today and a few came up PO758 and PO773 which are the shift solenoid codes...Dont have any issues with the tranny,whould this cause anything???Thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Check that these fuses are not blown, and are providing voltage to the circuitry:
    - 15A EFI fuse
    - 5 A Ign fuse

    In order for the fuel pump to get power, both the CIR OPN Relay must be energized, and the EFI Relay must be energized. They get turned on by the ECM engine computer.

    Check with a voltmeter, to see if you have power at the fuel pump connector. If power, then your fuel pump should be pumping. If not, check the relays.

    Both the relays are similarly wired internally, but are slight different. Pin 1 and 2 are the primary, Pin 3 and 5 are the secondary. When measured with an OHM meter, there should be some resistance between 1 and 2, which is the coil winding. If it is infinite resistance, the coil is bad.

    When the primary is NOT energized, there should be infinite resistance between pin 3 and 5.

    Now energize the primary by grounding pin 2, and applying 12 volts to pin 1. This applies voltage to the coil, which energizes the magnet, and now pin 3 should be connected to pin 5, and you should have zero resistance between 3 and 5. If the relay is not working correctly, replace it.

    If the relays check out as okay, but are not being turned on by the computer, then you need to figure out why that is the case. Could be the computer is bad, or could be that there is some other error condition that the computer is seeing which is causing it to WANT to turn off the fuel pump.

    Let me know what you find with your testing.
  • djroffdjroff Member Posts: 4
    I have a very similar problem with my '95 Camry. Are your suggestions the same?

    In my case, the dash light always comes on, but when you try to engage, it may or may not do so. If it's not going to, the light blinks 5 times and shuts off. Turning off the car resets it, and it may or may not work next time.

    This problem has been getting more frequent over the past few years, to the point that where it used to fail infrequently, it now only works infrequently. The Toyota garage has looked at it but has no clue, they say I would have to "come it with it not working" -- and how likely is THAT to happen? Intermittent stuff never goes wrong when you're near the dealership!

    If this were a simpler vehicle, I'd say it sounds like it might be some weak relay that could be replaced, or maybe even a leaky vacuum hose. It seems to be more likely to work, for instance, if I'm already at speed and on level ground... as opposed to accelerating or climbing a hill. But this isn't a simple vehicle, it's a Camry. How is it that all of those peripheral lights and switches can possibly be suspected in something like this??
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Check your other posting same subject, I just gave you a way to verify that your speed sensor is working correctly.
  • djroffdjroff Member Posts: 4
    It sounds like you think this Speed Sensor is the likeliest cuplrit. Thank you very much, I will check that out at my earliest opportunity!

    Just to verify, is the voltage change 0 to 1.1, or 0 to 11? It appeared that you meant 1.1V, but there was no decimal, just a space between the 1s.

    And as I read the diagrams (I've downloaded a repair manual), it looks like the Speed Sensor is located behind the speedometer. Is that correct?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    I am not suggesting that the speed sensor is necessarily bad, there are a number of things that could be bad. To diagnose this problem, you need to start proving things that are working, which eliminate them from being the cause of the problem, to then keep zero'ing in on what must be bad (or you prove is bad).

    You have a cruise control computer, that takes a number of inputs (speed sensor, parking brake switch, brake switch, park/neutral switch, clutch switch, switches on the cruise control, etc). Any one of them not working correctly, could cause your cruise control to know that it shouldn't be on. If you can prove that all of the input sensors are working and eliminated as the possible cause of the problem, then you may end up with the cruise control computer itself is bad. I'd suspect any number of the sensors/switches first, though.

    Start anywhere you want with any of the switches or sensors.
  • bran4290bran4290 Member Posts: 1
    i have a 1998 Toyota Camry and the temperature guage never moves past cold when the car is moving, once the car is stopped for a couple of minutes the gauge begins to rise to operating temperature, but once you begin to move, the gauge lowers back to cold. please help...
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Sounds like the thermostat is stuck in full open position.

    It should initially be closed, prohibiting the radiator from cooling down the engine, until the engine gets up to the correct operating temperature. Then it begins to open, allowing the hot water out to the radiator to get cooled down, and some of the cooler water back into the engine, thereby keeping the engine from overheating.

    The thermostat should open only when it gets to temperature, and then only enough to keep the engine at temperature. Open too much, and engine runs cold.
  • alpha8alpha8 Member Posts: 3
    i have a 95 le camry that i cant figure out whats wrong. Feels like it miss fire at get up then rund fine at highspeed,car pass smog with no problems though.Ive did a complete tune up all compression is good except one is a little low but not enough to miss. Can anyone help me or tips thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    how low is it? Could you have a leaking head gasket or intake manifold gasket in that cylinder?

    How many pounds lower than the other cylinders?
  • alpha8alpha8 Member Posts: 3
  • alpha8alpha8 Member Posts: 3
    every one is at 140 and one of them is at 110 i sprayed carb cleaner around nothing seams to be leaking
  • blin279blin279 Member Posts: 21
    CD player (single disk) has failed in my 2003 Camry LE V6: does not respond to CD button, disk is inside. RADIO and TAPE work just fine. Car has 71 K miles only. Any ideas? Please advise. Thank you all! :confuse:
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Have it replaced - dealer or car audio speciality store.

    If you're very handy, buy a plug compatible replacement online and swap it out yourself.
  • blin279blin279 Member Posts: 21
    Not "very" but able to do this. I will check the price first.
  • gregbegregbe Member Posts: 1
    Camry has 65,000 miles on it and recently has been running through a lot of gas. The car was checked for gas leaks - no problem. Any ideas?

    Is there an adhesive I can use to fix the radio buttons, 3 of them are falling off.
  • ken_gken_g Member Posts: 2
    When I turn my key and try to start the engine. All the lights just fade out and the car won't start. I have to turn the key several times to get the car start.
    The battery is 3 months new. I took my car to Advance Auto parts to do the electrical check. The battery condition is good. The alternator has no problem. The starter is creaking normal. The drain is about 0.12A which shows "pass".
    The problem is still there.
    I changed all four spark plugs and the wires for spark plugs. Also, I clean the fuel injector.
    The problem is still there.
    I checked the voltage of the battery in the morning before I started my engine, and it shows 12.7. However, I still have the problem to start the engine.
    It engine will start, but I have to turn my key 3~6 times.
    What is the problem with my car?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    I would suspect corrosion in the battery cables, corrosion at the connector to the battery cable, or a bad starter. If your cable is bad or has corrosion, that will be a resistance. Resistance, when current goes thru that resistance, drops voltage. So you may have 12.7 at the battery, but drop a couple volts across the cable, and only deliver to the starter 10 or 11 volts.

    Hang your voltmeter on the main battery connectors to the starter, at the starter. See what voltage you actually get at the starter, when you are trying to start it.
  • ken_gken_g Member Posts: 2
  • aub789aub789 Member Posts: 19
    About 6 weeks ago, check engine light lit up on my '01 Camry that has 156,000 miles. Took to dealer, told I need a new cat converter as well as a new battery. Took car to Auto Zone (where battery was under warranty) and replaced. Magically, the check engine light never came back on. Has anyone had similar experience? Did the computer fail to re-set? Is my cat converter bad or not? BTW, I've noticed my MPG has dropped 10-15% the last few tanks, but no discernible rough engine problems. Is there any likely relationship? Thanks for any insights.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I would say keep your fingers crossed, looks like everything's okay now. The lower gas mileage could simply be due to colder weather or more city driving. Do you have emissions inspections where you live? If the cat is actually bad, then the car will likely not pass emissions.
  • aub789aub789 Member Posts: 19
    Thanks for the advice. I won't need to pass inspection until July. Unless the light comes back on, I'll save my $1800 for now.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Sounds like a plan. The check engine light on my '98 Frontier comes on very intermittently, and has been doing so since 2006. But it always eventually goes off. We don't have emissions tests where I live, so I haven't bothered checking it out beyond reading the diagnostic code.
  • jsparrowjsparrow Member Posts: 6
    I assume the dash lamp warning light is on, not the "check engine light". Could be your "rear window" brake lamp, but, the "module" will react to corrosion in a lamp socket, or a difference in resistance between sides. Sometimes a new lamp on one side and an old one on the other with fool the sensor, or a lamp that is about to fail will develop a high enough resistance to trigger the fail warning. Has the car been in an accident, if so check that side for leaks which corrode a socket.
  • jsparrowjsparrow Member Posts: 6
    Older cars often develop corroded ground connections. The only way to check is either measure the resistance, (less than .1 ohms) voltage drop under load, or clean them on general principles. Corroded connections sometimes heat under load and change behavior. There are grounds from engine block to body, and battery to body and to block which need to be checked as well as the terminal ends themselves. Toyota uses good quality replaceable bolted terminals, if they have been replaced with 99 cent clamp ons, change both plus (+) and minus (-).
  • jsparrowjsparrow Member Posts: 6
    My experience is that the fans should run when the AC button is engaged, at a low speed, not just when the engine is warm. They run at a higher speed when the coolant temp switch closes. This is not a fix but might be a clue.
  • jsparrowjsparrow Member Posts: 6
    The 2,2 is a "non-interference" engine, a broken belt will not bend valves. This "mechanic" sounds like he doesn't have a clue.
  • jsparrowjsparrow Member Posts: 6
    I agree, bad grounds plague older cars. Toyota uses good battery terminals which can be replaced without changing the wires. If what is on the battery is covered in white and green grud, replace them with OEM Toyota. Check battery to block, battery to body, and block to body ground connections. Many of those body connections are to bolt headed threaded screws which just grab the sheet metal. Back them out and clean them before reinstalling. Check the terminals attached to the cable ends for corrosion. If you have an ohm meter, the resistance in these connections should be less than .1 ohms. You might also want to try clamping one end of a jumper cable to the block and the other to the NEGATIVE terminal of the battery and see if cranking improves. If so, bad ground cables are indicated and should be looked it.
  • jsparrowjsparrow Member Posts: 6
    DO you have the usual hot air temp from the heater? If not, then the thermostat is bad, if so, then the sender unit for the temp guage is bad. It is easy to find the sender on a 4 cyl if that's what you have. If you look at a new OEM sender one you can find the old one. Not expensive, but I would try Rock Auto before the dealer. The thermostat requires draining the coolant to change, the sender does not (if you move quickly). (the dealer will charge you the "drain the coolant rate" to change the sender, but don't expect them to do it that way!)
  • 95camry95camry Member Posts: 1
    dome light started working only when one door (RR) was open, then a different one (RF), now none. did work on "on" position of dome light switch once, before seeming to dia completely. I think bulb is good.
    Is it the integration relay?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    In this circuit, the +12 V goes thru the fuse, and then to the dome light. So the bulb always has 12 volts on it. As I'm sure you know, the switch on the dome light determines what turns it on. If you move the switch to the ON position, then you are connecting a ground wire to the other side of the bulb, which turns the bulb on.

    If you turn the switch to the SWITCHED position, then it is controlled by the integration relay. One of the inputs to the integration relay, is a wire that comes from all of the 4 door switches.

    I'd suggest you focus first on the dome light. Get a voltmeter, and verify that you have +12v (actually it would be more like 13-14 volts), on one side of the bulb. Measure with one probe of your voltmeter on metal ground somewhere like underneath the dash, and the other probe on the end of the bulb that is connected to the fuse.

    Assuming proper voltage, then verify that when you flip to the ON position, that the bulb lights. If it doesn't, then either the bulb is bad, or the grounding wire for dome lights isn't connecting real good to metal.
  • miggy2muchmiggy2much Member Posts: 7
    just bought this car runs great replaced alot of parts ,,, now my problem is that my rpms tend to fall too low levels when braking too quickly causing it too stall,
    mechanic told me its not airflow censer
    646 721 8900
  • miggy2muchmiggy2much Member Posts: 7
    any info too help solve why my toyota turn off when I'm braking I know it has something to do with the intake area of the car because if I remove one of the vaccum lines it run's better
  • rearwheeldriverearwheeldrive Member Posts: 140
    edited February 2010
    Check your air-duct from the intake to the Air Cleaner Filter. Squeeze the duct while the car is running. This will block air flow, and the engine will try to stall. Some of these ducts develope a small crack, and will leak more air when you do this test. This will cause the engine to stall out. This is because the air is now coming through the wide open crack and by-passing the air flow sensor inside the filter.

    Braking and then engine stalling, could be less vacuum going to the engine. The brakes have a vacuum booster. Its stores engine vacuum while the engine runs to help ease the brakes pressure required to apply the brakes. I guess this could cause the engine to stall too if defective.

    A test of booster is to start the car with the brakes applied. The pedal should move if it is working right.I think you have to push the brakes about 10 times first to bleed off the old vacuum before you start the car.
  • lil_boolil_boo Member Posts: 1
    I have a '95 Camry that ran excellent and about 4 months ago I bought a truck, kept the Camry to drive for the mpg but ultimately I stopped driving it and it just sat in the driveway. Yesterday when I went to start it the battery was completely dead, so I first tried to charge it (battery charger read error) so I took it to Auto Zone to have them charge it. Come to find out the battery had a bad cell and was no good. I got a new battery and also went through and checked my fuses, which let me find out that the alternator fuse was blown. I replaced the fuse and then attempted to start the car but it would not start. While attempting to start it, the engine is turning over but while troubleshooting became aware that there is no spark between the plug wire and distributor cap. I have traced it all the way back to the igniter but don’t want to replace it if I don’t have to because I thinking and believe it has something to do with the anti-theft system. The car has been extremely reliable and over the past 5 years I have had very minor problems (if any other than normal maintenance) with it before. Also the battery was only 2 1/2 years old and work flawlessly prior to the vehicle sitting for the 4 months. So my question really is what would cause the battery to go completely dead and get bad cylinder, while also blowing the alternator fuse? Ultimately, what do you believe or suspect the problem to be? Just an FYI, when the battery wouldn't take a charge I did attempt to jump the Camry with cables, so I think (just a guess, don't know for sure at all) that could have caused the alternator fuse to blow. The make and model of the Anti-Theft System is a Omega REC-11+ and I have the two original transmitters that came with it. Let me know if there is any additional information you need to further determine or narrow down where the problem exist. Thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    You may have blown either the fusible link, or the AM2 fuse. Pull the AM2 fuse, and with a voltmeter check to see if you have 13 volts on one of the legs in the socket. If no voltage there, then your fusible link is blown. If voltage there, then with an ohmmeter check out the AM2 fuse.
  • miggy2muchmiggy2much Member Posts: 7
    had similar problem check the gapping on the sparkplugs
  • miggy2muchmiggy2much Member Posts: 7
    anyone has opinion on how to troubleshot why my 95 camary stalls out when i stop sudden . has new wires, plugs,cap ,rotor, knock censer,air filter, ,a mech told me that its the master air flow sensor. another tells me that it is not HELP ME :confuse: :confuse: 6467218900
  • miggy2muchmiggy2much Member Posts: 7
    my uncle and i notice removing 1 vacuum raised idle,maintaining car on but shivers severely
  • miggy2muchmiggy2much Member Posts: 7
    could be a relay,,,,,,,,,,or module ...
    relays run in or about 35$ $45.
    module about 120$
  • hardyrxphardyrxp Member Posts: 20
  • hardyrxphardyrxp Member Posts: 20
    Hello to all I have a 87 Camry 2.0 manual and have the following problem. Only when the car is extremely hot (been driving it a while) and then you turn off engine then try to start it again after 2 minutes or so the car will start right up but the rpm's will drop way low to 400 sometimes lower and sound like it will cut off. The problem so far is easily fixed by giving it a lot of gas then driving the car or turning the car off and starting it again. The wired thing is it only does it intermittently not all the time and only when the car is hot and has been driven a lot.
    Things I have done to try to fix this. Taken off the EGR and try to clean it. It was so dirty I replaced with new EGR. After replacing the EGR it has only done the same problem 2 times again but not as bad as before replacement of EGR. However it still did it 2 times after replacing EGR which indicates to me there is another problem at hand here. The car also has a new radiator, starter, battery, alternator, thermostat, air filter, belts all, and a new radiator cap. Please advise and help me as to if someone out there on the forums knows what this problem is or has experienced a similar problem and what can be done to fix this problem. Thanks very much for you help.
    Dave
  • skyking49skyking49 Member Posts: 112
    Greetings. My mother, who is 84 yrs old is taking her car to have the breaks fixed. I think she has had the rotors turned once. I do not want her to be taken advantage of so I would appreciate it if someone could give me an estimate on the cost to Turn Rotors....in case they can still do it and the cost to replace the. I am talking Garage prices because I am not in area to do the work. Should I tell her to get the old parts if she has the work done? Thanks in advance.
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