Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
1-Is anybody using motocraft 5W20 synt. blend oil in Toyota engines (yes, I know it is Ford brand)? Our owner's manual says 5w20 oil . Is there any known reason that I should not be using this particular oil ?
2- Which floor jacking location and "jack stand location" work best ?
3-What type of oil filter wrench seems to work better in recessed location ?
Thanks for your inputs in advance.
Ken
1. Can't speak to the oil, I bought Valvoline dino since I'll change the oil every 3-4k miles or so to meet warranty.
2. A ramp works best, just drive the right front wheel up on a ramp, or both fronts if you have 2 ramps.
3. Buy yourself a oil filter cupwrench, 65mm 14 flutes, it's about 4 bucks at a autozone or pepboys. It fits right over the end of the filter, you put a standard 3/8" extension in the end, and twist the filter right off. These things come in all sizes to fit all the different filters, but that is the right size for the Toyota filter (4 cyl engine).
4. The oil plug is 14mm.
This is maybe a 15 min job, drive the car up, swap the filter, drain the oil, refill (4.5 qts).
Is the difference so minor as to be insignificant? Will there be a difference in mpg? Can the slightly heavier oil actually be better for the engine in the hot southwest climate?
Here in NC, the winters are mild and my vehicles are all garaged where even in my detached garage without the heat turned on it is no less than 50 degrees inside the garage in the winter, so I actually use 10w30 in one of my cars over the 5w30 that is called for. That's because another vehicle I have runs 10w30 so thats just one less type of oil I store.
The worst problem you'd have is harder starting (slower turning over) if it was cold.
Check the owner's manual for those multiple statements depending on temperature.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Now the rear dillema. My tire guy will do a pad job on the rear brakes for about $100. I've been with guy for years and wouldn't have even questioned it except I was at the dealer with my wife's new RAV and asked the service tech how long my brakes might actually go. Anyway after chatting he said they get $250 to do the rear brakes but that includes changing cylinders...EVEN IF NOT LEAKING. He says they likely will leak if he does not change them. I thought this odd so I called another dealer. They said they did not change the cylinder if not leaking and have not seen that many that do leak over the years. Of course there brake job was about $219 w/out the cylinder swap out....very high.
Finally, I believe the cylinders, if leaking are covered under my 7/75 platinum warranty! The original Toyota dude said to check and make sure but even if covered I would still pay to have them replaced today as he could not replace them under warranty they were NOT leaking....but he still thinks its wise to replace them. I asked WHY? He said if they leak and drip on the pads I'd have to pay for the pad job again even though the cylinders would be covered.
This all sounds crazy but I want to be safe...if this even is a saftey issue. At the same time I spent more for the Toyota up front to get away from these expensive repairs...espicially when the part is not even broke!
WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Is your mechanic telling you that they need replacing because they are worn down? or are you telling them you want the rears replaced, for some reason?
Regarding replacing the cylinders....what happens with cylinders is that as the pad wears, the cylinder continually moves further and further out. If you don't change fluid periodically, you can get moisture and some crude that gets 'behind' the cylinder. This is not a problem as the cylinder continues to move outward, but when you do a brake pad replacement with now thicker pads...the cylinder has to be pressed back in. If there was crude in the bore, the cylinder now sticks a little. It presses outward when the brake is applied, but fails to float back when you take your foot off the brake. The result is that the pads then wear faster (and you tend to see a lot of black brake dust on the wheels). So to reduce labor and callbacks, it is very easy to replace the cylinders as a precaution while you have everything apart....they're cheap enough. This tends to happen more with front calipers, which go thru pads faster and have more heat to dissipate.
If it was my car, unless the back pads were worn down...I'd leave everything alone, and just flush the brake fluid.
If I get the pads replaced and the cylinders start to leak, say in a week or moth...does it ruin the pads?
"If" a cylinder leaked brake fluid on the pads, you'd want to replace them.
You're over thinking this. These parts are all relatively inexpensive, if they ever fail, then replace them.
If this were me, "if" (and only if) the pads were worn down would I replace them. I would not replace the rear cylinders, unless I could feel that they were binding when pressing the cylinder back into the caliper. (If these were the fronts which run hotter, I'd be looking for potential binding by the 3rd set of front pads). Bleed the brakes with fresh fluid, and you are good to go. I'd really doubt whether you needed to replace the rear pads at 50K miles though, given that you just replaced the fronts. 50K on the fronts tells me you are a not a hot-rodder or do fast hard stops....so I would think you have a long way to go on your rear pads.
The number of crossovers here in Pittsburgh is phenomenal. It seems like there is a transformation from domestic to Asian manufacturers.
Since then I've been reading the original manual and I still have some questions. First, should I get transmission and differential oil changed at 30k? And when is usual interval for brake pad change? Is there anything else that shold be replaced regularly in terms of brake(brake line maybe??)?
Many thanks in advance.
Next time you have the oil changed, remember Ronald Reagan's words, "Trust, but verify." That is, check under the hood before you drive off for a tight cap and a full reading on the dipstick. It wouldn't hurt to check underneath the car where it was parked for any oil drips on the ground.
Your inputs are appreciated.
Here's the thing though, if you've never done this before, it can be a little tricky (and frustrating) to get the two halves of the housing back together again. And unless you live in a dusty area or drive on unpaved roads, you really don't need to change the filter until 30K miles (which I suppose is possible now that the car's been out over a year).
If the 2007 is similar enough to the 2004-05 like mine, then the cylindrical part is the air intake to the engine (I just looked). You don't have to disconnect this. It lifts up with the top half of the air filter housing, once the bolts are removed.
When car was brand new the the engine oil level on the dip stick was about 1/2 inch above the max. mark .
The dilemma is what do I do ? I prefer to follow the the oil specification rather than relying on a cheap dipstick which may very well be manufactured out of tolerance or uncalibrated . Depending on the responses from this forum members , I might even scribe new markings on the dipstick reflecting true level .
I thought about any oil might have remained in the engine during oil change . But engine was down for several hours before oil change and I drained it well without hurry , plus I jacked it thru the frame underneath the passenger side which tilted the car towards the oil drain plug direction for better drainage.
I would like to hear from the forum contributors on this subject .Do you experience the similar discrepancy and how are you dealing with it ?
Thank you very much for your inputs .
I put in 4.5 qts last change (I just went and verified the remaining amount in the quart), and it was right at the top dipstick line representing full. I had also changed the filter, so it is right on.
But then, I have access to a lift at work, so the car is level as the oil is drained.
Your suggestions are always welcome.
What worries me is now, not only I think sounds comes when I hit the accelerator, somehow, some sounds seems to come from my door as well(I think it is upper part of my window).
I have no idea how these sounds are generated and they don't seem to be metalic sounds. What should I do and is this something I can get checked out by dealership under warranty? My car is still under warranty.
Many thanks in advance.
Regards
J
I just sent you an email with a picture of tensioner. You have an email account w/carspace, just go up to the top where it says "Mailbox".
Appears easy from the manual....to remove the rear side seatback....appears to be one bolt for each side seatback.
I get this light eveytime I need an oil change.
The last time I didn't take it to the dealer but to a local mechanic.
The dealer had said he turns it off after the oil change.
My mechanic didn't know how to do it.
Thanks.
Heble
Thanks for the info. I looked and there appears to be a bolt at the bottom of the cushion that is accessed from the inside. It's pretty well hidden between the seat and seatback cushion.
I think what I'd suggest is to call an auto parts store (Pep Boys, AutoZone, etc) and find out how much the part itself cost. I'd intuitively think the part would be in the 50 dollar ballpark, but that's only a guess on my part. You could also call the Toyota parts desk and find out the cost there as well.
I'm fairly handy so wouldn't think twice about tackling this myself. If you do it yourself, I'd replace the belt while I was at it.
I love the ease of maintenance on Toyotas - yet another example of their superior designs compared to the other makes.
I also used my newly-built ramps, making the job really easy.
Any questions, let me know.
I just made a service appointment at the selling dealer for an oil and filter change to be done on June 25th at 8:00 am! At the present time my Camry has 8,200 miles, and at the time of the oil & filter service it will have between 9,200 and 10,000 miles, depending on my driving habits! The vehicle will be 6 months old at that point in time, and it will have had four,(4), oil & filter changes. YES, I believe in having clean oil in my engine at all times, because I depend on my vehicle every day to earn my living.
The vehicle is running VERY STRONG, and I DO NOT HAVE any of the problems listed on this site, but I do believe that these problems do exist, and I do believe that the transmission issue, (Flare / Slippage), is related to the operation of the torque converter and the software that controls that unit. If the "slippage" was in the transmission itself, the clutches and / or bands that hold the units would be burned very quickly. (The vehicle would not move forward!) This issue is related to the "drive-by-wire / torque converter operation / software interface process" at various road speed and traffic conditions. My driving does not allow me to use "cruise control," so I drive my vehicle by using the accelerator. This in itself could eliminate the symptoms of the "flare"! I also use the "manual shift feature" of the unit in city traffic for better control and "engine braking"! This also could eliminate the symptoms. (I am making the shift decisions not the computer!)
ON THE SUBJECT OF OIL AND FILTER CHANGES:
Motor oil does more than just lubricate an engine. It also forms a film on bearing surfaces that separates moving parts so that they do not touch each other, and this reduces friction and wear. (Less friction = better fuel mileage). The oil film also acts like a shock absorber to cushion reciprocating and rotating parts. Oil also serves as a coolant for critical engine parts such as the crankshaft bearings, and the valve-train components. Oil also helps to prevent rust and corrosion inside the engine, and helps keep surfaces clean by dissolving and carrying away dirt and varnish deposits.
Dirty oil simple wears out an engine very quickly! Oil is often referred to as the "lifeblood" of an automobile engine. If oil is the engine's lifeblood, than the oil filter is the "liver of the engine." Like the "liver" in the human body, the oil filter takes in dirty oil and removes the particulates and crud. Changing the oil and filter on a regular basis gives the engine a fresh transfusion for a longer / efficient life!
Choosing a "quality oil and filter" is just as important as frequent oil and filter changes. Fact, ---- all oil filters are NOT created equal. A poor quality aftermarket oil filter may temporarily save you a dollar or two, but down the road, it can cost you thousands of dollars in engine damage if the unit fails. If the aftermarket unit fails, you can kiss your warranty good-by!!!!!!!!!!! A poorly constructed internal by-pass valve inside a cheap aftermarket filter can open unnecessarily, and cause the oil to simply go around the filter. You now have no filter in the lubricating system, and you have dirty oil circulating in the system! This is engine failure looking for a place to happen!
I always use a high grade / name brand motor oil and filter. I make it a point to return to the dealer to have this service performed. Now all of my service records are in one place for future reference. Should an oil filter fail and destroy the engine, it is their filter and their tech that performed the service. My warranty and extended warranty are "ok"! It now becomes the dealer's problem together with the manufacturer, (in this case Toyota), to make things right! Should I have an issue "on-the-road," the servicing dealer at that location can get my service records from the selling dealer. Life becomes stupid / simple! ------ Best regards. -------- Dwayne :shades:
I face the same situation, my car is a 03 camry(4 cylinder) with 30K. Is it time to change the coolant? I read some messages which said the pink coolant in Toyota last more than 4yr and 30K, is that true? If I change the coolant at Walmart is it okay to mix the normal coolant with the pink coolant? About the transamission fluid, do we have to change under normal driving condition? I look at the manual it says change it only under special operation conditions, does that mean we will never have to change it? Does change coolant equals to flush the radiator? I don't mind to spend some money to get piece of mind, but I am also don't want to spend the money that is not necessary.
Thank You Very Much
After reading your message I also want to change the coolant by myself. I have a 03 camry(4 cylinder), I try to locate the drain plug. Is it on the inner bottom side of the radiator with a white plastic tip? It seems I can turn it just by fingers. I think I don't need to remove the cover underneath the engine because there is a small cutout allow the coolant to drain. I just want to make sure I won't unplug the wrong valve. Is there anywhere can find a picture of the drain plug so I can compare with the one I saw. Is it the only place to purchase the pink coolant from a toyota dealer?
Thank you very much for your help
You access thru the 'mailbox' button, upper right corner of screen.