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Toyota Camry Basic Maintenance Questions

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Comments

  • jammikejammike Member Posts: 38
    I am a DIY guy but have never replaced the brakes before.The OEM Pads are around $70 if you buy from Toyota Parts. Non Toyota Pads always have squeaking problems. I have had it in the past with Midas.

    I finally ended up using a better dealer and a coupon and paid $180 for Front Brakes and resurfacing the rotors and same for the Rear brake service with resurfacing of the rotors.

    Midas was asking $129 + $30 for resurfacing. Mieneke was $189 for each axle.
  • mystic8mystic8 Member Posts: 1
    hi, i notice the post about the subgear on the toyota camry.what i will like to know is, if the gears are unwound and it is installed that way, does it interfere with the timing and if it does HOW? i pull mines, 1996 4s-fe 4 cylinder and took a look at it and cant see why it should. matter of fact, i have put up quite a few without observing rule of installing the service bolt. was i lucky in getting away with this?
  • michaelscaimichaelscai Member Posts: 75
    Bridgestone Turanza
  • nugget4nugget4 Member Posts: 1
    When I purchased my 93 Camry LE, I was told that they had switched to 134a refrigerant already, because it was to be the new industry standard. I need to charge the a.c., but it has the old type fitting on it. I called the Toyota dealer and they said they switched in 94. When you have a vehicle that old, they act like they don`t want to research it for you. Am I boned?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well it's a tricky question. Most model cars switched mid-year 1993 (after August, I think) so you could have had either in 1993.

    You aren't screwed, however. You can still get the R12--it's a bit expensive, but if your AC system is in good shape, one charge should last a number of years; on the bright side, the R12 probably will cool better.

    The biggest obstacle is finding a shop that has some on hand or who will order it for you.

    Perhaps you can compare the cost of recharging with R12 vs. conversion to R134 and go from there.

    If you think it is worth it, I suppose you could sue in Small Claims court for misrepresentation of the car, but really, you probably are not damaged much beyond the $200 bucks or so to fill it with R12 (just a guess on price--any defects in your AC system, leaks, etc, would be extra).

    I'd chalk this up to dealer ignorance rather than deception, but---intentional or not, it's still misrepresentation in my non-legal-expert opinion.
  • alex24alex24 Member Posts: 54
    I have a 93 Camry, and it needed air condi. repair and recharged, I took it to a trusted independent auto air conditioning shop that I know is honest, So he was going to convert it from R-12 to R-134, but the issue came up to change it to R-134 that to do it you had to replace a certain part, I think the part is a valve but I forget what it is called, but this part on the 93 camry is located under the Dash, and he would have to tear apart the Dash to get to it, Many cars this part is located under the hood, So it was not worth it to convert the 93 Camry to R-134, due to,, to much work and to many man hours, So he repaired my air condi. and just used R-12 to recharge it, and the cost was about the same price, even though R-12 cost more, As it would have cost to tear the dash apart and change that part that was needed to convert it to R-134. Most auto shops have or can get R-12 ,if needed, It is availiable do not be fooled you can not get R-12. And R-12 cools alot better than R-134, As I been told many times, So now my camry air is working fine with ice cold air blowing out, And i was told converting R-12 systems to R-134 can create other problems, and than the cooling system does not cool as good as before. I suggest you go to a independent auto air conditioning specialist. not a Auto dealership for the job.
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    edited August 2010
    Can someone tell me the specific diameter size (mm) of the 3.3 V6 Camry engine oil filter?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    It may be quicker, to take a ruler to your local auto parts chain, and get the exact measurements you are looking for (to the degree of precision that you are looking for).
  • 00820082 Member Posts: 16
    It's hard to find 0W20 in Canada. So what's the next best oil for a 2010 Camry? 5W20 or 0W30?

    thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    edited October 2010
    Did you look in your owners manual? My 2007 lists both, but the engine may be different depending on your model/engine.

    Open that glove compartment, and turn to about the middle of the owners manual.
  • 00820082 Member Posts: 16
  • hank65hank65 Member Posts: 1
    have a 2004 camry. didnt come with owners manual. how do you reset the maintenance required light after changing the oil?
  • raydahsraydahs Member Posts: 449
    Resetting Maintenance Req'd light

    Turn the key to the 'on' position.

    Press the trip button meter until it displays the “Trip A" odometer.

    Turn they key to the off position.

    Then while holding the trip meter down, turn the key to the 'on' position. 4 blinking dashes will display and they will count down.

    When the last dash disappears 000000 is displayed to indicate the maintenance counter has been reset.
  • hw99hw99 Member Posts: 7
    Hi Guys, my 05 Camry is 60K. Everything seems good so far. Do you have any advice on if I need to take a brake inspection or what kind of signs for the timing of such a service I need to pay attention to. Thank you very much in advance!
  • pop42pop42 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2010 Camry with a 2.5 L engine. What size oil filter wrench do I need to change the oil filter myself?
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Just follow the recommendations in your maintenance manual (that was included in your owner's manual packet). 60K miles / 5 years is when several items should be checked or replaced. Brake pad/rotor life is highly dependent on how you drive your car.
  • 2000camryv62000camryv6 Member Posts: 2
  • 2000camryv62000camryv6 Member Posts: 2
    I've a 2000 Toyota Camry V6 engine at 70K mileage now. I missed/didn't do the 60K service (bought the car at 62K and thought i can do the serivce latter, now it became 70K and engine check light is ON in dashboard). Looks like i shoud do it now.
    Normally how much will it cost for 60K service for Toyota Camry V6 engine.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    edited November 2010
    There is no "normal" price. It depends on where you take the car (dealer vs. chain store vs. independent shop), and it varies depending on how each shop defines the "60K" maintenance. I'd look at the maintenance manual and see what Toyota recommends, then list each of these items and ask how much a given shop will charge for them. Items on the list will include replacing the oil and filter, coolant, air filter, spark plugs, rotating the tires, and checking the suspension, steering, and brakes. Maybe you (or they, if they're honest) can figure out what was already done before you bought the car. If the tires are evenly worn, you can skip rotation, although the tires/wheels have to come off anyway for the brakes to be checked.

    The check engine light may not be related to any of the items listed in the 60K maintenance interval -- so without a diagnosis, it's not possible to estimate what the charge for a remedy might be. You can get an auto parts store like Auto Zone, Advance, or NAPA to read the code for the check engine light (for free), then look it up on the internet to see what the code might mean.
  • jjoseph2jjoseph2 Member Posts: 18
    Can any one tell me how to replace the serpentain belt on a 2004 Totota camry
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    edited November 2010
    Without looking it up in the manual, the typical setup is there is a spring loaded belt tensioner, In order to unload the tension on the tensioner, you put a tool into it. I've had vehicles that you use a large pry bar screwdriver, a 3/8" or 1/2" shank socket pry bar, and I've had vehicles with a socket head (like a 5/8 or 3/4".

    You connect the applicable tool to the tensioner, and with the power leverage put pressure in the direction which will unload the tension. The belt will begin to get loose, and with your 2nd hand take the belt off one of the pulleys so when you gently let the tensioner back is moves back easily. Don't let it snap back.

    Take the old belt off, pay attention as to the routing of the belt around the different pulleys. Typically there is a graphic under the hood on all vehicles, which shows you how the belt is supposed to route.

    It can be tight working the belt into the correct position. Depending upon how the belt is routed on any vehicle, you may have to unbolt an engine support bar. Other vehicles you also take out an access panel behind the front right wheel.

    Work the new belt into the proper position to all but one of the pulleys, put tension back on the tensioner so you can get the belt into final position, and ease up on the tool again so that the tensioner is riding on the belt correctly. You also want to make sure the belt sits on all of the pulleys correctly. You don't want it to be off a groove, or your belt won't last long.

    Depending on the vehicle manufacturer, model, make, year, and engine.....this can be a 10 minute job, or more than an hour.

    It can be common to have a bad tensioner, either the pulley on the tensioner is bad, or the spring is bad. If this is the case, then while you have the belt off, you unbolt the whole tensioner assembly off the side of the engine and replace it with a new one, then put a new belt on as described above.

    Good luck.

    Edit:
    Just found a general ehow, watch this:

    belt off

    belt on

    Actually, there are a whole series of these, dealing w/serpentine belt and pulleys.
  • masterpt1masterpt1 Member Posts: 1
    Ooopps! I just broke off the two inner hinges of my air filter housing due to the fact that I bought the wrong size (barely too large) filter. I put the old filter back in and secured the two bolts and ran the engine for a few minutes with some revving here and there and the engine sounded fine. Has anyone else broken the hinges and if so, have you had good luck with maintaining a consistent vacuum/seal just using the two bolts??
  • choochoomanchoochooman Member Posts: 38
    haven't seen anything on replacing fuel filter nor the pcv? have 05 v6 le 38k, and 04 highlander v6 48k has anyone had these done?
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I wouldn't chance it; I recommend buying a replacement upper housing (the part with the hinges).
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Neither require regular service. From what I understand, the fuel filter is inside the fuel tank.
  • dano51dano51 Member Posts: 10
    2006 Camry xle 6cyl what is service recomended at this point .I like to prevent serious things from happening.When should I consider changing timing belt. I am sorry I have 40,000 on it now have done nothing but oil and filter
    Thanks Dano
  • metalibrarianmetalibrarian Member Posts: 29
    On my 2004 Camry 4-cyl LE there is a strut on the top passenger side that keeps the engine stable. It has many names including 'dogbone' (which it looks like) and 'torque motion control arm'. It has hard rubber bushings at each end, which get brittle over the years and disintegrate, as mine have done. Replacing this 90-buck part should task about ten minutes. Anybody have any difficulties with this operation? Like lining up the bolts once you've put the new dogbone in place? I hate to pay a mechanic for such a simple operation but will if any of you have run into trouble.
  • camryguy3camryguy3 Member Posts: 1
    you didnt mention how many miles were on your car....I have a 2000 camry w/200k on it and never replaced the motor mounts...those are designed for the life of the car unless involved in an accident to which they break away from the motor to prevent occupant injury...if you have some sort of vibration...it may be a different issue. The part is inexpensive...but a pain if you don't have the equiptment to replace it
  • metalibrarianmetalibrarian Member Posts: 29
    Hi camryguy3,

    My 2004 Camry 4-cyl has just under 93k on it. The hard rubber bushing in the dogbone is definitely broken--you can see it from the side. Result: not a lot of vibration but a definite thud sometimes when the car is started. I had this issue on a 1986 Buick Century and changed this arm twice during my 14-yeqr ownership of that car. When you talk of special equipment you must be thinking of the lower engine mounts. Changing the dogbone is a very simple operation, involving a rachet wrench period (I hope). I'll do it tomorrow and tell you how it turns out. To change the lower mounts you need to raiser the engine a tad bit and I don't really want to get into that.

    I still would like to hear from folks who have done this, especially if anyone ran into complications.

    Metalibrarian
  • motorcity6motorcity6 Member Posts: 427
    I don't own the car but I do pay the bills. in fact I first saw the car when it was backed off the covered car transport from Indianapolis..It had 68k miles and was in great shape just like it's owner..Some 4 yrs later the mileage is at 83k, and I took it over to your Toy dealer to have the oil changed yesterday, special deal, and after 8 mos it probably needed it.

    First of all, this is Venice, Fla, home of the "graying of America", and that makes us prime targets for the service dept..Oil change only, okay, don't field strip the car looking for problems. Been there before and here it comes..Reseal valve cover Gasket-$155, Replace drive belt $135, and Replace leaking water pump and coolant $480..My responce, Change the oil and quit fiddling with trying to bankrupt me..

    Belt is okay, no leaking oil gasket and no water leak..all 3 cars in the garage leak nothing.. except a/c condensation..
  • int64int64 Member Posts: 19
    Hi People,
    I just bought this car(2002 CAmry, v6). It has 49,600 miles on it.
    The car has some breaking issues. when i bought the car I took it to MIDAS for inspection.According to them the rear brake rotors have some problem and needs to be replaced (may be rear brake pads too). The cost will be around $300. I have been looking at some stuff online to check it, and looks like its not a big deal to change rotors.

    I want to give it a try myself. as the Machenic will charge me too much. Is there anyway you guys can help me? I want to know what kind of tools and what size of tools I will need to change Rear Rotors, How to know If i really need to change rear rotors and brake pads? and if possible please share some vedio article about how to do it, And which brand should i use for as rotors and pads? Also, Pleas suggest some Repair shop in Dublin Ohio, If possible.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well first off I wouldn't necessarily take Midas' word for it. They are franchisees and some of them are not as trustworthy as we might like them to be.

    Rotors can be measured for wear and run-out and pads can be measured in MMeters for wear and projected mileage. If nobody showed you these things then you don't have to take their word for anything.
  • smenchersmencher Member Posts: 1
    Hey just wanted to see if you replaced the dogbone.. Was it easy or do I need to prop up the motor?
  • steve12688steve12688 Member Posts: 1
    hello i wanted to know do you have to support the motor to replace the dogbone mount on a 2004 camry 4cly. or is it easy as removing the 2 bolts and swoping out the old to the new.
  • henrylhenryl Member Posts: 15
    I have a 96 Camry and recently overheated and after I relaced the radiator and fluid I am now getting a P0300 Code I have replaced the spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor and still not working/ Any help?
  • zillahzillah Member Posts: 7
    1.) First of all, I bought this 2001 Camry used because I researched that it was an "award winning" car. I don't know who in their right mind would give this car an award other than a Raspberry. It's awful on so many levels. First one being gas mileage. My average commutes are 40-50 miles and I only get 1.5 trips out a large full tank. This car is bleeding me dry.

    2.) The check engine light came on so I did my usual bit: tried filling it up at a different station and made sure the gas cap clicked into place. A couple times it would go off but then back on and been on ever since.

    3.) Last night this POS damn near killed me in one of the craphole murder capitals of New Jersey. I was turning through an intersection and it started to buck and the front wheels wouldn't move correctly. I managed to not get hit by an oncoming SUV and chug over to the gutter. The TRAC OFF light came on. I tried the simplest thing: hitting the TRAC button. Nope. Nothing. Light still on.

    Any ideas on any of these problems?

    I cannot wait until the day when I can afford to switch back to Mazda or Hyundai.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    When did you buy this used? How many miles? Do you for sure know the real history?

    Fact is, Toyota builds a more reliable car than Mazda or Hyundai, per CR, True Delta, JD Power, etc. etc.

    Sorry about your luck, but you can't judge a whole company by one used car.
  • alex24alex24 Member Posts: 54
    I have had the tiny pickup coils in the distributer unit short out, and to hard to pin point which one or wire, and so to fix you have to replace the whole distributor unit, its easy to do, and can buy at auto zone or advance auto parts for about $150.00 with lifetime warranty,
  • alex24alex24 Member Posts: 54
    I have these toyotas and they are good, you are just having bad luck, you need to get your camry to a shop to to run test to figure out whats wrong, theres camrrys get approx 28 MPG in the 4 cyl and 24 MPG in the V-6. and was your car abused before by the previous owner ? After 30 years of owning cars I will own nothing but Toyotas or Hondas, so get it fixed and hang in there.
  • jnibasanjnibasan Member Posts: 3

    Is anyone familiar on how many air fuel ratio sensor does '99 Solara have?

    Thanks!

  • shopdog97shopdog97 Member Posts: 160

    **A co-worker has a '97 Camry 2.2 4cyl and has PO401 code for the EGR valve having a restricted flow. I verified this this morning before we left work with my code reader and it was there. This car runs like a top according to him, he got it with 47K on it and it now has a little over 93K. I heard it run and it idles and sounds great, a very clean looking motor. He can't get the car inspected here in Pa. with that light on. He said he changed the EGR and gasket, also the other part next to it, the transducer I believe and also the electrical part as well. He says he cleaned the carbon out of the throttle body as well. He loves this car. I tried to clear the code with my scanner with no results, unless it takes a few start cycles to actually clear it. Any suggestions on how to resolve this issue would be appreciated. Thanks!
    **

  • solaraman2003solaraman2003 Member Posts: 92

    WHAT A TERRIFIC VEHICLE!!! :D

    I've had my 2008 Solara SLEv6 for almost 5 years now, and have 90k very happy miles on her.

    In all this time with all this driving, the only problems I had were two headlamp bulbs - one HID bulb and one high-beam bulb. WOW. Toyota knows how to make a car!

    I suppose I deserve a little bit of the credit as well, since I am very big on preventive maintenance.

    I'd like to take a moment to share with you some of the things I did over the last 5 years that could've helped get me to this point. In no particular order...

    1.I change my oil myself every 3k miles. I only use Castrol, and Toyota filters. I let the car sit for 5-20 minutes to let most of the old oil drip out.

    2.Appx. every 15-25k miles I drain the trans fluid and refill with ONLY Toyota OEM Type-IV fluid. When you do this you can ony get out about 5 quarts, but that's better than nothing.

    3.Rotate my tires appx. every 5k miles and ensure proper torque of lug nuts. Bought new Michelins at 49k and they're still holding out.

    4.Put Techron Concentrate Plus into my tank appx 3x/4x a year. I've recently switched to BG44k, however.

    5.Inspect my air and cabin filters every few months, and change (OEM only) as necessary.

    6.Flush out my cooling system appx every 30k.

    7.One squirt of WD-40 into all lock cylinders once/year.

    8.Replaced front & rear breaks at 49k (still had life left to them).

  • shopdog97shopdog97 Member Posts: 160

    Sounds like you've got a great car there, Solaraman! Hats off to you for taking great care of this car and staying on top of things. And look at all the money you've saved by doing these things yourself. Hope you have many more great miles left in her!!

  • summersummersummersummer Member Posts: 2
    I am glad to see all these post because I thought I was the only one. I just googled about this white jug under the battery. I have a 2002 Camry  LE and just noticed this yesterday. Glad to Raf to the end of this thread because it all makes more since now. Thanks
  • summersummersummersummer Member Posts: 2
    I meant to say...Glad I read to the end of these comments because it all makes more sense now.
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