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Comments
http://www.automedia.com/Iridium_Spark_Plugs/pht20010101ds/1
The short version is that iridium plugs need less voltage to fire and last longer.
There are five small bolts that hold the plastic cover on the front top of your engine.
If you have small hands and a short 10mm socket remove it . I use a 1/4 inch drive socket set. You can bur a socket at a pawn shop for 25 cents a good rachet at Sears for $15 . Dont buy a useless socket set if your only doing small work on your own car. A Toyota can be repaired with just a couple more size sockets and a couple wrenches.
Get a 8mm and a 12mm to get your set started. These are standad size bolts for Toyota's
The Camry 2.4 lite 4 cylinder engines going back to at least 2002 have timing chains. No timing chain maintenance required.
Keep clean oil in the crankcase, top tier fuel in the gas tank, fresh antifreeze in the cooling system and keep an eye open for leaks and this engine will run for at least 200,000 miles.
gearhead4
It's not clear whether the 240 is referencing a serpentine belt replacement (which should be cheaper than the 240), or a V6 with a timing belt replacement (which would be substantially more than the 240).
That can't possibly be a $240 job to replace the timing chain. Bet bernski was referring to the accessory belt.
2007-2009 v6 engines have timing chains.
2006and older v6's have timing belts and should be replaced about every 90,000 miles or a bit less.
$240.00 is about right for a timing belt., it is Not high.
Last week i purchased a serpentine belt, for my 03 camry, directly from my toyota dealer, .cost.... $26.00 Labor 30 mins.
I hope this helps, i made it nice and simple.
Later
Caaz
Did you check the oil level?
Did this happen in a rainstorm or when driving through a deep puddle?
Have you tried turning the engine over with the starter motor out?
You may need to get a socket and cheater bar on the front crankshaft pulley to see if this engine is actually seized.
Aside from oil starvation, hydro-lock or a jammed timing chain tensioner (which you don't have) I can't think right off of any other reason for an engine to seize while running down the road.
I suppose it could have eaten a valve but even that usually wouldn't cause seizure.
I'm just not sure you have in fact an engine seizure issue here. More investigation in that area!
I
You also don't need to take the starter out, it wouldn't be engaged with the flywheel.
Seems you could do the next step and remove plugs like the last post suggest.The symptoms like starter does not spin sounds like your on the right track Again a broken belt will let it turn over easily unless its so twisted around something at the crankshaft.You should be able to turn it backwards too, easily without cheater bar if you follow the above advice
. The plastic cover on top of the engine covering the camshaft pulley you could pryed it back to see if belt is still on the cam. Remove three of the five or six 10mm cover bolts and pry it back.
Sound like its still connected. You are the grand prize winner of whats behind door number three.
Also i was told that I had an engine valve gasket that was leaking and needed to be fixed. The car now has 120k miles on it. Has anyone had this issue before.
Is anyone aware any mechanics (non-dealer) in the DC metro area that can do this at a reasonable price....
Let me know...Thanks
These engines are in abundants at junkyards, well maybe wait a few more years. I see alot of 93's and earlier models. The model year 2000s Kia's and Hyunda's are starting to show up.
This was my second experience with a locked engine in last six months and these were the first in my long career.
Well see it in the junkyard.
So if I were you, I'd bite the bullet and have the belt changed in the near future. A leaking valve cover gasket is not that big a deal, unless a lot of oil is being lost. It can wait for a while.
As for good independent mechanics, it's been too long since I lived in the DC area, so I'd suggest asking friends, relatives, and co-workers for recommendations. Also, does that magazine called "Checkbook" still exist there? It was sort of like Consumer Reports for the DC area and rated service providers like auto mechanics, home remodelers, etc.
I need to do 90k service for my camry, most of the dealers are suggesting that I should change the timing belt and water pump along with the service. The price they are quoting are in the range of 1000k - 1300k. Please advise asap
Can I do the timing belt , 90k service at mechanic or dealer which one is better. Please note i dont know any mechanic.
Also if you know any good dealer/mechanic who does this for reasoable rates , please let me know. I am located in bellevue, wa.
thanks in advance
You probably did break the belt, that part sounds right, but it's not an interference engine and with a broken timing belt the valves are not going to move when they spin the engine anyway.
Timing Belt Chart
I have a 99 toyota camry and just got the timing belt and serpentine belt replaced. I drove the car off the lot and almost immediately onto the highway and noticed a medium-high pitched whining sound that sounded almost electronic. It was not there before. When I got off the highway, it went away. I got home and stopped and then restarted the car again, and a pretty intense whining noise could be heard as I started the car. Again, it was not there before. I didn't drive it anymore, so I'm not sure if the noise will be there if not on the highway, but I should know tomorrow. Also, it seem as if it's taking a little longer for the car to start up, although that could be my imagination. I would really appreciate it if someone could help me out with this one. Thanks in advance for any insight anyone is able to offer.
Thanks so much for writing back. Sorry I took a shortcut and wrote you through your e-mail, ( this question was my first post on any chat site, so I don't know if that was the proper etiquette, but to be honest with you, I was so upset and frusterated, I didn't know what else to do ). I took the car back to the mechanic today and he turned it on, and said he did not hear much of a whining. I agreed with him that it was not as loud and distinct as when I just start it up after not driving it for a while ( I drove it for 35 minutes to get to his place), but it is still there. Another problem is that his shop is on a busy street, and it deffinately is harder to hear. Anyway, he told me to leave it and he will check it tomorrow am. He also said he thinks the problem is the serpentine belt he also put in and "Deffinatly NOT the timing belt." I asked why , he said that there is absolutely nothing that can be wrong with the timing belt. I asked him if it could be on too tight ( I had learned that yesterday by reading the site and was quite pleased with my question) and he said that was impossible because there are " numbers" that tell you how tight to make it. It really doesn't sound right to me, after reading some other member's writings. Another thing I asked him, and something I think is pretty crucial, is why the car is taking longer to start-it is turning over much longer than before the belt was put in. His only response was that he didn't know and he'll talk to me tomorrow. I'm hoping to get some good news tomorrow, and hope that the mechanic, who I think is a pretty honest guy ( although I haven't ben going to him for very long) will be upfront with me. I'll write an update tomorrow and hopefully it will be good news. Anyway, thanks again for your ideas- I will have to google "belt interference" and "noisy idler pulley" to find out what that is so I at least would be able to ask him about it if he tells me again nothing is wrong. Have a great night and a good weekend, Irina.
PS Sorry again if this is considered too long of a post, like I said, I'm really just learning the ropes of this "chat stuff" and am just a long whinded talker in real life.
HOWEVER I can not help but notice that several posts claim timing chains never wear out. Have they managed to create metal that does not wear? I know that the time interval is removed with metal but what about actual use?
Many years ago I was in the business of auto repair. In those days we used to figure that every GM vehicle would blow a timing chain between 90,000 and 120,000 miles without fail.
There were experiments with timing gears made of nylon or some plastic (which creates a time interval for replacement) or harder metals that some claimed caused noise.
Any which way you looked at it, something always wore out and required replacement.
The timing belt was an interesting innovation in that it introduced a predictability factor and replacement was factored into the service schedule instead of requiring the opinion of experience to advise on avoiding the use of a vehicle without warning.
Those old engines used to overrun the gears on shut down. It was very common for a worn chain and or gears to suddenly allow the chain to slip instead of it breaking. A person might go to the grocery store and return to a vehicle that either would not start or one that was firing just as the valves were opening.