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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions
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good luck!
Questions:
1. Oreilly auto parts tells me that if I change it to r134a, I must also replaced the drier. Is this correct/
2. According to the kit I must also recover the refrigerant oil before recharging the system with r134a.? is this correct?
3. Where is the refrigerant oil store? drier? and if the AC doesn't work is that means that there is not oil.
any help will be greatly appreciated.
thanks
Alex
I started it up last night after work and the engine struggled but did turnover and start. There was a strong smell of either unburned fuel or exhaust. Is this teltale of anything?
I plan to drive (or have it towed) to a service station for a diagnosis.
Thanks again, John
Any follow-up on your previous problems?
1. Oreilly auto parts tells me that if I change it to r134a, I must also replaced the drier. Is this correct/
2. According to the kit I must also recover the refrigerant oil before recharging the system with r134a.? is this correct?
3. Where is the refrigerant oil store? drier? and if the AC doesn't work is that means that there is not oil."
1. Yep.
2. Yep - and R-134a takes a special synthetic poly-alkylene glycol ("PAG") oil only. The stuff readily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere so it has to be carefully handled. Any significant moisture in the system will quickly negate whatever money you save doing the job yourself.
3. The oil mixes with and flows with the refrigerant in operation. Usually if A/C doesn't cool down properly it's because the system's low on refrigerant or contains moisture.
R-134a refrigerant is not as effective a heat conductor as R-12 ("Freon"), so for a car as old as yours, you may not be happy with its cooling efficiency if you live in an area subject to blistering heat. (Cars designed with R-134a in mind have larger condenser and evaporator heat exchangers to cope with R-134a's lower heat conduction efficiency.) There's an alternative refrigerant, HC-12a, which is environmentally friendly, conducts heat even better than old R-12, needs no equipment updating and is compatible with regular R-12 type oils.
Finally, Alex, it sounds like your 14-year old car has a slow refrigerant leak that MUST be properly traced and fixed before you do anything else or you will never obtain the cooling effectiveness over the long term you're after. A/C may be a money pit on that car.
From what I've read, do NOT use FRAM filters!
I've read the same thing over at a motor oil forum. The "terrible" consequences of using FRAM oil filters seem to be criticisms of their construction details unrelated to actual, verified engine damage directly attributable to the use of FRAM oil filters. Indeed, I've not come across any product liability lawsuits filed by contingency sharks about damage to engines, either - and if there was a buck to be made . . . The worst I can personally say about FRAM oil filters is they're overpriced by about a buck. Ironically, FRAM is one of two sources Honda uses for Honda labled oil filters. (If a Honda oil filter says "Made in Canada", it's from a Canadian FRAM factory.) I bought one of these FRAM Honda filters for my '96 Accord from the dealer, but never got around to using it. After I bought my current car ('03 Hyundai Sonata V-6 - Hyundai conveniently uses an oil filter that's compatible with filters for Hondas.) I used the FRAM-made Honda filter on it. Nothing happened - no funny noises at start-up or flickering oil pressure light as the FRAM bashers insist happens frequently. When I changed the oil and filter the next time, out came my trusty hacksaw and I opened the FRAM-made Honda filter up. The dreaded separation of filter media from the dreaded cardboard endcaps had not taken place as promised by the hysterics on the oil forum, nor were there any rips in the pleated paper as also promised. Would I intentionally buy a FRAM oil filter again? No - as I said, they're overpriced compared to Purolator and Champion-made filters.
But, don't you wonder why they listed the purolator equivalent of 14476 (namely the fram's 4967) as okay to use on the newer models????
thanks again for your reply.
Thanks for your help.
Another store loves to say their product is the same item as a brand name transmission filter. I'll buy the Purolator and put it in MY car, thank you. How do you know there is not a quality shortcut taken to reduce the manufacturing cost?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
But since I have steel wheels, and most XLEs don't, I didn't trust the dealer to swap the tires off the rims when I bought the car, so I'm hoping for the best. They do handle fine, however.
BTW, the '04 Camry LE I gave my son had the Goodyears, and I didn't have any problems with them. But before he drove off for CA, I replaced them with virtually new Hankook Optimo tires I got for a good price at work (treadwear about 380, traction A, temperature A).
Yet again my 1995 Camry 2.2 LE has a problem. We recently (about 2 months ago) put a new radiator in it. Now with 171k it is leak power steering fluid to the point where it goes through a reservoir a day. What could this be and is it gonna be expensive. There is a leak that I saw one day while changing my breaks on the driver side. It was a drip but must have gotten worse. What is it???? THANKS IN ADVANCE and Happy Motoring!!!!!
:sick:
The oil guy website IIRC determined the Fram was smaller in area for the filtration. So it filled up with fine particles more quickly.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I agree absolutely with you. (if my conversion math is right, 3,000 Km is 1,800 miles - a very short oil change interval) If the timing belt let go, and IF the Camry's I-4 engine is an "interference" design (one in which open valves will contact the piston towards the top of its travel) the top end would've been torn up, not the main bearings in the bottom end. Main bearings seize for one reason and one reason only: insufficient oil pressure. As you might expect, the repair will be expensive. The real question is why would there be insufficient oil pressure to the mains in a well maintained engine? It turns out that early through mid-nineties Toyota V-6 and I-4 Camry engines had insufficient oil return from the head(s) and tended to pool oil "upstairs". Coincidentlally these engines tended to sludge up, further exacerbating the problem - and earned the nickname "sludge monsters". In short, it wasn't your fault! It was an engineering/production oversight. (Yep, it can even happen with Japanese engineering, though it's a rarity.) Toyota eventually provided a fix for new production in the form of larger oil return gallies back to the sump, and would fix customer cars out of warranty on a case-by-case basis. In the U.S. at least. But, I don't have any information about "secret warranties" over this issue for Canadian owners. Nevertheless, I strongly urge you to contact a Toyota dealership to discuss the matter. If you kept receipts for materials and maintenance at the proper or more frequent intervals, you could well have a basis for a rebuilt short block and installation labor charges on Toyota. Even lacking the documentation, you should still pursue the matter. Best of luck. Google "bobistheoilguy" and do a search on "Toyota sludge monsters". (Prepare yourself to read a LOT of posts.)
*Engine sludge (or the more correct engineering term, "oil gelling") is a witch's brew of partially oxidized fuel and motor oil insolubles held together by a sticky mass of varnish and acids that form from overused oil and moisture condensation - literally a cruddy, gritty, grease-like consistency, but it's absolutely no good as a lubricant. Hot running engines and/or engines with inadequate oil return gallery diameter are especially subject to this problem. Toyota's engineers miscalculated on the oil return issue. Consequently, oil tends to pool in the cylinder head(s) where it merrily "cooks" from the high heat there. (the cylinder heads are where the fire is made) When the issue was identified, Toyota made a running production change that allowed for enhanced oil return from the head(s) back to the oil pan. Late 90s and later engines have been typically Toyota reliable.
Just curious, how often did you change the oil? With a low-mileage car, the temptation among a lot of people is to ignore the time requirements (change every 6 months) and go by mileage. I'm not saying you did this, but I am just asking.
For oil gelling (sludge), there is now an 8-year unlimited mileage warranty, as long as you can show reasonable evidence the oil was changed in a timely fashion. Your car could be beyond the 8-year limit, however, depending on when you bought it.
I asked the Service Manager to put the dealerships finding in writing and this is what I received today:
"We diagnosed your car and determined that a rod was thrown through the block of the engine. The connecting rode on #3 cylinder came apart and seized the engine. Possible cause would be lack of lubrication to the engine. The vehicle will need a new short block in order to be put back in running condition."
My question this is what could have caused the lack of lubrication to the engine? When the engine exploded, there was oil on my driveway.
cost for the complete tune up.
With your low miles, do you do a lot of short trips in stop-and-go traffic? If you're in the DC area, you probably must have had to deal with traffic congestion. This kind of driving would be more conducive to sludge buildup, I would think.
Has the engine been disassembled sufficiently that the dealer could determine if sludge was present?
2000 toyota solara v6
Its good to know that I am not in this boat alone. About how much was the hose fix? Thanks bunches... happy motoring
Toyoman1
Thanks in advance for your help.
J