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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions
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Now for my '05 camry, like you said, it uses that T4 toyota fluid at $4 a bottle I think. He said it's part synthetic and is better than DEX III. My question, can I use valvoline synthetic??? or another besides mobil trans???? Like others have said, go to the dealer and get their stuff and just do it. I like to go to advanced auto or autozone and buy their stuff and avoid the dealer if possible. My '04 Honda accord trans fluid costs $5 a quart and they say drain it, refill (3 qts), drive it a few miles, and repeat 2-3X more. That's $60 bucks of fluid to mix/replace the old stuff. Lots of good fluid getting tossed down the drain. thanks
Short answer? Don't do it while your car's under warranty. Long answer: there's more to ATF than the base oil blend. In addition to their blend of conventional and synthetic base stocks, the proprietary fluids that are specified in most owners' manuals now have specific "friction modifier" chemistry which affects the progressive take-up characteristics of each manufacturer's proprietary friction facings against the metal friction plates during gear changes and torque converter lockup. (Gone are the days when everyone used asbestos friction facings.) Dexron IIIH and previous iterations are fine for GM and a lot of past trannies, but, to use it in cars calling for a specific ATF, at best you'd have some serious degradation of shift and torque converter lockup feel within several months. At worst, you could be looking at a premature rebuild. Since most proprietary ATFs have neither been licensed for duplication by competitive blenders to be sold through the normal retail channels, nor has the chemistry been disseminated publically, we're stuck. Fair? Perhaps not. Legal? Yep, deal with it. So-called "universal" or "all-makes" fluids that claim compatibility with OEM fluids are only their blenders' best guess. They're not licensed as acceptable substitutes. Don't feel too bad - I only wish I could get away with $4.00/qt for my '03 Sonata's automatic transmission. The Mitsubishi spec. SP-III ATF that Hyundai requires in all their transmissions made from model year 1996 runs $7.58/qt from my dealer's parts department.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Toyota only specifies proprietary fluids for the tranny and radiator. You can still use generic oil, power steering, and brake fluids (meeting the proper specs of course), unlike Honda. And I think you can use a nonproprietary antifreeze, as long as it meets the Toyota specs exactly.
The old saying applies, "penny wise and pound foolish."
Nothing to worry about. I don't hear it on my '05 Camry, but it was definitely noticeable on my '90 Mercury Sable.
*Warren Performance Products blends a number of "house brand" motor oils including Sears Spectrum Motor Oil. The company also markets its own "MAG1" brand of motor oils nationwide. Confusingly WPP shares the name "Warren" with another, completely unrelated company: Warren Coastal-Unilube. WCU blends Advance Auto's and Auto Zone's house brand motor oils.
**The Japanese "Big Three" (HNT) automakers are unanimous in their insistence of OAT corrosion inhibitor, a generaous dose of phosphates, and NO silicates in their respective antifreeze/coolant formulae. Phosphates in the right concentration bring to the table three disirable qualities:
1) immediate corrosion protection on aluminum parts since it may take several thousand miles before the OAT chemistry is adequately established,
2) immediate "healing" of the corrosion resistant layer in the event the random "Mad-Max" particulate scuffs off a bit of the OAT layer, and
3) better longterm protection against cavitation damage to the waterpump impeller.
Lest anyone come away with the impression I'm condemning the use Dexcool and its unlicensed clones in Japanese engines calling for phosphate-charged OAT antifreeze/coolants, NO WAY. Personally I used GM-licensed Texaco Dexcool in my '96 Honda Accord aluminum I4 for four years with NO problems whatsoever. GM installs Honda V6 engines in the Saturn View, and uses Dexcool as the factory-fill antifreeze/coolant despite Honda's objections. I haven't heard of ANY coolant-related failures in this application. I've had the SuperTech "dexcool clone" in my Sonata aluminum V6 for over a year, likewise, with NO problems. As always, but rarely practiced, keep close tabs on the coolant level year 'round at the radiator cap, not merely the overflow bottle.
I was always curious why Toyota, for one, permitted phosphates in their coolants, but VW on the other hand was so adamantly against them. Your explanation makes a lot of sense.
So on my Camrys (2004 and 05), it says you can go 5 years or 105K miles before changing the coolant. You said you'd change in 3 or 4 years. What about mileage, if you accumulate a lot of miles per year?
I do this on my Nissan Frontier, but not on my Camrys. The reason is that the "normal" level in the see-through reserve tank is so low on the Frontier AND no coolant spills out when I open the radiator cap. But I've always wondered, does opening it frequently allow "contamination" by outside air?
Chemically it's an exact clone of Merceded-Benz, BMW, Volvo, VW, Peugeot, Ford, and Chrysler current antifreeze/coolants, though various marker dyes are used for brand identification. Zerex G-05 is dyed yellow. Ford's is a more intense yellow, and Chrysler's is orange. Dunno what color(s) the various European automakers' juices are, but I recently read that BMW's is dyed blue - can't verify that personally, though. The reduce level silicates do essentially the same task as the phosphates in the Japanese coolants. So, why are the European automakers adamantly opposed to phosphates? European tap water is very high in dissolved mineral content. Ideally everyone would use distilled or de-ionized water to dilute their antifreeze concentrate, but human nature being what it is, the European automakers aren't willing to take the risk that some moron would be hosing phosphate-laden tap water into a system that's also hosting phosphate-laden antifreeze/coolant concentrate. Texaco has just started advertising a new antifreeze concentrate under the name " Texaco Custom Made" and intended for late model Ford and Chrysler products. I've seen the ads in "Motor Trend", "Car & Driver", and "Road & Track". And, like Zerex G-05, it's in a gold jug and dyed yellow. Sounds supiciously like another G-05, doesn't it? I hope so - competition's always good for the consumer. (Pep Boys gets $10.99/gallon for Zerex G-05.) I haven't seen the new Texaco product on store shelves yet, though. In the antifreeze/coolant section of a motor oil forum I lurk in ("bobistheoilguy" - aka, BITOG), I have yet to see one negative post about G-05, even when used in HNT engines. Mercedes has specified G-05 for over two decades.
If you wanna go by miles instead of time, it easy to calculate. 5 yrs./105,000 miles translates to 21,000 miles per year, so 63,000-84,000, eh?
Intermittently (5 times in 3 wks) the ignition switch has failed to unlock the steering column -- ie the key will go in the lock mechanism, but with 'normal' tugging on steering wheel, the switch fails to turn and release the 'pin'.
Dealer has replaced the lock mechanism (2 x the 2nd/3rd key released the mechanism w/o tugging on anything) -- 15 minutes was the last 'extended period' to release --
Toyota doesn't want to open up the column and look for burrs or even examine -- Told me to park the car w/ wheels alway straight (Not reasonable in my observation)
Anybody else have this? -- Currently they're giving me a 'rental' to see how it works -- otherwise - will require arbitration to swap vehicles
It was the coil. On warm days I had no starting problems, but when it would get cold the engine would kick over strong but not start up. Once I replaced the coil, it kicked right up.
thanks...
*"Sludge", aka "oil gelling", is a black, sticky, tar-like glop formed by oil oxidation breakdown varnish products and suspended, unfiltered particulates. If sludging is allowed to proceed to the point it cuts off oil circulation to moving parts, the engine suffers the analogy of a "coronary" - sometimes dramatically sending a chunk of a broken crankshaft or connecting rod through the oil pan if oil supply to the main or rod bearings is interrupted.
I have never done this but i have done brakes and thermos etc. Has anyone had any experience with rebuilt (toyota) or after market wiper motors? :confuse:
Anyone have any idea? Thanks in advance.
haefr's reply and advice are right on.
One question, what were your symptoms before the engine died? Signs of sludge would include an indication of low oil on your gauge or low readings on your dip stick, smoke emitting from exhaust, check engine light, and sometimes you may be actually able to see black goo around the oil filler and cap.
If the oil was changed every 3000 miles, I wouldn't expect a problem unless you had the dreaded sludge. OTOH, your low total miles suggests short-trip driving, which certainly isn't helpful in avoiding sludge formation.
I too have a 98 camry with 130K. The check engine light has been on for about 2.5 years. The car will run fine with it. It just will not pass the smog test. I also had to replace the O2 sensor (air fuel sensor). Didn't solve the problem. The code is P1130 probably. I have codes of P1130,1133, and 1135. I beat the smog test last year by having my mechanic reset the computer just before he did the smog test. Its illegal but my car "passed." The latest rule now is that the car must be driven and the computer must perform tests before passing the smog test. So once that computer performs test, it will fail. So now I don't know what to do. I don't want to spend more money on this.
good 7-10 mile run at speeds of at least 65mph to clean out the inside of the engine, of any water or vapor or any build up of some carbon in the cylinders. You also get the converter hot cleaning out any old matter that might be there.
This information was given to me by the smog check people in California and I have passed it on to friends who did what they recommended and it seems to work in most cases.
I would be interested if you got the problem resolved.
In order for the A/C to dehumidify the COLD 55F to 35F incoming airflow even a tiny smidgin it must CHILL that airflow down to its dewpoint, or very close thereby,
as it travels through the ~3 inches of evaporator core. Note that the LOWER the blower speed the more likely the airflow will be cooled to dewpoint allowing dehumidification to occur.
Also keep mind that the COLD wintertime outside atmosphere is typically already very dry, dehumidified. That's why you are more subject to shocks via static electricity discharge in the winter, no moisture in the air to bleed the charge away as it builds in voltage potential.
Now I am not, by any means, saying absolutely do not use the A/C to assist in defogging the interior surface of the windshield. In extremely humid, cool, not cold, conditions it can often be of some aid.
There is one caveat however. When you cycle the A/C off after using it, or it cycles off due to declining OAT, the previously condensed moisture will begin to evaporate into the incoming airstream. That, of itself, will oftentimes result in a sudden fogging over of the interior surface of the windshield, especially if you react to the initial slight fogging instinctively by again activating the defrost/defog/demist mode.
When you do that ALL of the HUMID airflow will be directed to the interior windshield surface and if you weren't blinded by windshield fogging before you sure will be now.
So, if the interior of your windshield begins to fog over, or is fogged over, turn the heat to max. In an automatic system the blower motor should follow, if not you will need to turn the blower to max also.
Now, there are several aspects of the Toyota and Lexus (supplied by NipponDenso, Denso US) automatic climate control that are very important to keep in mind. When you leave you nice warm garage early on a cold morning the heating system blower will not come on automatically until the engine water jacket has warmed to ~130F. Additionally the system will be routing, baffling, whatever cold outside airflow enters the cabin inadvertently due to forward motion by using the defrost/defog/demist mode to prevent you from being discomforted.
About 2 or 3 miles down the road the blower will start up and the system airflow routing will begin to move to footwell mode. Assuming the A/C was used the previous day the windshield will begin to quickly fog over and you will be forced to the side of the road until you are able to sort things out.
If in using this mode your desire is to quickly remove frost, ice, or even condensation, from the EXTERIOR surface of the windshield then the use of the A/C is absolutely NEEDLESS. The only way to do that using the system is FULL heat and high blower.
So the previous post, 4290, and this one, pertains ONLY to defogging/demisting the interior surface of the windshield.
A few years ago I discovered that there were two C-best options available for my 2001 RX300 as an aid to more appropriate management of the A/C cooling system. One of the options allows the owner to indefinitely disable the A/C compressor's automatic operation. The second one will unlink the A/C compressor's automatic operation in defrost/defog/demist mode. Prior to having the dealer set these to my preference I always disconnected the compressor clutch wire during the winter months. I should mention that the Lexus dealer insisted that no such c-best option was available until I took a copy to him that had been posted here.
Of more recent vintage I noticed that the Toyota and Lexus automatic climate control has undergone a evolution. The system outlet airflow will automatically switch from cooling, dash outlets, to heating/defog, footwell and windshield airflow combined when the OAT declines to ~35F. As I said before, the A/C compressor is automatically disabled (at least since the 1992 LS became available) below about 35F OAT. If you attempt to activate it manually the light will come on but the compressor clutch will not engage.
Once the cabin atmospheric environment approaches or reaches the air temperature setpoint these systems will automatically switch into cooling mode. This can be extremely discomforting, cool and dry airflow toward the face and upper body at a time when the body's radiant heat input if minimal or non-existant.
I have no doubt that many of us have learned to avoid the discomfort by manually over-riding the system into heating, footwell mode.
For those of you that have not be aware that in cooling mode absolutely no system airflow is routing to the interior surface of the windshield.
Now in one of those newer models that automatically switch the system into combined footwell/defog/demist mode as the OAT declines below 35F, simultaneously with disabling the A/C compressor you can probably guess what will happen next. Maybe some of you have already experienced the likely result.
The A/C is disabled allowing the surface temperature of the evaporator to rise thereby releasing the condensate for evaporation into the system airflow, and at the same time a substantial portion of this now HUMID (growing in humidity by the second, tick, tick,...) is routed to the interior surface of the windshield. A windshield that very well might have been thoroughly CHILLED in the previous hour by the impingement of COLD onrushing airflow due to roadspeed.
You can avoid these potentially dangerous circumstances of your Toyota and Lexus automatic climate control systems by having the dealer set the c-best options as I did. Also become fairly careful, diligent, in manually switching the system to heating mode when the OAT is below ~45F, or even as high as 55F if your body is telling you that the surrounding (outside) landscape is COLD and thus there is no radiant body heating to "balance" the system.
My question is: Is there anything I can do about the engine sound? How hard is it to make an engine as quiet as it should be? Can I claim this car a lemon?
Thanks for your advice.
Question: I have an 03' camry and need some instructions to replace my cabin filter. where should i start looking?