Just because they use the same timing belt, does that mean that the actual engines are 100% compatible with each other as far as bolting one into another????? I dont want to buy an engine from a 2002 highlander thinking it will fit my 96 camry and then find out that I could replace my timing belt with the other but not the whole engine!!! They need to be the same size (external as well as internal) have all the same mounting points for engine mounts and accessories, and be compatible with the same internal/external accessories (manifolds, fuel injection, etc). I need to find out which toyota's (or lexus) used the SAME EXACT ENGINE as my 96 v6 camry! I am not a mechanic or expert but I want to find a part for my mechanic to have a easy job and not tell me this is not compatible! I know that IF 1 engine uses the same timing belt as another, they are probably pretty similar, but does that mean they are exact drop in replacements??? :confuse:
I have a 2002 Camry with a 2.4l 5th digit E engine. The engine is fried. I am replacing the engine and was told the 2002 Solora uses the exact same engine and I would not need a conversion kit to install it. Is this correct?
By the way Toyota would not even talk to me about the engine. It had 31k on it.
If you see the letters and numbers on the engine, they are slightly different. If you get the exact same numbers and letters, say a 3MZ from a Highlander into a 3MZ engine of a Camry, it is 99% same engine, everything. But a 3VZ is not exactly the same as an 3MZ but close.
I beleive a Lexus is a different layout, and called a 2MZ. Still a V-6, but rearwheeldrive. Only the blocks will be compatible, you could still use it. The mounts and everything need to be swapped over to the block.
I have a 2002 Toyota Camry with less than 80K miles that has started smoking on start up. The smoke is always in the morning and occasionally in the evening if the car has sat more than 5 hours. I have always gotten regular scheduled oil changes(at the dealer I may add) and kept up with scheduled maintenance as well. At my last oil change I informed the service tech of this problem and was told that since I was not having to add oil and the smoke was in the morning that I should not be concerned. Well, I am concerned and expressed this to the service tech but was told that it would require checking out the engine and that would be very expensive. I need some advice on what to do next and to hear from anyone else that is experiencing this problem.
I would suspect the valve seals. After sitting a little oil seeps down around the valve seals into the piston chamber, which then gets burned off when you start the vehicle.
I agree - worn valve stem seals. I assume the smoke is blue, which is characteristic of burning oil. It's not anything to be concerned about at this point, but it will gradually worsen over time.
I had this problem twice on my former '97 Camry 4-cylinder. The first time was at 57K miles, just before the powertrain warranty expired. The seals were replaced for free. The next time it started at 102K miles. I didn't get the car repaired and sold it at 111K miles with a disclosure about the problem. I didn't sell the car because of the smoking but because I wanted side curtain airbags on the newer model Camrys.
My 2006 Camry had intermittent white smoke on start up and an intermittent clicking noise. Religous about maintenance. They said not to worry until it turned out I had to worry. It was a leaking head gasket that had been defective since manufacture. Luckily I had extended warranty. Otherwise I would have battled with Toyota to get covered.
I don't think it matters too much but was your extended warranty platinum or the regular one? Did they give you grief or try to get out of the repair? I have a little bit of time left on my extended warranty and would like to get the same problem fixed. There is complete history of oil changes at the same dealer and I'm not sure how they would react but I don't want them to tell me "not to worry" since I'm running out of time.
I had a regular extended warranty. Absolutely no problem getting the repair covered. One call from the dealer to the warranty company and the repair was authorized.
My 2003 Camry Check Engine Light came on in May 2008 with a PO442 code (leak in evap system). Each week told it was a different thing -- and each time part replaced. New filler neck, evap cannister, 02 sensor, and gas cap, with the end result that the Check Engine Light came on this May 2009 with the same PO442 code. It happened day after inspection, so I was told not to worry about it and it would not cause a problem. However, I have noticed that each time I get gas now, that the car will not start up the first time. I need to turn off the engine, wait a minute and restart. Has happened consistently for the last 15 fill-ups. Does anyone have any advice??? I'm thinking the Check Engine Light has something to do with the gas. Why does the car not start up the first time when I fill up?? I've tried not filling all the way. Same result. Make sure the cap is secure. Same result. I put "dry gas" in. Same result. Any help would be appreciated.
The engine in my solara make a loud tapping like noise at around 1800 to 2000 rpm or so, then goes away at higher rpm. I think it has done this for a long time, but really noticed it after changing timing belt and water pump recently. I didn't pay much attention to it before as I think it has been that way for a long time. I even pulled it back apart after changing water pump and bought another new one and put it in. It still makes the same noise. Once the engine warms up, it is a lot quieter, but still there some. It this common with the Toyota 4 cylinders? I have a long screwdriver and hold it against the engine at the water pump housing, and it's the loudest there by far. The car has about 170,000 miles and have taken three, 3000 mile trips this year, great car.
I have a 98 Camry with 2.2 engine. I had a problem about 2 month ago with it trying to die when taking off from a red light or stop sign. Replace the fuel filter, seem fixed. Know the car will start to stutter when you come of the interstate or taking off/or putting aload on it. Come off the gas pedal and hit it again, the stuttering goes away. Any ideas on what it could be?
I drive a 98 4 cyl Camry and I can drive 30 or 70mph it does not matter. And of course it only does it every once in a while. I told my girlfriend it does it alot, dont worry. She was upset and wants me to fix it. Any ideas?
Yeah, get rid of the car and buy or lease a brand new 2010 Camry LE. You will never regret it. And then you can give your 98 Camry to your girlfriend and she can spend the money to fix it.
Well, it's been 31 Months/55,000 miles. No work done on the engine. Got the first brake job just 2 Months ago. Fronts only. Must have been an exceptional batch of rotors at the factory when they screwed this unit together! Still drive up every 10-14 days and check/add oil. I buy it in the 5 Quart plastic jug now. It lasts a while. Don't see any smoke, but suppose you would if it was revved up real high. Went to a Japaneses auto shop (everyone was real Japanese, I think) up the road from the Toyota dealer the car was purchased from. They said it needed a new motor, it was the Rings, not the valve guides. That was at least a year ago, I think. So, still running...........
I bought a new 2010 Toyota Camry LE 4-cyl one and half month ago, and have driven it for only 1200 miles. Yesterday I suddenly felt vibration/knocking from the engine while I was driving at about 30 mph, in the mean time both the "Check Engine" and "Slip Indicator" lights were on. The vibration became worse during acceleration. I parked the car and opened the front hood, I saw the engine vibrating badly. I have sent the car to a Toyota dealer, and am waiting for a diagnosis. The service man said there have been quite a few people got the same problem with the new Camry. Really disappointed with Toyota's quality control. I am sure I am using the right gas. Do you have any idea what happened in my car? Shall I contact Toyota directly? Thanks a lot for any suggestions.
i am sure your toyota dealer will find out where the problem is. i work for toyota driving new cars from dealer to dealer and have driven many camry's with 4 cly. and have not had that problem, i also own two toyota's, one of them being a 4 cyl. 2009 camry. the only thing i noticed with my camry is when feeding gas from starting is a hollow noise until i hit overdrive. this noise started after 6,000 miles. i recently changed the air filter and some of that noise stopped. sorry i cannot be more help. please let me know what they find.
The first thing you need to do is change the timing belt and water pump. A reasonable charge for this is around $300 - $350. The check engine light will illuminate for any number of reasons to include (but not limited to) a loose air filter cover which is located under the hood directly by the battery, the oxygen sensors needing to be replaced, a tune up, loose gas cap and anything else I did not name. The most costly is probably the catalytic converters going out on you. I hope this helped.
The service department at a local Atlanta Toyota dealer told me my engine was idling a little low and that I needed to replace the throttle body assembly. The service rep said that my car may be prone to stalls if I don't get it fixed and that this was the type of problem where the car would not start.
The part is ~$900 and the labor ~$300 which makes this a big decision.
I would like to know if the recommendation by the service manager is valid, how I can best confirm or deny this and where I should get the work done if it is really needed.
I know this has been a few years,but I have a similar case. I hear it loudest behind driver seat at the floorboard. did you ever solve this mystery? Was it fuel line vibration? Fuel pump or pressure dampener?
I am having the exact same problem. My car has been with the dealer for almost four weeks now and they still dont seem to have an idea of what is going on. They tried three things as fixes but the "check engine" light comes back on and so does the "slip indicator". Can someone suggest what my options are, if I want to opt out?.... here is my concern:
The first attempt to fix was at the dealer himself, who did some mundane things like topping off the oil levels and cleaning the vvt-i sensor etc - didnt work. Then they spoke to the Toyota Technical Engineers and gathered time-consuming diagnostics and then went it to open up the engine to change some washers and all - that didnt work either. The third time they fiddled around with the timing cam-shaft and they are again back at square one. This time they assured me that a Toyota Head Engineer will personally take a look at the car to see what's going on. Today's cars are so mechanized and computer-managed, that it sounds super strange that someone needs to look at the physical car... anyway my concern is the fact that their approach (even with Toyota Tech involved) has mostly been hit and trial and I am not sure if I want to drive it again... it has about 40K miles on it...and I am thinking I rather get it out of my hands before I add more miles to it... I dont even know if all of these engine troubles would show up on the car fax.....
this is my first car and i have no experience dealing with such issues... any suggestions would greatly help. Thanks.
agree get a second opinion . first try cleaning the throttle body and the throttle plate . easy job check the vids on you tube . use sensor friendly throttle body cleaner sold at any parts store
I just did get a 2nd opionion from a Toyota Master Mechanic who owns his own business and he stated that the throttle body is fine. I am not sure what the dealer did to conclude mine needed to be replaced but the car runs fine and I trust the shop owner more than a service rep who works on comission.
What would cause a 1999 Camry to misfire/act up at 4200 rpm and above?
We very recently had the engine replaced on our 1999 Camry (V4; it had 110,000 miles on it) while on a trip. There were some issues with the repair that have been resolved, but our local mechanic is having a very hard time solving one last problem they found. The car has been in the shop locally since last Monday (7/18/11).
The mechanics that installed the used engine do not know the exact year of the engine, but it is matched based on the vehicle VIN when the part is sourced. The manager said it was probably the 2.2L engine and within a year or two of 1999. The engine meets federal emissions standards, not California’s (as would be expected). They used the existing wiring harness from our car, as it is part of the engine block. The only new parts listed were the water pump, plugs, wires and timing belt. So my guess would be that the other items were transferred from our old engine.
Otherwise the vehicle drives fine (according to our local mechanic). It is not the crankshaft sensor as it produced the expected square wave. They were initially pretty confident on this being the source of the problem on last Tuesday evening.
It is not the timing belt. It checked out fine.
They do not think it is a sensor issue since there are no electronic codes coming back so that is why they think it is a timing issue.
A few things they are considering: 1. Non-iridium sparkplugs were installed in the tune-up of the engine. 2. The fuel pump/pressure gauge.
In talking to the mechanic on Friday, he mentioned that the MAP sensor was reading 5-6 Volts? mV? (whatever the units are, but he said it was voltage) high. The upshot being that the vacuum in the engine at this level rpm (4200) is too high.
One of the problems is testing it at this rpm level since it is that accelerating up to highway speeds is the only thing that seems to cause it. I myself did not notice it while driving it home. Another compication is that there are no error codes.
I just want to know what should be looked at and have this issue resolved.
Ping is the best word that comes to mind, but it is not the high pitched, sharper sound a motor gives when using low octane fuel. It's a 4 cyl LE with automatic. My car has 72K miles and I have always used 87 octane fuel (Calif. blend). Maybe 10,000 miles ago I started hearing this low volume, ping, or knocking sound. This was shortly before the factory scheduled valve adjustment at 60K miles. That had no effect. The sound usually occurs (but not only) before the engine has reached normal operating temp., and usually when the engine has shifted up a gear and the RPMs have dropped. Unlike normal pinging related to low octane, the sound does not occur when I accelerate briskly. It never occurs at idle. Most driving is around town. I live in Eureka and when I drove to southern Ca last month it doesn't seem to have that problem. Whether is was the 650 mile trip at 70+ mph, or the warmer weather, I don't know.
I haven't tried using 91 or 93 octane fuel, but I had the car for 5 years and never had a problem. I've babied this car since new and it has always run smoothly and has had all scheduled maintenance. I've got original brakes with over 50% of remaining pad wear, so it hasn't been driven hard.
I've got the 2.4 4cyl in my 2008 RAV4, it has the knocking sound when driving at slower speeds and giving it gas at around 1600rpm. Seems most prominent when driving up the parking structure at work in the summer at 10-15mph. I've seen other complaints about it at the rav4world forums, so I don't worry about it.
I have a 96 V6 w/ 200K miles. I am wondering if the timing belt" or some similar component "always goes bad" on these cars such that I should either get the timing belt and water pump replaced or sell the car and get another one. I look on Craigs list and can see other (0s camrys w/ a lot fewer miles in the $3K range and am wondering if I should keep my current one until it just dies completely or sell her for $23K and get a "newer" one for $3K and spend the extra $$$ on a newer car rather than investing any $$ in my current onbe, am very interested to hear of experiences of others, thanks in advance for any feedback....
This is a typical noise in Toyotas when they are warming up, and sometimes continues afterwards. It is called "piston slap" and is caused by the piston rocking excessively in the cylinder as it moves up and down. On older motors, this used to be considered as a sign of excessive wear; caused by piston to cylinder wall clearance which was too loose. However; it is now appearing on brand new or nearly new Toyotas which are very precisely machined and do not have piston clearance problems. The reason this is happening is that a few years ago, the U.S. Congress passed a law requiring all new vehicle dealerships to only use oil classified as "energy conserving" in every car they service. The use of energy conserving oil improves fuel economy by a fraction of one mile per gallon. The downside of this oil is that; because it is chemically thinned out to reduce internal engine friction; it has less cushioning and lubricating effect than regular oil. And that leads to piston slap, increased oil consumption, and increased engine wear. Who in their right mind would want to make such a destructive change to new vehicles? I'll leave the speculation up to you.
Those people who feel compelled to always have their oil changed at a dealership are permanently stuck in this rut; but those who change their own oil, or who have it changed by an independent shop can specify that a non energy conserving oil be used. Energy conserving oils will be labeled as such on the bottle. In general; most so called "high mileage" oils are not energy conserving, and are commonly available in popular viscosities. 10W-40 and 20W-50 oils are also not usually energy conserving. But the best non-energy conserving oil for all around protection is the full synthetic European Formula oil. This oil is usually available in 0W-40 or 5W-40. It is produced by Mobil 1 and Amsoil; along with many other companies. I have repeatedly found that Mobil 1 in 0W-40 grade will dramatically reduce piston slap, improve power and smoothness, and reduce oil consumption.
The life expectancy of a vehicle is more dependent in many respects on the type of maintenance and use it has had than on the odometer reading. A car which has had regular oil changes at recommended intervals (especially if it has always used the same brand and grade of oil) will often be in better condition and have a greater life expectancy than a similar car with half as many miles on it; but which has received poor maintenance or been abused. Because of this; vehicles which have had multiple owners will typically not be in as good condition as a vehicle which has only had one or two owners.
The Camry V-6 of that era will easily run up to 250,000 or 300,000 miles if maintained well. But perhaps half of the cars on the road have not been maintained well. This is why it is essential to have ANY used car that you consider thoroughly inspected by an honest, experienced professional mechanic before putting one cent down on it. In addition; the automatic transmission is the one item which probably will not last that long. If you are one of the rare people who has a manual transmission; you will be immune to this built in limitation. Otherwise; be prepared to spend half the value of a car of this age to replace the automatic transmission when it fails.
Timing belts, along with fuel filters and spark plugs, are not intended to last the life of the car. They must be replaced at recommended intervals; in order for the car to be as reliable and to last as long as it was designed to last. The recommended replacement interval for the timing belt was originally 60,000 miles on the Camry; but was increased to 90,000 miles at some point (I don't recall whether that was before or after the model year of your car). If you buy a used car; you will need to find out when the timing belt was last replaced (if ever) and plan to replace it on schedule in the future; in order to avoid a breakdown. This can be an expensive repair on a Camry V-6. Because of the cost of the labor on this job; it is advisable to replace the water pump while the motor is apart; as there will be no additional labor charge to do so at that time.
Craig's list is not a place where I would expect to find cars which were well cared for; but there are always some exceptions. The used car market is a minefield of vehicles which were reconstructed from wrecks, bought at auctions after being stolen and abused or stripped, or have carefully concealed damage. This is one of the many reasons why you cannot buy a vehicle based on its appearance; but must have it inspected by a mechanic. This is as true for sales by dealers as it is by private parties. If a car has a cheap asking price; there usually is a good reason for it. And you may not discover what that reason is until it is too late.
If you have owned your car since it was new or young, and have cared for it well; there is a major advantage in keeping this car rather than risking buying someone else's problems. In 40 years of consulting on used cars, I have found that a really worthwhile car is only found about 10% of the time.
hi. i recently bought a 2005 camry xle it has right under 100k. miles. well almost a 2 months of having it i have noticed it poors white smoke in the mornings...i am concerned...did you have anyluck?
I own a 2009 camry le with 88,000 miles on it. Two days ago I began hearing a pecking noise under the hood. I took it to a dealership today and was advised I need to replace the water pump and the drive belt tensioner assy. The total for the repairs is just under $800. They also advised me my front brakes were half worn. When I pointed out to them that they had just replaced my brakes less than 16,000 miles ago, they immediately began back tracking, despite the print out they gave me which showed both the front and rear brakes with equal wear at 50%. They went on to say it was just a quick estimate, but the print out is very clear with a chart and graph showing computer estimates of wear with a recommendation for new brakes soon. Of course, they quickly told me I did not need to worry about this. They also told me both air filters need replaced, which my husband just replaced 6,000 miles ago. I am now suspicious of their recommendations for repair. Has anyone else had to have these parts replaced in an 09 camry with 88,000 miles? The dealership assured me these parts were failing in most all camry's made in 2009. I live in a very rural area and had to drive 90 minutes to get to this toyota dealership. The next closest one is a little over two hours away. A second opinion from an authorized toyota repair shop is not easy to get. Thanks.
Prior to purchasing my 2012 Camry, I had an 09 Camry. I, too, had a problem with my water pump. Luckily, it was discovered during a visit to my Toyota Dealer for regular maintenance (@ 30,000). I was told that there was a problem with water pumps for the 09's. They replaced the water pump at their expense. Didn't cost me a dime. I would suggest that you get with corporate hq and see if they can refund your money. Being as the problem exists with most 09's, seems to me that you should not have to pay to get it replaced.
93 camry, 4 cyl, the car starts but when put in gear and tried to move, the AM2 30 amp fuse blew. Replaced fuse. Same thing. Then the problem became "car would turn over, but not start". This happened once before, but changing the AM2 fuse corrected the problem. About 2 weeks later, the above happened. I hate electrical problems. Any help appreciated.
This is tied to my post# 312, which basically said 1993 camry would turn over but not start. When it finally started, putting it in reverse blew the AM2 30amp fuse. Now, after my mechanic replaced the injector relay, the car started and ran, even in reverse, then forward all of about 3 miles. Then it just "died" while driving. Driving down the road and car just quit. After dying, It turns over, but won't start. My mechanic towed it back and now waiting again. What are the chances it is the ECU? Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks
At speeds over 40mph (and not below 40), when I apply brakes I hear a noise in the right rear like "thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk" (repetitive). The sound is like a shock absorber sounds when it is defective and you hit a pot hole, but repetitive. As the car slows down, the "thunk" goes away. I should add, I hear a single "thunk" in the right rear when I hit a pot hole or speed bump. More axact, the sound is like hitting the frame of the car with a large rubber hammer.
I own a 1996 Toyota Camry LE and I've loved the thing, as until recently it's been very low maintenance. First it started hesitating when I went to accelerate, and then it started stalling out when I came to a stop quickly or when I tried to pull away from the light. After dying it would often require starting fluid to get going again.
Initially I ran some Carb/Choke Cleaner through the throttle body and a bottle of fuel inject cleaner through the gas with the next several fill-ups and that fixed the problem for several weeks, but then it started all over again.
This time things got worse a lot faster: whereas the first time went on for a week before I got a chance to work on it, the second time it all happened in a couple hours while running errands, and then it died on me (while in a sharp turn I'd quickly decelerated for) and wouldn't restart.
As far as I knew the fuel filter had never been replaced (I got the car from a little old lady who didn't need it any more 4 years ago) so I did that but it hasn't fixed the problem. I tried to start it about a dozen times but it only turn over except twice when I stuck my toe in at just the right spot: it rev-ed up to 3000rpm and then died when I tried to rev up more or back down.
I checked my spark plugs and they are a little dirty, with the soot being a little on the grayish side of things, but not bad (they're just over a year old).
I also pulled the back seat loose and checked to see that the fuel pump was running when I was turning the engine over. It seemed to be fine.
I recently had the the belts, the water pump, and all those seals replace (it had been hemorrhaging oil) by a reputable mechanic. I've not gotten the codes read as it's stuck in front of my apartment (where it was towed by AAA after it died).
Is it possible that though the fuel pump motor is running it's not actually pumping fuel? Is there some secondary filter I should check besides the main filter I already changed? Am I going to need to clean/replace my injectors? Some one at church mentioned the throttle positioning sensor does that sound right? Or does my dad's suggestion that the catalytic converter was clogged and causing back pressure make more sense?
I drive a 2005 Camry. Has approximately 138k miles on it. I drive round trip 5 days a week about 50 miles. In the past 4 months, when I'm driving on the road or highway and I reach a speed of about 40-45 mph, it seems as if the engine sounds louder and the rpms are struggling to shift it to gear so that the car accelerates. :confuse: It will accelerate but sounds like the sound a motorcycle would make right before you shift gears. On the highway at about 70 it's not as loud. I get regular oil changes. Just got new tires/brakes in August. I haven't had any issues with this car! I love it, I really do take care of it. Thanks!
My 2005 camry xle v6 had Check engine light on (together with Trac Off, VSC). I took it to San Jose toyota dealer. They said I need to replace the charcoal canister, which is $1000 (include fuel tank cap sealer). I never top off when filling the tank. Is $1000 reasonable ?
Comments
They need to be the same size (external as well as internal) have all the same mounting points for engine mounts and accessories, and be compatible with the same internal/external accessories (manifolds, fuel injection, etc). I need to find out which toyota's (or lexus) used the SAME EXACT ENGINE as my 96 v6 camry! I am not a mechanic or expert but I want to find a part for my mechanic to have a easy job and not tell me this is not compatible! I know that IF 1 engine uses the same timing belt as another, they are probably pretty similar, but does that mean they are exact drop in replacements??? :confuse:
I have a 2002 Camry with a 2.4l 5th digit E engine. The engine is fried. I am replacing the engine and was told the 2002 Solora uses the exact same engine and I would not need a conversion kit to install it. Is this correct?
By the way Toyota would not even talk to me about the engine. It had 31k on it.
If you see the letters and numbers on the engine, they are slightly different. If you get the exact same numbers and letters, say a 3MZ from a Highlander into a 3MZ engine of a Camry, it is 99% same engine, everything. But a 3VZ is not exactly the same as an 3MZ but close.
I beleive a Lexus is a different layout, and called a 2MZ. Still a V-6, but rearwheeldrive. Only the blocks will be compatible, you could still use it. The mounts and everything need to be swapped over to the block.
I had this problem twice on my former '97 Camry 4-cylinder. The first time was at 57K miles, just before the powertrain warranty expired. The seals were replaced for free. The next time it started at 102K miles. I didn't get the car repaired and sold it at 111K miles with a disclosure about the problem. I didn't sell the car because of the smoking but because I wanted side curtain airbags on the newer model Camrys.
Is it smoking just at startup - worn valve seals
or is it smoking all the time - worn piston rings
two totally different problems/solutions.
What else is going on with the car (ie, overall condition, recent repairs, other problems outstanding....)
Thanks
Steve
And then you can give your 98 Camry to your girlfriend and she can spend the money to fix it.
Regards,
David
The part is ~$900 and the labor ~$300 which makes this a big decision.
I would like to know if the recommendation by the service manager is valid, how I can best confirm or deny this and where I should get the work done if it is really needed.
The first attempt to fix was at the dealer himself, who did some mundane things like topping off the oil levels and cleaning the vvt-i sensor etc - didnt work. Then they spoke to the Toyota Technical Engineers and gathered time-consuming diagnostics and then went it to open up the engine to change some washers and all - that didnt work either. The third time they fiddled around with the timing cam-shaft and they are again back at square one. This time they assured me that a Toyota Head Engineer will personally take a look at the car to see what's going on. Today's cars are so mechanized and computer-managed, that it sounds super strange that someone needs to look at the physical car... anyway my concern is the fact that their approach (even with Toyota Tech involved) has mostly been hit and trial and I am not sure if I want to drive it again... it has about 40K miles on it...and I am thinking I rather get it out of my hands before I add more miles to it... I dont even know if all of these engine troubles would show up on the car fax.....
this is my first car and i have no experience dealing with such issues... any suggestions would greatly help. Thanks.
- Sandeep
We very recently had the engine replaced on our 1999 Camry (V4; it had 110,000 miles on it) while on a trip. There were some issues with the repair that have been resolved, but our local mechanic is having a very hard time solving one last problem they found. The car has been in the shop locally since last Monday (7/18/11).
The mechanics that installed the used engine do not know the exact year of the engine, but it is matched based on the vehicle VIN when the part is sourced. The manager said it was probably the 2.2L engine and within a year or two of 1999. The engine meets federal emissions standards, not California’s (as would be expected). They used the existing wiring harness from our car, as it is part of the engine block. The only new parts listed were the water pump, plugs, wires and timing belt. So my guess would be that the other items were transferred from our old engine.
Otherwise the vehicle drives fine (according to our local mechanic).
It is not the crankshaft sensor as it produced the expected square wave. They were initially pretty confident on this being the source of the problem on last Tuesday evening.
It is not the timing belt. It checked out fine.
They do not think it is a sensor issue since there are no electronic codes coming back so that is why they think it is a timing issue.
A few things they are considering:
1. Non-iridium sparkplugs were installed in the tune-up of the engine.
2. The fuel pump/pressure gauge.
In talking to the mechanic on Friday, he mentioned that the MAP sensor was reading 5-6 Volts? mV? (whatever the units are, but he said it was voltage) high. The upshot being that the vacuum in the engine at this level rpm (4200) is too high.
One of the problems is testing it at this rpm level since it is that accelerating up to highway speeds is the only thing that seems to cause it. I myself did not notice it while driving it home. Another compication is that there are no error codes.
I just want to know what should be looked at and have this issue resolved.
I haven't tried using 91 or 93 octane fuel, but I had the car for 5 years and never had a problem. I've babied this car since new and it has always run smoothly and has had all scheduled maintenance. I've got original brakes with over 50% of remaining pad wear, so it hasn't been driven hard.
Anybody else had a similar problem?
Those people who feel compelled to always have their oil changed at a dealership are permanently stuck in this rut; but those who change their own oil, or who have it changed by an independent shop can specify that a non energy conserving oil be used. Energy conserving oils will be labeled as such on the bottle. In general; most so called "high mileage" oils are not energy conserving, and are commonly available in popular viscosities. 10W-40 and 20W-50 oils are also not usually energy conserving. But the best non-energy conserving oil for all around protection is the full synthetic European Formula oil. This oil is usually available in 0W-40 or 5W-40. It is produced by Mobil 1 and Amsoil; along with many other companies. I have repeatedly found that Mobil 1 in 0W-40 grade will dramatically reduce piston slap, improve power and smoothness, and reduce oil consumption.
The Camry V-6 of that era will easily run up to 250,000 or 300,000 miles if maintained well. But perhaps half of the cars on the road have not been maintained well. This is why it is essential to have ANY used car that you consider thoroughly inspected by an honest, experienced professional mechanic before putting one cent down on it. In addition; the automatic transmission is the one item which probably will not last that long. If you are one of the rare people who has a manual transmission; you will be immune to this built in limitation. Otherwise; be prepared to spend half the value of a car of this age to replace the automatic transmission when it fails.
Timing belts, along with fuel filters and spark plugs, are not intended to last the life of the car. They must be replaced at recommended intervals; in order for the car to be as reliable and to last as long as it was designed to last. The recommended replacement interval for the timing belt was originally 60,000 miles on the Camry; but was increased to 90,000 miles at some point (I don't recall whether that was before or after the model year of your car). If you buy a used car; you will need to find out when the timing belt was last replaced (if ever) and plan to replace it on schedule in the future; in order to avoid a breakdown. This can be an expensive repair on a Camry V-6. Because of the cost of the labor on this job; it is advisable to replace the water pump while the motor is apart; as there will be no additional labor charge to do so at that time.
Craig's list is not a place where I would expect to find cars which were well cared for; but there are always some exceptions. The used car market is a minefield of vehicles which were reconstructed from wrecks, bought at auctions after being stolen and abused or stripped, or have carefully concealed damage. This is one of the many reasons why you cannot buy a vehicle based on its appearance; but must have it inspected by a mechanic. This is as true for sales by dealers as it is by private parties. If a car has a cheap asking price; there usually is a good reason for it. And you may not discover what that reason is until it is too late.
If you have owned your car since it was new or young, and have cared for it well; there is a major advantage in keeping this car rather than risking buying someone else's problems. In 40 years of consulting on used cars, I have found that a really worthwhile car is only found about 10% of the time.
Thanks,
-Eric
Initially I ran some Carb/Choke Cleaner through the throttle body and a bottle of fuel inject cleaner through the gas with the next several fill-ups and that fixed the problem for several weeks, but then it started all over again.
This time things got worse a lot faster: whereas the first time went on for a week before I got a chance to work on it, the second time it all happened in a couple hours while running errands, and then it died on me (while in a sharp turn I'd quickly decelerated for) and wouldn't restart.
As far as I knew the fuel filter had never been replaced (I got the car from a little old lady who didn't need it any more 4 years ago) so I did that but it hasn't fixed the problem. I tried to start it about a dozen times but it only turn over except twice when I stuck my toe in at just the right spot: it rev-ed up to 3000rpm and then died when I tried to rev up more or back down.
I checked my spark plugs and they are a little dirty, with the soot being a little on the grayish side of things, but not bad (they're just over a year old).
I also pulled the back seat loose and checked to see that the fuel pump was running when I was turning the engine over. It seemed to be fine.
I recently had the the belts, the water pump, and all those seals replace (it had been hemorrhaging oil) by a reputable mechanic. I've not gotten the codes read as it's stuck in front of my apartment (where it was towed by AAA after it died).
Is it possible that though the fuel pump motor is running it's not actually pumping fuel? Is there some secondary filter I should check besides the main filter I already changed? Am I going to need to clean/replace my injectors? Some one at church mentioned the throttle positioning sensor does that sound right? Or does my dad's suggestion that the catalytic converter was clogged and causing back pressure make more sense?
Help please, I'm at a loss!
:confuse:
It will accelerate but sounds like the sound a motorcycle would make right before you shift gears. On the highway at about 70 it's not as loud. I get regular oil changes. Just got new tires/brakes in August. I haven't had any issues with this car! I love it, I really do take care of it. Thanks!