You have a 2001 which is covered under the sludge issue. Sorry about that. So I would adhere to the 3750 oil change intervals. To avoid problems I would also make sure that API certified oils are used during the warranty period. After that go to a better quality one that may or may not be certified.
I'm actually already using Amsoil Synthetic ATF in my Auto Transmission and Differential. It seem to work great, I haven't put in a cooler as I don't tow or live in a warm climate.
To everyone: Thanks for all the advice on Amsoil engine oil - keep the thoughts coming.
I have a 2000 Camry with the V6, now with over 31K miles. I am not shooting for a million miles, but I have changed over to Mobil1 synthetic ATF and added a transmission oil cooler. So far so good.
just turned over 531,000kms on my 92 4 cylinder , 5 speed. Thought you might want to know...(over 325,000miles) Synthetics and anal maintenance and proper driving and no accidents ... Very few problems. Car is incredible!!! Comments???Thought you guys would like to know... Claude
Okay, I'll bite. What State or country do you live in, well, not US with KM and not miles. What brand and weight oil do you use? Oil and filter change interval? How many miles on your commute to work assuming you use this car communting? How much oil does it use between changes. Please do not say none, you will blow your credibility!
Thanks for your post. I need a few posters like you to lend credibility to the idea that I may have half a shot at taking my Camry to 1,000,000 miles.
327k miles without problems is great to hear. As Armtdm as requested, I'd also be interested to hear a more in depth explanation of your preventative maintenance program. What little problems have you had?
Re;92 camry Le Current mileage 531,172 kms. Just the odo in the driveway for those who want the "true" mileage. car was bought new at Toyotatown in London,Ontario. I live just south of there. I sold the car originally to father in law as I was running the place and we rusproofed it twice before delivering it. car has been waxed 4 times per year and paint still looks very good. Car has been "oiled" every single fall. (canadian thing for oiling the body to stop or slow down corrosion). NOT one single rust spot on the car, although it spent it's first 3 winters in Florida. No such luck anymore. 1/Car is 100% original,with no accidents. 2/Car was run on Dino oil till I got it at 220,000kms (Castrol GTX) and factory oil filters) 3/Oil was changed 3 times in the first 5000 kms of it's life(very important , I think) 4/at 220,000kms the car was switched to semi synthetic for 3-4 oil changes and at about 250,000 went to Mobil 1 10W-30 and premium aftermarket filters. Oil has been changed every 10,000kms religiously with the filter being changed every 5000kms I.e filter at the 1/2 way mark and filter again when I change the oil. Car burns about 1.3l per 10,000kms or a little more than 1/2 a quart per 3000 miles. I am convinced this consumption is through valve seals and NOT rings. 5/I am a consultant and love to ski and travel and visit family in North Carolina. car has been to Florida ten times, Colorado about the same. I drive to Toronto (2 hrs) all the time. 6/car is TIGHT, QUIET, rattle free except for an occasional dash rattle and drives like a car with 50,000 miles on it. 6/I run synthetic oil (redline gear oil) in the transmission. Changed every 100,000 kms. I change the Timing belt every 200,000 kms (Changing at 100k or 60,000 miles is TOTAL bull!!). Every belt I have ever seen on a car that racks up mileage fairly quickly is perfect when it is replaced and I have seen MANY.)200,000kms and my belt looked brand new. Did it at 500,000 kms in the late fall along with the water pump. 7/Word to the wise. If you are going for big miles on your [non-permissible content removed] cars , replace ALL the seals and tensioner(timing belt) at high mileage when you do the belt. 3 seals are the Cam seal, the Crank seal and the oil pump seal. ALL these are driven off the belt and DO wear. They become brittle. Any 10 year old cars out there even with low mileage. CHANGE them when you do your T-belts. 8/Car is totally original major parts except for front 1/2 shaft (300 bucks no big deal) and A/C system condensor. I now have a leak in system so will get to that in the spring. Struts have been done twice, clutch was done at 440,000kms and the rear brakes are ORIGINAL!!! NO bull, so is the exhaust!!All electrical(alternator, Power windows and locks, cruise, wipers original. Starter was replaced with reman. Toy. starter last year also. Car has been VERY cheap to run, excellent on gaz, quiet at 75mph and "who could ask for anything more???" 9/going back to Toronto once again today. 10/ Lastly, I am gentle with the car. I never slam the door, dont gun it when I take off, look ahead at the lights that are turning red and back off as I watch all the idiots fly by to then nail their brakes, let it warm up and NEVER drive it hard cold,Change the coolant EVERY year (never had a water pump go, original radiator,and original hoses), yet I drive quickly and pass a lot of traffic on the road.Air and fuel filter are done regularly and wires are original. That 2.2l engine looks GREAT inside. At 500,000 kms we replaced the valve cover gasket for the first time and the top end of the car was like NEW. Light brown, NO sludge and NO deposits or visible wear on the cam lobes at all. The mechanic was stunned. I was NOT. Synthetics make a difference. I run synthetics in my lawn mower, my ZX-11 Kawasaki and in my gorgeous V8 Camaro Z-28, 6 speed that will NEVER see snow or rain.(NOT a daily driver just a car that RUMBLES!!!). I am happy to answer any more questions. Lastly, I met a guy on the #401 a few weeks ago with a nice looking Camry LE like mine with an Automagic Transmission like most of you. It had 792,000 kms on it. saw it with my own eyes. Looked excellent . His engine and Transmission were original. Flush those Automatics and make sure they flush b ALL of the fluid. Your automatics CAN go big miles without replacing just be easy and maintain them. My parents have a 93 camry also with 160,000kms. Runs like a top. They will never pass me and I will NEVER sell this car although I might get a new daily driver this summer. I love the new Subaru WRX but lots of cash so might steal another Camry from some guy who thinks his is "worn out " at 200,000kms. I LOVE used cars. He who buys new has too much cash and should give more to Charity!!! Have at it boys. Flame away!!! Claude Pardo Tillsonburg (Tillsonboring), Ontario ,Canada
Sounds good. My 92 V6 has 236,000 km or 142,000 miles. All original except belts, water pump, two boots, battery, A/C O rings, hoses,belts and brakes. Exhaust original as are struts/shokes. Ah, the 92 were great cars. I have never had a tranny flush, drain and fill every 30,000 and not changed filter since 25,000 miles or 117,000 miles ago. Synthetic since 1000 miles, tranny since 25,000.
Uses some oil (I have the seal seepages you mention as I did not replace at the 120,000 mile mark and should have) but are very minimal. Currrent consumption is about 25-28 ounces of oil in the 7,500 mile change interval, less then a US quart so quite good. My new Buick uses the same. My coolant is every 2 years.
Thank you very much for your comprehensive description of your preventative maintenance. I firmly believe that the 92-01 Camry 4cy cars are exceptionally well built - ultimately why I chose my '01 for the challenge of 1,000,000 miles. I think you have a Camry that could potentially reach 1 million miles if you wanted to take it that far too.
Like you, I also changed my oil 3 times in the first 5k miles. I used Castrol GTX 5w30 dyno oil until 7k miles at which point I switched to Amsoil 5w30 extended drain synthetic oil. I used Mobil 1 oil filters up to the point of switching to Amsoil when I started using Amsoil oil filters. I changed my auto transmission fluid over to Amsoil Synthetic ATF at 10k miles. I also switched my air filter to the Amsoil foam type filter at 10k.
You made an excellent point that I think is equally, if not more, important as preventative maintenance and is often overlooked or not thought of by most people - driving cognizantly and easily. I too drive easily - no sudden bursts of acceleration. I particularly drive slow and easily when the car is still warming up. Portland drivers are generally horrible in my opinion - I constantly watch out for others when I'm driving. Portlands' worst offenders are HS kids in their built up Civics and those folks driving around their large vehicles (SUV's, etc.) while talking on the phone. I could start an entire new thread on these types of drivers - better stop now.
I once addressed the coffee can mufflers, huge spoilers, lowered suspensions and fake VTEC decals etc. and called them by what (I believe) is now a generic term for these individulas that have no horses under the hood but try to get by on scray looks, and I was censored by the Edmunds racial police and the post removed. This term that everyone uses is not a racial slur but Edmunds seems to feel it is. Any , we know who you mean. Mostly teenagers that can afford the mods but cannot affort a true "beast" with horsepower and torque to support their wishes of a hot car.
Sometimes I question why these guys don't look at '95 on 3-series BMW's or even "old school" muscle cars. Both can be had for 10-15k or so. I'm sure they end up spending at least that much on their late model Civics, the wheels, tinting, spoilers, exhaust cans, stereos, cell phones, etc. By doing so they still end up with an under powered car that could easily be outdone by one of the aforementioned cars. They would also get a safer car with a BMW, etc., which they have proven to need. We have had 7 separate accidents with 6 fatalities in the last 6 months in Portland involving HS kids road racing their Civics.
Six teenagers killed in VA ( 3 seperate accidents and 3 cars) and all were in the midnight to 3AM time of day on a weekend. Did not hit another car, these cars went off the road.
I mentioned 6 fatalities here in Portland. Three of these deaths were were those of teenagers (2 civic drivers raced each other then collided with one another). The other three deaths were incurred by other "innocent" motorists. A group of HS kids left their school for an open campus lunch, drove about 45mph down a residential (25mph) street, blew a stop sign, and T-boned an elderly couple in their Buick. All of the kids escaped with minor injuries. They killed the elderly man driving the Buick though and left his widowed wife in critical condition. Another set of kids were street racing late one evening and lost control of their car and T-boned a minivan killing the parents of three small children.
O.D.O.T. (Oregon Dept. of Trans) is trying to change the licensing laws for kids under 18 in the state of Oregon. They propose that kids should only be allowed to drive with a licensed driver over twenty-five until they are 18. They also are trying to prohibit kids under 18 from driving between 11PM and 6AM. I have to say that I support these motions. How many more people have to die before these motions are put into effect is yet to be determined.
I am not trying to stereotype youthful drivers. There are some very safe and contientious teen drivers out there. Unfortunately they will probably have to forgo some freedom (at least in Oregon) due to their out of control counterparts however.
Sold it at 123k with oil being changed last at 105k. Still running like new. Also no sludge problem. Just use a good synthetic!!
2002 Le has 1200 miles on it and runs much faster at speeds over 70mph. The car is much quieter at all speeds,especially from engine noise. MPG is better running the car hard. Got up to 5k on the tach once in 2nd gear and the torque is fantastic. Mpg was 27 and 25 on two tanks of gas. I'm on my third tank.
Hopes this info helps you to feel confident with your Camry. Hell I bought another one and this one getting 0w-30 after 2nd oil change. Will keep you posted!! Plumman
I believe you are indeed correct. If memory serves he was supposed to receive a free Viper gratis Dodge at the one million mark. I don't remember why, but of course something happened preventing it.
Maybe there is something to be said for using nylon leggings for belts as Al did.
Better stop now - I'm already embarrassed that I remember that much of Married With Children.
Thanks for your post. It sounds like you recommend the 0w30 from Amsoil. I'm currently running their 5W30 as that is what the manual recommends on my '01. What advantages have you noticed with the 0w verses the 5w?
I'm jealous - it sounds like Toyota has finally addressed the under powered 4cy Camry engine. I'm not a lead foot, but a 136hp engine for a 3500 pound car is a little less power than I like. Overall I can't complain though - I love my '01.
Just curious... you mentioned taking your car to 5k rpm in 2nd gear and that you only have 1200 miles on it. Do you feel it was sufficiently broken in before you did this?
I think the 0w-30, 5w-30 from Amsoil or Mobil one are both great for these engines. 0w-30 has the advantage of better MPG and easier on the starter in cold weather. I'm just telling you what I'm using. The owners manual stated to vary the engine speed between 2k to 4k for the first 1k. After that I feel it is good to seat the piston rings with some additional gradual higher rpm runs. Eventually reaching redline within 3-5k miles. Remember lugging the engine is worst that revving, when you use synethics. They can take the heat!!!
...they always referred to his car as a Dodge, but the few times they showed it, it was actually a Plymouth Duster. Or actually, several of them. I don't think they ever showed the same car twice!
There was an episode where he sold his car and was going to buy a new Mustang, until he found Peggy and the kids raided his stash o' cash. He went out and bought a couple of non-running AMC products. I remember at one point, you could hear his radio playing "Welcome back baby...to the poor side of town", as he pushed a Pacer or Hornet onto the screen.
For the final shot, you heard his radio playing "I'm Walkin'", as another Duster slowly creeps on-camera, but this time, he's driving it instead of pushing! I remember him bragging "This baby's only got 20,000 miles on it!" or something like that. Of course, back then, odometers only registered 5 digits, so who knows how many miles the thing really had?
The 4 cyl Camry only weighs 2,998lbs manual 3,042 automatic (the xle v6 with automatic is even only 3,230) So 136 hp isn't too bad - same as a 3,500 lb car with 158 hp. :^)
Have 125k on my '92 Camry LE. Replaced shocks at 110k. Other than recurring A/C leaks and a new radiator this year, the car is bullet-proof gives me 29 mpg consistently. Still drives better than any car I've been in.
Appreciate the maintenance hints. I don't use synthetics, but am religious about frequent fluid changes. Synthetics that much better?
Thanks for your post. You got me thinking about vehicle weight. According to the brochure for my 2001 Camry LE 4cy (automatic) my car weighs 3120 lbs unladen. I have about 25 lbs worth of stuff I carry with me at all times (survival pack, detailers mist, extra quart of oil, umbrella, etc.) I weigh about 185 lbs. I figure when I'm driving the car with a full tank of gas (maybe 100 lbs worth) the engine is pulling around 3,430 lbs. This is just a guess though.
This said, I think 20 extra horsepower or, more importantly, 15 to 20 extra foot pounds of torque would be nice. I'm not a fast driver so all in all I get by just fine though.
Thanks for your post. I firmly believe synthetic oils are superior to dyno motor oils. They have better viscosity indexes, higher flash points, lower ash contents, higher film strengths - I could go on and on. If you go to Yahoo online and search for Ed Hackett, you will find a site he put up comparing most modern engine oils. It is a good site to illustrate the value of synthetics.
I'm glad to hear you have had such good luck with your Camry. When did you start getting A/C leaks? Do you turn your A/C on every couple weeks to keep your system seals from cracking? It is something I believe is beneficial. 29 MPG is pretty good. I only averaged 26 MPG the first 10k miles on my Camry with 56% city driving and 44% highway driving. Do you drive more highway miles?
I caught an old episode of married with children. It looked to me like Al was driving a rust colored Plymouth Duster not a Dodge. Hard to tell though...
Just a quibble, the 3120-pound unladen weight includes full fluid capacities, including gasoline. Unladen means no cargo or occupants. So you aboard plus the stuff in the trunk adds 210 lbs.
Thanks for the clarification. I assumed unladen weight was the car + under hood fluids, but no gasoline. This said, when I driving the total weight is about 3,330 lbs I guess.
To all... While on the subject of weight and engine size I have a question about gas mileage. What types of mileages are others getting on their '97-'01 Camry 4cy cars? I averaged 26mpg in the first 10,000 miles with 56% city driving and 44% highway driving. Most of my best mileage occurred late summer and early fall (also the bulk of my highway driving time). The best mileage recorded to date was 34mpg while on a straight stretch of highway travelling to Arizona in about 80 degree weather. The worst mileage recorded was 17mpg in the start of winter with city driving. I have only been averaging around 20-21mpg the last several tanks (mostly city but some highway driving) I have always used 89 octane in the summer and 92 octane in the winter (oxygenated) Chevron gasoline. Do my mileage recordings seem reasonable for my car? Do they parallel other owners mileages?
I don't mean to sound prejudiced, and in fact use many brands of gasoline, but especially with oxygenated fuel Chevron is superior. I can tell a difference in winter when it is in my car. When I can afford it, I also move up a grade when running oxygenated.
My camry has only had Chevron gasoline since the dealer fill. I did quite a bit of research on the additive packages local Portland area gas stations add to their gas. By and large, Chevron seems to have the best additive package in the area in my opinion. It does vary somewhat though from station to station.
Apparently Chevron/Texaco have one set of fuel injector cleaners in the fuel, and other stations use another one. Each cleans certain types of deposits better. Twice a year he runs 2-3 tankfuls of another brand like Exxon and then goes back.
I plan to stick with Chevron for life of the car. As aforementioned, I think it is the best in my opinion. Also, if by chance, I have some problem crop up related to gasoline I have a shot of Chevron paying for some of my repairs.
I agree with your friends thoughts on different additives cleaning in different ways. I will once or twice a year run Amsoil Quick Shot Fuel System Cleaner as opposed to switching gasoline brands though.
Too funny ... I never paid too much attention to what he was drivin. I do remember however that it was usually smoking, dented up, and limping into that garage of his lol.
This is probably way off the original topic, but here goes.
I think you can keep anything going nearly forever if you keep throwing money at it. I read somewhere else here at the town hall that an old timer german auto mechanic said "cars don't wear out, parts do". As long as you can avoid rust, and todays cars are vastly superior to older cars in their rust proofing, you can keep almost any car going.
I'd like to talk about how long machinery can be kept running.........I sail as an engineer on Great Lakes ore carriers. Some of the boats have been in service for close to one hundred years. This is possible because corrosion is not an issue on fresh water vessels. There are still some steam reciprocating engines in operation, "up and downers". 50 year old vessels with steam turbines are actually quite common. A diesel powered boat built in the '70's is considered "new". Just goes to show what a little (or maybe a lot) of maintenance can accomplish.
By the way, "boat" is acceptable nautical nomenclature for a laker, but we are talking about a vessel from 650 to 1000 feet long, 15000 to 80000 gross tons.
Thanks for your post. I believe you are right that almost anything can be kept running indefinitely if you replace parts on an as needed basis.
I'm hoping of course to hit the 1,000,000 mile mark without replacing any major parts - perhaps impossible. We'll see.
I think specifically with automobiles that people could save money by keeping one vehicle running indefinitely through the replacement of parts as needed rather than buying a new vehicle every few years. As an example, my Camry cost around $21,000. Let's say it only makes it to the 300,000 mile mark before major problems. Let's also say I average around 30,000 miles a year - thus at 300,000 miles the car is 10 years old. At this point I could spend $26,000 (given inflation) for a new quality midsized car or I could spend around $7,000 and rebuild the car with a new engine / transmission / paint job. If I took the rebuild route I would be spending around $19,000 less every 10 years - this doesn't even account for loan interest, etc.
I of course realize that most people (and realistically I may become one of them) grow tired of their vehicles after a few years of ownership and the desire for something new and better prompts them to buy a new vehicle.
I also think it is funny how certain types of mechanical devices inherently last so much longer than others. It sounds like some boats and vessels fall into the category of long lived mechanical devices. Take watches as another example. You can buy a mechanical Patek Phillipe that is 75 years old and working as well as it did when new. Boats, cars, and watches are all very different of course - not an apples to apples comparison. Still interesting though.
a quick question on air filters... I have spent sometime on the K&N thread which has gotten me thinking.
I currently have an Amsoil foam air filter installed in my Camry. I chose this filter on the premise that it would provide equal or better air flow to the OEM filter while filtering out more and smaller debris. Now, I'm unsure if my goals are being met.
Do you think I would be better off with Toyota OEM or TRD (Toyota Racing Development) filters or keeping the Amsoil?
Used the Amsoil foam filter for a while and went back to the oem. Less growl but if you don't keep the foam filter well oiled the foam will disintegrate, thus sucking foam into the throttle body. Don't ask me how I know this!! The 4cyl engine is not starved for air, so performance is not a problem. Stay with Toyota on the next filter change!!
Hey you know chevron makes a 0w-30 delo400 synthetic motor oil and 5w-30,10w-30 synthetic supreme motor oils which are all Pao based syns and Api approved. Look at www.chevron.com go to the motor oils section I'm sure you'll be impressed with the specs compared to the amsoil or redline or anyother oil. you can save about 2.00buck a quart.I'm a little byas too I use the 0w-30 in my mitsubishi I just bought 10gallons for 100.00bucks they made me a deal two 5 gal pales at my local dist,They make it in quarts too. Tony
When I lived in portland I bought the 0w-30 from Carson oil Co it was located by a bridge LOL LOL, they sold it in the quarts to me for 3.62 about 2 years ago. Tony
Beethoveen07, The only problem with rebuilding is, unless the car is a collector's item the cost of fixing may exceed the cost of replacement. I am sort of learning that the hard way with a 1992 240 SX convertible. A replacement engine installed $2500, a new top $700, a good paint job $3000. As compared to a 240sx in good condition well less than $6000. But, I too hope to get many additional miles on it.
I know that sometimes it costs more to rebuild a vehicle than to purchase another decent used one of the same make. My main point is that it is still cheaper to rebuild one than to buy a brand new vehicle of the same caliber as the old vehicle was when new.
I just got rid of an almost 13 year old Honda that "only" had 154,639 miles. At that rate it would have taken me 65 more years to reach a million. Although it was a great car I'm pretty confident it would not have made it ;-) .
Thank you for the link. It was a very entertaining story.
It certainly seems possible for an Accord driven almost totally on the freeway to hit 1 million miles. Given the claims of the story though, the driver would have to had driven an average of 356 miles a day every day of the year which seems a little hard to swallow. It also seems a little strange that the story hasn't been more publicized. You have to wonder I guess...
True indeed... I haven't given an update lately. I'm only at 13k miles. As stated before I won't be racking up too many miles for the first 7-8 months (maybe 2k a month at best). There after though, I will be doing more travelling and should be averaging closer to 5-6k miles a month or more.
The car has been completely trouble free the first 13k miles - no hint of a problem. I'll check my stats when I get home and post the total preventative maintenace costs to date, the total amount of gas used, my average gas mileage, etc.
Havent written in a while but mine (92) just turned 534,000kms. Continues to run like a clock. 4cyl, a speed, 1992, camry LE for those of you who care. All original , no accidents and wears like iron!!! You will make it to 1,000,000 miles but you will be real bored by the time you get there. Claude
Comments
To everyone: Thanks for all the advice on Amsoil engine oil - keep the thoughts coming.
Comments???Thought you guys would like to know...
Claude
What State or country do you live in, well, not US with KM and not miles.
What brand and weight oil do you use?
Oil and filter change interval?
How many miles on your commute to work assuming you use this car communting?
How much oil does it use between changes. Please do not say none, you will blow your credibility!
327k miles without problems is great to hear. As Armtdm as requested, I'd also be interested to hear a more in depth explanation of your preventative maintenance program. What little problems have you had?
Any further comments would be great - thanks.
1/Car is 100% original,with no accidents.
2/Car was run on Dino oil till I got it at 220,000kms (Castrol GTX) and factory oil filters)
3/Oil was changed 3 times in the first 5000 kms of it's life(very important , I think)
4/at 220,000kms the car was switched to semi synthetic for 3-4 oil changes and at about 250,000 went to Mobil 1 10W-30 and premium aftermarket filters. Oil has been changed every 10,000kms religiously with the filter being changed every 5000kms I.e filter at the 1/2 way mark and filter again when I change the oil. Car burns about 1.3l per 10,000kms or a little more than 1/2 a quart per 3000 miles. I am convinced this consumption is through valve seals and NOT rings.
5/I am a consultant and love to ski and travel and visit family in North Carolina. car has been to Florida ten times, Colorado about the same. I drive to Toronto (2 hrs) all the time.
6/car is TIGHT, QUIET, rattle free except for an occasional dash rattle and drives like a car with 50,000 miles on it.
6/I run synthetic oil (redline gear oil) in the transmission. Changed every 100,000 kms. I change the Timing belt every 200,000 kms (Changing at 100k or 60,000 miles is TOTAL bull!!). Every belt I have ever seen on a car that racks up mileage fairly quickly is perfect when it is replaced and I have seen MANY.)200,000kms and my belt looked brand new. Did it at 500,000 kms in the late fall along with the water pump.
7/Word to the wise. If you are going for big miles on your [non-permissible content removed] cars , replace ALL the seals and tensioner(timing belt) at high mileage when you do the belt. 3 seals are the Cam seal, the Crank seal and the oil pump seal. ALL these are driven off the belt and DO wear. They become brittle. Any 10 year old cars out there even with low mileage. CHANGE them when you do your T-belts.
8/Car is totally original major parts except for front 1/2 shaft (300 bucks no big deal) and A/C system condensor. I now have a leak in system so will get to that in the spring. Struts have been done twice, clutch was done at 440,000kms and the rear brakes are ORIGINAL!!! NO bull, so is the exhaust!!All electrical(alternator, Power windows and locks, cruise, wipers original. Starter was replaced with reman. Toy. starter last year also. Car has been VERY cheap to run, excellent on gaz, quiet at 75mph and "who could ask for anything more???"
9/going back to Toronto once again today.
10/ Lastly, I am gentle with the car. I never slam the door, dont gun it when I take off, look ahead at the lights that are turning red and back off as I watch all the idiots fly by to then nail their brakes, let it warm up and NEVER drive it hard cold,Change the coolant EVERY year (never had a water pump go, original radiator,and original hoses), yet I drive quickly and pass a lot of traffic on the road.Air and fuel filter are done regularly and wires are original. That 2.2l engine looks GREAT inside. At 500,000 kms we replaced the valve cover gasket for the first time and the top end of the car was like NEW. Light brown, NO sludge and NO deposits or visible wear on the cam lobes at all. The mechanic was stunned. I was NOT. Synthetics make a difference.
I run synthetics in my lawn mower, my ZX-11 Kawasaki and in my gorgeous V8 Camaro Z-28, 6 speed that will NEVER see snow or rain.(NOT a daily driver just a car that RUMBLES!!!).
I am happy to answer any more questions.
Lastly, I met a guy on the #401 a few weeks ago with a nice looking Camry LE like mine with an Automagic Transmission like most of you. It had 792,000 kms on it. saw it with my own eyes. Looked excellent . His engine and Transmission were original.
Flush those Automatics and make sure they flush b ALL of the fluid. Your automatics CAN go big miles without replacing just be easy and maintain them. My parents have a 93 camry also with 160,000kms. Runs like a top. They will never pass me and I will NEVER sell this car although I might get a new daily driver this summer. I love the new Subaru WRX but lots of cash so might steal another Camry from some guy who thinks his is "worn out " at 200,000kms. I LOVE used cars. He who buys new has too much cash and should give more to Charity!!!
Have at it boys. Flame away!!!
Claude Pardo Tillsonburg (Tillsonboring), Ontario ,Canada
Uses some oil (I have the seal seepages you mention as I did not replace at the 120,000 mile mark and should have) but are very minimal. Currrent consumption is about 25-28 ounces of oil in the 7,500 mile change interval, less then a US quart so quite good. My new Buick uses the same. My coolant is every 2 years.
Like you, I also changed my oil 3 times in the first 5k miles. I used Castrol GTX 5w30 dyno oil until 7k miles at which point I switched to Amsoil 5w30 extended drain synthetic oil. I used Mobil 1 oil filters up to the point of switching to Amsoil when I started using Amsoil oil filters. I changed my auto transmission fluid over to Amsoil Synthetic ATF at 10k miles. I also switched my air filter to the Amsoil foam type filter at 10k.
You made an excellent point that I think is equally, if not more, important as preventative maintenance and is often overlooked or not thought of by most people - driving cognizantly and easily. I too drive easily - no sudden bursts of acceleration. I particularly drive slow and easily when the car is still warming up. Portland drivers are generally horrible in my opinion - I constantly watch out for others when I'm driving. Portlands' worst offenders are HS kids in their built up Civics and those folks driving around their large vehicles (SUV's, etc.) while talking on the phone. I could start an entire new thread on these types of drivers - better stop now.
I'll keep on with my slow Camry I guess...
Where are the parents?
Off topic, sorry?
I mentioned 6 fatalities here in Portland. Three of these deaths were were those of teenagers (2 civic drivers raced each other then collided with one another). The other three deaths were incurred by other "innocent" motorists. A group of HS kids left their school for an open campus lunch, drove about 45mph down a residential (25mph) street, blew a stop sign, and T-boned an elderly couple in their Buick. All of the kids escaped with minor injuries. They killed the elderly man driving the Buick though and left his widowed wife in critical condition. Another set of kids were street racing late one evening and lost control of their car and T-boned a minivan killing the parents of three small children.
O.D.O.T. (Oregon Dept. of Trans) is trying to change the licensing laws for kids under 18 in the state of Oregon. They propose that kids should only be allowed to drive with a licensed driver over twenty-five until they are 18. They also are trying to prohibit kids under 18 from driving between 11PM and 6AM. I have to say that I support these motions. How many more people have to die before these motions are put into effect is yet to be determined.
I am not trying to stereotype youthful drivers. There are some very safe and contientious teen drivers out there. Unfortunately they will probably have to forgo some freedom (at least in Oregon) due to their out of control counterparts however.
Here are my Oil Changes:
1995 Camry
1.Oil Change.....6432...2/1/96 10W-30 Pennzoil
2.Oil Change.....9587...3/17/96 10W-30 Pennzoil
3.Oil Change....12443...4/23/96 10W-30 Pennzoil
4.Oil Change....15373...6/12/96 10W-30 Pennzoil
5.Oil Change....19799...8/14/96 10W-30 Pennzoil
6.Oil Change....23167...9/30/96 10W-30 Pennzoil
7.Oil Change....26480..11/24/96 0W-30 Amsoil
8.Filter ....38010...5/24/96 Changed filter
9.Oil change....44483...9/14/97 0W-30 Amsoil
10. Filter change 51685 1/19/98 Toyota Filter
11.Oil & filter.59600...7/4/98 5W-30 Amsoil
12.Filter & Oil 73623...5/3/99 5W-30 Amsoil
13.Filter & oil 83150..11/7/99 5W-30 Amsoil
14.Filter & Oil 91261..05/6/00 0W-30 Amsoil
15.Filter & Oil 105091.03/25/01 0W-30 Amsoil
16. Filter Change 110788..7/8/01 ST4967 model Walmart
Sold it at 123k with oil being changed last at 105k. Still running like new. Also no sludge problem. Just use a good synthetic!!
2002 Le has 1200 miles on it and runs much faster at speeds over 70mph. The car is much quieter at all speeds,especially from engine noise. MPG is better running the car hard. Got up to 5k on the tach once in 2nd gear and the torque is fantastic.
Mpg was 27 and 25 on two tanks of gas. I'm on my third tank.
Hopes this info helps you to feel confident with your Camry. Hell I bought another one and this one getting 0w-30 after 2nd oil change. Will keep you posted!!
Plumman
Maybe there is something to be said for using nylon leggings for belts as Al did.
Better stop now - I'm already embarrassed that I remember that much of Married With Children.
I'm jealous - it sounds like Toyota has finally addressed the under powered 4cy Camry engine. I'm not a lead foot, but a 136hp engine for a 3500 pound car is a little less power than I like. Overall I can't complain though - I love my '01.
Just curious... you mentioned taking your car to 5k rpm in 2nd gear and that you only have 1200 miles on it. Do you feel it was sufficiently broken in before you did this?
There was an episode where he sold his car and was going to buy a new Mustang, until he found Peggy and the kids raided his stash o' cash. He went out and bought a couple of non-running AMC products. I remember at one point, you could hear his radio playing "Welcome back baby...to the poor side of town", as he pushed a Pacer or Hornet onto the screen.
For the final shot, you heard his radio playing "I'm Walkin'", as another Duster slowly creeps on-camera, but this time, he's driving it instead of pushing! I remember him bragging "This baby's only got 20,000 miles on it!" or something like that. Of course, back then, odometers only registered 5 digits, so who knows how many miles the thing really had?
Appreciate the maintenance hints. I don't use synthetics, but am religious about frequent fluid changes. Synthetics that much better?
This said, I think 20 extra horsepower or, more importantly, 15 to 20 extra foot pounds of torque would be nice. I'm not a fast driver so all in all I get by just fine though.
I'm glad to hear you have had such good luck with your Camry. When did you start getting A/C leaks? Do you turn your A/C on every couple weeks to keep your system seals from cracking? It is something I believe is beneficial. 29 MPG is pretty good. I only averaged 26 MPG the first 10k miles on my Camry with 56% city driving and 44% highway driving. Do you drive more highway miles?
To all... While on the subject of weight and engine size I have a question about gas mileage. What types of mileages are others getting on their '97-'01 Camry 4cy cars? I averaged 26mpg in the first 10,000 miles with 56% city driving and 44% highway driving. Most of my best mileage occurred late summer and early fall (also the bulk of my highway driving time). The best mileage recorded to date was 34mpg while on a straight stretch of highway travelling to Arizona in about 80 degree weather. The worst mileage recorded was 17mpg in the start of winter with city driving. I have only been averaging around 20-21mpg the last several tanks (mostly city but some highway driving) I have always used 89 octane in the summer and 92 octane in the winter (oxygenated) Chevron gasoline. Do my mileage recordings seem reasonable for my car? Do they parallel other owners mileages?
My camry has only had Chevron gasoline since the dealer fill. I did quite a bit of research on the additive packages local Portland area gas stations add to their gas. By and large, Chevron seems to have the best additive package in the area in my opinion. It does vary somewhat though from station to station.
I agree with your friends thoughts on different additives cleaning in different ways. I will once or twice a year run Amsoil Quick Shot Fuel System Cleaner as opposed to switching gasoline brands though.
I think you can keep anything going nearly forever if you keep throwing money at it. I read somewhere else here at the town hall that an old timer german auto mechanic said "cars don't wear out, parts do". As long as you can avoid rust, and todays cars are vastly superior to older cars in their rust proofing, you can keep almost any car going.
I'd like to talk about how long machinery can be kept running.........I sail as an engineer on Great Lakes ore carriers. Some of the boats have been in service for close to one hundred years. This is possible because corrosion is not an issue on fresh water vessels. There are still some steam reciprocating engines in operation, "up and downers". 50 year old vessels with steam turbines are actually quite common. A diesel powered boat built in the '70's is considered "new". Just goes to show what a little (or maybe a lot) of maintenance can accomplish.
By the way, "boat" is acceptable nautical nomenclature for a laker, but we are talking about a vessel from 650 to 1000 feet long, 15000 to 80000 gross tons.
I'm hoping of course to hit the 1,000,000 mile mark without replacing any major parts - perhaps impossible. We'll see.
I think specifically with automobiles that people could save money by keeping one vehicle running indefinitely through the replacement of parts as needed rather than buying a new vehicle every few years. As an example, my Camry cost around $21,000. Let's say it only makes it to the 300,000 mile mark before major problems. Let's also say I average around 30,000 miles a year - thus at 300,000 miles the car is 10 years old. At this point I could spend $26,000 (given inflation) for a new quality midsized car or I could spend around $7,000 and rebuild the car with a new engine / transmission / paint job. If I took the rebuild route I would be spending around $19,000 less every 10 years - this doesn't even account for loan interest, etc.
I of course realize that most people (and realistically I may become one of them) grow tired of their vehicles after a few years of ownership and the desire for something new and better prompts them to buy a new vehicle.
I also think it is funny how certain types of mechanical devices inherently last so much longer than others. It sounds like some boats and vessels fall into the category of long lived mechanical devices. Take watches as another example. You can buy a mechanical Patek Phillipe that is 75 years old and working as well as it did when new. Boats, cars, and watches are all very different of course - not an apples to apples comparison. Still interesting though.
I currently have an Amsoil foam air filter installed in my Camry. I chose this filter on the premise that it would provide equal or better air flow to the OEM filter while filtering out more and smaller debris. Now, I'm unsure if my goals are being met.
Do you think I would be better off with Toyota OEM or TRD (Toyota Racing Development) filters or keeping the Amsoil?
Plumman
http://cartalk.cars.com/Mail/Letters/2000/01.14/5.html
I know that sometimes it costs more to rebuild a vehicle than to purchase another decent used one of the same make. My main point is that it is still cheaper to rebuild one than to buy a brand new vehicle of the same caliber as the old vehicle was when new.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/features/1282620
I just got rid of an almost 13 year old Honda that "only" had 154,639 miles. At that rate it would have taken me 65 more years to reach a million. Although it was a great car I'm pretty confident it would not have made it ;-) .
It certainly seems possible for an Accord driven almost totally on the freeway to hit 1 million miles. Given the claims of the story though, the driver would have to had driven an average of 356 miles a day every day of the year which seems a little hard to swallow. It also seems a little strange that the story hasn't been more publicized. You have to wonder I guess...
The car has been completely trouble free the first 13k miles - no hint of a problem. I'll check my stats when I get home and post the total preventative maintenace costs to date, the total amount of gas used, my average gas mileage, etc.
Claude