Older Camry Maintenance and Repair

kiawah · July 2009

I doubt that you'd be rewelding anything. Hard to say what your 'noise' is, but everything is bolted together. For instance, if your strut is bad, then they unbolt the strut, take it out of the vehicle, reassemble a new strut and put it back in, then align the vehicle's wheels.

You may want to have a repair shop actually look at what is wrong and give you an estimate for repair, as opposed to a used car manager guessing based on a sound.

jmgar · July 2009

The passenger side interior door handle plastic lever snapped on my 2002 Camry.

I can buy a replecement for $20 or so online. Has there been any recall on these ? It would seem dangerous to be unable to open the door from inside in an accident.

How difficult is it to remove the old plastic interior latch unit ? Do you just pry the unit out to replace, or have you got to disassemble surrounding upholstery panels ?

Apparently it happens a lot as there are a lot of ads for replacement parts.

Thanks for any help .

tatransam · July 2009

i have a 92 camry it would start at first if you held it to the floor, seemed to be getting to much fuel, so i pinched off the line and started it, then released it. but it finaly flooded out and stalled. rite after that it would not start again, and i ck,d it now has no spark..... any ideas anyone?

mitty13 · August 2009

My 96 Camry recently has quit while I've slowed to turn a corner or a couple times while I've been stopped at a red light. It usually starts back up after a couple tries and then drives normally. I've had it into the shop and they said they couldn't find any problems. A few days later while out of town, I heard a clunk noise and the car died and leaked anti freeze. I had it towed and they said it was the water pump and timing belt. I had them replace both and now a week later, my engine is still quitting on occassions. They've tried a few times to run the computer scan, but cannot get it to read anything.
Any ideas?

mycamry97 · August 2009

Hello (new to forum)

I have 1997 Camry LE, 166,830 miles. Excellent vehicle! Purchased new in '97. I inquired at Sears Automotive about cost for tune-up. I was asked about spark plugs and replacing wires. Approximately $200 total, so I didn't have work done today. I stopped taking my car to Dealer for service in 2007 (only because it was no longer convenient).

Sears has since done oil changes, transmission service, & minor services. In addition to spark plugs, what parts would be logical to replace for a tune-up. What should I expect to pay? I do not work on cars, but I like to be informed when dealing with mechanics.

By the way, Sears person also said my car required high-grade oil because of high mileage. Any comments about this?

Thanks for any feedback.

kiawah · August 2009

When was the engine timing belt and water pump last replaced?

treys842 · August 2009

Just got a 2006 Camry, 35K miles, excellent condition. Car exhibits vibration starting at 65 mph. Half second on, half second off. Gets worse at 70 and 75. So far have had wheel weight replaced, tires rotated and balanced, and front end aligned. Still there. Anybody have any suggestions? Car does not vibrate during braking and absolutely no vibration below 65.

mycamry97 · August 2009

I've never had timing belt or water pump replaced. Dealer recommended timing belt replacement at one time, but just haven't done it yet. Yes, I've heard about the consequences I would face when the timing belt fails, especially being stranded, and the huge repair/replacement cost.

I had always kept regular preventive maintenance services on my camry until now--budget issues. But I also want to try to avoid major repair situations when possible.

kiawah · August 2009

I'd check for a defective tire (out of round, separating belt), bent rim, bad strut(shock), or a front body panel that is loose and vibrating in the wind. Find a garage that has a special road force balancer, as opposed to spin balance. It simulates the load of the vehicle as it rides on a road, and balances the tire while it is under load.

rodrico46 · August 2009

The ac/def/heat switch on my 2001 Camry only works on the high setting. Would it be the switch that is defective? Expensive or difficult to repair? :mad:

kiawah · August 2009

Check the resistor bank, down in the ductwork where the squirrel cage fan is.

bubba38 · August 2009

hi I have a 98 camry le that just got totaled in a hit and run found a 93 wagon wondering if the drive train will swap relatively easy both are 4 cyl auto trans

kiawah · August 2009

I don't know the answer to your question, perhaps we'll find someone with engine swapping experience.

However, these are two totally different generation vehicles. The 98 is a generation 4 Camry which covers model years 1997 thru 2001. The wagon is part of a generation 3 Camry which covers years 1992 thur 1996. I would guess this is NOT a clean swap, but that is only a reasonable guess.

chrismn · August 2009

Hi

I have a 1993 Toyota Camry LE 4 cyl. It has 230,182k miles and runs wonderfully with an epa of about 27-29mpg
It was my grandmothers since original purchase in '93 and all maintenance has been kept up throughout its life. Since I've owned it I change the oil/filter(myself) every 3k or less. Every 15k I change the trans fluid/filter/gaskett.

I think CV joints are going to be to a big task for a beginner like me. And maybe even the motor mounts.

Whenever driving (or operating in a small environment like a parking lot, etc) and I turn more than about 180 degrees in eiter direction I can hear a pinging and through time it is getting much worse and louder. The pinging often comes from both sides. And sometimes when *slowly* going over a speed bump or pulling into driveway the banging noise occurs as well. Is this CV joints? or boots/axle/etc?
I am sure the struts need replacing too...

MOTOR MOUNTS:

When reversing or stopped at a light or decelerating the steering wheel and most of the car often shakes and rattles pretty bad. This is the worst when in reverse. I am pretty sure this is one(or more) of the motor mounts.
According to my Haynes book there are 4 motor mounts. The (2) that are easily visible and accessible when opening the hood look fine. I think its a mount underneath the transmission since it rattles ALOT more in Reverse as opposed to N or Drive.

My questions are...

Do the symptoms I've provided match what I've diagnosed in any way?

If so, what would the single itemized cost estimates be for.. (PART / LABOR)
CV joints/boots/etc
Struts(all 4)
Motor Mount(s)

Thanks for any reply!

ChrisMN

kiawah · August 2009

It's obviously hard to diagnose sounds over the internet, it would be good to have a mechanic look at it and drive it to give you an opinion. You don't indicate whether the struts and cv joints have been replaced before, you have certainly got way more than your money's worth on them.

I'd classify the bad sounds of struts and cv joints more like creaking and groaning and grinding....vs.... pinging.

If this was my vehicle that I was picking up for my daugter to drive, I would replace the struts, cv joints/shafts and while I had it apart I'd throw new brake rotors/calipers/pads on it. Of course you also need an alignment. If you haven't done any major mechanical work before, this is certainly not a job you'd want to tackle yourself. Swapping the springs on the struts can be very dangerous for a shade tree mechanic, and a shop has a big spring compressor that makes that job a snap for them to do. I've done it myself in prior vehicles, but the last vehicle I had to fix it I just had a shop do it.

Personally, I've never had motor mounts go bad, so I wouldn't be replacing them as a guess or hunch.

How do the plugs and wires look? Has it had an engine tuneup recently?

As with any older high mileage vehicle, you have got to start thinking about an end-of-life plan. It sounds like the vehicle may be in very good condition and warrant this maintenance. But 250K is a lot of miles, and you're going to find more and more opptys to have to make maintenance decisions whether to fix it or not.

You didn't mention timing belt and waterpump replacement, when is the last time those were done?

chrismn · August 2009

Yes there is also some creaking and groaning.
I am pretty sure the struts and/or shocks are original. And I do not know if the CV joint/shafts have been replaced before or not.

The brakes were just replaced about 9,000 miles ago. (as well as an alignment) I know it would for sure need another alignment after cv joints/shafts replaced.

I tune it up every 15K(plugs, wires, cap, rotor) and the last tune up was about 7,000 miles ago. Very clean engine, magnaflow exhaust, K & N Air Filter cleaned every tune up.

The timing belt and water pump were replaced at 174,092k.

Being a person who has had "clunkers" most of my life I have had to pay for motor mounts on 2 cars and the symptoms are exact. But of course I'm going to get a professional decision...

Do you know a ballpark estimate of the costs of

Struts/shocks - item & labor
CV joint(s)/shaft(s) - item & labor
Motor mount(s) - item & labor

I know its hard to diagnose and give estimates in this situation but I am just wondering if this is like over a 1000$ job or 500$ or less..
Want to get some pro advice before going to mechanic to be haggled.

Thanks alot

kiawah · August 2009

Don't know what area of the country you are in, to know parts or labor rates.

You can find the cost of parts, just call any autoparts chain (PepBoys, Autozone, etc) and they'll give you the cost of parts for cv axles and struts, and I guess even motor mounts. Potentially I guess you could even search internet parts sites.

With the parts cost knowledge, I would then call a couple tire / alignment shops in your area. These are very standard repairs, and they can give you estimates very quickly. The last time I had struts done I had them done at an NTB Tire store (part of Sears chain), and also got an alignment and tires at the same time. Somehow I think each strut w/labor was around 150-200 each, part strut/shock about half of that and the other half labor. I've seen a number of shops w/advertisements and actually PepBoys might even do them if you have larger shops w/service bays. Call around, you'll find the current market rate range for your geographic are pretty quickly. Common repair, on a common vehicle, can't get any cheaper than that.

Sounds like your vehicle is well maintained, probably well worth this investment.

ginman06 · August 2009

Only owned this for one week. Don't know what happened, but all of a sudden my security LED is blinking, the engine immobilizer kicked in, and my ignition is locked and won't turn. Key fobs work for locking, opening, alarm, but that's all. Called Dealer. Only help they had was to unlock the door with the key itself (old fashioned way) not using the fob. The ignition worked, but upon getting to my destination, it did it again. How do I get out of this mode and get my car back to the way it was?

kiawah · August 2009

Try a different key to get it working.

Take all the keys and vehicle back to the dealership, and they can re-program the security to the keys.

It's under warranty, let them fix it.

ginman06 · August 2009

Thank you! Sorry, new to site and posted again in 2010 camry forum.

greeneye1 · September 2009

Its a problem that does not happen all the time but some times. It started occurring in the last couple of weeks. When I start driving a "chuck,chuck" noise is heard and as I speed up to say 20-30 mph the whole car starts shaking. I stop the car, turn off the ignition, turn on again and start driving and its fine. Sometimes it happens the second time as well and I repeat the procedure. Also there is sometimes a grinding noise when I put in drive from reverse after pulling out of the parking lot. Also I have found this happening mostly when starting and when the temperature is cold but once it happened on the highway as well. I got my suspension checked and it seems to be fine. I think it is a transmission issue and the gears are not engaging properly always. Any help as to what might be going on is greatly appreciated. Btw, it is a 2000 Toyota Camry XLE. Thank you

kiawah · September 2009

I suspect you are going to need a mechanic to look at this to determine what the problem is. He's going to need to hear it, and most likely drive it.

Part of isolating it down to the problem area, is to hear whether the problem is related directly to the speed that the tires are rotating (which also has brake rotors, CV joints, and output of transmission rotating at same speed), or at engine RPM's (internal engine, external accessories to engine, input shaft to the transmission).

I could interpret a 'chuck, chuck' noise to be a lot of things:
- brake pad worn down, and hitting metal to metal against high spot on rotor
- CV joint bad, binding as it is rotating
- valve bad in engine
- bearing bad in engine or transmission
- bearing bad on an belt driven accessory to the engine
- belt frayed and slapping
- etc

Grinding noise could be brakes, or transmission, or ??

Get it to a qualified mechanic, shouldn't take long to zero in on problem area.

azbrian · September 2009

Very common on 4 cyl engines that EGR valve gets gunked up with carbon deposits and starts to stick. When this happens the valve will stick open and cause a significant internal vacuum leak and will make the car quickly die as it tries to come to an idle. Usually restarting the car resets the EGR valve until it intermittently sticks again. Easy and cheap fix. Remove EGR valve which is in the intake manifold at rear of engine just behind the throtttle body. Clean the carbon out using brake cleaner and reinstall. You may need to replace the gasket between the valve and the manifold but this is a $1 item at NAPA. This will happen and will not always trigger your check engine light or throw any codes. 95% chance this is your problem.

ndhand · October 2009

I have a 2003 Toyota Camry, 4 cylinder. My check engine light recently went on. I brought it in for an emissions test and was told that I have a P0420 code for catalyst inefficiency where the rear catalytic is not working and needs replacement.

I also had a P0456 where an evap leak was detected. The fuel filler neck is leaking and both the neck and cap need replacing.

Anyone know if these are necessary jobs? Can I safely drive without the repairs (they're pretty costly)? Any help is much appreciated!

kiawah · October 2009

When you say the rear catalytic, are you referencing the 2nd oxygen sensor?

You'd have a sensor in the pipe in front of the catalytic converter, and another sensor after the catalytic converter. The computer monitors both of these sensors. Based on the sensor feedback, it adjusts the engine parameters like air/fuel mixture, timing, etc to get optimal performance.

If the computer is detecting the 2nd sensor is a problem, then we know the first sensor is working and it's able to adjust engine parameters into tolerance correctly. However, then the gas goes thru the catalytic converter and is read by the 2nd sensor. If it doesn't like the readings from the 2nd sensor, then either the sensor is bad, or the catalytic converter is bad. Sensor is the cheaper of the two, and they do go bad and need repairs.

grapepicker · October 2009

I have a 05 camry xle v-6 with 25,000 miles which I bought new. Last week the check engine light came on and the car got real sick. It will idle but when you give it gas, it just won't go and there's a clunking in the transmisson.We had it towed to the dealer we bought it from and they said that they couldn't find anything wrong. The car was in there for 2 days and suddenly it started to run fine. Since they couldn't find anything wrong we took it home. 5 days later after running fine, it did it again. We'll have it towed again and hopefully they will find the problem. Has anybody out there experienced this type of problem with their camry.

kiawah · October 2009

They would be able to read the error codes from the computer. Ask them what the error codes were in the computer, when the worked on it the first time.

If you have to, you can buy an inexpensive reader and read yourself, I think I paid like 40 bucks or so at Pep Boys on sale a year or two ago.

grapepicker · October 2009

The could not get the diagnostic reader to give any error codes. No codes to help with the problem. Took it home running about 25 miles and then the "check engine" light came on again and wouldn't run properly... about 2 mph!

kiawah · October 2009

I'd consider taking it to a different dealership.

tinadiva · October 2009

I own a '96 Toyota Camry with only 80K miles on it. I am the original owner and have had very little trouble with my car until the last year or so. I have replaced the tires and done the brakes and replaced the battery. However, it started overheating about a year ago. I have had to replace the radiator, thernostat, water pump, and relay switch for the fan - obvious cooling system issues. It seems to be working fine now. But I need struts, probably 4 now and that will cost another $500 I would think.

I would like to keep this car running for a few more years. What do you think about the money investment? Is a '96 Toyota Camry worth putting another $2K of work in to keep it running for another 3 years? This is not a time for me to take on a car payment. The body is not in the best shape (NYC parking!), so the resale value isn't the top. Appreciate your input.

kiawah · October 2009

Only you know the real condition of the car, but 80K is not a lot of miles for your vehicle, and you obviously don't put a lot on each year.

$500 is less than 2 payments.

If you buy something new (anything), your insurance payments would go up substantially from what you are paying now...that's probably enough savings to pay for your struts by itself.

I think you'd probably be very hard pressed to find any vehicle in your area for $2k, that would be anywhere near as reliable as your car.

imidazol97 · October 2009

Kiawah, please check your carspace.com email for my note.

grapepicker · October 2009

kiawah, thanks for the come-back.dealership yesterday said it was my oxygen sensor gone bad. Their going to check computer to see if any damage was done to it. I'm getting a bad feeling about this. As for taking it to another dealer, there are only two in my area. So i don't have a lot of choices. I hope i get back without losing leg, they already took an arm.

bdickert · October 2009

Turn signals and hazard only work when car is started or for a short period then they come on solid. Called the dealer - they said the flasher is bad? Are they both on the same flasher component? What is the location for the replacement - one dealer says the driver side the other says to remove the glove box and it resides there. Will a parts store have the same type or could the pins be different?

kiawah · October 2009

Yes, flasher could be bad, but you should also look closely at the bulb operation. Have someone work signals while you look at bulbs. Pay close attention to the intensity of the bulbs, if a filament is broke/shorting.

Yes

Could be the drivers side left kickpanel, but also might be behind glove compartment. Easiest way to determine, follow your ear to the clicking (when it's working).

Would expect to find a flasher at any parts store.

msmith1265 · November 2009

I have a 2001 Camry and the airbag, ABS, and cruise control lights are all constantly blinking. This just started yesterday. Any ideas as to what could cause it. Could it be a fuse or something electronic?

rm29n4 · November 2009

I have had my car since 06/2008. It is a great little car, very little maintenance. However; I am in the little above average range in no how to work on cars. I have had a lot of experiences with other owned vehicles. My question is-where in the world is the PCV valve on my car. It is the wierdest thing I have seen yet. I have yet to be able to located it using the every day common books in autozones and such. It is definitely not located in the usual spot that I am used to? I appreciate the help.

typesix · November 2009

There is no PCV valve on that car. There is a hose that goes from the crankcase to the throttle body near where the flex air intake hose attaches to the throttle body. This hose looks like a large vacuum hose and needs to be checked once in a while for blockage. Because of this system the butterfly valve will tend to carbon up and cause a sticking throttle when you try to depress accelerator, and you will need to sparingly use carb cleaner on a rag to clean the butterfly valve.

210delray · November 2009

Aha! So that's why my former '97 Camry didn't appear to have a PCV valve either. Same 2.2-liter engine (or was it 2.0 liters in '90?)

typesix · November 2009

2.0 liters for all 2nd generation Camry 4 cyl.

210delray · November 2009

Thanks, so then 2.2 liters for the 3rd and 4th generations (1992-2001)?

2000camryle · November 2009

My girlfriend owns a 2000 Camry Le with a 2.2 L engine with 60 K and I want to change the tranny fluid, radiator coolant, front rotors and brakes, air filter and spark plugs and wires.
1.Should I do a flush like another Camry owner here has done using 8-9 qts of fluid using a one gallon jug and should I change the filter as well?
2.Is it time for spark plugs and wires?
3.Besides the things I mentioned is there anything else I should be changing? All the belts look good.
4. How do I flush the radiator? Just drain all the fluid out and replace with 50/50?
5. She had a preinspection on the car prior to purchase and they said she needed front brakes and rotors, is it OK to just go to Advance Auto for such things?

Also I understand it may be time for a new timimg belt. How nessessary is this at 60K? And should we change other things like water pump while we are in there? This car is a new addition to our family, I don't want her to get starnded in the middle of nowhere with a breakdown.
Thanks

macika3 · November 2009

i got a 91 camry 2.2 with 270k on it runs good but the the needle in the water gauge works only when he feels liket and sometimes when it does work it fluctuates up and down,any ideas?thx

jca0720 · November 2009

Hi,
I have a 2003 Toyota Camry, has about 95k miles. Car runs great, smooth ride, etc... However, over the weekend, I was parking my car on a hill (facing down). When I had the car on reverse, my car would continue to go forward. If I'm facing down a hill and have the car is on reverse, shouldn't my car stay still (meaning not move forward nor back when removing my foot from the brake pedal)? Is this the beginning of a transmission problem? Or did my car do this because I was attempting to park the car on a hill. My car works fine (drive/reverse) on a flat surface.

210delray · November 2009

This is normal if the downgrade is steep enough: gravity wins.

skyking49 · December 2009

My Mother's Camry stalls after driving it for about 8 mi. It starts up fine and runs good until then. After that when I slow down in traffic or at a stop sign it dies. Took it to the Garage and he installed a new Distributor. That did NOT fix the problem. He still insists that the Distributor was bad and I had to pay 775.00. I told him that is like me bringing the car in for a brake problem and he fixes the muffler because it was bad. It does not fix the problem but what the heck. He now says it is probably the fuel pump and I think they are in the Gas tank. Please correct me if I am wrong. I would buy a after market one for 69.00 because a OEM one is around 175.00. Problem is what if that is not the problem I should not have to pay for things he fixes if it does not address the stalling issue. Anyone have any ideas what could cause this problem. Thanks a Lot.

210delray · December 2009

This is hard to diagose over the internet. You need to see a competent mechanic, apparently not the one you have now. It sounds like he's just throwing parts at the problem, hoping that something eventually works.

imupabove · December 2009

hello. when i press on the gas my car doesnt give that extra kick how it use to. usually when i press on the gas it accelerates pretty fast. i drove on the freeway and got where i needed to be but i know the performance changed. i press the gas hard and it just doesnt speeds up fast enough. sometimes the gas pedal gets stuck as if their was a bottle behind it. i recently just got a oil change and new coolant and right after that it was pretty smooth and also got my radiator flushed. their is a tear on my air intake hose, can this be the reason why my car is sluggish? also i must add, this mechanic i know said that my AIC valve is dirty and needs cleaning. thank you very much.

gtgtcobra · December 2009

Sounds like your 93 Camry is on its last leg. It's time to buy a brand new 2010 Camry.

kiawah · December 2009

It could be so many things, and very difficult to diagnose over the internet with so little info that you give. It is much easier for a competent local mechanic who can hear it run and test drive it, to diagnose the problem for you.

Older Camry Maintenance and Repair

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