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Older Camry Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • flower4flower4 Member Posts: 3
    I had the same engine sludge problem. i actually got a recall notice from Toyota last year and received a new engine. I had to produce the receipts for my oil changes and they changed it for free. You may want to check into that with toyota.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    The two problem are unrelated I would think. You need to see a mechanic you can trust (doesn't have to be the dealer). The VSC/Trac off means your electronic stability control and traction control systems are not functioning. You can still drive the car safely for the time being.
  • superduty3superduty3 Member Posts: 11
    your car is out of warr. the problem is the o2 sensor will sieze in the exhaust manifold. my question is what made the o2 sensor come on. did they just read the code and not the freeze frame data. i would ask to recheck.
  • wannahonda2wannahonda2 Member Posts: 3
    thanks for the response. it ended up not being the manifold. for some reason, the o2 sensor was "stuck?". it ended up costing almost $600, mostly for labor charges. after the fact, i had a coworker who said he could have done it for around $150. :cry:
  • flower4flower4 Member Posts: 3
    Ok, its funny though that the light came on. It only did so after the guy at the auto parts store hooked up his computer to see if there were any codes for the first thing. Is it possible that he hit a button and turned it off through the computer? Also, does it have to do with the breaks? Do they need to be checked? would worn break pads cause the problem? :confuse:
  • debbie68debbie68 Member Posts: 17
    Writing in from Boston, where as of today it has been frigidly cold for about 5 days. About 9 days ago I filled up my tank. Since filling up, much to my horror, my mileage has sunk from an average of 25 mpg to about 14mpg. Went to the dealer to check this out. Air and oil filters are fine. Tire pressure is fine. They suggested on fuel injection cleaner system at $100+ and I passed per professional (outside the dealership, my usual mechanic) advice. They saw my coolant and tranny fluids were dirty and I went ahead and changed them out. I also changed oil as it was due.

    Three questions:
    The dealership can't explain the drop in my mileage except for the cold. Can it all be blamed on this reason, or is there something else to look at?

    According to them, my tranny and coolant fluids were dirty. I last changed them at 46K. Is this normal to need to do after 30K? Can this (wishfully) explain the mileage problem?

    They put a sticker in my car to remind me of 5,000 mile oil change, but I thought the conventional wisdsom was back to 3,000. Any ideas?

    Thank you!
  • stujstuj Member Posts: 2
    I started the car to warm up one cold morning and went back in the house, The car was parked on a steep sideways hill and after a few mins it apparently ran out of fuel I went out to leave after an hour and it had run the battery down (with ignition, fan, and lights on). I set a battery and jumpers under the hood and released the ignition and put it in neutral and rolled it back to flat ground. I cranked fuel into it once flat and it started right up. Now,,,,,, I have no dash gauges, no heater fan, no running lights, no temp, no fuel level, no tach, no speedo, no windows. I am puzzled. Headlights work, but no overdrive on the freeway.
    can someone offer me a starting place to diagnose what is wrong and how to fix it. I am curious on theories of what caused this. Thanks in advance
    stu_johns@hotmail.com
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Check your 100Amp ALT fuse, I think you'll find it fried.
  • stujstuj Member Posts: 2
    Thanks,, 100 AMP is fine,, looked good and even took it out and checked it.. any other ideas? Stu
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Stu,

    Check your hotmail, sent you a picture that will help. Focus on identifying the items that are working and not working. You may be downstream one fuse from the 100ALT, if you can verify a device on one of the tree limbs off the 100ALT is working okay.

    Good luck
  • cam1998cam1998 Member Posts: 3
    Hi all... Need some help please...
    A little background: I recently had my engine replace and the car sounds great and is running a-o-k, BUT after an hour of getting the car back my speedometer and RPM gauge stopped working, dash light indicating the gear I'm in is not on and I can no longer open or close any of my power windows (including the sunroof). I have ck'd the window fuses and they are good.

    I obviously took the car back in for thinking when they replaced the engine they screwed up something electrical.... they said it's the Neutral Switch causing the relay for the windows to go out, the lights in the dash not to work and the rest of the dash (speedometer and RPMs not to register).

    I don't know about cars, but it sounds weird how they are all connected. Could it have been an error on the engine install and now they are trying to get me for more money due to their error??? PLEASE I NEED HELP!

    Stacey :confuse:
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    What year car, make, model, engine are you talking about?
  • cam1998cam1998 Member Posts: 3
    1998 Camry
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    They speak the truth.

    For your vehicle the 10A Gauge fuse, handles:
    ABS and traction control
    Backup Light
    Charging
    Combination Meter (your dash gauge)
    Cruise Control
    Door Locks
    Electronically controlled Transmission and indicator
    Engine Control
    Headlight w/Daytime running light
    Key reminder and seat belt buzzer
    Light Auto Turn off
    Moon Roof
    Power Window
    Stop Light
    Taillight
  • ryan99ryan99 Member Posts: 46
    I had this exact same problem in my 99 camry after removing and reinstalling my gauge cluster. i lost function of all of those components and the car would not shift out of first gear. Mechanic said it was the neutral safety switch, I held off on replacing it, replaced the fuse after if blew a few times, then checked all my connections and ended up finding a short at the reverse lights causing the fuse to blow as soon as I put the car into gear. it seems the wire harness to the tail lights that runs along the trunk lid arm is prone to breakage. I fixed that and haven't had a problem since. Hope this helps a little.
  • melhemmrmelhemmr Member Posts: 1
    I was referred to you and your forum bu a parts company. I need your help (and the help of others in this forum) to find a snap-on cap for the windshield washer tank in my 2001 camry. I hope you cam help me locate this part. I appreciate you responding through e-mail since I ahve intermittent access to some websites.

    Many thanks in advance,

    Murad
  • cam1998cam1998 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for everyone's input. Turns out the Speed Sensor was cracked off when they placed in my "new" engine which seems to be causing the problem. Based on the Diagnostics done at another mechanic, the neutral switch did not need to be replaced. Like kiawah mentioned the Gauge 10A is responsible for everything being connected (I read the Owner's manual after posting my need for help), but the short was due to the sensor that was cracked and not making a solid connection, thus blowing the fuse - hence everything not working.

    Again I thank you for your input, glad I found this forum and will spread the word.
    Stacey
  • superduty3superduty3 Member Posts: 11
    first is it a 4 or 6 cylinder. there is a reflash for the ecm for the 6. cold weather is not gonna affect milage that drastic. second your trany fluid should be changed every 30k collant every 60k. and it will not affect milage. third toyota says every 5k for oil change but i would stick to every 3k due to oil sludge. would ask dealer to run on scan tool in active mode and make sure there are no pending codes, would also check fuel curve. hope this helps.
  • debbie68debbie68 Member Posts: 17
    Thank you for your message and advice. 4 cylinder. Guess what? After the fluid changes, my mileage went right back up to normal! What do you think?
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    It probably wasn't the fluid changes -- these will not have a significant effect on gas mileage. Maybe it was a combination of cold weather and not calculating the mpg properly. Another possibility: how many gallons did you put in when you got the low mpg reading? In my experience, if you're just topping off the tank, you'll get widely varying readings vs. waiting until the tank is about 3/4 empty.
  • kk_0311kk_0311 Member Posts: 1
    I have 99 camry with 88.5 k miles. Timing belt is little slacking and causing some noise. My local mechanic is recommending that I work on the oil seal (by the timing belt ) and also the driving belt, while doing the timing belt. He is asking 440$ to do this apart from around 300$ for regular 90k maintenance

    Toyota dealer including the water pump is asking for 950+.

    Do you guys think I should work on the oil seal and water pump now itself? I am planning on owning this car for a while.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Yes, change the timing belt and the drive belts, as well as the oil seal and the timing belt's tensioner spring. The water pump is up to you, if it's not leaking.

    The timing belt pricing is about right, but why is the 90K mile maintenance costing $300? Seems high to me, but I guess I've been doing that myself for so long, I've lost touch with current prices.
  • ameipearlameipearl Member Posts: 2
    I went to a shop for a diagnostic because my check engine light was on. I went to the autozone before and got the code as P0306, cylinder 6 misfire.
    First of all the shop didn't give me an estimate before they went ahead and fixed the car. They first told me on the phone that it would cost $317. Then after I went to get my car they brought it down to 270. It was $90 for parts, and 3 hr labor totaling of 180. My friends told me I got ripped. Is that the case?
  • mydogjakemydogjake Member Posts: 3
    my mechanic suggests that something major internally (lower end) has broken and caused the engine to seize. He tried to turn it over with / without starter and eventually attempted with a crowbar. No go. Not good :(

    The car is in very good condition; in fact, the interior is virtually excellent. The exterior is in very good condition; no dings or dents with good paint. The car has 81K on it. It is a v6 XLE with leather, sunroof and 5speed manual (fun)

    My question is: the car is probably worth $5500-$6000 when running, what is it worth with a seized engine?

    Should I consider spending $3k to fix the car to running condition or sell and take my lumps?

    I'm not a mechanic and therefore incapable of fixing what is an otherwise very good car.

    Any help, thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated!!

    -sad in Portland
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    You should check with your mechanic and then a Toyota dealer in case your engine has oil sludge (gelling). Toyota has extended the warranty to 8 years and unlimited miles, so your car may squeak through in time.

    Otherwise, the choice is yours -- without a working engine, the car is essentially worthless. Good luck!
  • mydogjakemydogjake Member Posts: 3
    Q: Is the oil sludge (gelling) a fairly common problem or at least enough to be recognized by Toyota? I can pull the dipstick which still shows plenty of good clean oil yet apparently something wasn't swishing around enough to keep the engine from seizing.

    Thank you.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Yes, it's a known issue and was acknowledged by Toyota, who extended the warranties on engines that were affected, including your Camry V6. However, if you changed the oil regularly and have owned the car since new, sludge may not be the problem. But you never know for sure, and the condition of the oil on the dipstick doesn't reveal all.
  • mydogjakemydogjake Member Posts: 3
    Thanks. I will ask my Toyota mechanic about the problem and possible (though unlikely) coverage by extended warranty. We bought the car used about one year ago. We've been good on the changes and maintenance but are unsure about previous owners. Sigh; I've owned 3 Toyotas each with very few problems. I never would have guessed my Camry would fail the way this one did.

    I appreciate your help.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    If you have the receipts from the oil changes you had done, that would help. Unfortunately, you likely don't know how the prior owner maintained the car. Good luck!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    >Q: Is the oil sludge (gelling) a fairly common problem or at least enough to be recognized by Toyota?

    Toyota Engine Sludge on Edmunds

    There are 5000 posts in the sludge discussion on Edmunds. If you search the web you will find lots of discussions where it's talked about, although some have been closed by people who have some reason for not wanting it discussed complaining to get discussions taken off. The discussion on Edmunds got closed by the same tactics.

    You can search for sludge on Edmunds using the "Search Forums" and you'll find several different discussions.

    At first Toyota blamed the customers. Then there have been valve cover modifications to get more air flow through the motor to remove contaminants which are thought to expedite the sludge formation. There may be more factors in the motor design that expedite the sludge formation. Many car motors are prone to sludging, not just toyota.

    If you bought it from a Toyota dealer, they should have checked it for sludging before selling it. You may be able to determine if the previous customer had the once-per-year oil changes required for coverage under warranty fi they had those done at a dealer or you can find the previous owner.

    Toyota should step up and help you replace the motor like Honda has with transmission problems.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • ryan99ryan99 Member Posts: 46
    Hi Folks, I am looking for some information on how to rest for a faulty EGR valve and an Idle control valve. I suspect one of these two is the cause of my cold start/ stall problem. Also, does the steering wheel need to be removed to replace a wiper switch?
    Thanks, Ryan
  • busdonicbusdonic Member Posts: 1
    I bought an 05 Camry about a month ago due to an accident that totaled my other car. Now I have a problem: the inside release lever for the trunk was working fine up until a few days ago, then abruptly would no longer open the trunk. Remote fob opener works fine, but am wanting to fix. Anyone know if the cable replacement is difficult? Local dealer is saying an hour and a half for labor on a 28 dollar part which I find ridiculous. Tips and/or advice?

    Also, does anyone know if you replace the stock head unit with an aftermarket, do you lose the steering wheel audio controls? Thank you!
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Don't see specific instructions in the service manual as to how to replace the cable, so I think you just need to dig into it a little bit on both ends to see whether you think it's something you can handle.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Is the key slot in the trunk lid in the horizontal position? If so, this disables the inside release mechanism (for theft protection as long as the rear seatbacks are also locked). To enable it, insert the key in the trunk lock and turn 1/4 turn clockwise.
  • hysteric33hysteric33 Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have a 96 Camry with a little over 200k miles on it. Engine and everything runs really good still. All maintenance and oil changes have been done on time and the car has generally been taken care of with no problems. About a week ago after starting the car I went to put it into reverse and the transmission was stuck. I waited for a few minutes and decided to see if the ECT button had an affect. I quickly pressed in the ECT button and than immediately took it off and the car went smoothly into reverse. Now I have to do it just about every time I get into the car. Structurally I dont think there is anything wrong with the transmission. The car still runs nice and the transmission is still smooth once I get it into gear.

    I know ECT stands for Electronic Controlled Transmission. Most likely an electrical problem eh?

    Ive been hesitant to take it to a dealership (financial reasons) just in case there is something I can do to fix the problem.

    Any ideas or insight is much appreciated.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    do you know whether you have the A140E transmission, or the A541E?
  • hysteric33hysteric33 Member Posts: 2
    Its the A140E. The A541E only came with the V6s right?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    check your carspace.com mailbox. Go to 'mycarspace', then mailbox. Your email is hysteric33@carspace.com

    Good luck
  • bill87bill87 Member Posts: 4
    The car is overheating. The top hose was hot and the lower hose was cold. I changed the thermostat. Both hoses now hot. Car still overheating. Both hoses are very hard. No smoke, no water in oil, no oil in water. Is the radiator bad or do I have combustion going into the cooling system- a head gasket or cracked block?
  • blondie14blondie14 Member Posts: 1
    My Camry runs like a champ, 34 mpg, reliable, etc, but if I let it sit a day or two without using it and it's damp or raining, the car still starts fine, but hesitates when I ask it to accelerate. That problems lasts for 1/2 hour or so. If it sits without use for a day or two of bright dry weather, it's not a problem. I can't figure it. Any one have any ideas? fyi it's mileage is 175,000 or so.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Have you ever replaced your spark plug wires? This could be the problem.
  • xusmeexusmee Member Posts: 2
    Toyota camry 1995. Never give me problem before.

    It starts when I forgot to turn off my head lights. The battery ran out, which is a surprise since it used to turn-off automaticly. The battery is fine after I recharge it and have auto parts people checked it.

    After the incident, the mark lights and dash board lights starts blinking whenever I turn on/off engine or slam the door, punch the dashboard, hit a bump on the road, etc...It takes half minutes to stop each time.

    I found that one rear mark ligh bulb was burned and replaced it (only one, I haven't replaced the other one and will do it first thing getting off work). I also tried taking the battery off. It still blinks.

    I really appreciate it if anyone can offer some advice.

    William
  • collegeguyjxncollegeguyjxn Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2005 with about 82000 miles on it. It has been a great car with no problems to speak of. The only problem is two things that might be related.
    a) When I crank the car and it is cold, there is a lot of engine noise. It sounds as though something is lose of something. There is usually a distinct sound when I hit the gas pedal and the car is cold. The sound seems to go away when the car is warmed up.
    b) My second problem began the other day. When I'm at highway speeds and hit the gas to pass someone or something a funny noise occurs. Sometimes when the transmission downshifts, I hear a loud vibrating noise that doesn't last for long. I haven't heard this sound but a few times.

    Im hoping that I can resolve these issues because I love my camry and want to keep it for many years/miles to come.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    There's a bunch of things in that circuitry, including the ignition switch, the integration relay, headlight /taillight/DRL relays, and about 4 or 5 fuses.

    Can you give me some very simple and or specific scenarios that you can make it fail, and I'll try to see if that gives me enough clues to figure out which of the components might be a problem.

    When the lights are blinking, are you hearing a relay clicking ?

    Can you verify that the battery voltage has been charged back up to 13.3 to 14.0 volts?
    Relays clicking can be because there isn't enough DC voltage to hold the relay closed.
  • reeterreeter Member Posts: 1
    What should a new engine's compression be ?

    What should an engines mimimum compression be?

    On a deathbed ? At what point should I no longer be nickel and dimed??? :sick: ??
  • freezincamryfreezincamry Member Posts: 4
    The driver's side seat does not work-doesn't go back or forward. Passenger side does tho. Any Ideas???
    Paul
  • freezincamryfreezincamry Member Posts: 4
    Yes it is the same car---But sometimes I have troubles navigating these things since I don't -or have not got all that much experience navigating thru these things-but I do write down most or all the info so I know what is going on.......If you want my e-mail address- will give it to you.............
    Paul
  • carlfromrbcarlfromrb Member Posts: 3
    I am looking at a 2001 camry with the 4cylinder engine and 80000. I am aware of the sludge problems with these engines but they seller has changes the oil every 3000(documented). Should I be concerned? How can you check for sludge?
    Thanks
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    If the oil was changed regularly, it will be fine. To be sure it was done regularly, all you have to do is pull the valve cover off and you will be able to see if there is any sludge.

    I would do this with any used car before purchase.

    I know at least 3 people that have this generation Camry, that had them in excess of 100,000 miles - no sludge or excess oil consumption

    A must read about the so-called sludge problem is in "Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY" message #4829 by Hylyner.
  • ryan99ryan99 Member Posts: 46
    Hi all, I have received great advice here before and thought i would go to the well again. We have a 99 Camry 2.2 automatic with 175k. Has always run like a champ and has been pretty well maintained. For the past few months we have had an intermittent start/stall problem. At first it was when the motor was warm but now does it on cold start up to. It will start and stall immediately maybe three time before it may catch and run at around 400 rpm real rough. you have to hold your foot on the gas for a minute before it will keep running on its own. I have searched this forum and the old one and have found a few people had these exact symptoms and the prob was the Idle Air control valve. My mechanic says he tested it electronically and it was fine, I took the throttle off and took the little access plate off of the IAC and found the valve to be moving freely. So far three different mechanics have replaced the o2sensor, valve seals, fuel filter, throttle position sensor, and have had a couple of expensive fuel injection services done. Also the spark plugs and wires were new about 10k ago. I'm at a loss here and am really getting frustrated with this. My question is can it still be the IAC even though it tested fine? I have a gut feeling thats it because of what i have found on these forums. I really don't want to drop a few hundred more on this problem and be wrong, I have already invested $900 in this problem. I am wondering if the next time it does it, if I unplug the IAC and try to start it will that tell me anything? Thanks, Ryan
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