98 4cyl Camry with 150k mileage. Need tuneup info and brake info.

I have a 98 4 cyclinder camry approaching 150k and I was hoping folks could chime in and make sure I'm covering all my bases regarding Camry maintenance. At 99-100K, I utilized my extended warranty contact and did a full tune up and got everything covered under warranty including timing belts, oxygen sensor, ax seal and trany pand replacement, replacement the leaking axle seal. I drive about 100 miles a day, freeway driving, and I do not drive the car hard.

Immediate issues:

1)My brakes are making noise again so I need to get the pads swapped ASAP. I last did this at Midas for $225.64. My question is do I really need them to clean and adjust rear dram brake labor for $25 or resurface front brake rotors for $50 if I just did brakes at 90k? Or is this an upsell tactic? With Midas having lifetime warranty on brakepads, I do know I just have to pay for the labor at $80.

2)At 99k, took the car into the dealer and told them it was hard to start cold. The engine would die and I had to use the gas pedal to keep the engine running.

This is what the show in the invoice:

895521 Idle Air Control R&R 2272 CTEC 22270-74291 Valve Assy Idle Spee 22215-74400 Gasket 00289-2CC00 Non-Chlorinated Carb

Found ISC Valv P/A ISC Valve

This seemed to fix the issue at the time, but it has arisen once again at 150K.

Hope that helps. Does anyone know what exactly is outline above and should this have a warranty of greater than 50K? Is this related in any way to sparks, plugs, and wires? I do not believe I have ever changed these things. Do they ever need to be replaced?

3)Coolant/Anti Freeze was changed at 99k. How often should this be changed and should I do a flush or just refill? Also, if I do oil changes myself, how difficulat would it be to flush the coolant myself?

4)Transmission was changed at 115k. Is this needed every 30K? Should this be a drain and refill or a complete flush?

5)Brake Fluid - How often? Flash or drain and refill?

6)Fuel Filter? How often? What does this do for me?

7) Differential Fluid? How often? Is this different from transmission fluid?
Reply to
tallassazn
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8) Spark Plugs - Never had these changed. What is the recommended schedule and what is the benefit?
Reply to
tallassazn

Spark plugs should be changed, or at least cleaned and reset, according to the manufacturers specifications. With the newer ignition systems, it is not as critical as it once was. At this mileage, it is reasonable enough to change them. Maybe you would like to get a plug wrench and learn how to do this.

Reply to
<HLS

The comments below are mine alone and you can TIOLI:

******You probably don't need the rotors resurfaced unless you have pulsation. The new pads will seat in, although possibly a bit slower than had you resurfaced the rotors. The caliper slides may need cleaning and lubricating.

The rear drums don't need resurfacing either if they are not damaged, and the initial adjustment is a part of the procedure. Takes 5 minutes. Afterwards the adjustment should be automatic. Invoicing can nickel and dime you to death.

¨*****No comment on this diagnosis. Pollution control problems sometimes have better chance of being under warranty than more serious problems. You need to have it checked out. Don't take any wooden nickels.

It isn't difficult to drain and refill at all. You should probably change your hoses about now, and this would be an ideal time to perform this service. Some might want to change the thermostat at the same time.

Drain and filter change is enough. Don't let those caca daddies sell you a flush. 115K is too long. Every 30-50,000 miles is more like it. Read your manual.

Flush out the old brake fluid and replace every 2-3 years. Many don't do this. If you had a Teves system, you damn sure would.

If the fuel filter plugs, you stop dead in the water. Changing the filter is pretty cheap preventative maintenance. Simple to do. Follow the manufacturers recommendation.

It can be different in some cases. Check your manual for service intervals.

Reply to
<HLS

It depends on what the noise is indicating. If your pads have bottomed out, or the rotors are overheating and warping, then yes they do need to be resurfaced, otherwise not.

That's a lot of money you could save by doing the pads yourself. It's a 10 minute job once you know the procedure.

Is it running on all the cylinders or running 'choppy'? Is the check engine light on? It could be the IAC valve again. Could also be a vacuum leak or sensor problem. Or...

Yes, and it's about time. You could easily have a wire with cracked insulation causing no spark in that cylinder. This is also something you can do yourself. Obtain new plugs and a spark plug socket. Remove the old plugs, using penetrating oil if necessary; avoid taking the threads out with them... Note the condition of the plugs and compare to each other. Use anti-seize on THREADS of new plugs (don't get it on the tip) and install them good'n'tight. Do not cross-thread the plugs in the cylinder head.

Replace the wires one by one so you don't lose their location. You could also check coil pack resistance at this time.

It should be changed every few years. It is a good time to do this too. Ignoring it will allow your radiator and/or heater core to clog up with contaminants, and potentially destroy your water pump, leading to catastrophic overheat.

Flush out the radiator with a garden hose. There is a drain c*ck at the bottom of the radiator that you remove to drain it. This does not replace all of the coolant (some will remain in the heater core and block) but it will renew the anti-corrosion components and remove most of the contamination floating around.

Continue changing your oil and filter on a regular 3K schedule with quality oil and a reputable filter, and your engine should provide you with a long service life.

Drain and refill unless you let the maintenance get out of hand, in which case it should be flushed. It sounds like you have not let the maintenance get out of hand, so don't get lazy now.

Some say every year, some say every 50k. It depends on the particular brake system. Most people do it whenever they change their rear brakes, which is to say not as often as the front brakes, but on a reasonable schedule.

Remember, what you are trying to prevent here is the brake lines being corroded from the inside by moisture in the system. Flushing the brake fluid is much cheaper and less of a pain than running new brake lines. Make sure you get it done by someone who will not bottom-out your pedal when doing it or you will be in for a new master cylinder shortly.

Same time as spark plugs and wires. It keeps crap from getting into your injectors. Changing it keeps it from clogging and burning up your fuel pump (or at least affecting fuel pressure). Using OEM fuel filters on fuel injected cars is recommended by many people.

It can be. Check your owner's and/or Haynes/Chiltons/Mitchell manual. Some cars take motor oil in the differential. Most take tranny fluid. Some don't have a separate area for differential fluid and it simply circulates from the transmission.

Reply to
Ryan Underwood

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