94 Camry shakes at 55 when pressing accelerator

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just an uneducated guess, but I'd guess the shocks have nothing to do with the shaking....sounds more like motor mounts.... But it would be very wise to flush the transmission completely (an automatic?) if it's never been done in over 200,000 miles. ouch. It still has little or nothing to do with the shaking though, IMO.

This one I cant believe, a total Moron or troll.

I can because it's similar to our '91 before I adjusted the kickdown cable properly and replaced distributor leads. Used to jerk, but now it only has a flat spot at ~80kph when the torque converter clamps solid and O/D cuts in. You can get past it by accelerating more heavily or switching OD off... or by waiting. I have also heard it might be better to leave an old auto gbox alone if it has never been serviced, and of others (old autos) which never played up until the fluid was changed. And it's hardly ever shock absorbers.

NeedsAdvice wrote:

==================================================== You have several questions here:

- vibration

- "shocks"

- transmission service

----------------------------------------------------------- Vibration: Check the ball joints and CV joints in the axles. According to Toyota, checking the ball joints are part of the maintenance schedule. Lift the car, set blocks of wood under the tires, lower half way, place a rag to protect the inside of the wheel and use a pry bar on the underside of the ball joint. Maximum acceptable wear is zero. So if you feel any movement, the ball joints need to be replaced. Since they hold the lower part of the suspension together, this could be a safety issue also. Also, the outer CV (constant velocity) joints in the axles can develop slight looseness which can combine with clearances in the ball joints to create the shaking.

"Had the same problem at 120,000 miles. It was present on acceleration but absent on coast. It was a combination of worn lower ball joints and a bad CV joint on the passenger side. Under power the drive shaft would move off center and cause a vibration. The loose ball joints would let the entire suspension vibrate. Felt like the entire engine was coming out. I at first thought that it was bad motor mounts. Take it to a good mechanic and tell him my story." Toyota sells remanufactured axles for your Camry with quality to match the originals. FWIW, I did find one ball joint needing replacement at 150,000 miles on my '94 Camry and also noticed an improvement after replacing the axles. On mine, I also discovered that the rear rubber bushing in the control arms was cracked through on the inside where it couldn't be seen until removed from the car. I had replaced them for the surface cracking I had observed from the outside. The vibration I had experienced was only at high speed under full acceleration.

------------------------------------------------------------ "shocks" on the Toyota are called "struts" - same function, but they also form an integral part of the suspension. If the car stays under control on a bumpy road at high speed, the struts are OK, if they "wash out" then they are worn.

------------------------------------------------------------ transmission: You wrote: "Transmission has never been serviced. I

There is a difference between "transmission service" and "flush the transmission." Much of the servicing on the Camry consists of keeping the fluids clean. Areas to consider are brake fluid, radiator coolant, engine oil, transmission and power steering fluid. The transmission fluid performs two functions. First, it is a lubricating oil. There are bearings and planetary gears that drive the car forward. Second, it operates between the multiple friction plates and discs of the clutches in the automatic transmission that allow controlled slippage for smooth shifting. Toyota servicing recommendation is only to periodically drain and refill the transmission fluid. The idea of the "flush" is to remove all the fluid at once because draining the fluid only removes a portion. (the rest is held in the torque converter and does not drain) The shifting action of the transmission is accomplished through the "valve body" which contains tiny passageways and check valves to route the hydraulic fluid to different clutch packs. The argument for changing the fluid is that transmissions are expensive to replace and the most common source of failure is "burned" fluid. Once the fluid overheats, its effectiveness is greatly reduced. The argument against changing the fluid I don't understand as well, because I've always kept fluid conditions like new. Since automatic transmission fluid has highly detergent properties to keep everything clean, the concern is that new fluid could loosen old wear particles from the clutches which could subsequently stick in small valve body passages. Since the idea of old worn out fluid bothers me, if I were acquiring a car in this condition, I would try just draining out fluid and replacing with new gradually. The alternative would be to simply wait until the transmission stops working which would probably mean the end of the car due to repair costs. If the engine runs well, the car can keep going for quite some time.

Now, now, Ransley, none of that please, we don't need that stuff here. I remember well the terrible time Philip used to give you.

Geoff

Wasnt philly a pain. Well why isnt OPs car shaking on all acceleration, any problem at 55 would be there at lower speeds, so I dought it

er, because the OD makes it rev too low at that speed, highlighting a problem which doesn't happen at higher revs? Like when you try to accelerate or even drive steadily, in top gear at very slow speed. At least that's why mine did the same thing.