1994 Toyota Camry problems

Take it to another shop, besides starting it without oil in the motor or maybe your differential not being filled the Timing may be not set or brakes may be adjusted to tight, You dont need to adjust rear brakes , they auto adjust. Get a pro to look it over who can say.

Those items seem like routine jobs required around that mileage. The vibration could definetly be related to the motor mounts. You may have to replace the other two also. My 94 Camry had problems with vibration for a long time that I never quite eliminated. I suspected the remanufactured right axle being out of balance but never replaced it again.

The noise from the muffler area could be a loose clamp, heat shield, or hole.

The remainder may be related to their work. I find it disconcerting that they don't even want to check to see what may be wrong. They may have left a vacuum hose or such disconnected. You may have to take it elsewhere and find out what is wrong then decide if it is related to the original shop's incompetence. From there you may be able to get consumer agencies involved.

Retarded timing of 4 degrees can reduce milage and power by 4 Mpg. Get another Pro to go over everything, even look at the brakes to see if they drag and were over tightened. Mechanics have made simple mistakes like forgetting to put in oil, but I hope that is not your issue.

The rear brakes auto-adjust? Really?

I have a '96 camry, and the rear brake shoes still look brand new after

133k miles. Asked the guy at Brake Masters if this was normal, and he said the brakes need adjusting (a $30 job).

After he adjusted, I notice the parking brake is a bit stiffer (more resistance when I pull it).

So, did I just get screwed over $30, or is this legit?

- One Happy Madman

Replace radiator and timing belt? No replacing water pump?

If they put a spark plug wire in loose, would this cause vibration too?

Was this an independent shop, or a franchise chain? Don't go there for service any more... tell all your friends / family to stay away from them.

Drum brakes self adjust when you back up and apply the brakes, if yours don`t self adjust have it looked into as to why, unless you dont back up and brake.

The rear brakes auto-adjust? Really?

I have a '96 camry, and the rear brake shoes still look brand new after

133k miles. Asked the guy at Brake Masters if this was normal, and he said the brakes need adjusting (a $30 job).

After he adjusted, I notice the parking brake is a bit stiffer (more resistance when I pull it).

So, did I just get screwed over $30, or is this legit?

I would think that if they incorrectly timed the cam belt, that it would cause all 4 of your problems. I would take it to another Toyota dealer and pay them to check the belt timing, and document if it's off. Then take the bill to the other guys. I wouldn't drive it much till you get it fixed.

Jim

And speak with the manager if they refuse to pay. And don't be afraid to threaten him with small-claims court.

Aftermarket ignition parts (spark plugs, ignition wires, and distributor cap from the list above) can sometimes cause symptoms 1, 2, & 4 in Toyotas.

Replacing the motor mount could also cause #4 if the replacement motor mount is bad, something is not aligned, or a bad motor or transmission mount was not replaced.

The exhaust noise is probably unrelated to the work they did.

Can you describe the noise in more detail? Vibration or something slapping/rubbing against a plastic cover?

It would be helpful if you quoted previous posts so people knew what you are talking about.

If you are asking about rear suspension noises in that generation Camry, people sometimes complain of a groaning, low-pitched squeak coming from the rear of the car when going over bumps. That noise is caused by the rear sway bar bushings rubbing on the sway bar. Remove the bracket that holds the bushing, remove the bushing, clean it up, grease with lithium grease or Ford bushing lube, and put it back together. This will stop the noise for a while, or you can replace the bushings - the replacement part should not make noise.

Thank you all for all the feedbacks. The local shop is the independent shop I found in Penny Saver. I thought it would be a bargain because of the printed coupons. It turned out that I was wrong...

More about the vibration and afterward:

1. The engine vibrates when it reaches 3,000 rpm, espcially in low grears (accelerating on the road). However, when the car is in P (park) and I step on the gas pedal to make it reach 3,000 rpm, NO vibration!

1. It's hard to describe the noise coming from the rear (muffler side). It sounds like "Po, Po, Po..." whenever accelerating. However, like (1), No noise when the car is in P (park) and I step on the gas pedal.

2. Weeks ago I had Pep Boys to have the car tuned up. I also added the chemicals (improving-mileage formula) to the gas tank. None of them really improve the poor mileage (still around 15-16 mpg).

These problems make me think about trading it. I appreciate if any one can point out the problem(s) and suggestions.

Thank you in advance.

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Ray O wrote:

Po po po, do you mean it is misfiring and has poor power on aceleration. if so its probably plug wires or the coil. Get a real mechanic to look at it, how can anyone here even hear it

HO wrote: snip

snip

I can't speak for the Pep Boys in different areas but where I live they don't have a good reputation. I would suggest you get an independant shop that's ASE certified or a dealer to look at the car. It sounds like you're describing a misfire and these can show when car is under a load but not show when no load on engine. Dave

Mine misfired only under load, it was a ripped piece of spark plug wire boot that allowed it to short to the block, since the boots are recessed you cant see or hear it, I ripped them changing the plugs and new wires fixed it, It was located by making it rev and miss with the hood open, I just operated the throttle cable from under the hood, and removed one plug wire at a time till I found it. It could be a bad plug the Hack Boy dropped, plug wire etc.

As Dave suggested, you should take your car to the Toyota dealer or indpendent shop with ASE certified technicians. You will often end up wasting money by taking your car to a shop without certified technicans.

It sounds like an engine mount or transmission mount problem, the only way to tell for sure is for a knowledgeable person to test drive it.

See my answer to #1 above.

I have yet so see any additives actually improve gas mileage to a measureable degree. IMO, they're all a waste of money.

Things that affect fuel mileage:

1) Driving habits 2) Driving conditions (traffic, road, weather) 3) Tire inflation 4) engine condition and tune (cheap aftermarket plugs can cause a decrease in performance and economy) 5) transmission condition

Have you seen the dyno they use on Two Guys Garage? I think it's called a Mustang dyno. Along with doing the regular dyno stuff like HP and torque, it will let you set various loads to simulate car being driven on different terrains. Makes a tech green with envy :-) Be nice to have one when trying to find that type of problem. They've used it to find bad components, sensors and stuff after reading a fault code. I've also seen them use it to fine tune ignition and fuel trim, keeps you from having to go to the strip. Must be nice.