Proactive Maintenance of a 98 Camry

My previous car was a used 92 Camry. Other than check air, change oil, and change muffler when it became noisy, I did not do any proactive maintenance. As a result a few things failed on me at most inconvenient moments: radiator, water pump (which required changing timing belt too), battery. As I often found myself in emergency sits, I wasn't always able to plan where work should be done, I had to take what I could get.

I just bought a 98 Camry with 80K miles on it. It is in great shape and I want to keep it for at least five years, maybe until 150K. I want to avoid my previous mistake and be proactive about maintenance, but also not throw away any good parts that would last until 150K.

The previous owner just got a new battery. Tires are Regata 2 with 35K miles. Because of a flat I have had them evaluated repeatedly and they seem good for 1-2 years.

How should I approach the maintenance of this car? What should be done and when?

Secondly, where should such work be done? I am so happy to be able tp plan that, instead of being limited by who is near and who is open during a holiday weekend!

Are big national chains like Sears, Pep Boys, WalMart etc any good? CarX, Midas, Firestone? (Recommendations for places local to Chicago are also welcome.)

I stopped at a local garage in an area where I had to kill time today. He suggested (1) changing belts (incl timing) and (2) getting a tune-up, even if nothing seems wrong. Is that good advice?

He was unsure about water pump: it would be $80 if done with timing belt but a lot more if it had to be done on its own, but nothing is wrong and it could possibly last.

Anyway, dear experts, I would be most grateful for your guidance on how to keep this car perfectly maintained. :-)

Reply to
Ajanta
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Look in your owners manual and follow the severe service maintenance schedule. If there are things you are behind on or don't know to have been completed then go ahead and catch them up.

I avoid the above mentioned places at all costs. Some of them can be good but most are not and you never know which kind you are getting. Ask friends and co-workers for reccomendations on an independant shop that is reliable and in your area.

The fact that he was unsure about the water pump is a little troubling to me. Replacing the water pump with the timing belt on these cars is a very good idea as you have to remove it to get to the belt anyway and when it fails in the future (not if) it can take out the brand new belt. Gates web site shows your belt needing to be changed at 90k miles.

When a timing belt breaks on your engine the valves can hit the pistons. When this happens either the valves or the piston breaks.... either way it will cost you a small fortune so don't mess around with it. Check out

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a pretty good explanation and a couple of illustrations that showwhat happens.

I don't really think you can keep any car perfectly maintained. It sounds like you have a good plan already though and should be able avoid many unexpected problems. The toughest part is finding someone who is good and that you can trust to work on the car.

Consider getting a AAA membership if you don't have one already. It is very nice to have one number to call for help anywhere in the country should the car leave you stranded.

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

Find a good mechanic and check everything, follow the manual, change trans fluid and filter even if it looks good. Use Toy parts for electrical and things like water pump and plug wires, cap ,rotor.

Reply to
m Ransley

: Replacing the water pump with the timing belt on these cars is : a very good idea as you have to remove it to get to the belt anyway : and when it fails in the future (not if) it can take out the brand new : belt. Gates web site shows your belt needing to be changed at 90k : miles.

I think the cost benefit analysis is quite clear: If I don't change the water pump and it doesn't break while I own my car, I save $100 approx; if it breaks, I lose at least $250 (one timing belt job, which may have to be repeated anyway), and maybe more if there is other serious damage.

So I guess I will do them both. However, the car has only 80K miles, I think I can wait 1-2 years, or at least I spot some great sale somewhere on this job. :-)

Thank you for the rest of your most helpful advice as well.

: Consider getting a AAA membership if you don't have one already.

Thanks. I have been wondering which national club would offer the best value and was thinking of asking that question in another thread.

Reply to
Ajanta

Great advice!

Also great advice!

On a Camry, the valves will not hit the pistons if the timing belt breaks but the car will leave you stranded.

I recommend changing the timing belt at 90,000 miles and if you can afford a little extra to change thw wter pump as a prevantative measure, then I'd do it when the timing belt is changed because much of the work to change a water pump is removing the timing belt.

Although changing a timing belt is not that difficult, Toyota dealers have it down to a science and often have sales on timing belt replacements. I recommend that you have the timing belt changed by a dealer.

Reply to
Ray O

Loose your water pump and the odds are 99.999% you will not stop fast enough and Will loose the motor. You wanted advise to not break down, now you want to wait one to 2 years, dumb.

Reply to
m Ransley

The Gates book shows the V6 to be interference, I believe, while the L4 is not, if I read it correctly.

I would pick my mechanical service carefully. Some dealerships are crappy, others may be pretty good. A blanket recommendation to take your car to a dealership garage is not the best advice, in my opinion.

Reply to
<HLS

See

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forums for a great deal of information about Toyotas.

A survey several years ago by Consumer Reports found CarX to be better than the other chains, but I wouldn't take a car to any chain garage except for very simple work where no diagnosis was needed. They're especially bad for fuel system diagnoses, where they don't know how to do anything but read the OBD II codes and try to fix almost every problem with a tune-up or fuel injection flush. It's better to use a dealer or a good independent garage very familiar with your type of car (and where all the mechanics have gone to the factory school for your particular vehicle model), and AAA approval is desirable since it obligates the garage to AAA arbitration, whether or not the customer is a member.

Considering the mileage, that's probably appropriate. But in general, be skeptical of any garage pushes tune-ups or fuel injector flushing, the latter actually being harmful and contraindicated by manufacturers. If the water pump runs off the timing belt, change it along with the timing belt.

Flush the brake fluid every 2 years as it absorbs moisture from the air. If you flush the brakes yourself, do not pump the pedal down any farther than it usually travels because any farther will cause the master cylinder to be ruined, and ABS usually requires special procedures.

Have the transmission drained and refilled, but don't allow it to be flushed with a special machine. I believe Toyotas have a drain plug in the transmission pan, so this is as simple as an engine oil change. Use ordinary fluid recommended by the manufacturer, not a special synthetic. I don't know if you can use ordinary Dexron III/Mercon in a

1998 Camry or need Toyota T-4 fluid, but don't use the wrong type.

Use only Toyota antifreeze. Don't assume that other red or pink antifreeze is similar since the color is from dye, not from the active ingredients, and there is no industry-wide standard to classify antifreeze type by color (i.e., Toyota red and GM red are much more different than Toyota red and ordinary green).

Don't assume that most service advisors know much about cars. They're primarily salesmen and often recommend far more maintenance than required by the auto manufacturer or will specify outright wrong repairs when they should instead merely describe the symptoms.

Toyota forums, such as

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and general auto repair FAQs, such as at
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are useful. MOTOR magazine back issues, at
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are very good about details you can't find elsewhere. And Toyota factory manual is not only very complete but also unusually easy to understand

Reply to
do_not_spam_me

I stand corrected! By the way, a timing belt that is getting ready to fail will start to make a slapping noise so they generally give warning before they fail. If you change it every 90,000 miles, then no worries.

I agree - see my earlier responses.

Some dealerships are crappy,

Dealerships must meet special service tool, training, equipment, and facility requirements. They also receive a full set of factory service manuals and new special service tools every year as well as receive every technical service bulletin as soon as they are issued. Dealership service departments are rated by consumers and regularly receive customer satisfaction scores.

Independent service facilities generally do not have every special service tool for Toyotas, do not have factory service manuals, do not have factory trained technicians, and do not receive service bulletins as quickly as dealers do. In fact, many do not receive service bulletins unless they do a specific search for one.

I have no problem with most independents for simple work like oil changes, brakes, suspension, etc. but beyond that, their knowledge and experience tends to be generic where Toyota technicians have more specific knowledge and experience. My recommendation was not a blanket one to take the car to a dealership; it was for a timing belt replacement.

Reply to
Ray O

Actually, I believe you were initially right, and that he might have read it incorrectly. I have a Gates document from 2001, and it says that this Camry V6 is non-interference, like all belt-driven Toyota engines. I don't remember if the OP mentioned what engine the car has, but both '98 Camry engines are belt-driven non-interference engines.

Is this true? I thought timing belts would give out with no warning at all.

Reply to
S.S.

I believe the IMZFE engine is interference type although for many years, Toyotas with timinb belts were non-interference.

A timing belt can give without warning but they generally start making noise before they do.

Reply to
Ray O

My belt gave no warning, a nice quiet road at 35 and motor died. Im lucky it wasnt -20 on the wrong side of town.

Reply to
m Ransley

Some dealers are good, some are crap, as I said before.

" I recommend that you have the timing belt changed by a dealer."

You dont have to take it to a dealer. You want to take your car to a good and competent mechanic, wherever he may be. Dealers dont always provide this quality. They SHOULD, at the prices they charge, provide experts but unfortunately this just isnt always the case.

Reply to
<HLS

Where are you getting those prices? An accord costs almost $1000 to have the timing belt and water pump done. I would assume a Toyota is similar.

However, I have had 3 Hondas with more than 130,000 miles, none of which showed any indication of failure for going past the 90,000 mile mark where it should have been replaced. I am almost convinced that timing belt replacement is, as CH says, snake oil. Besides, the quote to do the work before and after a failure is not that different.

Reply to
DTJ

: Where are you getting those prices? An accord costs almost $1000 to : have the timing belt and water pump done. I would assume a Toyota is : similar.

I have no experience with Hondas, but 1000 seems too much for a Camry. For timing belt alone I have seen *dealer* ads around 200 (granted those are promotions).

: However, I have had 3 Hondas with more than 130,000 miles, none of : which showed any indication of failure for going past the 90,000 mile : mark where it should have been replaced. I am almost convinced that : timing belt replacement is, as CH says, snake oil. Besides, the quote : to do the work before and after a failure is not that different.

There are two arguments against this. First, even if not much more expensive, it will be much more inconvenient if done in an emergency. If it breaks on the road, you would miss whatever you were driving to, and could also be far away from any Toyota dealer or even a decent garage.

Second, I know that if they say 90,000 it is not going to break at

91,000. If I want to sell my car at 100,000 or even 110,000 I might chance it. But what if I plan to keep it until 150,000 as OP said? Or even longer. After a point, I won't have piece of mind. And if I change it later, I'd be spending the money anyway.

BTW on my Camry I changed it at 120,000 but I did change it, because of accululating anxiety. I drive alone, or with kids, during nights, through less populated areas, etc. I could have changed it earlier for much less anxiety and no more money.

Reply to
Kiran

This is true, however, of the 100 or so dealerships I've personally dealt with, I'd say 70% were technically good, another 25% were excellent, and the remaining 5% were poor. The proportions of good, excellent, and poor technicians who worked at the dealerships is probably about the same. Your chances of getting good service on your Toyota at a Toyota dealer are at least as good and probably better than your chances of getting that same level of technical competence at an independent shop.

I agree that dealers don't always provide the quality of the service that they should, especially for the prices they charge BUT, like I said, given an unfamiliar dealer and an unfamiliar independent shop, IMO, the dealer is a much better bet. If you know a competent independent who charges less than a dealership, uses quality parts, and stands behind his work, then he may be worth going to. Our local Toyota dealer charges less than $200 for a timing belt replacement where the independent wants closer to $300 because it takes him longer.

Like I said, it is worth pricing the work before getting it done.

Reply to
Ray O

Here in the Chicago suburbs, the local dealer charges around $200 for a timing belt on a Camry and at $100 to $150 additional for a water pump. Having to pay $1000 for a timing belt would make me think seriously about getting another model!

On an interference engine, if the timing belt fails, the pistons can hit the valves, causing extensive damage. People often find this hard to believe, but the folks who make the cars probably know more about the car and the cost benefits of performing periodic maintenance than most owners. Whether the cost to replace the timing belt is $200 for a Camry or $1,000 for the Accord, it is cheaper to change the timing belt before it breaks than letting it break and having to tow for an unscheduled repair or worse, tear down the engine for major repairs.

Reply to
Ray O
350-400 should get you a belt and pump on a Camry
Reply to
m Ransley

It should not cost $1000 to change the t-belt and water pump on an Accord. I have a '93 Accord, and it cost only $350 to get it done at a private mechanic who specializes in Hondas.

I have heard of many instances of the belt failing past the interval, but very few within the interval.

Reply to
S.S.

I do a lot of my own work, Ray, but not all of it anymore. It is worth getting it priced before you begin, but it is also important to find a mechanic/garage that you can trust. I research as carefully as I can before I take my car to anyone for special work. I use the experiences of friends, the AAA approved list, etc, and often talk to the mechanic or shop owner to see if he is fair and competent, or is just a 'goober'.

Lots of 'goobers' in the patch, and far too many of them own or work at dealerships. Going to a dealership is no guarantee of anything unless you know them and their work standards. Same for an independent.

Reply to
<HLS

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