purple61

Honestly, I am not so sure about the placebo effect but there is more pulling power and that's for sure.

x2 pointless thread really

This is a discussion forum. What's your beef, brother?

Just fitted in 4 new NGK Iridium plugs having paid $14 a piece. Definitely more power and consistent engine performance. I was initially doubtful whether it will bring about any benefits but having done so, I am pleased with the outcome.

Just a question Purple 61, has the pan ever been taken off and new gasket fitted, also the strainer/filter cleaned?

The reason I ask, is that I only bought the '99 Camry that I have a month ago and the auto transmission fluid was pretty dark, not burnt. When I had it serviced by Central Automatic Transmission Services, they told me that it still had the original pan gasket, and that the filter was very dirty with build up. It has only 111,000 K's. They told me that it is pretty common, for DIY servicing to drain and refill the fluid with 3-3.5 litres.

Interesting point coz I checked with the Autobarn guy and he told me that I do not need to change the filter. I thought I am being fussy changing the gearbox oil at 90k as there is a small piece of notice on the dipstick handle which says that the ATF need not be replaced if the car is used under normal conditions.

You've raised an interesting point as well with long kilometers between oil/fluid changes. Do they want the owner to stuff the transmission so you need either a new one or have it reconditioned. What is normal driving conditions these days. If you live in the city such as Sydney or Melbourne, is stop starting classified as normal driving.

I wish to invite Camry users to share their experience/views on gearbox oil change. I've used other marques such as Volvo, Nissan, Renault and they have all recommended gearbox oil change at 80,000km. Toyota says - no need to change if it is not subject to strenuous usage such as racing or heaving towing.

Just a question Purple 61, has the pan ever been taken off and new gasket fitted, also the strainer/filter cleaned?

The reason I ask, is that I only bought the '99 Camry that I have a month ago and the auto transmission fluid was pretty dark, not burnt. When I had it serviced by Central Automatic Transmission Services, they told me that it still had the original pan gasket, and that the filter was very dirty with build up. It has only 111,000 K's. They told me that it is pretty common, for DIY servicing to drain and refill the fluid with 3-3.5 litres.

Interesting point coz I checked with the Autobarn guy and he told me that I do not need to change the filter. I thought I am being fussy changing the gearbox oil at 90k as there is a small piece of notice on the dipstick handle which says that the ATF need not be replaced if the car is used under normal conditions.

I am about to change the gearbox oil of my Camry 2003 2.4 Auto. I am pretty sure someone in this forum has done this before and would appreciate any advice/pointers. By the way, does the plug need a washer?

I did the oil change today. The following are pointers:-

1) gearbox sump plug is polygonal and recessed size 10mm. Make sure you get the right tool.

2) you'll drain off approximately 3 litres of oil. Make sure you have at least 3 litres of fresh oil.

3) sump plug has a metal washer that is reuseable.

4) you need to pour in via the spout where the dipstick is plunged into. Make sure you get the right sized funnel. You can avoid the guesswork by buying a set of 4 from supercheap. If you get the usual 4 litre pack gearoil from Toyota, use a small plastic decanter as the flow rate is quite slow.

5) use a standard oil pan from any of the accessory shops as it will indicate how much oil is drained out.

6) take the car for a short drive before you measure the level of oil.

I am about to change the gearbox oil of my Camry 2003 2.4 Auto. I am pretty sure someone in this forum has done this before and would appreciate any advice/pointers. By the way, does the plug need a washer?

Could it not be the voltage regulator?

Yep, got it fixed today. The mechanic replaced the voltage regulator and machined the ring. Damage to wallet- parts cost $260 + labour.

Could it not be the voltage regulator?

Hi guys

I've noticed that my battery warning light comes on after starting my Camry 2003 in the morning. It flickers for the first 2-3 mins and goes off when the car is nicely warmed up. I suspect it's a belt problem causing the alternator not to work correctly. Does it makes sense or if it is something else (that went wrong)?

1818

Are you familiar with the installation of a turbo system? If not, I suggest you give it a miss. Turbo charging is no joke. Fitting the turbo charger is one thing, getting the cooling system right is another. Even so called "turbo" experts have gotten it wrong. What are your chances?

I assume you have an auto. i have an 05 Altise.

it depends on how much you trust toyota to provide a lifetime fluid. under severe service on the 4 cyl model, it needs to be changed at 90,000 km. the fluid is probably a lifetime fluid for someone who does only light normal service and plans to dump the car at 150,000km.

it is easier to do than an oil change really. get 4 L of T-IV from the dealer. plus a new washer for the ATF plug at the bottom of the tranny pan. I use a Torx T55 socket on the plug, or you can use a 100mm hex male socket to undo. i felt the torx would not strip the bolt as easily as a hex nut.

it's a simple case of draining the pan, re-doing the bolt back up (36 ft lbs of torque) and refilling with 3.5L of T-IV. you need to check the level of the fluid after the change. i always check it cold because i can't get a reading when hot. run it in idle and shift through all the gears from P down to L and back up, then pull dipstick, clean, and re-insert.

Note the following: a drain and fill only gets about 40% of the fluid out on this U241E auto. if you are pedantic then you can do three or so of these each a week apart, but the gain becomes less each time you do it.

I just did it once at 55k and once at 60k and will do it again in 30k intervals from now on. i'm at 82k now and the fluid looks like new. my fluid was brown at 55k!

the U241E does not have a filter to replace so taking the pan out would be a lot of effort for not much gain. drive around to heat the fluid up before draining and drain for a couple of hours after that.

a lot of people especially the yanks have issues with T-IV but i would stick to it, and it is pretty reasonably priced from Toyota, and purpose made. i think Nulon's synthetic ATF claims it is compatible but it is more expensive, and quite frankly not worth the risk IMHO.

Thanks for the information. Really appreciate it. :P

Guys, I'm not sure if this question has been asked. Does the Camry 2.4 MY2004 gearbox oil needs to be changed? I pull of the gearbox oil dipstick and saw a notation saying the oil doesn't need to be changed. As far as I know, gearbox oil needs to be changed every 80,000km to 100,000km. Any comments?

Good stuff mate, are you new to doing your own work? Its far more satisfying than handing over to a mechanic for simple things you can do.....the trouble is (particularly in my case!) finding the time to do it. Oh I miss having a garage......made it so much easier than doing everything on grass.....

Without trying to start a debate, next time consider a slightly heavier weight oil, but you have by no means done a bad thing. Check out Shell Recommendation

Cheers

Yep, first time doing oil change. It was satisfying doing it myself. I bought the semi syn oil from Repco and the guy told me 10w 30 is the correct grade. I was surprised as well. With 86,000 on the clock, I thought 10w 40 or 50 would have been more appropriate.

I've changed the oil filter and air filter but I couldn't find the cabin air filter. Anyone has any idea where is it?

Completed my first oil change on my 2003 2.4 Camry. It was quite an experience working under the car. I used Repco Oil filter, Repco semi synthetic oil 10W 30 and viola...

One question : How does one dispose off the used engine oil?

Private Number, I'll help you out as well.

Mine is Camry Altise Gen5 colour : kashmir bought with 84,000km on the clock. It's primary purpose is as a family transporter from A to B. The car was in fairly good condition except for some signs of lack of tender loving care. Did some DIY such as unclogging the windshield cleaner reservoir, removing stains from carpet and seats, cleaned engine compartment of grime/dust, topped up radiator coolant and viola.. it is good as new. Although it hasn't been heavily used but it is reliable and I'm happy owning it.

purple

last week my brother in law, he look it on Gumtree website. there a 2006 toyota camry sell for $11.000, around 26000km. he thought it so cheap and hit a jackpot, hihi. so he buy it. and sent the money $6000 1st, by Western Union. and the seller said the car will Deliveries on saterdays 14.11.09. we wait, nothing had came. we call up the guy, phone is swith off, email back and got no reply. we report to the police, they can't do anything. is there a way i can do about it ? i know my brother is SO STUPID.

First of all... why on earth would you even BOTHER looking at a car of that age with that kilometers for that price... it's plain obvious that it is a bogus! You wouldn't even get near that price at Government Fleet Auctions.

Anyways rather than put more **** on your brother I'd rather be helpful than a keyboard warrior...

so as lateralus has said.. it is possible the bank can trace the funds however for a fee. You could possibly contact the following...

- http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index....tag/reportascam

- http://www.comcare.gov.au/claims/reporting_fraud

- http://www.crsaustralia.gov.au/report_fraud.htm

I booked my car with a $50 deposit after inspecting the car. I went back and did a lot of checking including with VicRoads. Even if it turns out to be a scam, I'd have lost only $50. Mine is an 03 Altise with 80k on the clock costing $12,500. There were some defects that were not initially pick up but nothing significant.

Yes Camry is a boring car and was probably designed to be a boring car. Firstly, it was meant to be a mid sized family car to be sold in large numbers. Doesn't that alone make it white goods? To sell in large numbers, the design must be conservative so that it doesn't offend the masses plus it must be easy to manufacture and highly reliable-simplify the design inside out!! Hey, this is like the McDonald's hamburger in the food world - cheap, easy to get and most importantly it fills the stomach. Does anyone complain that McDonald's hamburger is not as exciting as some exotic fine dining?

If excitement is what you want, go get a BMW M3, Meserati, Ferrari, Porsche. Even Mercedes Benz, Audi, Volvo, VW are white goods in the motoring world as well but in a different space.

I own a Camry Altise and have no complains whatsoever. Yes, it's boring so what the heck-I bought it purely for reliable family transportation and I can live with the looks. I don't care what the guys on the roads think about me.

Yeah... that's about an average price for a car like that.

Would also be using a mobile mechanic to double check the car for you though :)

Looks like good value considering the mileage if there are no major issues. Being a Toyota, it likely to be ok unless the car have been severely abused and it is not difficult to spot the abuses.

-Look at the wheel rim or wheel cover-is it badly scratched.

-Look at the bumpers -are there dents or scrappings.

-Check the engine/gearbox oil - is there alot of sludge.

-Check the condition of the engine bay & battery-it is dirty or greasy.

-Check the airfilter- it is full of dust/soot.

-With the engine off, stick your index finder thru the wheel cover/rim and feel the shiny brake disk. If it feels grainy, the disc needs replacement.

-Check the seats, floor carpet, dashboard, side plastic moldings, arm rest and upholstery for signs of poor upkeep or improper usage.

-Push front and rear bumpers of the car and on each occasion let go and check the response of the suspension. If the car goes bobbing up and down, the struts are gone. If the body rises steadily after each release, the struts are ok.

-Fire up the engine. If you can't start at 1st crank, battery could be weak or starter could be bad. Also check the engine idle speed-should be steady between 750-900. If inconsistent, injector/airfilter could be bad. Rev up the engine and check exhaust. Blue smoke means piston rings are gone, black smoke means spark plugs are bad or throttle house is choked.

-Take the car for a spin and make several 360 deg turns at 20kph and check for rattle-sign of broken drive shaft.

-Speed up and make emergency stop and check for rattle and squeeks-sign of worn out brake pads or problems with the ABS.

-Check the tyres for uneven wear.

-Lastly, if everything is fine, find out who is the user-if it is a lady, chances are it's well kept.

I'm not saying this is fool proof but if you can't spot any defects, neither can a mobile mechanic find any. Hope this helps.

hey everyone,

My rear shocks started to make some noise after the rain, just wondering whether the problem is running out the lubrication or something else? The noise happened before, but only after the rain. And these shocks were brand new, only used from 1 year. Thanks everyone.

If you research some of the earlier postings, they seem to suggest the swing bar bushes. I had a similar problem except that mine (Camry 03) was a thumping sound coming from the rear when I go over a hump at 30kph or so. I checked the swing bar bushes and other linkages and found that all's well. Nowadays I go over the humps t 20kph and haven't heard anything. I'll ask the workshop to check once more when I next send the car for service.

Hello to all TOC forummers

I just bought a used Camry Altise 2003 and I thought I should participate in this forum to learn new things about my Toyota. This is my first and only Toyota although I had driven quite a few in the past. I've owned several Volvos, Nissan, Mitsubishi, a Suzuki, Peugeot and a Renault.

So why did I buy a Toyota? Having recently moved to Australia, I bought a Suzuki Grand Vitara (which used by my wife) and later found out we needed a 2nd car. I choose Toyota because of the good experience I had whenever I get to drive one. I like Toyota's philosophy of building cars that are reliable and durable. It may not be exciting but it serves the main purpose of owning a car i.e. to get you safely from point A to B at a reasonable cost of ownership.

Anyway, I hope I'll be able to participate actively in this forum.

Thanks & Cheers.

Steven

hey welcome!.... i once thought about buying a camry, but at the time it was over my budget, so i got a corolla, had it for over 3 years now. and still running smooth, yes toyota's are indded durable cars :D

Hi mate

Like you, I thought about a Corolla and began to research used Corolla. It turned out that a used Camry with the same mileage and MY as a Corolla costs almost the same. I wonder why. Maybe it's because of the supply situation as Toyota must have sold a lot more Camry than Corolla. Hence with plenty to choose from, prices of Camry must have fallen to Corolla's level. Plus, the current trend is -people are buying smaller cars.

Yes, call it white goods on wheels but my Toyota is reliable even though it is 6 yrs old. Can't say the same for my previous Renault and Volvos.

Welcome!

what renault car do you used to drive? i have had 2 renault sport clio. one 172 and one 182 F1.

Compare toyota with the Renault cars, the cost to maintain a toyota car is more friendly than a renault (around $400 for a MINOR service).

Also the parts avaliability of toyota is much better than renault (no spares in oz, need to order from France)

anyway. nice choice.

Enjoy the forum

Terry.

Hi Terry,

I used to own a Renault R19 back in the 1990s. Good but not a great car. Whilst I enjoyed driving it, the breakdowns were regular. Quite problematic if you'd ask me. Anyway, it was sold after 10 years of usage.

Hello to all TOC forummers

I just bought a used Camry Altise 2003 and I thought I should participate in this forum to learn new things about my Toyota. This is my first and only Toyota although I had driven quite a few in the past. I've owned several Volvos, Nissan, Mitsubishi, a Suzuki, Peugeot and a Renault.

So why did I buy a Toyota? Having recently moved to Australia, I bought a Suzuki Grand Vitara (which used by my wife) and later found out we needed a 2nd car. I choose Toyota because of the good experience I had whenever I get to drive one. I like Toyota's philosophy of building cars that are reliable and durable. It may not be exciting but it serves the main purpose of owning a car i.e. to get you safely from point A to B at a reasonable cost of ownership.

Anyway, I hope I'll be able to participate actively in this forum.

Thanks & Cheers.

Steven