PaulW

Hi Tony Thanks for your advice. I will certainly try Amayama next time I need parts for my Camry. Meanwhile the Camry is going to my friendly local mechanic tomorrow for him to try and sort it out as I have several other cars in my collection that need my attention. Regards Paul PS How do you know about the ridiculous markup.

I recently replaced the drive belt tensioner on my 2003 Camry ACV36R as the old one had developed excessive up and movement whilst the engine was running. After I installed the new tensioner I found it very difficult to replace the drive belt. The drive belt itself was not replaced as it was still in good condition after a recent water pump replacement. Using a 19mm socket and a long breaker bar I compressed the tensioner as much as reasonable possible without breaking the 19mm lug off the tensioner. A common issue according to a number of YouTube videos I consulted. I found a hack on YouTube using a zip tie to hold the belt onto the crankshaft pulley, whilst turning the crankshaft, which worked but the belt was quite tight. The new (aftermarket) tensioner appeared to be doing its job as the belt and tensioner were now quite smooth with very little up/down movement at the tensioner pulley wheel. This lasted for about a week when the old up/down vibrations came back. At this point I am not sure about the next step. I checked all the accessory pulleys for smooth operation without any noise or binding when fitting the new tensioner so I don't think they could be the source of the problem. The only other thing that comes to mind is that when installing the new tensioner, I could not compress it as far as the old one making it difficult to replace the drive belt. Options that come to mind are: 1. Replace the drive belt with a longer one. Currently have 7PK1935 fitted, could go to 7PK1940. 2. Replace the hydraulic tensioner module in the drive belt tensioner with a genuine Toyota one. Any thoughts on this, Camry lovers? Regards Paul

Been meaning to post this for a while but a recent incident reminded me of the issue. The built-in car alarm goes off at apparently random places and times. However after joining the dots it appears that it is caused by strong electromagnetic radiation (EMF). During a recent trip to Bribie Island the car was parked underneath a disused water tower that now serves as transmission tower for council and mobile phone antennas. Other know spots where the alarm is guaranteed to go off is at a friend's place behind an Energex substation and two shopping centres with medical imaging services. The tripping of the alarm does not cause a fault code to be displayed on the Multifunction Display. The incidents do not appear to be frequency related but pure EMF force triggering the alarm circuit. My simple solution is to open the bonnet and disable the horn by pulling the electrical connector off it. Don't forget to reconnect when you leave!

Others on this forum may be interested in the outcome of this problem. After some searching on Google I found a very good YouTube video (2003 Toyota Camry - Replacement of Evaporator Core, Expansion Valve, and Heater Core (A/C Evap Core) - YouTube) from the USA which explains in detail how to remove all the necessary components without taking all of the dashboard out. Its all mirror image of course due to them being LHD. The auto electrical workshop agreed that if I removed all of the necessary components and purchased the TX Valve they would do all the necessary refrigeration work. Day1 - Spent the best part of the day on my back in the Camry removing glovebox, fan, electrical wiring, A/C Ducting, etc. Day2 - Back to workshop to have TX Valve fitted (Denso $77.11), they encountered a few problems getting the old one out as the steel bolts were seized. Day3 - More time on my back re-assembling the fan box and electrical wiring. Day4 - Back to workshop to have system regassed and checked. Success, glorious cold air, an absolute necessity in Brisbane at this time of year, December 2023. Total cost, $480, which is a big saving over the cost of having it all done by an A/C workshop.

My Air Con had been getting less and less efficient over the last few weeks to the point where it was not worth turning on. Now with the temperature and humidity in Brisbane rising to uncomfortable levels it was time to get the A/C checked out. The system was found to be low on gas and recharged but the technician found that there was a blockage in the system that pointed to the TX Valve. Unfortunately, this is located near the evaporator behind the dashboard, so its a dashboard out job (~$700) for a $100 part. Other cars have this component accessible in the engine bay. What was Toyota thinking when they designed this system? Has anyone on this Forum experienced the same problem? What was the outcome?

It has been some time since I lasted posted about this repair but what I discovered maybe of use to others. T&E Tools make a Toyota Timing Belt Tensioner Compressor. This little tool, see photo, compresses the timing belt tensioner with the belt still on the pulleys. This saves having to remove the A/C compressor and the tensioner assembly. The tool can be purchased from Burson Auto Parts for around $35.00

Thanks Tony, I have had a look at both and they contain some useful tips. The one thing they all complain about is the removal/replacement of the A/C compressor mounting bracket. Bad design from a maintenance point of view. Regards Paul

The problem is that the water pump pulley is under a lot of tension from the timing belt and the timing belt tensioner is not accessible without removing all of the aforementioned parts. I'm sure that mechanical workshops have devised a shortcut way to do this job, potentially saving them many hours of labour.

Hi Tony and Hayden Thanks for your responses. I tend to agree with your sentiments but for non-critical parts, eg interior trim, aftermarket can prove to be OK. I replaced some interior and one exterior door handle with aftermarket many years ago and they have been fine. With second-hand parts it pays to be a bit more careful since the part you are replacing could as old as the original and may also have a short life. I replaced a broken boot release cable with one from a wrecker's yard, but only after having carefully inspected it. For my window winder I should have gone with genuine. Regards Paul

Recently I returned from the shops and the driver's window refused to windup. Having experienced this problem before I homed in on the window winder motor and found it to be faulty. I went back to the shop where I had purchased the window regulator and motor 2 years ago and complained about the failure. They advised that their warranty was only for 12 months and offered to sell me a replacement motor only for $95. The motor is now installed in the door and working well but it begs the question regarding the reliability of aftermarket spare parts. Has anyone else on this forum experienced early failures with aftermarket spare parts? The original Toyota motor lasted 18 years, the replacement Chinese motor 2 years. Sometimes its worth paying the extra for the genuine Toyota part. Regards Paul

I am about to replace the water pump and thermostat on the 5VZ engine of my Prado. Haynes Workshop manual says to remove the A/C compressor and the crankshaft pulley. Just wondering if anyone on this forum has found a work-around for this job as all the bolts for the water pump are clearly visible after removing the upper timing belt cover. Regards Paul

Hi Ron Expenses break-down is as follows: Parts & Services Cost Cooling System Pressure Test $40.00 Thermostat-Radiator $32.30 Seal-Thermostat $4.75 Sensor Coolant Temp $29.35 Coolant-Red Concentrate $11.90 Hose, PC Ventilation $49.70 Head machining $99.00 VRS Gasket set $198.00 Head Bolts $44.00 Helicoil thread repair $154.00 Crankshaft Seal $24.80 Engine oil 5L $18.00 Engine oil flush 300ml $4.80 Oil filter $11.05 Coolant-Red Premix 5L $32.00 Power steering fluid $16.00 Spark Plugs-4 off $20.40 Micro-V Drive Belt $51.00 RH Engine Mount $28.05 Water Pump $47.99 Sub-Total $917.09 Tools Cost Fuel Line Disconnect Tool $19.87 E-Torx Socket Set $36.99 8x50mm Hi Tensile Bolts $4.54 Hex Impact Socket Set $29.99 M12 Spline Impact Socket $16.50 Oil Can Flex Spout $9.99 Steel, Flat bar $13.90 Inline Sparkplug Tester $10.40 Sub-Total $142.18 Consumables Cost Degreaser 12 Cans $12.00 Acetone 1 Litre $12.00 Gasket Sealant RTV Black $13.99 Throttle Body Cleaner $4.37 Nitrile Gloves (100) $26.40 Sub-Total $68.76 All up Grand Total: $1,128.03 The Steel, Flat Bar and Hi Tensile Bolts, in case you're wondering, was used to make a crankshaft pulley holding tool. Regards Paul

I can confirm the "tendency to seize and potentially snap" as this happened on my Prado. I omitted some detail in the original posting to keep it short. The bolts retaining the stone-guards were rusted in and heads rounded off. I could not get the guards off so I took the car to a local garage (this is before I had my own hoist installed). They removed the bolts and offered to install the belts at the same time. I supplied the belts and left it with them. When I came to pick the car up they explained that the A/C tensioner was that badly seized that it snapped off. The belt was then tensioned the old fashioned way by using a lever. I used the same method to tension the A/C belts when I recently replaced the faulty alternator belt. One day I will replace the A/C belt tensioner but it looks to be a major job.

I sent the head to a local engineering workshop specialising in head reconditioning to be machined in case there was any warping. The threads in the block were repaired by Mobile Threadfix who came to my house to do the job. See my posting in a separate thread: https://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/58786-2003-camry-acv36r-power-steering-pump/

My 1989 Prado 3.4L petrol recently developed an annoying fan belt squeak. I had replaced all the drivebelts only 12 months ago and the car had done very few km since. I checked the tension on all 3 drivebelts and they were fine. I tried all the usual tests such as spaying water and belt dressing on the belts to no avail. I also listened for bearing noises in the various driven components such as the alternator. As a last resort I decided to remove all the drive belts to inspect them and the various pulleys. This is a real PITA as you have to remove the stone-guards under the car and undo 3 lots of belt tensioners. What I found was a section of grooved belt missing on the alternator belt, see photos below. I took the belt back to Repco who replaced it immediately even though it was well outside the warranty period. They thought it was a manufacturing fault. Regards Paul