Recent content by Rock_Hound

Was told by a Toyota master tech that it was normal over 20 years ago. I have driven other 1MZfe equipped vehicles and they all have a little vibration in this situation. Nothing has changed in 22 years of operating mine, so I don’t worry about it.

I have a vehicle with the same engine. It has had a very small vibration at idle since new. It hasn’t gotten worse in 21 years and is just enough to feel and rattle my cassette tapes in their holders. You hear it a bit because the way the key FOB hangs it rattles a bit. Mine only vibrates when...

That is a nice looking Camry. I would say that you did good even if you have to put a couple grand into getting it running well.

Well, I stand corrected. Just about the transmission filter thought and not about the vehicle being nice. That is a very nice vehicle.

I do believe your transmission just has the screen-type filter. It is not really necessary to replace if the fluids have been changed regularly and you are not having problems. It is not like an oil filter; it only catches bigger chunks, particles flow right past it. Regularly changing the fluid...

That is a good car if maintained decently; really a very robust drivetrain. My Avalon has the precursor engine. These are pretty easy to do a drain-fill on. I would do a drain-fill now, and then another at the next oil change, repeat until the color looks good, then just do a drain-fill every...

I replaced the radiator and hoses on my Avalon a few months ago. I had a hard time getting hoses, twice I had orders canceled by local dealers for the OE parts. So, I bought a set of Gates hoses from Rock Auto. The bottom hose looked good, but the top was way off; the bends were right, but the...

My ‘03 Avalon is still on the factory charge of the AC system. I did have the alternator go out earlier this year in a ‘08 Tacoma I had (but recently sold to my BiL). I replaced it with a Denso remanufactured one that I bought from Rock Auto for $150 (after core return). The original had 176k...

I generally just use a 1/4 sheet of 80 grit sandpaper to remove my oil filters. I do my own oil changes, so the filters all go on hand tight. I do have a Lisle-type remover, but I think it only has been used two or three times. I bought it in 2009 when I was doing the first oil change on a...

I had 13 years on the original battery on my Tacoma. The last 6 months of that it was actually testing as bad, but would still start the truck without a problem. I changed it when my wife started driving it more rather than risk her being stranded. My Avalon is old enough to drink and only on...

I have been running it in my Tacoma and Avalon since about 2010; several hundred thousand miles and counting. I do a drain and fill every maybe 30k, which gets about half of the old fluid out. Never did a flush or felt the need to drop the transmission pans on either of them. Fluid still comes...

My ‘03 Avalon has the predecessor engine: 1MZ-fe. It is a great family of engines. If it hasn’t had a timing belt change, you are due for one. Every 100k/decade, I do the timing belt, water pump, cam seals, valve cover gaskets, and spark plugs. These motors will run forever if you keep these...

Sounds like someone I recently interacted with. :rolleyes:

That it was specifically Castrol had nothing to do with it. Doing a couple oil changes and having oil cycle through the engine just by running it is going to get dry seals to start absorbing some oil and swell, which slow down and can eventually stop leaks. You are attributing magic alchemy to...

I would expect any 7 year old engine with 0 miles to leak like a sieve.