Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I just bought a 1997 Toyota Camry LE 2.2L automatic almost a month ago. I've put about 1600 miles on it in 3 1/2 weeks and it's been great. It now has 187k miles.
The previous owner had the following done in May of 2013 at 176k miles at Brake Masters:
Transmission flush
Coolant flush
New serpentine belts
New radiator hoses
New power steering pump
4 new Munroe Quick Struts
Wheel alignment
Total cost for him for this: $2200 (Must not have been too smart to pay so much on it, but he needed a truck and sold this)
Front brakes done before this visit at Brake Masters
I did when I bought it within the past 1600 miles:
Oil change with Mobil Super HM 5w30 & a Wix filter
New valve cover gasket (looked pretty clean underneath)
PCV Valve & Grommet
Timing belt & tensioner & idler pulley
Water pump & thermostat
Spark plugs & wires
LR wheel bearing hub assembly
On the to do list:
All new inner and outer tie rods, then take it for an alignment
Rear control arm bushings
Oil pan gasket at next oil change (slow drip)
There's a clunking noise in the rear at lower speeds and over bumps, but not on the highway. I raised up both tires in the rear and checked for play. LR had play at 3 and 9 o' clock and I assumed wheel bearing. Over $70 later, that didn't fix the problem, though the old one looked pretty bad and didn't turn that great by hand so I guess it was due. After looking underneath while tire is wiggled at 3 and 9 o'clock I can see the control arm bushings wiggle.
Front has a little clunking noise over some bumps occasionally but I can see play in the inner tie rods, already bought but just waiting to install, everything else looks good as farm as suspension.
What else should I do to this car? I need it to be reliable (who doesn't need their car to be? Haha) and I've been getting decent mpg as well. Air filter looks pretty good and I don't know anything about the fuel filter, except from reading on forums it isn't fun to change. The only other quirks this car is, is the wiper delay function doesn't work, they just constantly wipe in the delay setting and when you turn the wipers off, they just stop wherever and don't park at the bottom. Also the RR door won't open from the inside at all. Changing the child lock won't make a difference. Opens outside just fine.
The previous owner had the following done in May of 2013 at 176k miles at Brake Masters:
Transmission flush
Coolant flush
New serpentine belts
New radiator hoses
New power steering pump
4 new Munroe Quick Struts
Wheel alignment
Total cost for him for this: $2200 (Must not have been too smart to pay so much on it, but he needed a truck and sold this)
Front brakes done before this visit at Brake Masters
I did when I bought it within the past 1600 miles:
Oil change with Mobil Super HM 5w30 & a Wix filter
New valve cover gasket (looked pretty clean underneath)
PCV Valve & Grommet
Timing belt & tensioner & idler pulley
Water pump & thermostat
Spark plugs & wires
LR wheel bearing hub assembly
On the to do list:
All new inner and outer tie rods, then take it for an alignment
Rear control arm bushings
Oil pan gasket at next oil change (slow drip)
There's a clunking noise in the rear at lower speeds and over bumps, but not on the highway. I raised up both tires in the rear and checked for play. LR had play at 3 and 9 o' clock and I assumed wheel bearing. Over $70 later, that didn't fix the problem, though the old one looked pretty bad and didn't turn that great by hand so I guess it was due. After looking underneath while tire is wiggled at 3 and 9 o'clock I can see the control arm bushings wiggle.
Front has a little clunking noise over some bumps occasionally but I can see play in the inner tie rods, already bought but just waiting to install, everything else looks good as farm as suspension.
What else should I do to this car? I need it to be reliable (who doesn't need their car to be? Haha) and I've been getting decent mpg as well. Air filter looks pretty good and I don't know anything about the fuel filter, except from reading on forums it isn't fun to change. The only other quirks this car is, is the wiper delay function doesn't work, they just constantly wipe in the delay setting and when you turn the wipers off, they just stop wherever and don't park at the bottom. Also the RR door won't open from the inside at all. Changing the child lock won't make a difference. Opens outside just fine.
