When to bring to service? Newbie needs help

[catsgrave]

Hi there,

I am a newbie recently bought my first car which is a used 91 Camry CS SV21 3SFE and from a dealer.

1. Can anybody tell me when its time to bring it to service? It has about 244000 kms in it.

thanks guys

[timebuilder]

Service is based on intervals, and since you just bought the car, you very likely don't know what was serviced, or when. Any information you have would be helpful. Find out what the dealer can tell you about the service history, if anything. The owner's manual can then be used to determine the service needed at what mileage reading.

[terrastrife]

if you got it from a dealer first thing id do is check all fluids to make sure theyre fresh and nto gunk :P if it all looks good, theres a reasonable chance that the rest of the motor is in good nic too, so not really much to worry about until next timing belt/pump interval.

[marc780]

This car has 151,000 miles and i'm assuming you have no maintenance records. But at this high milage, to me it would be irrelevant as to what the previous owner maintained and didn't, etc. I'd assume they did nothing except (hopefully) change the oil once in a while.

I'd change all the fluids (including the tranny fluid but i would NOT flush). Change the timing belt, water pump and idlers. Or just wait for the water pump to go or the timing belt to break and then do it all. Other than these items, any problems will reveal themselves eventually and i'd just wait for it to happen, just like any other used car.

[Kep]

If you want an extremely reliable car start changing out the wear parts, kind of like marc780 mentioned. Check out the service intervals in the manual and it will direct you to the areas you need to focus on. I would also run a fuel system cleaner (Chevron Techroline, Sea Foam, others) through it twice. Check the air filter. Remember that the auto transmission has two fluid reservoirs (transmission and differential). I would do both first and then, the next five oil changes I would drain the transmission and refill. It only drops about 2 quarts at a time so (unless you know the seller had it serviced regularly). I do it this often to get most (I think it holds 12 quarts total) of the fluid changed. You only need to drop the pan the first time to change the screen. The next 4 or 5 times, just drain it from the transmission plug. I also agree not to get it flushed since you don't know if the transmission is in good shape. Getting it flushed is a great way to change all of the transmission fluid at one time in a clean transmission. In an unknown transmission you've got to figure that it is dirty. Flushing a dirty transmission could dislodge crud and plug some small passageways and/or clean deposits that may actually be helping to make a seal. Either could have bad results.

Other than that, use good gas and change your oil and filter every 3,000 miles (5,000 km?)

You got an exceptionally good car. Be good to it and you will be very pleased.

Kep