First, I don't know much about cars so please excuse any ignorance. (My father is the car guy in the family. Had his own auto shop for 30+ years and rebuilds engines in the driveway.)
I have a 91 Camry wagon, 140K miles on it. Two previous owners: a family friend who hardly drove it and my parents. We've had it for 10+ years and it's been a great car. I've had it for a few months, and was finding that I was having to add a half a quart to a quart at least every other time I filled up on gas. I also would occasionally smell something burning when I opened the window. I assumed it was a car in front of me. (Knowing nothing about cars, I didn't know any better.) The third time I smelled the burning smell a couple of months ago, I mentioned it and how much oil I was using to my father and he told me it wasn't AT ALL normal. He checked it out, things looked OK, and about a week later I drove out to my grandparents' (about 100 miles or so).
On the way back, my car's oil light went on while I was on the freeway. I'd already checked the oil when I filled up on gas (about 70-90 miles ago), but I pulled over and checked again and it was fine. I called my father and he said that if the oil level looked ok and it didn't sound odd, come straight home and he'd take a look. About 15 minutes later it went on again. I pulled over and checked again with the same result, so I kept going. Finally, the car began shaking a bit and making all kinds of awful rattling and clanking noises. I was on a busy road and had to drive about 3/4 mile before there was anywhere to turn or pull over. My father came to pick me up. He checked a few things before doing anything and the only problem he could find was that the radiator water was a tad low; part of a small bottle of water took care of that. Unfortunately, we were about 10 miles from home and he had to drive it the rest of the way there. (In retrospect, I wish I'd had AAA tow it home instead.)
Ever since, the car's been in the driveway while he works on it. He's frustrated because he closed his shop before '91 engines needed much work, and this engine is much more complicated than older engines. Here's what he's found/done so far:
- Initially, slightly low radiator water level. Added part of a small bottle of water while on side of the road and it seemed fine.
- Oil all over the outside of the engine.
- Drained water. It was gray and murky-looking.
- All belts replaced. To his shock they were all factory originals! (He feels horrible about it after how much he talks about preventive maintenance at work.) The timing belt was cracked after every single tooth.
- Oil pump inspected and cleaned; it's fine.
- New oil filter.
- Gaskets replaced anytime he exposes one.
- New spark plugs.
- Cleaned pretty much every part he took off the car except one of the braces.
- Changed oil.
- Ran oil pressure test using a gauge and a drill to turn something. No pressure last night. Heard him say something today about not quite putting a pressure valve in properly and finding it in the oil pan? Just repeating what I heard.
- TODAY: found small metal shavings in oil pan. They are NOT magnetic.
- I read something about bearings in relation to oil pressure and asked about that; he said he checked and they looked OK, but I have no idea what kind of bearings were talked about.
Any suggestions as to where to look next? He's stumped. And unfortunately, I can't afford to take it to a mechanic; I was laid off a few months ago. Any help would be appreciated!
(Heck of a first post, huh? *sigh*)
MAJOR oil pressure problems in a 91 Camry wagon (140K mi)
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