Transmission problem with a 91 Camry? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

storyoftherealms · 02-06-2010, 11:57 PM

Yesterday evening, I went to bring my girlfriend home and started my good ol' Camry. I put it into reverse and nothing.

What did happen was a strange noise. A sort of swirling grinding noise coming from the front of the car. I stopped the car, and put it into park and put it back into reverse. Again the same noise.

So I thought maybe it was just a mess up on the car, so I put it in drive and drove forward and put it in reverse. Same thing.

Fearing the worst I put my car into neutral and attempted to push it out. Wouldn't budge what-so-ever.

So we caught a cab etc. etc.

Anyways, today I tried again to move it, and the same thing happens. The car moves forward but does not move back even when pushing it.

I am curious if anyone has had a similar problem, or if anyone believes it could be something else besides just my transmission dying. Being a university student I don't have very much money to spend fixing up a transmission on my Camry. I've spent a fair amount of money on it, and I would continue to do so, if I had money to spare. I really enjoy my car.

It's very strange that the transmission would just die when approximately 2 hours earlier I had backed it out completely fine.

Info. on Camry:
91 Toyota Camry LE
4 Cycl.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

fredk · 02-07-2010, 02:29 PM

push it out to where you can take off and see if it has all 4 forward gears

Doctor J · 02-07-2010, 05:40 PM

Make sure the shift cable (between shift lever and the tranny) is properly adjusted.
Take a picture of its connction at transmission and post it here, so I could inspect if anything is missing.
Make sure that the car has 3rd gear and overdrive.

storyoftherealms · 02-07-2010, 08:03 PM

Small Update:
I checked the transmission fluid and it's black, as well as smells burnt. There isn't any apparent metal filings.

@Doctor J / fredk - I will attempt this once I find a vehicle to pull it out with. Need someone with a truck seeing as its up against a snow pile, and it doesn't go in reverse nor does it move in neutral.

***zythr*** · 02-07-2010, 08:16 PM

That's too bad, your tranny overheated.

storyoftherealms · 02-07-2010, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zythr

That's too bad, your tranny overheated.

If that happens to be the case, is there a way to fix this (without replacing the transmission)?
(Note: I am not super at mechanics etc. so quite a bit of stuff is foreign to me in cars. I am much more of a computer person.)

Doctor J · 02-08-2010, 09:45 AM

If shft cable bracket clip is not missing the short term fix is to drain the tranny clean the screen add fluid with TRANS-X treatment.

***zythr*** · 02-08-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by storyoftherealms

If that happens to be the case, is there a way to fix this (without replacing the transmission)?
(Note: I am not super at mechanics etc. so quite a bit of stuff is foreign to me in cars. I am much more of a computer person.)

Sorry to tell you, but you're probably going to need a new or rebuilt tranny.

storyoftherealms · 02-11-2010, 05:33 PM

Update: So I brought it to a mechanic that was recommended by my brother. They checked it out.
Sounds like the tranny is done, as well as all the Struts, and the front tires (which are only a year old but they are done because of the struts affecting them). 4500$ (tranny/struts) to fix it without new front tires.

So boys and girls. That's one less 91 Toyota Camry LE on the road. It had a good run. RIP

***zythr*** · 02-11-2010, 06:53 PM

That's really a shame. Did they explain why it is so much for the repairs?

storyoftherealms · 02-11-2010, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zythr

That's really a shame. Did they explain why it is so much for the repairs?

Apparently rebuilding the transmission is 9 hours of labour plus the parts (2200 + 800 labour). This is in Canada as well, so the conversion from USD to Canadian is abit more. Also the car needs new struts which apparently is 1500$. Plus new front tires.

It's a shame, my first car too. But it had a good run, it's been around as long as I have haha. I will miss it though.

fredk · 02-11-2010, 08:56 PM

holy crap thats alot of money for struts

stanno · 02-12-2010, 11:08 AM

can't u find a used tranny i'm sure it'd cost less than repairing the damaged one ..?

***zythr*** · 02-12-2010, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by storyoftherealms

Apparently rebuilding the transmission is 9 hours of labour plus the parts (2200 + 800 labour). This is in Canada as well, so the conversion from USD to Canadian is abit more. Also the car needs new struts which apparently is 1500$. Plus new front tires.

It's a shame, my first car too. But it had a good run, it's been around as long as I have haha. I will miss it though.

I understand now, still that's a shame

white90dx · 02-12-2010, 01:39 PM

You need another opinion...

Used trans: $200-$400 + install
New front struts+mounts: $250-$350 + install
New front tires: <$100

If you can do the work yourself, you can have it back on the road for a pretty decent price.

I would guess the front struts are probably ok, but it is the bushings on the front lower control arms causing problems. Fixing that is actually cheaper than the struts...

-Charlie