Some issues with my 87 Camry LE.... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

iggydrake · 11-01-2011, 12:21 PM

Hi all,

I have a few questions about my car, especially since something weird happened just yesterday. I'll get to that part first, and then we'll see what can be done I guess....

1)
I was driving on the highway, with my cruise control on, and suddenly
it shut off. As soon as this happened, the parking brake light and the charge battery light turned on and stay that way. Cruise control no longer works, and those 2 lights stay on, yet nothing else is out of the ordinary. I thought maybe a fuse blew but even with the manual I can't seem to find the fuses you normally find near the drivers seat in vehicles? Anyone know what this could be??

2)
Also, I have a transmission leak....it's not a huge one, but I believe it's my front main seal. Also I found shavings in my oil pan which on some research I found may not be a very bad thing.
I know it would cost a lot to redo the front main seal because I hear you need to remove the whole transmission.... but I am thinking of getting it done anyway, because I felt that this car, considering I've done so much work on it, would still have a lot of life left.

I continue to drive the car sometimes putting a little container at the spot to catch the drips, and so far there has never been much of a need to pour it back in as not a whole crazy lot comes out. (it only seems to really leak after it's been parked and stops when it cools down) I don't notice it driving any differently than it ever did, so I don't think there's transmission damage.

Is this worth fixing? I think I'd rather do so than buy some used car I know nothing about, especially when I am aware of all that has been done on this one...

white90dx · 11-01-2011, 12:31 PM

For your first question - you probably have an alternator that is going bad. The charge light + brake light warning means a bad alternator. That means that the battery is draining as you drive. Check/replace your alternator. It is probably just worn brushes in the alternator, but it could be more serious.

As for the leak, etc. Make sure your fluid levels stay correct until you can figure out the leak.

-Charlie

iggydrake · 11-01-2011, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by white90dx

For your first question - you probably have an alternator that is going bad. The charge light + brake light warning means a bad alternator. That means that the battery is draining as you drive. Check/replace your alternator. It is probably just worn brushes in the alternator, but it could be more serious.

As for the leak, etc. Make sure your fluid levels stay correct until you can figure out the leak.

-Charlie

Thanks for the reply!
I somehow had a feeling it could be that. I'm hoping I can make it back home... I hear the alternator isn't hard to replace? I have a repair manual so I can get a new alternator and replace the old one perhaps.
I'm just curious about why the cruise control would just die like that...

yeah I hear the leak is about 700-1000$ to fix on average? I just hope if I do that nothing else goes wrong.....metal shavings in the oil pan can't be good ether. I heard it could be a simple thing tho like some kinda bearings that are cheap and easy to replace.
I don't have a whole lotta money to work with....I would get it looked at but I thought it would be really expensive just to do that in itself...

Doctor J · 11-01-2011, 01:48 PM

1) you need to remove and charge battery
2) get the voltmeter that reads between 10and 20 V DC and measure a voltage on the battery prosts when engine is running if you have about 11 volts the altwernator is not charging (check the big blue or black fuse in the fuse box atteched to the batttery terminal)
the transmission pump seal is about $4; once the transmission is off the car it takes about 10 minutes to repalce.
The very fine black "magnetic" dust in the pan is normal, however bright yellow (brass ) shavings are sign of the bushing wear.

***Zembonez*** · 11-01-2011, 01:56 PM

I would think twice before dumping a ton of money into a 25 year old vehicle. I would figure out the cruise/lights issue and leave the trans leaking until the car finally gives it up.

iggydrake · 11-01-2011, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zembonez

I would think twice before dumping a ton of money into a 25 year old vehicle. I would figure out the cruise/lights issue and leave the trans leaking until the car finally gives it up.

I thought of that myself... just didnt want to get a new car only for it to die within a month (this has happened before) that ends up costing more than it takes to fix this one with the knowledge that this toyota has nothing left wrong with it. I'm thinking I will just try and fix the alternator to buy me time until I can get a new one...

***Zembonez*** · 11-01-2011, 02:05 PM

Should be well worth solving that issue for sure. Just saying I'd think about it before loading a bunch of repair money into it. Only my opinion though... you know the car better than we do.

iggydrake · 11-01-2011, 11:42 PM

yeah I checked the voltage at battery and it's always 11.6 ir so volts. alternator is not charging the battery. I took it out and apart and the brushes are down to the coppper wire almost. Tonite I am replacing them. Could this be my alternator problem? I can't see anything else wrong. the fuses between the battery and alternator are ok as well AFAIK...

'88 All-Trac · 11-02-2011, 12:17 AM

And for the leak... Is it front main, rear main, or trans input seal? What kind of fluid is leaking? Auto or manual? I could practically give a step-by-step guide to doing the rear main or trans input with a manual transmission. Front main I haven't had to do yet. Not an expensive repair at all... $12 at most for the seal and just some of your time to pull the trans/whatever needs to come down depending on the seal.

People say that old 'Yotas will nickle and dime you to death but mine sure as hell hasn't. Waaaaaay cheaper to fix these old things than anything else I've had to deal with. New rear brake disc set for my sister's Mercury Capri? (Mazda 323 platform) $200 after tax.

It's ridiculous, I say!

iggydrake · 11-02-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '88 All-Trac

And for the leak... Is it front main, rear main, or trans input seal? What kind of fluid is leaking? Auto or manual? I could practically give a step-by-step guide to doing the rear main or trans input with a manual transmission. Front main I haven't had to do yet. Not an expensive repair at all... $12 at most for the seal and just some of your time to pull the trans/whatever needs to come down depending on the seal.

People say that old 'Yotas will nickle and dime you to death but mine sure as hell hasn't. Waaaaaay cheaper to fix these old things than anything else I've had to deal with. New rear brake disc set for my sister's Mercury Capri? (Mazda 323 platform) $200 after tax.

It's ridiculous, I say!

It's Automatic, and it's the front main seal leaking tranny fluid.
I ended up with a bigger problem actually. I got stranded one city over because of my charging system showing brake light + charge light. I took out the alternator as i was only getting 11v running from battery post, and the brushes were worn down to about 20-25%...i put new brushes in, and maybe i couldn't put it back in right as it seems i have to tilt it up a lot to tighten the belt, but ether way, the lights remained on and it didn't fix the problem.

im not sure what on earth could be wrong; the alternator seems perfectly fine internally...

Grego 92 · 11-02-2011, 10:47 AM

Have you had the battery checked? maybe it's not taking a full charge?

iggydrake · 11-02-2011, 11:03 AM

I'm not sure how. The battery is less than a year old, and i only have maybe a battery charger at best. seeing as i'm not even at home

Grego 92 · 11-02-2011, 11:20 AM

Do you live by a sears? They will check it for free and tell you if it's holding/taking charge for free. Doesn't matter which brand you have.

I've had a battery go out on me in less than a year and got a full replacement. I thought it was my alternator, but took it to autozone (they check it for free) and they told me it was good. So the next day I drove to sears and that's how I found out it was my battery.

You might want to take the alternator by an autozone or whatever place you have to have it checked also.

Doctor J · 11-02-2011, 12:48 PM

The bad brushes are showing up as intermitent flickering of the charge light.
From my experience, the problems with high output toyota alternators (used on camry after 1984) can be as follows:
bad regulator;
bad diodes (open)
bad brushes
Remove the alternator and take it to the Autozone for bench testing (free); it should tell if voltage regulator or diodes are bad. I am getting these parts from the wrecking yards, from the remanufactured alternantors.

Sturdavj · 11-02-2011, 02:29 PM

For what it’s worth

I replaced my A/T on my car with 299,000 mi. I did this because I could. I picked up a salvaged A/T with 138,000 mi. cost $275.00, I would not have paid to have it done.

The reason I replaced it was because it shifted hard (it was given to me for free, because of the A/T defects) when I got the car at 290,000 the A/T bands were slipping at that time and I still drove it for another 10,000mi before it had a hard fail, this is when you drive it home between 30 to 40 mph because the tranny is fried & died.

For a transmission leak I would stop by Wal-Mart and pick up two things:

1. A gallon of A/T fluid
2. A drip pan/sheet to park over in my driveway

I would then drive it for another 100,000 mi