Maintenance Records & Schedule

[Corsulian]

I'm looking to keep my car running through at least the end of the year (bought it used--former owners beat her, left her outside in the rain, and home-schooled her...terrible situation). I looked up the maintenance schedules on the forum which are mostly for newer Camrys. Edmunds.com also has a schedule--but it's irritating to search through. So, here's what my records show that I've done (no records of what happened before I got her) and what my plan is. Comment, critique, ignore at your leisure. This could end up being helpful to someone...or disastrously misleading. Either way:

* = I did this. Poorly.

1994 LE I4 Automatic

12.06.2003 - 76457 Miles
New Battery, New Timing Belt, New Serpentine Belt, New Water Pump, New Valve Cover Gasket Set, Engine "de-sludged"

*IAC/Throttle Body Cleaned

01.30.2004 - 78018 Miles
Oil Change, New Fuel Filter

02.23.2004 - 78431
New Right Front Axle (bad cv boot)

*K&N Air Filter Installed

06.18.2004 - 81712
Oil Flush, Oil Change

I assume and hope that I'm missing a record or two right here
Four New Tires

01.21.2005 - 89229
Oil Change, Transmission Flush

07.20.2005 - 94353
Oil Flush, Oil Change, "Front Differential Service" (new fluid? I dunno)

*Right Front window & power motor replaced

08.25.2005 - 95925
New Rear Brake Shoes

10.14.2005 - ?????
New Battery

12.09.2005 - 99187
Oil Change

01.31.2006 - 100608
New Front Disc Brakes
New Front Rotors
Alignment
Two New Front Tires

05.08.2006 - 102674
Oil Change, Coolant Flush, Alignment

09.16.2006 - 106986
Oil Change, Alignment, Right Front window & power motor replaced

*K&N Air Filter Cleaned

12.19.2006 - 109681
Oil Change, Alignment

*IAC Valve/Throttle Body Cleaned

Right now: a little over 12,000 miles

What I figure I need this year:

112,700 - Oil Change (Flush Maybe? It's been like 18000 miles)
112,700 - I've pretty much never done this. I know, that's pretty bad. Sue me.
120,000 - Transmission/Differential Flush

Things that very well may have never been done at all...hmmm:

-New PCV Valve
-New Thermostat
-Power Steering Fluid Flush
-Brake Fluid Flush

Current Afflictions:

-The whole rough idle/stalls when I've been driving fast for a while but then starts right back up like she's too senile to remember she's sick
-Power steering disappears for a minute here and there--mostly when I drive through large puddles (I don't try to...sometimes there are just very large puddles in the road)

[toyomoho]

Here my two cents. Are you running synthetic motor oil? If not shorten the change period. I would skip the flush and just change the oil. Same with the transmission, just change it at say every 30K. The differential fluid should be good for at least 60K, as it does not get contaminated. PCV can be tested also check to see the hose is not blocked.

The idle problem might be due to IAC or EGR valve problems. Both can be cleaned. Get turkey baster and just remove and replace the power steering fluid in the reservoir ever few hundred miles, in time it will look new again. Changing the brake fluid will help prevent corrosion of the brake components, grab a friend and do it manually. Unless you need to change the coolant or work on the system, might leave changing the thermostat until you need to drain the system.

Not sure on the power steering problem, is the belt slipping? Suggest watching going through water as it can cool the front brake rotors to fast and warp them.

[Corsulian]

Originally Posted by toyomoho

Here my two cents. Are you running synthetic motor oil? If not shorten the change period. I would skip the flush and just change the oil.

Nope. Good ol' cheap oil. Not even the good kind of oil--just whatever the shop happens to be using. From what I can tell, they actually just keep reusing the old oil and then they conspire to figure out ways to bankrupt me.

Originally Posted by toyomoho

Same with the transmission, just change it at say every 30K. The differential fluid should be good for at least 60K, as it does not get contaminated. PCV can be tested also check to see the hose is not blocked.

I'll probably do that toward the end of the year when I hit 120k then. I've seen some threads on checking that valve. It's long overdue.

Originally Posted by toyomoho

The idle problem might be due to IAC or EGR valve problems. Both can be cleaned.

Yeah I finally got around to do this again about 2 months ago. It helps. Overall, I think the cause of this problem for everyone is: your car is old. Toyotas are like people today--and American cars (also, Korean cars and Volkswagons) are like...Russians. Ours can live a really long time--way longer than the others...but that doesn't mean they're living without health problems. They mostly have artificial hips and alzheimers.

Originally Posted by toyomoho

Get turkey baster and just remove and replace the power steering fluid in the reservoir ever few hundred miles, in time it will look new again. Not sure on the power steering problem, is the belt slipping? Suggest watching going through water as it can cool the front brake rotors to fast and warp them.

I didn't know power steering included a belt. I'll poke around a bit. I figured flushing the fluid would solve the problem because...because I didn't think about it at all actually. It's been too cold to stand outside for more than 3 minutes.

Thanks toyomoho