Serious help: fix or sell the Camry:

[kenratboy]

I'll cut to the chase:

Power steering pump, supply and return house, and steering rack all need to be replaced - to have a shop do this with OEM parts would be $1600-1900 (car is a V6 5-speed).

Labor without the parts would be about $5-600, rebuilt/non-OEM parts would be maybe another $5-600, so about $10-1200. I cannot fathom doing the job myself, its a LOT of work, and I don't have experience with this sort of stuff (I can deal with replacing brakes, an alternator, etc.)

I am asking myself if its really worth it. Its not like my car will be new again. Still needs new struts, things are well-worn overall, transmission could use some new syncros, etc.

Any thoughts? I heard this is a common problem (PS system leaking), but scared that if I fix this, there will be more and more things that will end up costing a lot in the next few years.

Wondering if I should get out while I am ahead, or fix this issue and hope nothing else happens to the car in the next year or two.

[bigbird]

my power steering has been leaking for months but i just keep refilling it . it really all depends if u have the money to get another car. fixing all the things that are wrong with the car will be cheaper then buying a new one, that includes the struts and tranny. i use things breaking as an excuse to upgrade .

now as a performance junkie(i know why a camry ), id say keep it. u have one of the best platforms for modding since u have the 97+ 1mz (s/c) and u already have the manual. but thats me.

[Venom_5]

thats a minor problem, no reason to sell a car unless youre spending more than the car's worth [which would be > $4000 i would think]

[Slooooooow]

I could not agree any more with what Bigbird and Venom state. Stand by your "can"!

Upgrading several systems and parts on our cars is almost always cheaper than taking on a new car. New car prices are now officially insane, which is why lease program participation is sky high; it's a new way to drive a car you probably couldn't afford. Plus your insurance will increase with a newer car.

There's also something to be said about being "loyal" to your baby, keeping her running and upgrading her whenever you can.

The epidemic of "flipping cars" (of which I am also guilty in the past) is what's driven up the cost of cars and filled our junkyards.

[ghettosled]

do those parts HAVE to be replaced, or has it been SUGGESTED to have them replaced? also, how many miles on the car? if its just leaking and can be topped off now and again, thats what i would do. if indeed it needs to be replaced and you have over 170k miles, i would start looking for a different (used) whip. $1600 is too much to spend on a 10-year-old car if it has a decent amount of mileage on the clock.

[Venom_5]

^a 10-year-old camry is worth more than $1600 ... much more

even my 12-year-old camry is worth more than that, plus he has a V6 5spd

[kmr16442]

Are all these parts needing to be replaced? I've replaced power steering hoses and never had to replace a rack or pump. You could go to your local parts yard and gets the parts fairly inexpensively. Another thought is that you may have a place near you that makes hoses. A place that services hydraulic equipment like construction equipment could make a hose if you bring in your old one.

The hoses wouldn't be too hard to replace and the pump is probably comparable to an alternator. The rack is a big job but not beyond the scope of a home mechanic.

[Nervous]

My steering pump started to leak at 82K when car was 10 y.o. Got it rebuilt by my friend (so, cost me just about $30 for P/S seal kit). At the same time the P/S suction hose was replaced by regular rubber hose of appropriate diameter (since OEM part cost more than $60 for just a rubber hose!). At about 120K and 12 y.o high pressure hose started to bleed. Got aftermarket replacement for $70 (OEM part cost around $400!!!) but still haven't installed it yet. At 141K and 13.5 y.o I found out my rack is leaking. Planning to replace it soon, all parts are already in my garage. Will replace high pressure hose as well, plus, tie rod ends, stabilizer links, stabilizer bar bushings.
As I can see, leaking P/S is common problem for this age of camrys.

[Chris Crash]

My P/S is leaking too, luckily I have a parts car I can take the parts from

But seriously, as long as you top up your P/S, it's not a big deal. Unless the pump is going bad, as mine is.

[ONE_to_HATE]

holy thread revival batman!!

[Chris Crash]

Wow I didn't notice it was from 3 years ago... haha

[haux]

Originally Posted by Slooooooow

Plus your insurance will increase with a newer car.

I can't agree with that. A friend of mine in California traded in her old POS something or other for a brand new Dodge Charger last year. Her insurance went down. I don't get it either.


With a 10-year old car and more than 338,000 miles, I've never had a power steering leek. Now, steering is becoming a tad stiff occasionally. I do need to change the fluid, but if that doesn't fix it, it could be a sign of trouble with the pump/rack.


As I was reading this thread I also didn't notice it was from a few years back.

[peshwa]

Originally Posted by haux

As I was reading this thread I also didn't notice it was from a few years back.

Originally Posted by JJJJJJ

Old threads never die, they just go to TN to regroup !

The OP may already be rolling in his new Toyota/Honda/<insert your brand here>.
We are all TN junkies pouncing on any thread....next birth reserved as a Camry rolling out of Mars or whatever planet is in "Avatar" movie ha ha

[BamZipPow]

Just as a quick reminder...most Toyota racks are not rebuildable by a DIY or even an experienced mechanic. You'll need specialized tools to do it right...even with the Toyota rebuild kit.

I've had great luck with using Auto-RX in the power steering (ATF) fluid to completely stop a leak in my T-100 power steering rack. It was leaking pretty bad on the input shaft seals.

[Nervous]

I don't believe in stop-leak fluids. And, rebuilding of racks is not rocket science at all. However, I prefer to get a good rebuild (Beck/Arnley, for example), since this is easier and not that much more expensive (Toyota's OEM gasket kit for rack costs $90).