94 camry problem

[hwguan]

Hi guys,

My 94 Camry (I4, auto transmission) with 183 K ran fine until yesterday when I drove at 65 mph in a freeway. The speedometer needle suddenly swing between 20 mph to 100 mph and stopped at 20 mph eventually. I pulled over and found the car did not move at all gears! The engine runs well at “P” and “N”. At “R”,”P”,”2” and “L”, the car shakes and would not go. When I put back from “R” to “P”, I can hear scratch noise.

Any suggestion before going to a transmission shop?


Thanks in advance!

[gonesurfing]

Did the speedometer swing while maintaining a steady speed? Are there any dashboard lights on?

I would check the transmission fluid level using the procedure in the owner's manual first. Do this while the car is warm, otherwise you'll never get a good reading. Also, look at the color and see if it is black or smells burnt. What you describe does not sound like a fluid issue, but it's always best to rule out the easy stuff first.

[hwguan]

No dashboard lights on. The speedometer swings for a couple of seconds and then stopped at 20 while maintaing a speed of 65 mph. The fluid was a little low. Nothing changed after I added to the normal level.

[toyomoho]

The sensor for the speedo runs off the trans differential gears. Either the sensor is bad or the diff is bad. Check the fluid in the diff housing for signs of metal.