1995 Camry Engine/Exhaust Problems

[noname87]

I have a 95 Camry wagon with a four cylinder engine with 130K. This car has recently turned into a money pit after a long life of low cost reliable service.

Yesterday the car refused to go above 5 mph and was constantly on the brink of stalling. I popped the hood and the exhaust pipe by the oxygen sensor was glowing cherry red. I took to a mechanic and he said the catalytic converter was clogged and that both converters and both oxygen sensors had to be replace. Th upper converter actually had a hole burned through it. I have some question/concerns.

1) What cause this? Needless to say this was an expensive repair that I NEVER want to pay for again. The check engine light did not come on. Prior to this (about 2 weeks, 100 miles) I had a lot of work done (valve cover gasket, oil pump, cam seal, front crank shaft seal, timing belt, water temperature sending unit, radiator, hoses (heater, water, transmission oil cooler), thermostat, distributor o-ring, egr vale, headlights, brakes, fluids (brake, trans, diff, oil, antifreeze)). Could anything the previous mechanic did cause this? He did destroy the oxygen sensor connector but he did reconnect the remains and secured it with a cable tie. He screw up so many things during the job that I was wondering if anything he did cause this. It just seems to be too much of a coincidence.

2) After changing the converters and sensors, the new mechanic said one of the plugs was misfiring and recommended changing the wires which were fairly new. He changed them and that problem disappeared. However when he took the car out for a test drive it started bucking (his words) around 35 mph. He hasn't figured out the new problem yet. Any ideas?

I love this car but I have put more money than the car is worth into repairs in the last six months. I was hoping to keep this car a little bit longer but who knows. At some point, I might have to call it quits.

[ASG14]

Almost everything you had done is normal work thats supposed to be done, so I don't know what THAT is a money pit.

As for the exhaust issues, that's really weird. IF your O2 sensors are bad, it WILL make the CEL go on. So I'd check to see if the CEL bulb is actually working. Because either your CEL bulb is burned out, someone "removed" the bulb, or you have an electrical issue. Lets say you've had the CEL on for the last 30k miles because of bad O2 sensors, it is possible to actually screw things up.

[Knailgun]

if your exhaust is glowing red, my advice is change the cap, rotor, plugs and wires....roughly $120....but that is my guess for what is ailing the car....

your mechanic is on crack....cats rarely clog

[noname87]

Originally Posted by ASG14

Almost everything you had done is normal work thats supposed to be done, so I don't know what THAT is a money pit.

You are right. "Money Pit" is a bit harsh. I just use to term because in the last three months I have spent more on repairs ($3500+) than the car is worth and I still have problems. Some of the problems were from trusting the wrong mechanic. He has been a mechanic for 50+ years but seems to be getting forgetful/careless in his old age (he is 74).I have been spoiled by how little I have had to spend on non-routine maintenance.

The CEL was working at least a month ago when it came on briefly. The mechanic checked it. It was a result of a loose connector that he damaged during one of his repairs. He secured it with a cable tie and the light never came on again.

[ASG14]

I have a friend in Parsipany that has a good mechanic (And he won;t let anyone touch his car but him, me, and a couple other friends). If your anywhere near there I'll find out who it is if you like. Too bad yout not in CT. I can do much of that work fairly easily.

[noname87]

Originally Posted by Knailgun

if your exhaust is glowing red, my advice is change the cap, rotor, plugs and wires....roughly $120....but that is my guess for what is ailing the car....

your mechanic is on crack....cats rarely clog

That is why I am posting. The car passed emissions testing without a problem six months ago. The mechanic did showed me the upper cat (one closest to engine block). It did have a hole burn through it and I could see the damaged honeycomb. Yes, he could have faked it but I don't think so.

Something went seriously wrong. I am trying to ideas before I get the next 4 figure bill. I believe that at least 1 of the converters was bad and got hot enough to take out the oxygen sensor. The other converter and sensor, I am taking on faith.

[noname87]

Originally Posted by ASG14

I have a friend in Parsipany that has a good mechanic (And he won;t let anyone touch his car but him, me, and a couple other friends). If your anywhere near there I'll find out who it is if you like. Too bad yout not in CT. I can do much of that work fairly easily.

I am very close to Parssipany. I would appreciate the referral. This car has been so reliable up o now that I never had to find a good mechanic.

[noname87]

Before I junk this car, does anybody else have ideas of what could be the issue.

The new mechanic replaced both Catyatic converters and both oxygen sensors with after market parts. He has order another converter (top one closest to the engine) from Toyota to see if that works better.

I am at the stage that if this doesn't work, the car will be junked. Anybody interested in a new converter or oxygen sensors or the whole car for a project car or for parting? I am serious. The car is in the Newark-NJ area.

[ASG14]

Shit, just saw your reply. I'll ask my friend tonight. Sorry.

[ekopel]

hate to say it, but i agree with everyone else. seems like your mechanic was trying to make a few bucks.

[noname87]

Just an update.

The new converter from Toyota didn't solve the problem. The mechanic ended up replacing the distributor. He said that the cam sensor needed to be replaced. Could this have been the root cause for why the catalytic converter failed? Also, should I be concerned about the fact that the check engine never came on?

I am also deciding whether to keep the car or sell it. The car has 131K. What other repairs can I expect in the next 10-20K miles. As I stated, I have replaced the front oil seals, the oil pump, radiator, water pump, thermostat, valve cover gaskets, wires, plugs, distributer, water and heater hoses, front and top engine mounts, front axles, egr valve and modulator, both oxygen sensors and both catalytic converters. How long does the alternator, starter fuel pump last? Any other big ticket items that could go?

[96paseo]

Yikes!!! Sounds like this guy is guessing his ass of to find the problem. If the CEL was not on, I don't know why he would replace the cam sensor. My LE has over 185,000 on it and the fuel pump and starter are original. Alternator has been replaced once. Your mechanic scares me. Sounds like he's throwing parts at your problem. Did he show you the spark plugs by any chance? If so how did they look? I find it unusual that the cat and o2 sensor are getting that hot. That symptom usually results from burnt exhaust valves that don't seal properly and are letting the flame escape out into the exhaust manifold.

[Bdub215]

could you record a video of the car and of the engine? maybe drive it around your neighborhood. you said you got the timing belt done. it might not be retimed correctly and THAT could cause problems.

[noname87]

I picked up the car today. The mechanic said that when he switched the aftermarket converter with the Toyota converter the problem didn't go away. However, he was receiving error codes and the check engine light did come on. They codes indicate a problem with the cam sensor. He was not getting codes with the after market parts. Who knows. He replaced the distributor and so far the car seems to run well. He did check the timing and said that was not a issue. He also verified that the wires and plugs were good.

With luck, I am hoping that this solves the problem.