Just Bought a 97 camry le 4 cylinder

[jimstewa1]

i just purchased this car 97 camry 4 banger, was wondering if theres anything i should check that regularly goes wrong with these cars and how many miles this car might be good for. right now it has 140,000 on it.

thanks

jim(new to the forum)

[exploreco97]

Originally Posted by jimstewa1

i just purchased this car 97 camry 4 banger, was wondering if theres anything i should check that regularly goes wrong with these cars and how many miles this car might be good for. right now it has 140,000 on it.

thanks

jim(new to the forum)

Welcome I would say you are good for many more miles. I had 200,000 on my 97 LE when I sold it to my cousin last spring and he is still going strong with it and he doesn't do crap as far as maintenace.

I got mine at 50k. All I really had to do with it was routine stuff. Oil, tires, brakes. Replaced the timing chain at 95k. Valve cover started leaking at 130k, and had numerous rear end suspension noises. Strut mount noise is common (front and rear mounts), but other than that, didn't have to do much to it. I replaced all four struts and mounts at 140k and some bushings in the rear and finally got tired of trying to track down the rattling in the rear, so I just turned up the radio I started running Mobil 1 in when I got it and I think that helped too. Those are some things you can check out.

I am sure some other members will give some extra insight as well.

Good luck with it!

[ghettosled]

hello neighbor. just as exploreco97 said, just routine maintenance. though being in NE ohio, keep your eye out for rust. i just replaced my rear brake and fuel lines because of the salty roads. just for reference, i am up to 154k miles and no problems (aside from the rusty lines). my buddy has a 1992 with over 300k miles, though now he is starting to have minor problems.

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by jimstewa1

i just purchased this car 97 camry 4 banger, was wondering if theres anything i should check that regularly goes wrong with these cars and how many miles this car might be good for. right now it has 140,000 on it.

thanks

jim(new to the forum)

Seems like the rear suspension is always trouble (thumping / squeaking on bumps). Front and dogbone motor mounts are usually in bad shape by now. Make sure all the rubber boots on the drivetrain are intact (unripped) -- saves an expensive fix down the road. The starter solenoid eventually needs to be rebuilt, but it'll fail slowly (two key turns for the starter to catch, then three, etc.) The expansion valve in the A/C is a bit twitchy, and a real pain in the *ss to replace. Plastic tanks on the radiator eventually develop hairline cracks...best to replace with a good all-metal aftermarket radiator when it happens. The "D" (drive) light in the dashboard is usually burnt out by now. Throttle body needs a good cleaning every once and a while. Offhand, I can't think of anything else that fails "often", but I don't live in a salt area...I'd assume body rot and suspension problems would be more prevalent in that climate.

Timing belt is a 60K maintenance item, but it's a non-interference engine, so breakage won't ruin the engine. Make sure tranny fluid is in good shape (red, with no "burned" smell). Plugs, plug wires, and distributor cap and rotor are also maintenance items.

[haycamry]

Hey,

maybe we can trade notes I just got the same car a few days ago myself.

My list from the weekend.

Battery $80
Valve cover gasket $22
Air filter $19
Oil and oil filter $20
PCV valve and grommet $9

Mine has 155,300 miles on it just put registration and insurance on it this morning. Its running so well I am scared to touch it too much

[camryvibe]

Originally Posted by hill8570

Seems like the rear suspension is always trouble (thumping / squeaking on bumps). Front and dogbone motor mounts are usually in bad shape by now. Make sure all the rubber boots on the drivetrain are intact (unripped) -- saves an expensive fix down the road.

We also have a '97 I4. No problem with the rear suspension, but the front strut mounts are cracked and make some noises on bumps. The CV boots on both sides have been ripped for some time. When first noticed I called a few mechanics about getting them fixed but they all recommended waiting until the joints started to fail since the cost of repair wouldn't be much different. That was at least 5 years ago and I still haven't heard any noises from the CV joints.

Find out when the timing belt was changed and also if the water pump and tensioner were changed at the same time. If they're all still original then it's overdue for replacements.

[deezeejoey]

Originally Posted by exploreco97

. Strut mount noise is common (front and rear mounts)

my 1998 camry has 110,000 miles and the strut noise is kind of annoying.... I actually avoid really bumpy roads to avoid the noise. lol


other than that i <3 my camry. well the A/C is broken too... :\

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by jimstewa1

i just purchased this car 97 camry 4 banger, was wondering if theres anything i should check that regularly goes wrong with these cars and how many miles this car might be good for. right now it has 140,000 on it.

Forgot one thing -- the power antenna (actually, the nylon whip that gets driven up and down) is complete trash. Next time it breaks, replace it with either a manual Camry antenna, or a Celica base & a Honda S2000 stub (or you can go for the much-favored "power antenna stuck in whatever state it finally broke in" look ).

[exploreco97]

Originally Posted by hill8570

Forgot one thing -- the power antenna (actually, the nylon whip that gets driven up and down) is complete trash. Next time it breaks, replace it with either a manual Camry antenna, or a Celica base & a Honda S2000 stub (or you can go for the much-favored "power antenna stuck in whatever state it finally broke in" look).

Did some of the Gen 4s have an external antenna? Mine was built in the rear glass. Didn't like it at first, but never had any reception problems or any problems for that matter with it. Now that I am used to it, wouldn't want to go back to a regular antena

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by exploreco97

Did some of the Gen 4s have an external antenna? Mine was built in the rear glass. Didn't like it at first, but never had any reception problems or any problems for that matter with it. Now that I am used to it, wouldn't want to go back to a regular antena

Geez...here I am yammering on about external antennas, and we're talking about a '97. Hey, it's not my fault the Gen3 and Gen4 forums are the same!

[5SlowFE]

Originally Posted by exploreco97

Did some of the Gen 4s have an external antenna? Mine was built in the rear glass. Didn't like it at first, but never had any reception problems or any problems for that matter with it. Now that I am used to it, wouldn't want to go back to a regular antena

Saw a gen4 CE ( cheap edition? ) the other day with a fixed external antenna. I actually liked the look better than my s2000 antenna that's on my '92 now. I think the s2000 ant. is ugly cuz it stands out too much, that gen4 had a black mast that you couldn't see without looking twice. Gonna go to the dealer and see if I can get a part number...