Toyota's recommendation list after oil change; big estimates! Tips are appreciated

[Camry LE 94]

So I went to Toyota with my 96 I4 Camry today to get my oil changed and they informed me that I have several problems that will need to be taken care of...
NOW, I know i need the brake fluid service, timing belt/water pump in 10K miles (60K interval), tune up (wires, cap & rotor).
What do you recommend is a relatively easy DIY for some of these issues?

timing belt/water pump, new crank & cam seal, and oil pump seal/o-ring, oil pump housing gasket & reseal leaking oil pan? 1,250.00

coolant system exchange (was done 3 months ago...) w/ new thermostat & gasket $185

$935 for a new radiator/cap/hose clamp???

Valve cover gasket leaking $175

dist. o ring leaking $105

ignition wires w/ cap & rotor $215

front brake pads & rotors $485 <LOL

rear brake shoes and resurface drums $280

brake fluid service $120

any help is much appreciated! thanks!

[Retrospekt]

Don't do any of it at the stealership. You can do the tune up yourself. Find a local mechanic, most of this work can be done in a driveway.

Forget about the timing belt also. You can go 90k unless it's been on this belt for more than 10 years.

[Camry LE 94]

thanks for the tips. i had no intentions of getting any of the work done at the stealership lol. but did you see some of these prices? $935 for a new radiator installed? lol $215 for cap n rotor/wires LOL. ridiculous.

[fenixus]

if you not very advanced with car leave those two to the shop:

timing belt/water pump, new crank & cam seal, and oil pump seal/o-ring, oil pump housing gasket & reseal leaking oil pan? 1,250.00
rear brake shoes and resurface drums $280

if you have time and patience you can do all the rest yourself, garage recommended because it's getting cold

coolant system exchange (was done 3 months ago...) w/ new thermostat & gasket $185
$935 for a new radiator/cap/hose clamp???
Valve cover gasket leaking $175
dist. o ring leaking $105
ignition wires w/ cap & rotor $215
front brake pads & rotors $485 <LOL
brake fluid service $120

there is basically a DIY for each and every of them here on forums (first 2 also have DIYs, but they are not easy).

people here can give you a hand with finding OEM part numbers so you can get best quality replacements at nearly half of stealership price. get original parts from online Toyota/Lexus parts resellers (also dealers, but so much different!).
here is a compiled list of many online OEM stores in different geo locations all over USA.
geo location of online toyota parts sellers

Good rotors you can get new by Brembo and get at same time a pack of good aftermarket brake pads (Hawk HPS or Akebono recommended) and don't forget NGK spark plugs, NGK wireset, new WIX/Purolator air, oil and fuel filters from e.g. from tirerack.com or rockauto.com or amazon or whatever you prefer).

you will save hundreds if not thousands this way

your dealer must be sick in the head.

[Camry LE 94]

thanks fenixus. i dont see why they are recommending another coolant service if i got it done 3 months ago..
so ill hold off on that.

do you know of any websites for Toyota/Lexus parts resellers?

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by Camry LE 94

thanks for the tips. i had no intentions of getting any of the work done at the stealership lol. but did you see some of these prices? $935 for a new radiator installed? lol $215 for cap n rotor/wires LOL. ridiculous.

List price on a Toyota radiator is like $700 (I'm sort of curious if anyone is insane enough to actually buy one). They're cutting you a deal on the labor

Not sure where they're getting off on the cap / rotor / wire -- none of the parts are particularly expensive, and labor is minimal.

OTOH, the price for replacing the dizzy o-ring is actually sort of reasonable. They must know a trick I don't know about.

[fenixus]

check above post, added link to compiled list of OEM resellers all over USA. coolant drain and refill will have to be done at same time as Water Pump service. get new coolant from Toyota, theirs is best as day say. RED one mixed with distilled water from Walgreens as 50/50 is good.

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by Camry LE 94

do you know of any websites for Toyota/Lexus parts resellers?

I tend to use www.1sttoyotaparts.com . Shipping is kind of high for small purchases, but OK once you're at $100 or more.

[fenixus]

recently i found a reseller geographically closer to me and even cheaper than my former best 1sttoyotaparts.com
check this one out:
www.toyotapartsoutlet.com

just ordered engine mounts form them on Monday and it's been shipped already. if lucky i will get them on Friday in Jersey (NY should be similar), while from 1sttoyotaparts.com i had to wait like almost 2 weeks. i was also lucky to use a $1 Black Friday shipping

[ASG14]

I'll do the work cheap and get the OEM parts discounted.

I have no job and no life, lol.

*Edit, HOLY CRAP! I'd do a drum to disc swap on your car for almost the same price!

[JohnGD]

If the dealer is changing out the water pump they'll have to replace the coolant. So why are they charging you twice?

Wires, cap, rotor, and plugs (I'd prefer you get NGK Iridium-IX) are so easy you should be able to do them yourself. If you can get to one of the cap bolt that may be hard to get for some. Get a Harbor Freight $15 (when on sale) 3/8"-drive torque wrench for the plugs.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=807

Radiator is so easy to replace. A good Koyo rad is about $130. Each hose no more than $30. Don't know why they want to charge more than $300-350. That's including coolant drains. So they are charging you 3 times? Toyota also uses GM Harrison radiators or some Densos.

Valve cover gasket set (Fel Pro) with new spark plug tube seals is like $13 (rockauto.com). Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to do. With a few dabs of RTV ($0.99).

Of course you can use OEM parts if you like. I just go with aftermarket on these typical maintenance items.

I Christmas is right around the corner. Be careful of wallet flushes!

Originally Posted by Camry LE 94

So I went to Toyota with my 96 I4 Camry today to get my oil changed and they informed me that I have several problems that will need to be taken care of...
NOW, I know i need the brake fluid service, timing belt/water pump in 10K miles (60K interval), tune up (wires, cap & rotor).
What do you recommend is a relatively easy DIY for some of these issues?

timing belt/water pump, new crank & cam seal, and oil pump seal/o-ring, oil pump housing gasket & reseal leaking oil pan? 1,250.00

coolant system exchange (was done 3 months ago...) w/ new thermostat & gasket $185

$935 for a new radiator/cap/hose clamp???

Valve cover gasket leaking $175

dist. o ring leaking $105

ignition wires w/ cap & rotor $215

front brake pads & rotors $485 <LOL

rear brake shoes and resurface drums $280

brake fluid service $120

any help is much appreciated! thanks!

[JohnGD]

Ask Fenixus how well his stop-on-a-dime Hawk HPS carbon metallic pads are working and how much he paid for them! Brembo rotors are cheap on Amazon -- the same brand rotors Lamborghinis use (different model of course).

Castrol GT LMA (low moisture activity) and Valvoline Synthetic brake fluids cost about $7-9 a quart.

Of course, if you or a friend is mechanically inclined you can save a lot of money to buy Christmas gifts for your family and friends!

Originally Posted by Camry LE 94

front brake pads & rotors $485 <LOL

rear brake shoes and resurface drums $280

brake fluid service $120

any help is much appreciated! thanks!

[Camry LE 94]

Originally Posted by ASG14

I'll do the work cheap and get the OEM parts discounted.

I have no job and no life, lol.

*Edit, HOLY CRAP! I'd do a drum to disc swap on your car for almost the same price!

lol you're not even 2 hours from me so that would work... are you serious about this?

[Camry LE 94]

Originally Posted by JohnGD

If the dealer is changing out the water pump they'll have to replace the coolant. So why are they charging you twice?

Wires, cap, rotor, and plugs (I'd prefer you get NGK Iridium-IX) are so easy you should be able to do them yourself. If you can get to one of the cap bolt that may be hard to get for some. Get a Harbor Freight $15 (when on sale) 3/8"-drive torque wrench for the plugs.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=807

Radiator is so easy to replace. A good Koyo rad is about $130. Each hose no more than $30. Don't know why they want to charge more than $300-350. That's including coolant drains. So they are charging you 3 times? Toyota also uses GM Harrison radiators or some Densos.

Valve cover gasket set (Fel Pro) with new spark plug tube seals is like $13 (rockauto.com). Shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to do. With a few dabs of RTV ($0.99).

Of course you can use OEM parts if you like. I just go with aftermarket on these typical maintenance items.

I Christmas is right around the corner. Be careful of wallet flushes!

I replaced the spark plugs several months ago so I think they're ok for now, How many miles can they go before they need to be replaced? I just need to do the other basic tune-up stuff like the wires and cap/rotor. And I do have the torque wrench from Harbor Freight

As for the valve cover gasket, i'll worry about that later.. I haven't noticed any big changes in oil level just yet.

Thanks for the tips though, I appreciate it.

[ASG14]

Yes, I'm serious. I just did all the stuff on my dad's '96 5SFE a few months back.

The hardest thing there is the timing belt, and with 50k miles, does not need to be done yet. And of course the coolant thing since you just had it done.

Everything else can be knocked out at my house in 1/2 a day if you have all the parts. I can teach you how to do it all so you can do it the next time. And no, I won;t charge you $500, lol.

And you know what, as sad as it sounds, I'd rather do a drum to disc swap on your car then replace the drums and shoes. I hate drums.