Just got a '98 Camry 2.2L LE

[MarkyD]

Well, I'm new here. I've been driving a 2000 BMW 540i w/6 speed manual, M-Package, etc for a while. It was the most fun car I've ever owned. That said, the DIY maintenance was starting to take too much time from my family, and I can't afford to have someone else do it.

My parents have this Camry that they got at 60k. Most of that 60k it was towed with the front wheels on a dolly behind a motor home. Since then, my folks just kept up with stuff as it broke. I bought it, and drove it from Miami to Oklahoma. It has 120k miles on it currently. First off, it ran like a champ. However, when I crossed into New Orleans, it was cold and the engine was refusing to warm up. It was night time, and I was stopping for the night anyway...figured the thermostat was stuck open. Went to autozone, got a thermostat, and installed it in the parking lot. Also noticed that the drive belt that runs the alternator and A/C had a nasty crack down the middle, and would go at any time. So, I went back inside and got the gatorback belt, and also the power steering belt since I was "in there." had that done in 30 minutes, and was back on the road with no more problems.

questions:

-struts were replaced only 3k ago at a shop in Miami. It's been over a year, though. My mom said that the ABS light has been on ever since, and she never bothered to take it back to the indy mechanic to call them on it (my dad was in Iraq at the time). From reading here, I'm pretty sure they screwed up one of the ABS sensors in the rear, which are a real pain in the ass to get to. How can I test to see which one is faulty without ripping the seats out, etc? I want the ABS to work.

In addition, when it's real cold out the suspension in the rear is really squeaky. It drives fine and the struts feel good, but the squeaking is annoying! Is it the springs?

- I see a receipt that shows a trans flush recently, but I don't think the diff fluid has ever been changed. Good idea do do a drain and fill?

-Timing belt has not been changed. I worry that going from El Paso, to Miami, now to Oklahoma, all those severe climate changes will surely have worn down the car. Plus, it just sat in Florida for almost a year before i came to get it. From what I understand, this is a non-interference engine and there's no harm done if it breaks. I called two dealers here to ask for quotes for water pump and t-belt replacement. One quoted $800 (!) and the other $500. This is one job I won't tackle myself. Am I risking it going to an indy mechanic for this? It just makes me nervous, but I can't pay $500 for a t-belt replacement on this car. From what I've read, $300 is more typical.

-Fuel filter is another thing on the list I hadn't seen changed. I bought one today, hopefully it's easy to get to and change. Should I maybe run a gastank of seafoam before changing the filter?

I also plan on seafoaming the engine through the brake booster if I can find it. Anything else I'm missing that I might need to do? I need this thing to be trusty for a long time coming. I'll be changing the spark plugs after the seafoam treatment.

Also, what is the engine code for a 1998 2.2L?

sorry for all the questions, and thanks for reading,

mark

[Retrospekt]

Engine Code -5SFE

Timing Belt - 300 is the common price for just a timing belt job. When you're in there it's basically a MUST to do the water pump and all the surrounding seals. I sprouted a nasty leak at 148k due to a bad seal. Caused my belt to slip a tooth also. If you find a mechanic rather than going to a shop, you can get all the parts + do the maintenance for 500 bucks...if you're lucky. Timing belt is too important to skimp on. If going to a shop, expect 800+. OEM parts from Toyota for the Belt + all seals is almost 350 bucks. Add on maintence and it's a hefty price. It's about 3-7 hours of work, depending on the experience of the mechanic. Special tools are required, and you also have to flush the coolant. It's a pain.

Sea Foam - 1/3rd to gas tank, 1/3rd through brake booster, 1/3rd in the oil. (Do an oil change 50-100 miles after doing this, otherwise it may eat up oil deposits that are now holding the oil leaks in at 120k.)

Fuel Filter - Quite easy and cheap. Make sure to clog the fuel lines with cloth and put a catcher pan underneath. Flare nuts may be hard to get off. Penetrating oil is a must!

[haux]

to Toyota Nation.

I guess I don't have much to comment, and it may take 'till tomorrow for some replies as it's late in the night. But my 2000 Camry has a non-interference engine, so the timing belt breaking will not damage it.

I've read that OEM fuel filters are best. You can enter your VIN at toyotapartszone.com to find the part number for your fuel filter. Then, the cheapest place to buy it online is http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...?siteid=215498

Good to see another Oklahoma member here.

[ONE_to_HATE]

haux: what's an "Oklahoma" ? - i only know California and MORE CALIFORNIA. LOL! - you live in " MORE CALIFORNIA " zone.. sooo- ya.

welcome to the boards! and around 500 for the entire timing belt cost (parts/labor) sounds legit.. hit up yelp.com and find a good auto-tech in yr area! .. good luck!

[MarkyD]

Thanks, everyone, for the input! Seems like Dub Richardson (the one that quoted me $500 something for everything) is reasonable. I don't have the money to do it now, but I'll definitely check a few indys before i make a decision.

any ideas about my squeaky suspension, and the ABS light?

[MarkyD]

by the way, I love this car. It's not my 380HP 540i torque monster, but...it's economical, quiet, comfortable, and easy as shit to work on!

[jsupra89]

Check the rear sway bar bushings. I'm a toyota mechanic and we replace those all the time. People often think it's the strut tops but a lot of the times it ends up being the bushings. I have a 99 Camry 2.2L and same thing. Also, timing belt is very easy to replace on that one :-)

[Chris Crash]

As for the ABS sensors, I'll sell you one for cheap if you need!

[Kenny_McCormic]

Something a lot of people overlook is the coolant, if its cloudy or has not been changed in the past 2 years then change it. its also a good idea to drop a hydrometer in the coolant to check its concentration/freeze point.

[chopper75]

Hi,

Can someone please explain what is Sea Foam? Thanks

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by MarkyD

Thanks, everyone, for the input! Seems like Dub Richardson (the one that quoted me $500 something for everything) is reasonable. I don't have the money to do it now, but I'll definitely check a few indys before i make a decision.

any ideas about my squeaky suspension, and the ABS light?

OTOH, if you can change the thermostat, serpentine belt, and PS belt in the dark in the auto parts parking lot, you shouldn't have too much trouble doing the timing belt, water pump, and seals on a 5S-FE...just allow a weekend for your first go at it. There's a real nice two-part DIY (with lots of pictures) here. See Camry FAQ ------> READ FIRST -----> Comprehensive List of Gen 3/4 INFO and DIY , and search down for "timing". Since it's a lot more labor than parts, you can save a nice chunk of change DIY. For OEM-quality parts without the Toyota price, try user "volkstoy" on ebay -- they sell a nice water pump / seal kit / timing belt / idlers kit for various Toyota rigs. All good quality Japan-made parts from the same OEMs that Toyota sources from.

The suspension is probably the rubber bits (the names escape me...hopefully the guys here who live and breathe suspensions will chime in) -- usually giving them a squirt of silicone lube will quiet them down.

Sorry, can't help with the ABS question.

[Chris Crash]

Just checked that ebay name and he didn't really have much for camry's....one timing belt kit for the V6.

And are you talking about the bushings?

[hill8570]

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

Just checked that ebay name and he didn't really have much for camry's....one timing belt kit for the V6.

And are you talking about the bushings?

Hmmmm. Might be worth emailing them to ask...maybe they're getting out of the Toyota biz. Back when I bought the kit for my Sequoia (in June), they had quite a few 5S-FE kits. Compared to the Sequoia parts, they were really inexpensive, as I recall -- around $100.

Yeah, bushings sounds correct.

[Retrospekt]

I don't think I'd go for aftermarket parts on the timing belt. Maybe the seals, but the belt itself and the water pump, well...it's a worthy investment.

[MarkyD]

Originally Posted by hill8570

OTOH, if you can change the thermostat, serpentine belt, and PS belt in the dark in the auto parts parking lot, you shouldn't have too much trouble doing the timing belt, water pump, and seals on a 5S-FE...just allow a weekend for your first go at it. There's a real nice two-part DIY (with lots of pictures) here. See Camry FAQ ------> READ FIRST -----> Comprehensive List of Gen 3/4 INFO and DIY , and search down for "timing". Since it's a lot more labor than parts, you can save a nice chunk of change DIY. For OEM-quality parts without the Toyota price, try user "volkstoy" on ebay -- they sell a nice water pump / seal kit / timing belt / idlers kit for various Toyota rigs. All good quality Japan-made parts from the same OEMs that Toyota sources from.

The suspension is probably the rubber bits (the names escape me...hopefully the guys here who live and breathe suspensions will chime in) -- usually giving them a squirt of silicone lube will quiet them down.

Sorry, can't help with the ABS question.

extremely helpful post! Well, I do believe I could do the timing belt. I'm just afraid that if I screw it up, I'm going to ruin this thing. The most involved job I've ever done was two months ago on the 540i. I replaced:

-water pump
-valley pan
-radiator
-coolant expansion tank
-intake manifold gaskets
-timing cover gaskets
-valve cover gaskets
-spark plugs

a few other misc items...it took me three full days of work. Honestly, that weekend convinced me to sell that sumbitch.

If the timing belt procedure on this camry is half as hard as all that, I might consider it. I just don't have the money to have someone do it right now, but I'd sure like the piece of mind knowing it's done. Also on the list:

-replace front bumper cover. was hoping to find one in the right two-tone (white/gray) color scheme at a salvage yard, but that's proving fruitless. This was my little brother's first car, so he had a few fender benders in it. The hood is dented in right where the latch is, and the front bumper (cover) has some deep gouges in it.
-Have hood latch replaced and dent pulled out.
-re-spray and blend the front bumper and hood after all that.

the local body shop wants $1200 to pull the dent out of the hood, replace the latch, replace the bumper cover, and re-paint/blend the hood/bumper/fenders. that's with third party parts, too. Then, I found this guy on ebay:

Primed front bumper cover, $81 shipped

I'll just have a cheap body shop do the paint and pull out the dent. It doesn't have to be perfect, just about as good as the rest of the car

As for the suspension, the squeaks are driving me nuts. I'll check the swaybar endlinks and associated pieces.