3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
I have a 1996 Camry LE V6 with 110k miles that needs some assistance none of which seems critical to me, but I could be wrong. I am so glad that I found you guys and hope you can help me with these issues.
1. I started hearing a whine while stopped and this would increase if I turned the steering wheel, especially while cold. Thinking that it might have something to do with steering, I checked and I found that the power steering fluid reservoir was very low. When I added Power Steering fluid to the reservoir, the whine went away. Also, the hose seems a bit oily. What might be the cause of this? Do I need to replace the hose? Or do I need to do more?
2. The rear driver's side power door lock does not open or close completely. It seems to stop half way and needs to be opened by hand from the driver's door. What should I do to diagnose and fix it?
3. The engine coolant reservoir has a hole at the top. I think it is letting some dust and junk in. The sides of the reservoir seem to have a scummy deposit. Should I duct tape the hole or should I replace the reservoir?
4. The OEM audio was stolen and I had it replaced with an aftermarket one. As a result the power antenna does not work and the radio does not work very well. What can I do to fix this?
1. I had a 1985 nissan 200zx that lost power steering fluid. Rather then rip into it i just topped it up and remembered to check it.
2. Check the switch. See if it does it with the passenger side switch. If it doesnt, it is the switch. If it has no effect, it is the little motor that locks it. Try a spritz of silicone spray or electronic cleaner inside the lock also.
3. You could patch the hole in the bottle with epoxy and a small piece of screen material (depending on how big the hole is). Or get a reaplcement bottle from the junkyard. A new one isn't particularly cheap nor vitally important in my view.
4. Don't know.
The Following User Says Thank You to AlmightyCamry777 For This Useful Post:
Did u install the new stereo or have a shop do it? If you did then you not replugged the antenna into the unit or it mightve slipped out while pushing the unit back into the dash. If a professional shop did it I would take it back to them and ask them to fix it because you paid for a proper install and they failed. As for the hole in the coolant pick one up at your local junkyard for cheap and thats done. As for steering I have no clue what that is lol search on the net and im sure you can find some answers. as for the door lock if the silicone doesnt work you can pick up a whole new door handle and lock on ebay for about $10 its an extremely easy fix. hope this helps.
The Following User Says Thank You to ArmyRangerSean For This Useful Post:
4. Most decent quality aftermarket headunits should support a power antenna. I would check back with the shop that installed it and ask them to check with the wiring. You could also pull out the manual for the headunit, take a look at the wiring harness diagram, and see if it supports the antenna, and if so, go back to the shop that installed it armed with that information.
3. How big is the hole in the reservoir exactly? After a quick ebay search, I found this:
45$ to replace, it would probably be easier to simply replace it rather than using epoxy or mesh or find some other more permanent fix rather than duct tape (temporary fix). There are also several members parting out Gen3's in the classified section of this website, you might want to contact them, odds are, you are looking at a 20-30$ replacement. Otherwise, epoxy and mesh my friend!! From my perspective, I wouldn't let this simple problem cause something bigger down the road. You have a good car with low miles right?
1. The whine is the power steering pump that is starved of fluid, which went away when you topped off the fluid. I also would like to point out, just in case, that you should put in DEX II or equivalent fluid in that reservoir, and NOT power steering fluid. The simplest method of diagnosis would be to clean the engine bay(or simply the hose in question) and see where/if a leak develops from that hose. It may be as simple as that, or it may be something else in the system leaking. Do you notice any drops of fluid when you park the car??
1. Wait for LyncburgCSI to pop in on that one, he's the residant wiring expert
__________________
1995 Toyota Camry V6 LE-6M1 250K Miles, Fun Car
1997 Acura RL-Gone
2007 Acura RL SH-AWD, Technology Package, Opulent Blue Pearl- Fun Car/Daily Driver
projektvertx: Your link http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/93-94... 5fAccessories for $45 is a good one. It does, however, say it is for 4 cyl engines though. Do you know if the parts are different for 4cyl vs 6cyl?
I put in "Gunk" brand power steering fluid that I got from Pep Boys. Did I mess the car up by putting that in and do I need to flush it out ASAP? I will look into where the leak is coming from and let you know.
On the audio unit, it was done many moons ago and it is well past the statute of limitations. I have a short commute, which explains the low miles, and don't really listen to audio a whole lot. Since I was dumping a bunch of existing problems with my car, I thought I would include this one too. I will probably look at the head unit and see if it supports a power antenna connection.
projektvertx: Your link http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/93-94... 5fAccessories for $45 is a good one. It does, however, say it is for 4 cyl engines though. Do you know if the parts are different for 4cyl vs 6cyl?
I put in "Gunk" brand power steering fluid that I got from Pep Boys. Did I mess the car up by putting that in and do I need to flush it out ASAP? I will look into where the leak is coming from and let you know.
On the audio unit, it was done many moons ago and it is well past the statute of limitations. I have a short commute, which explains the low miles, and don't really listen to audio a whole lot. Since I was dumping a bunch of existing problems with my car, I thought I would include this one too. I will probably look at the head unit and see if it supports a power antenna connection.
I found this, and it seems to suggest that they are interchangeable:
This one is even cheaper!! But yeah, the coolant reservoirs I've seen on the 4 cylinder Camrys seem to be physically similar.
If you didn't add too much fluid into the power steering reservoir, I wouldn't really worry about it. But if you emptied our a whole quart, I would consider buying a turkey baster (97 cents from wal-mart), empty the reservoir out, fill with DEX II or equivalent, run for some time, repeat until confortable.That method could work.
But yeah, I understand about the headunit thing! It's all good!! Might as well get it all out at once right? Let us know what you find out!
__________________
1995 Toyota Camry V6 LE-6M1 250K Miles, Fun Car
1997 Acura RL-Gone
2007 Acura RL SH-AWD, Technology Package, Opulent Blue Pearl- Fun Car/Daily Driver
I have a 1996 Camry LE V6 with 110k miles that needs some assistance none of which seems critical to me, but I could be wrong. I am so glad that I found you guys and hope you can help me with these issues.
1. I started hearing a whine while stopped and this would increase if I turned the steering wheel, especially while cold. Thinking that it might have something to do with steering, I checked and I found that the power steering fluid reservoir was very low. When I added Power Steering fluid to the reservoir, the whine went away. Also, the hose seems a bit oily. What might be the cause of this? Do I need to replace the hose? Or do I need to do more?
2. The rear driver's side power door lock does not open or close completely. It seems to stop half way and needs to be opened by hand from the driver's door. What should I do to diagnose and fix it?
3. The engine coolant reservoir has a hole at the top. I think it is letting some dust and junk in. The sides of the reservoir seem to have a scummy deposit. Should I duct tape the hole or should I replace the reservoir?
4. The OEM audio was stolen and I had it replaced with an aftermarket one. As a result the power antenna does not work and the radio does not work very well. What can I do to fix this?
Thanks!
4) S2k antenna conversion; cheap, looks good, no moving parts
__________________
1993 Toyota Camry 3VZ 5-Speed
(Beige Beluga)
1989 Toyota MR2 3S-GTE 5-Speed (Din)
Need performance parts?
Shoot me a PM, I'll see what I can do
1. I started hearing a whine while stopped and this would increase if I turned the steering wheel, especially while cold. Thinking that it might have something to do with steering, I checked and I found that the power steering fluid reservoir was very low. When I added Power Steering fluid to the reservoir, the whine went away. Also, the hose seems a bit oily. What might be the cause of this? Do I need to replace the hose? Or do I need to do more?
Is it like an alternator whine or is it belt squeal? There's a difference. Power steering leak would be out of my knowledge. Alternator whine I can help with. Maybe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShumateWB
2. The rear driver's side power door lock does not open or close completely. It seems to stop half way and needs to be opened by hand from the driver's door. What should I do to diagnose and fix it?
So many things that can cause this. Low voltage to the lock. The lock motor could be going. Your battery could be going bad. A wire could be pinched. It's just a search around until you find the problem thing. Tedious.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShumateWB
3. The engine coolant reservoir has a hole at the top. I think it is letting some dust and junk in. The sides of the reservoir seem to have a scummy deposit. Should I duct tape the hole or should I replace the reservoir?
Replace the whole res if you can. You can find the correct part number at rockauto.com then cross reference it with other sites. They like to break. Stuff happens. Duct tape it until the replacement comes in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShumateWB
4. The OEM audio was stolen and I had it replaced with an aftermarket one. As a result the power antenna does not work and the radio does not work very well. What can I do to fix this?
The S2000 Replacement is a good fix. But if you wanna get your antenna up and going again, look for a wiring guide for your headunit on crutchfield.com and get the wiring for the camry radio at the12volt.com. Better yet, If you post in the12volt.com forums with the antenna issues, they can help. If i remember correctly, the power antenna 12v+ wire is light blue. It just needs to be connected to the right wire on your headunit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShumateWB
Thanks!
No problem man. Feel free to IM me. See my sig. Sometimes AIM is faster than posting back and forth.
__________________
'07 Honda Ruckus Big Bore TOTALED: '03 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4x4 5.4L, '96 Camry LE 5S May '10: '11 Sienna V6 XLE FWD 8-pass. July '10: '06 Matrix XR Auto FWD Oct. '09: '05 RAV-4 L 4WD
The Following User Says Thank You to LynchburgCSI For This Useful Post:
Is it like an alternator whine or is it belt squeal? There's a difference. Power steering leak would be out of my knowledge. Alternator whine I can help with. Maybe.
It is a whine, probably from the power steering pump. I did the shampoo dispenser plunger trick to get the fluid out of the reservoir and filled it with Dexron III. The whine has now gone away, probably temporarily. I did an oil change and was able to look at where the hose connects to the pump and found it dripping with oil. I am now pretty sure that it is either the hose from the reservoir to the pump that is leaking or the clamp is failing. I also found out that the OEM hose is priced at $92 at a local dealer. I think it is the one of the last two (W0133-1787115 or W0133-1787138) at this link - http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...tion_hose.html. I am a bit mystified about the difference between hose #1 and hose #2. Any ideas?
BTW, I tried to take out the return hose that pumps the fluid back to the PS reservoir and was unable to. I did not want to pull too hard. Is there a trick to remove it? I wanted to flush out the old fluid and put in all new fluid in the reservoir. I was able to move the clamp out of the way and tried to twist the hose back and forth while pulling it away from the reservoir. But it refused to budge.
Quote:
So many things that can cause this. Low voltage to the lock. The lock motor could be going. Your battery could be going bad. A wire could be pinched. It's just a search around until you find the problem thing. Tedious.
OK.
Quote:
Replace the whole res if you can. You can find the correct part number at rockauto.com then cross reference it with other sites. They like to break. Stuff happens. Duct tape it until the replacement comes in.
I have ordered the one from Amazon and I expect to receive it in the next few days.
Quote:
crutchfield.com ..... 12volt.com forums
No problem man. Feel free to IM me. See my sig. Sometimes AIM is faster than posting back and forth.
Thank you very much for the links. I will probably work on this in a couple of weeks once I am able to resolve the power steering fluid loss issue.
It is a whine, probably from the power steering pump. I did the shampoo dispenser plunger trick to get the fluid out of the reservoir and filled it with Dexron III. The whine has now gone away, probably temporarily. I did an oil change and was able to look at where the hose connects to the pump and found it dripping with oil. I am now pretty sure that it is either the hose from the reservoir to the pump that is leaking or the clamp is failing. I also found out that the OEM hose is priced at $92 at a local dealer. I think it is the one of the last two (W0133-1787115 or W0133-1787138) at this link - http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...tion_hose.html. I am a bit mystified about the difference between hose #1 and hose #2. Any ideas?
try going to rockauto.com form part numbers. it actually shows you which part is which in an exploded view. I'd for sure replace the hose and clamp though. Hopefully the res is okay and hopefully you've fixed the problem by getting it on dexIII.... hopefully.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShumateWB
BTW, I tried to take out the return hose that pumps the fluid back to the PS reservoir and was unable to. I did not want to pull too hard. Is there a trick to remove it? I wanted to flush out the old fluid and put in all new fluid in the reservoir. I was able to move the clamp out of the way and tried to twist the hose back and forth while pulling it away from the reservoir. But it refused to budge.
It shouldn't be that hard to remove... you're doing it right. Maybe just try pulling a little harder. They love to stay stuck on there. After all that clamp has been squeezinggggggggg it for over 10 years now. You could also use a turkey bastor to suck out the fluid.... or check the shop manual i linked you to for the drain and refill procedure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShumateWB
OK.
I have ordered the one from Amazon and I expect to receive it in the next few days.
Thank you very much for the links. I will probably work on this in a couple of weeks once I am able to resolve the power steering fluid loss issue.
Good, good. Let me know if you have any issues or need anything. And you're welcome!
__________________
'07 Honda Ruckus Big Bore TOTALED: '03 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4x4 5.4L, '96 Camry LE 5S May '10: '11 Sienna V6 XLE FWD 8-pass. July '10: '06 Matrix XR Auto FWD Oct. '09: '05 RAV-4 L 4WD
The Following User Says Thank You to LynchburgCSI For This Useful Post:
projektvertx: Your link http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/93-94... 5fAccessories for $45 is a good one. It does, however, say it is for 4 cyl engines though. Do you know if the parts are different for 4cyl vs 6cyl?
I put in "Gunk" brand power steering fluid that I got from Pep Boys. Did I mess the car up by putting that in and do I need to flush it out ASAP? I will look into where the leak is coming from and let you know.
.
I doubt it will hurt anything because i did that for a while too - used power steering fluid instead of atf. then i posted here and some guy called me an idiot and said you only use transmission fluid. So he was right, i was an idiot, and i sucked out all the fluid with a turkey baster, topping up and running the engine in between, until the power steering/ATF started smelling like it was supposed to.
Regarding the power antenna you just have to find the wiring for it under the dash. Easy to say, tough to do maybe. You have to find the power connector for it and also the antenna connector part. I have never owned a car with this kind of antenna so i dont know what to look for but if you changed the radio yourself, you should know what to look for, hopefully.
If you just want the radio, right now, you can remove the power antenna, replace it with a regular antenna, and run the antenna wiring to your radio and fix the power antenna later, or never.
I doubt it will hurt anything because i did that for a while too - used power steering fluid instead of atf. then i posted here and some guy called me an idiot and said you only use transmission fluid. So he was right, i was an idiot, and i sucked out all the fluid with a turkey baster, topping up and running the engine in between, until the power steering/ATF started smelling like it was supposed to.
Regarding the power antenna you just have to find the wiring for it under the dash. Easy to say, tough to do maybe. You have to find the power connector for it and also the antenna connector part. I have never owned a car with this kind of antenna so i dont know what to look for but if you changed the radio yourself, you should know what to look for, hopefully.
If you just want the radio, right now, you can remove the power antenna, replace it with a regular antenna, and run the antenna wiring to your radio and fix the power antenna later, or never.
Yeah, I mean it's no big deal in small quantities and/or for short periods of time... Don't worry, your'e not an idiot for having done that, whoever called you that, shame on them We all make valid mistakes sometimes, even the best of us!!
__________________
1995 Toyota Camry V6 LE-6M1 250K Miles, Fun Car
1997 Acura RL-Gone
2007 Acura RL SH-AWD, Technology Package, Opulent Blue Pearl- Fun Car/Daily Driver
1. I got the coolant tank from Amazon and replaced my old one. It fits correctly and seems to work fine. Thanks for the link.
2. I am keeping an eye on the power steering fluid in the reservoir. I went to Autozone to get an aftermarket hose. The guy looked at the hose from the reservoir to the pump and said that it is a regular hose and gave me a $5 hose instead of the $93 hose that was quoted by the Toyota dealer. Now I need to figure out how to get to the pump to replace the hose. Do I have to remove the right passenger side wheel and the apron to get to it?
3. I needed to replace the "D" bulb in the dash. I found the howto in the DIY list and it worked perfectly.
4. In the process of replacing the "D" bulb, I thought I would check into the power antenna thing and opened it up. I could not find the link to the power antenna, which I assume is the blue/white wire. There is just the regular antenna itself, two RCA sockets and a single harness receptacle at the back of the Kenwood KDC-217 audio unit that I have. When I pulled out the unit, I found a yellow 6 pin harness with 4 RCA leads for the speakers and a blue white wire snipped off. It was just a foot long section just left hanging behind the unit there.
The harness from the back of the Kenwood unit does have a blue white wire. It is then connected to two factory harnesses. I don't see a blue white wire in either of the factory harnesses. There is a plain blue one with white painted dots on it. Is that the one?
I think I need to dbl check and see if the power antenna is actually working before looking at it at the audio unit. How do I check on its health?
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Gen3 V6 LE needs some care
I will look into where the leak is coming from and let you know.
Beige Beluga
Piece of Crap
No problem man. Feel free to IM me. See my sig. Sometimes AIM is faster than posting back and forth. 
We all make valid mistakes sometimes, even the best of us!!
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