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.
OK. So i love my camry. However, Im used to a smoother shift from the crappy ford products I've owned. I am told that a shift you cannot feel will wear the trans out quicker that a firm shift. I have had to replace two trans in the last 3 years, not from poor maintenance, but poor design. So I want to make sure I treat this one really, really well. My cam does have a firm shift.... I have dropped the pan, changed the screen, and since then did a drain/refill thru the plug on the pan 2x..... and I have some questions.
1. I let my car build speed slowly. Does this reduce wear as opposed to taking off quicker? I just always assumed slower was easier on it....? The shop that rebuilt my taurus trans said it really didnt matter.... (not sure I trust the guy)
2. How about these jokers that are rolling backwards in reverse, and dont come to a complete stop when they stick it in drive? I have always thought that has to be terrible on the transmission.
3. my old man friend claims i shouldnt put the car into neutral for too long. says something about the clutches being next to each other or something stupid like that. idk......
4. What kind of trans fluid do you guys like? Whats best? And what is best for the engine oil? I used valvoline, i believe syn blend, in the red jug.
5. Ive thought of installing an aftermarket trans cooler in it. I have a full time job, and my pt job is delivering pizza. so im not sure if i should go thru the expense of doing this or not. no, i will never tow anything with this car.
Just some things that Ive been wondering about. Any advice is appreciated.........
Camrys are notorious for having a ridiculously smooth transmission shifts - so i wouldn't worry about it. there's a DIY somewhere here on how to make yr car shift harder, which actually preserves the transmission- so take a look around the forum!
You've had to replace which transmission twice? The one on the Camry or Ford?
Camry uses Dexron III automatic transmission fluid for the transmission and power steering. Use whatever fluid you like as long as it meets spec. Valvoline synthetic blend should be fine.
I've always stopped before shifting so I don't know any bad effects from not doing so. I more or less assumed it should not be done.
When I park it, I normally put the car in neutral, apply parking brake, and then put the transmission in park. Whether or not this actually prevents damage or not, I'm not certain. I drove big trucks for a while and I wanted to ensure that they weren't going to move. That and most of them (automatics) didn't have park position. Just put it in neutral and set the brake.
1. I let my car build speed slowly. Does this reduce wear as opposed to taking off quicker? I just always assumed slower was easier on it....? The shop that rebuilt my taurus trans said it really didnt matter.... (not sure I trust the guy)
dont see why it would matter unless your hauling alot of weight
Quote:
Originally Posted by carpetguy00
2. How about these jokers that are rolling backwards in reverse, and dont come to a complete stop when they stick it in drive? I have always thought that has to be terrible on the transmission.
yes very
Quote:
Originally Posted by carpetguy00
3. my old man friend claims i shouldnt put the car into neutral for too long. says something about the clutches being next to each other or something stupid like that. idk......
shouldnt matter the trans is in the same state as park but not having the locking pin in to keep the gears from moving
Quote:
Originally Posted by carpetguy00
4. What kind of trans fluid do you guys like? Whats best? And what is best for the engine oil? I used valvoline, i believe syn blend, in the red jug.
mobile 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by carpetguy00
5. Ive thought of installing an aftermarket trans cooler in it. I have a full time job, and my pt job is delivering pizza. so im not sure if i should go thru the expense of doing this or not. no, i will never tow anything with this car.
wount hurt anything but i dont see a need the car has one in the rad.
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^ and leaving it that way!
1. Harder driving may cause the clutch packs to slip a bit more. But not sure it makes a difference. Newer LePellitier like GM's Hydramtic 6L/6T adjusts line pressure to suit your driving pattern and keep slips within a range.
2. I wouldn't change direction until coming to a complete stop.
3. Not sure what he's talking about. But I do shift into P for that long red light, which is same as N except for an extra cam gear lock on most transmissions.
4. If you deliver pizzas, use fully synthetic ATF like Mobil-1. Don't forget the differential and power steering too. However, lower cost alternatives like Castrol Import Multi-vehicle ATF (synthetic blend) is another good ATF. Or if you want, get Walmart SuperTech Mercon-V that's D-III compatible. This is a Ford licensed fluid with better shear stability than dino D-III. However it used to be synthetic blend but newer labels don't say that. Still like the ST M-V for various applications (T-IV, Z-1) however.
I would even add a Magnefine filter. Just make sure it's installed in the right direction after your external cooler. Wix sells them too. I think you need the 3/8" inline filter. Make sure you use ATF hoses, get them from NAPA. ATF destroys other types of rubber hoses.
1. I let my car build speed slowly. Does this reduce wear as opposed to taking off quicker? I just always assumed slower was easier on it....? The shop that rebuilt my taurus trans said it really didnt matter.... (not sure I trust the guy)
2. How about these jokers that are rolling backwards in reverse, and dont come to a complete stop when they stick it in drive? I have always thought that has to be terrible on the transmission.
3. my old man friend claims i shouldnt put the car into neutral for too long. says something about the clutches being next to each other or something stupid like that. idk......
4. What kind of trans fluid do you guys like? Whats best? And what is best for the engine oil? I used valvoline, i believe syn blend, in the red jug.
5. Ive thought of installing an aftermarket trans cooler in it. I have a full time job, and my pt job is delivering pizza. so im not sure if i should go thru the expense of doing this or not. no, i will never tow anything with this car.
Just some things that Ive been wondering about. Any advice is appreciated.........
1. I let my car build speed slowly. Does this reduce wear as opposed to taking off quicker? I just always assumed slower was easier on it....? The shop that rebuilt my taurus trans said it really didnt matter.... (not sure I trust the guy)
All things considered, driving gently is better for the trans then a lead foot. It actually, probably DOEs matter no matter what they told you. And Toyota is not Ford, Fords are designed to fail ( i work in a fleet full of them.) A Toyota trans will probably give you better service then anything from Ford.
Quote:
2. How about these jokers that are rolling backwards in reverse, and dont come to a complete stop when they stick it in drive? I have always thought that has to be terrible on the transmission.
Well we know that type of treatment is not good for it. Dont let the trans hold the car on a hill for any longer then necessary use the brakes.
Also i read one tip from someoene here a long time ago. He thought that when parking, you should put the lever in "N", set the parking brake, THEN put it in "P". Because this takes the weight of the car off the parking pawl or whatever that internal transmission part is called. I think he was right so that's what i do - i takes a half second longer to park this way.
Quote:
3. my old man friend claims i shouldnt put the car into neutral for too long. says something about the clutches being next to each other or something stupid like that. idk......
If you have a reason to put in neutral once in a while, then put it there and dont worry about it. I work with other mechanics and i asked them did they think it is harmful to put the trans in "P' or "n" for a stop light, the usual reply was "why?" Think about it, moving the lever to "p" or "n" then back to D, isnt doing anything good for your trans, unless you are going to be at the stop light a long time i'd just leave it in "d".
Quote:
4. What kind of trans fluid do you guys like? Whats best? And what is best for the engine oil? I used valvoline, i believe syn blend, in the red jug.
Use the kind it says to use on the dipstick or the owners manual. Some toyotas use Dexron, some use Toyota TIV, depends on what toyota says. I dont think using a synthetic fluid is a substitute for frequent (30,000 miles) ATF
changes.
Quote:
5. Ive thought of installing an aftermarket trans cooler in it. I have a full time job, and my pt job is delivering pizza. so im not sure if i should go thru the expense of doing this or not. no, i will never tow anything with this car.
How long will you be keeping this car, and how many miles does it have on it already? If its under 150,000 say and you will be keeping the car indefinitely, i'd go ahead and install the ATF cooler. they are cheap and not too difficult to install.
The #1 thing that kills automatic transmissions, besides low fluid, is HEAT and in Arkansas it gets hot! So a cooler may extend or even double the life of the trans, put one on and change the fluid at interval and you will get the maximum transmission life possible.
drive it like you would any other car, take care of it by checking the ATF from time to time to make sure there arent any problems (you want a pinkish red color) and it will last a long time. these trannies were designed NOT to be thought about. these trannies need NO special treatment...period.
a cooler couldnt hurt if its regularly hot where you are but they can hurt you in cold weather (im talking sub freezing for long periods of time).
the auto tranny in your camry was a masterpiece of reliability...its when people try to rebuild them with cheap ass parts and instalation that issues arise. so design, if your refering to the camry you own now, of the tranny has nothing do do with your issues.
This is how I drive with my auto, as soon as the tach hit around 3-3.5K, I would let the gas go and reengage it seconds later more gently and the transmission would jump into a higher gear. Did it originally to save gas and I find it odd that the engine is so rev happpy and tend to shift at like 4 K. Is my style of driving okay?
seems kind of high to be shifting. 4k? Do you have a 4cylinder? I have a 96-v6 and i seldom take it above 2250 rpms for city acceleration. If you want your transmission go easy on the car, pretend there is an egg in between your foot and the gas pedal, try not to break it. I filled up my camry for the first time today and got over 24, possibly closer to 25mpg... Efficient cars and they will last a life time if properly taken care of.
The Following User Says Thank You to avogadro For This Useful Post:
I have not had to replace the trans in the camry. ive only had the car for 5000 miles. I had to replace the trans in the 03 taurus i had, and in my focus (what a piece)....... and compared to my gf's accord (117k) the camry shifts smooth. there is a kick to it tho. but not a car shuddering kick, like the honda.
yes, i have had more than my share of the domestic junk. thats why, after my accident in the ford (the airbags didnt deploy, seat belt nearly broke, fuel pump deactivation switch didnt trigger) I bought the Camry. I came to this decision by reading owner reviews. People like these cars! and I can see why.
And it only has 96000 on it, which is damn good for a 97. I plan on treating it well, and keeping it till the wheels fall off, hopefully above the 300k mark.....
This is how I drive with my auto, as soon as the tach hit around 3-3.5K, I would let the gas go and reengage it seconds later more gently and the transmission would jump into a higher gear. Did it originally to save gas and I find it odd that the engine is so rev happpy and tend to shift at like 4 K. Is my style of driving okay?
only thing to watch out for is when you put the peddle back down. when you let up on the throttle the line pressure decreases and the tranny will shift. but if you put the throttle back down before the tranny can shift fully you change the line pressure mid shift and it can ware on the tranny.
to avoid having to worry about that, just drive the car. dont try to hold shifts or build line pressure to firm shifts, dont shift from d-n at lights, dont put it in nutral going down hills, dont manually shift and dont shift the tranny so as to use it for an engine brake (not that you do this stuff but this is what people have done in the past). changing how ya drive is easier said then dont though, but like i said. these trannies are built to be ignored. they dont need any special treatmant or operation othen then regular mantainace.
seems kind of high to be shifting. 4k? Do you have a 4cylinder? I have a 96-v6 and i seldom take it above 2250 rpms for city acceleration. If you want your transmission go easy on the car, pretend there is an egg in between your foot and the gas pedal, try not to break it. I filled up my camry for the first time today and got over 24, possibly closer to 25mpg... Efficient cars and they will last a life time if properly taken care of.
yeah, I have a 4 cylinder, it'll shift at 4 K when ever I try to merge onto the highway. In city traffic, it'll depend buty 3-3.5 K is not unusual. And I don't really drive my car hard either, never burn any tires or anything. I give enough gas to get up to speed rather quickly and get then either set the cruise or let the gas go for a red light half a mile away . I usually get 29 mpg in mixed drivings. 31-32 mpg on more highway run.
Wow. so your wife had an 87 taurus, u had a 94 and i had an 03, all with major trans problems. these cars truly suck. I see them broke down all the time. ur rite, there is no comparison. When I can afford to, I am going to replace my F150 with a Toyota tacoma, a T100, something. (its got 120k on it, and ive already sunk almost 3 grand in repairs to it.. and still doesnt run rite...) That 3 grand prolly woodve bought me an old 'yota !!!
as far as that taurus is concerned... it had the trans replaced, the heads replaced, various sensors, fuel pump, etc. the piece of shit ate brakes like crazy, never did run right. The dealer didnt know what was wrong with it either. they suggested i removed the check engine light bulb and sell it. LOLZ. anyways, on my way home from work, a 15 year old pulled out in front of me and I t-boned him. totalled both cars. absolutely destroyed mine. airbags didnt work (had the dealer check them the month before) and it almost caught on fire. good thing I was wearing my seatbelt.
My uncle lives in Florida, and pulls a very, very large bass boat across the country two times a year with his Tundra. That thing has nearly 200k on it, and its never, ever had a problem, and its on its original battery, too. Its really pretty, but this white boy is too poor to afford those payments!!! LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by pgmomni
I too had a Ford Taurus that need its transmission done TWICE.
What really got me PO was in my 94 the same exact poorly designed part that failed in my wifes 87 failed.
The front forward piston. FORD knew it was a bad part but used it from 87 half way thru 1994.
All I can say is WHY? Because short term profits meant more then long term brand building.
I could rant on and on. The only decent Fords are the rear wheel drive ones.
To the original poster of this thread. Well designed and well made transmissions shift like butter.
Do expect that Taurus to continue to burn thru tranny's until you either get rid of it or find a rebuilder who knows the few small changes to make to it to make it last.
Years ago I had found like 3 or 4 small mods a REAL rebuilder made that corrected lubrication design flaws and other weak points.
One that I remember from back then was the planetary gear unit was riveted, a good rebuilder does it right and welds it in place.
Good Luck, and please, don't compare a Toyota to a Ford. There is no comparsion. Fords are built to last only 75-100K.
In short any trans that slides between gears wears down the friction material so there is a fine line design wise between those that last and those that don't. Smooth or crisp. . . To crisp and drivetrain shock kill hard parts (planetaries, sprague clutches, bushings ects) and wears the teeth right out of the clutch materials.
All I can say is the Toyo guys hit their marks on these trannies and they're pretty robust.
Forward to Reverse vice versa - - That kills over time. Would you do that to a manual trans and what allows it to happen? Its bad in so many ways I can't explain - but think about changing the direction of mass in motion by doing it to a stick shift. We don't because its harder to engage rewind while moving, it induces huge shock to the trans. The clutch disc gives its life to make this happen. Same is true of the auto trans, except its the converter, numerous clutch plates, one way roller clutches, and gear shock, super heating the fluid as the convertor flashes. . . Surprisingly many last for almost as long as those which where treated more kindly. I think the key difference being whether or not the throttle is applied vs being at idle when the opposite direction is selected. . .
As for coolers - you need to know the fluid temp to know if it needs it. Too cool is bad too. Pizza action can't be near as bad Postal action. Well unless you nail the gas constantly. If you put your fingers on the return line from the Radiator going back to the trans and it blisters your fingers. A cooler could be a wise choice but for normal daily driving, I doubt its required.
Our opninions vary on manual gear selecting especially that of braking with an automatic. Anytime you let off the gas its already braking as a manual trans does. I see no harm it doing this as long as its not overkill. Like from 80mph in O/D then dropping the car into 2nd. Not good. If you can match the speed by adding a little throttle as if hitting passing gear and then downshift, I'll say no harm no foul and its not hurtning anything. Its the extremes that kill, just as doing it to a manual trans...
My Little Rant:
- The quantity of tech bulletins delivered to AAMCO by the OEM's Fords, GM and Mopar's were like monumental stacks of updates every year to replace part X, drill lube holes here, if using updated part X & Y be sure to do blah blah. . . It was insane! I will say that towing machines needed those crisp shifts, higher line pressures and coolers to survive.
G/F has a 5 speed Auto in a 06 Mazda 3, has 25k on it and the fluids nasty dark and burned. Its 2.3l and shifts are virtually unnoticeable. Under light thottle it shifts constantly trying to maintain EPA standards and in this case, its cooked itself. Stealership told her you don't get enough highway miles. {shakes head} My interpretation there is a car of this age should have more miles on it before it burned up at this one did. Although true it sees little highway action, it shouldn't be fried so early in life. Lots have fried as I scan the Mazdawg forums.
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95 Cam, V6 1MZ, Auto A541E, LE >245,000 miles!
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. I usually get 29 mpg in mixed drivings. 31-32 mpg on more highway run.
That 3 grand prolly woodve bought me an old 'yota !!! 
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