School me on 3rd Gen Camrys

[xtrememan]

I'm in the market for a daily driver and I've seen a couple of these around town for 1800-3400 in decent condition. My buddy had one a few years ago and I don't remember him having any problems with it. I'm looking at a 94-96. So what am I getting myself into? School me!

[geoff5093]

I had a 1994 Camry XLE V6 and it was great, really powerful for a '94, comfortable, and pretty good looking overall. I only had mine for about 10 months, but I didnt have any engine/tranny problems, I just had to replace the struts and O2 sensors, which are pretty standard.

[ycartf]

We had a 1995 4 cylinder Camry LE that we bought brand new (6 miles on it) and decently maintained I would say (I did not know near as much about working on imported cars back then and was intimidated by doing it myself).

Aside from the usual stuff that is maintenance like brake pads and shoes, CV axles around 100,000mi, and a battery around then, I really did not have to do anything with it. When my wife totaled it (I was glad my family was fine - but boy did I hate to see that car bite the dust) it had 152,000 on it and had nothing aside from regular maintenance done to it - never saw the inside of the Toyota shop; it still ran and got the same mileage it did when brand new.

We now have a 1990 V6 Camry that is passed to my 16 yr old daughter at present, and a 1997 I4 Camry that we bought from my sister for my wife (I just have a 1991 Lumina for now).

I have the utmost faith in Camrys (Toyotas period for that matter) and I look forward to one day getting me another Gen 3 (like the 1995) for myself that has been kept up and doesn't have more than 150,000 on it. I liked the Gen 3 just a tiny little bit better than this Gen 4 we have because it had smoother lines (hood had no furrows in it and there was no spoiler on the trunk lid) which made it easier when washing or waxing it - plus the fact that we got it brand new . . LOL.

Toyota (as a general rule - there are always going to be SOME folks who got the rare problem car no matter what make it is) is the BOMB.

A gentleman we know from our local AutoZone that also works fulltime at Sam's Club in the tire department (for years) told me he has put more tires on Camrys with 350,000mi or more than on any other car.

Find you one that someone has at least maintained decent, do whatever maintenance it is due for or that you cannot get verified when it was done, and enjoy!

Tracy

[toyomoho]

A properly maintained Camry can easily go 200-250K with no major problems; they are almost the same car.

A few things to check:

Upper/lower radiator covers are plastic and can crack, and cause slight to major cooling leaks. Look for coolant on top of the plastic apron under the radiator. Changing radiator is an easy job, costs run $100-150.

OEM coolant hoses seem to hold up just fine.

Plastic radiator overflow tank can start to break down requiring replacement or repair. The hose from the radiator to the tank can break down inside causing a black film to build up in the overflow tank.

Recommended timing belt change is 60K miles. If changing the timing belt, look at the water pump and idler bearings. Plus cam, crank and oil pump seals, as all these parts will be exposed at this time. The seals are not normally a problem but since everything is apart, now is the time to look. The water pump and idler should last 150K or longer. When the water pump bearing starts to go bad it usually starts making a grinding noise and/or leaks coolant. Many owners replace the water pump at the second belt change as SOP.

This engine’s are non-interference engine; if the timing belt breaks the engine will not be damaged.

Check CV boots for damage. A split boot even if replaced will allow dirt in and the grease to escape. Many times even if the boot is replaced the joint will fail sooner then later. CV joints can also wear out. Take the car for a test drive; make a few 90-degree turns to side streets and a 180 (at low normal city turning speeds). Listen for any clicking or popping during the turns or when accelerating.

Listen for any popping from the steering console; this may be due to a problem with the U-joint in the steering shaft. Turn the power steering from lock to lock, it should be smooth. No PS fluid should be leaking from the boots on each side of the steering housing.

Check all power window and lock controls. The wires going between the driver’s door and body sometimes break due to all the opening and closing of the door. See what ignition keys the car comes with. The might be a valet key that is only good for the ignition. You want keys the can unlock all the doors and trunk Make sure the power antenna and moon roof work (if it has these).

Check to see if the cars suspension makes a rattle or squeak when going over bumps. The front and rear stabilizer bar bushing tend to wear out. This is a DYI job.

Some owners have complained about the rubber in the upper shock supports wearing out and the car making a knocking noise when going over bumps.

Listen and feel for any clunking when engaging the transmission from Park to Reverse and Drive. Could be sign of bad motor mounts or trans problems. The transmission should shift smoothly with no harshness or engine over speed.

Check the transmission fluid for color and odor. Ask when it was last changed. It should not smell burned or be jet black. Toyota owners have had their transmission fail or start acting up because the fluid was never changed. A common connection is lack of fluid change and transmission problems.

The valve cover gaskets can leak, a DIY job. The valve clearance in these engines seldom (as in almost never) needs adjusting. As such, listen for any loud clicking from the valve covers.

Look into the spare tire wheel well for the condition of the spare plus jack, etc and to see if there is any standing water. A few owners have posted they had a good deal of water because of leaks.

Check the A/C to make sure it works and the green light in the push button switch is not flashing (if this setup has one, not sure if the auto climate has a button). If the auto climate system has readout for the outside air temperature, make sure it reading correctly and changing with the outside air temp.

Look for any blue or white smoke on cold engine startup or when accelerating. The valve stem seals can harden with age or if the car sits for a couple of months (white smoke). Or if the rings, it should be blue smoke.

As to sludge, Toyota made millions of these engines, only a relatively few have a sludge problem. The cause seems to be the engine design combined with long intervals between changing oil (might also be water vapor building up in the oil due to taking only short drives). If the car has had proper oil changes, it should be OK. One way to check for sludge is to pull a valve cover. But again, this issue has been overstated.

Otherwise check all the controls. If the cruise control has a problem, the cruise control light will flash. If the car has ABS, make sure the ABS light is off when driving. And the airbag light is off. I state this because people have purchased cars with the lights on and later had to resolve the condition.

As with most cars, all the indicators lights should illuminate when the car is first started up. Make sure they all go off.

People have blown head gasket IF driven too hard, but this is normal for this engine.

Of course check for body and frame rust. Not a problem unless the car was driven in areas where a lot of road salt was used and never washed down. I have seen a few well-rusted Toyota frames. This makes working on them difficult.





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[Mike Gerber]

toyomoho has given you some great advice. Follow it when looking for a used generation 3 Camry. There is one thing I would like to correct. The sludge problem he mentioned was on the generation 4 (1997-2001) Camry engines, not the generation 3 engines.

I am the original owner of a 94 XLE with the 4 cylinder 5SFE engine. The car presently has 82,000 miles on it. The only things I have had to replace that I don't consider routine maintenance, are one axle oil seal and one rear lateral control rod. This has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. Our 98 Camry XLE (recently totaled in an accident) was not quite as reliable and our 07 XLE has had a few minor problems, mostly rattles. Some of this can be expected with any new first year model introduction. All in all, I'm planning on keeping the 94 as long as I can.

Mike

[xtrememan]

thanks for the great info guys...much appreciated!

[daderade]

Great choice! I got a 95 Camry LE from my parents about 6 months ago, and I love it. We are the original owners of the car, and its got 160 000 + miles on it. Toyomoho pretty much covered everything to look for, but the only problems my car has had are a glazed fanbelt, which I replaced a while ago, but it's glazed again. Probably a problem with the belt tensioner. Other than that, there were problems with the AC, and the e-brake was rusted out from not being used. If you care about the handbrake, I would look at it. Other than that, the car has been pretty much problem free since its purchase. Good luck with your search!

[EEngineer]

my 3rd gen camry is my pride and source of fun

they are Greeeaaat

[eyeball96]

I have 2 (sig)...I will keep them maintained. It doesn't matter to me what repairs they may in the future, they will be repaired and kept. I just love the Gen 3/3.5 Camrys...its some kinda weird obsession I have!

I never owned any automobile that I've enjoyed more than my Camrys.

[GtariSSt]

Noob question. Just bought a 95 Camry Coupe, 5 speed. What makes the door "pop" when I open and close it? Sagging hinges? Also, is there a write up somewhere on replacing the front and rear stabilizer bar bushings mentioned above? I've got a hella rattle over bumps, which I thought was exhaust, but I'm afraid not. Bushings available aftermarket, say Autozone or Napa?

Thanks