working on car, what should i do? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

MrSo0h0o · 03-17-2005, 11:31 PM

well i have some spare time tmrw before going into work and decided im gonna do some maintenance on my baby.. newly hit 100k but feels sluggish and horrible gas mileage(200mpt).. i browsed the site a lil bit and took some advice on tightening the throttle valve and getting rid of the bottom half of my airbox.

tmrw i plan to pick up some Mobil 1 and change my oil.. what else could i possibly do myself that wont take too long?(1-2hrs max)... change spark plugs? oil filter?

any suggestions would be helpful and pls dont flame me for not using the search.. its already 12:30AM and i wanna work on the car early tmrw.. thanks!

Randy

***Tercel GTS*** · 03-17-2005, 11:41 PM

I'd hope you change the oil filter if you change the oil. Spark plugs are a good idea also, but get compressed air and blow out the area where each spark plug is after you pill the wires up but before grabbing the plug tools. You don't want any sand that may have worked in there falling on the pistons when the plugs come out.
Get the filter from a toyota dealer. Get NGK plugs from any parts store. If you haven't been using mobile1 don't start now, if you have been then continue.

MrSo0h0o · 03-17-2005, 11:46 PM

how come dont start using mobil 1? is it difficult to replace the plugs? why get the filter from the toyota dealer?

terrastrife · 03-17-2005, 11:47 PM

200mpt means somethig is seriously wrong there...service time :P best search up, look for all the miles per gallon threads.

MrSo0h0o · 03-17-2005, 11:49 PM

do you think i should bring it to a toyota dealer or just a mechanic? that 200mpt is killin me in my wallet

felkajamine · 03-18-2005, 12:00 AM

are you an aggresive driver?

also you don't want to change oil brands, the reason being that all brands have different additves in them and they arn't all the same, but you can still do it, but it may take a couple thousand miles for your engine to get used to the oil type, so it would be a good thing to chack your oil leval and such often, cause changing brands may cause you to lose oil at the early stages. but after a few oil changes it'll be okay.

MrSo0h0o · 03-18-2005, 12:07 AM

yes i am quite an aggressive driver and i cant help it.. i guess i can keep on using regular oil then.. thought going synthetic might help.. o well..

any more comments on the spark plugs and mileage? how much would a full tune up cost?

Toysrme · 03-18-2005, 12:07 AM

Take a spray water bottle and with the engine running, start misting it into the intake. The water will turn to steam and bust the carbon deposites to hell.

Buy a few cans of seafoam and use them. Search for their uses, read the directions, or go to their website and read directions.

MrSo0h0o · 03-18-2005, 12:11 AM

goin a bit off topic. but also, how much to engine mounts usually run?

felkajamine · 03-18-2005, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSo0h0o

yes i am quite an aggressive driver and i cant help it.. i guess i can keep on using regular oil then.. thought going synthetic might help.. o well..

any more comments on the spark plugs and mileage? how much would a full tune up cost?

well the aggresivness might be where part of your problem, but it's still kinda low gas mileage, also what brand of oil are you uing now?

MrSo0h0o · 03-18-2005, 12:47 AM

regular mobil oil... nothing special

felkajamine · 03-18-2005, 12:51 AM

so then changing to the oil you wanted wont be a big deal at all, since it's still mobil. go with mobil 1 since you are already using mobile brand, i was just telling you to stay within the same company.hopefully it's made for high mileage vehicles

MadDawg · 03-18-2005, 01:21 AM

I'm finding that my gen 3 camry runs great on the cheap stuff... cheap gas.. cheap oil.. cheap spark plugs...

MrSo0h0o · 03-18-2005, 08:37 AM

could you guys point me in the direction of how to change my spark plugs?

shanzhu1 · 03-18-2005, 09:08 AM

changing spark plugs is just unscrewing old ones and screwing in new ones
(of course, disconnecting/connecting wires). Get a spark plug changing
socket from auto shop for ~$2. 30min should be enough.

BUT, if your car is V6 model, changing spark plugs will be a bit pain since
the rear ones are located under air intake assembly and you need to
take off the assembly in order to get into it. Taking off air intake involves
disconnecting ~10 pipes including two coolant running pipes meaning you
also need to flush your coolant. I did mine (a 96 Camry V6) and spent
a day!

I heard there is a way to reach the rear plugs without taking off the air
intake assembly. But it is not that easy either since the space is
extreemly limit there.

Hope that can help.