Couple of issues with my Previa. Keep it or dump it, what you think?
I have a 1992 Toyota Previa, Auto, non SC. LE. With ABS all aroung, disc brakes etc etc.
Im not sure if I should keep it, from the financial point of view.
I bought it for $4000, its a 92 and it had 105000 miles when I bought it.....hell of a deal. I was looking for about 2 years and had very little luck, not many are selling these cars.
First off, I love this van!!!! From the day I bought it its been awesome, RWD is off the hook in the winter, and makes the van handle like nothing else out there. Mid engine might have something to do with it. Kids love the huge sunroof!!! The rear reclyning bench is awesome too!!!
Now here is the bad part. Its a pretty troublesome Van (at times) there is MANY previas out there with 200k-300K. Heck I know a guy that has 1/2 million miles on one, and still drives it til this day. So its a little scetchy, they can be very reliable.....and just like any car, they can also be POS.
Anyways, since I bought this van its been pretty good. I had a bad Distributor Oring (leaking oil) on 2 occasions (paid once) Toyota covered 2nd repair. Changed the breaks.....front needs new calipers (they are siezed) cant retract the calipers. So next front break job Im putting in new calipers. (65 a side, not bad). It also need suspension work, front is shot, but we have been able to live with that for time being.....it can wait, but the whole new assembly is about 250-300 a side for the front.
I just replace a stabilzer link (80 bucks) so the van will need allignment......I might do that after the front suspension (if I decide to keep it)
Another thing I just did yesterday was a valve cover gasket, it was leaking on top of exhaust......so it HAD to be done. Which was no biggie (20 bucks in parts) and suprisingly enough, it was not hard to do at all. And I thought it was gonna be a major pain (if you seen how the engine sits in this thing). So that was great, saved me good 200 bucks....from a dealer quote. BTW, there are 2 engine access panels under the front seats!!!
Also, this is a big concern right now, when the car idles.....its making this squeeky noise from the drive shaft. Now for those that never looked underneath the previa, there is a shaft that goes to the front of the car to where the AC and all the belts are. There is something aqueeking under there, I ckecked it out yesterday and the brackets that hold it are not lose.....the drveshaft look new.....so Im kind of stuck. I might have to adjust the timing on it, because when I rev it up a bit it stops. It doesn happen while driving either. Just when you sit in one place......Im going to adjust the timing first, and take it from there.
Now the engine and tranny are in a great condition, one of the reasons why I want to keep this car, from the moment I heard it and drove it....just sounds like new. Tranny changes gears like butter....which was a suprise because Previas are known for tranny issues.
The car itself was a repo, which means it was sitting for a long time before the guy I bought it from got it. So it has some rust. Not the body but the bolts and screws. the usual deal.
BTW, the body is in a mint condition, there is a penny size whole by the wheelwell but thats it, which is amazing for a 12 year old Toyota.
Interior is very good, not too many scratches, I have to replace the carpet....but thats no biggie.
AC doesnt work....can live without it (we have been), but I dont want to convert the system for 1000 dollars, and not sure what other options do I have. But AC will not effect my decision on keeping this car or not.
There is some body damage, but we can live with that also. And its easly fixable.
Also I know safety is not the best on these vans, but passanger safety is my main concern, and I dont see this van being any worst then the others when it comes to rear seats safety.
So I need an advice if I should keep it or not. And should I put more money into this. I would like to completely restore it one day, even paint it. I just love how unique this van is and the design of it. Many think its ugly, I think it has a nice ageless design. I mean heck this thing looks better then many new Vans that are out there now.
Keep in mind that there is no minivan like this, and we all love this van. My mom has a 99 MPV and have family members with Oddysey and Windstar.....and none of these compares to Previa. Everytime I drive any of them.....I think back to how much more I like the previa.
Please dont mind the typos......typed this fast.
Any problem solvers to any of the issues would also be appreciated!!!
Sounds like you want to keep it. From a financial perspective, what's the monthly payment on a new or replacement vehicle? I seriously doubt you'll put that much into repairs keeping the Previa. Then there's the pain-in-the-butt/repair time factor - how annoyed are you each time you have to repair something?
To me, those are really the questions to answer when considering keeping the Previa. Money and repair time/annoyance. I'm pretty certain the van won't leave me stranded.
The squeaky drive shaft - you'll need to dig some more to figure that one out. Typically the bushings in the revolvers (one revolver at the front and rear of the front drive shaft (aka SAD shaft)) fail resulting in a clacking noise that changes with engine load. IE, A/C compressor cycling, and things like that.
The calipers freezing, once they're repaired if you maintain the system (replace brake fluid about every 3 years) you should be ok.
Yea I have to look into this shaft thing. What amazes me is that when I press the pedal and raise the revs just a bit.....it goes away, same thing when I drive, it goes away....the second I come to a stop....its back.
Just annoying, we have been driving it like that, but now it sounds like a POS....
I still think that it might be all the rusty brackets that hold this thing....maybe motor mounts.....
But you might be right on that, and BTW Ive read some of your post. VEry informative!
Originally posted by Passaturbo Yea I have to look into this shaft thing. What amazes me is that when I press the pedal and raise the revs just a bit.....it goes away, same thing when I drive, it goes away....the second I come to a stop....its back.
Just annoying, we have been driving it like that, but now it sounds like a POS....
I still think that it might be all the rusty brackets that hold this thing....maybe motor mounts.....
But you might be right on that, and BTW Ive read some of your post. VEry informative!
Hey
I have a previa and toyota offers a rebuild kit for the rotors at a very reasonable price and the shaft thing ........ Try greasing the U joints at each end of the shaft. If you spray some silicone spray up in there while its idleing and it goes away you know that they need to be greased. The other thing is E-BAY they offer alot of parts for the PREVIA. I got a sway bar link for 7 bucks and a air conditioning condenser for 22 bucks.
Rob
I've having the same rattling problem on my 92 previa, especially when the AC is on or making a hard turn at low speed. Do you have to replace the whole drive shaft or is there some kit for the front part? This thing has 160K and we love it, but the fixing her up is expensive. I dropped two hundred just to replace the side door rollers (incl labor) and now the side door won't stay open unless on an incline. I hate to think I have to replace the entire driveshaft for a rattle when the thing runs fine otherwise. Did anybody get an solutions? Thanks!
Go back to the Toyota Minivan Forum and search for SAD. The URL for one of the message strings is http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t50115.html. That should get you pointed in the right direction.
Keep it!!! You've done enough work on it to warrant keeping it. You are now familiar with the Previa. The bushings on the Suplemental Accessory Driveshaft (SADS)are worn out but it's still worth fixing. Toyota will try to sell you the entire shaft for $1500. You don't need it. Simply change the bushings or have the bushings changed. Check around on ebay or check your favorite auto parts store. I just had mine changed Saturday along with front mounts and cooling hoses for under $500.00- alot of it was labor cost though. Even the Toyota dealer sells the rebuild kit (which is primarily the two bushings) so you don't have to replace the driveshaft. My '92 was running rough enough that I thought that it could be the headgasket. After having the bushings changed, it runs as smooth as butter.
Last edited by terbennett; 06-18-2007 at 10:39 AM.
I've having the same rattling problem on my 92 previa, especially when the AC is on or making a hard turn at low speed. Do you have to replace the whole drive shaft or is there some kit for the front part? This thing has 160K and we love it, but the fixing her up is expensive. I dropped two hundred just to replace the side door rollers (incl labor) and now the side door won't stay open unless on an incline. I hate to think I have to replace the entire driveshaft for a rattle when the thing runs fine otherwise. Did anybody get an solutions? Thanks!
It is definitely your bushings. Find a mechanic that will change them. A few that i went to wanted to replace the entire shaft. Why if you don't have to? My 92 Previa did the same thing It rattled at idle with the A/C on. Just get it those bushings replaced and you'll be happy. The R&R for the bushings shouldn't be more than $350-worst case scenario.
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