Purchased 92 Camry V6...Some questions! HELP

5179 Views 12 Replies 6 Participants Last post by acitydweller, Feb 22, 2008

MineralGray02K

Discussion Starter · Feb 18, 2008

Well I finally picked it up today! Drove it back home today (80 miles). I am very impressed. The car rides very smoothly and has very good pickup / acceleration. The V6 is a nice engine, and the leather interior is a huge plus. All and all I am VERY happy with my decision, and plan on being a Camry owner for years to come. I will post better pictures later or tomorrow.

The car needs minor TLC. Hopefully you guys can direct me in the right direction. First off the driverside door handle is cracked and not held on tight, so I need a new handle (just handle). Also the red light on the driverside door doesn't work (going to pick up some bulbs tomorrow). The dome light doesn't seem to want to turn on when the driverside door is open as well, but will when the passenger side is.

The rear passenger side door lock doesn't work either. I'm guessing it's the actuator or motor?

Also when I turn on the headunit (aftermarket Kenwood CD player), the speakers make a cracking/popping noise. IDK if I should re-wire the speakers or what, that would be a PITA.

The headlight fixtures on car are brand new (the previous owner had a minor fender bender, I know it was minor because the previous owner was my girlfriends brother), so I obviously want to maximize that. Anybody have any suggestions? I was going to swing by Wal-Fart tomorrow and pick up some silverstars and maybe a set of fog lights. Also the current bulbs are literally facing the ground, I have to align them.

The car has 4 vent shades on it, and I will probably end up getting it tinted as well (I like my privacy). I'm pretty sure I'm going to order this remote starter / alarm as well. Please let me know what you guys think! http://commandoalarms.com/itm30032.htm

I noticed the A/C / Heat dials (and everything included) do not light up, and also the gears [P], [R], [N], etc. don't light up either. Is this simply bulbs or a fuse?

The hood shocks are also shot, as the hood doesn't stay up. Where is a good place to get new ones?

This weekend I plan on devoting pretty much an entire day or 2 to the car. I'm going to swing by home-depot and pick up some materials for a CAI, and maybe even wire up that alarm / starter if I can't find a decent price from anybody.

One last question. Would it be worth it to switch to synthetic oil? The car has 153,000 miles on it.

I know that is a lot of questions and information, but I'm pretty excited about this car. I feel as though it will last another 150,000 miles. Thanks in advance to everybody!

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xtremeskier97

· #2 · Feb 18, 2008

MineralGray02K said:
Well I finally picked it up today! Drove it back home today (80 miles). I am very impressed. The car rides very smoothly and has very good pickup / acceleration. The V6 is a nice engine, and the leather interior is a huge plus. All and all I am VERY happy with my decision, and plan on being a Camry owner for years to come. I will post better pictures later or tomorrow.

Nice..how much did it cost you? Looking for one myself!

...Also the red light on the driverside door doesn't work (going to pick up some bulbs tomorrow). The dome light doesn't seem to want to turn on when the driverside door is open as well, but will when the passenger side is.

This is most likely not the bulb at all. Its most likely the drivers side door switch. Take it out and clean it up, especially the ground wire. It could also be the wires going to it through the door hinge. My red light comes on right when I open the door, but goes out as I open it because there is a broken wire in the loom going through the hinge. Just havent had time to fix it yet.

...Also when I turn on the headunit (aftermarket Kenwood CD player), the speakers make a cracking/popping noise. IDK if I should re-wire the speakers or what, that would be a PITA.

I wouldnt necessarily re-wire the speakers....Id just go in there and make sure that all the correct wires are going to the proper places. And make sure they are grounding out on some metal somewhere.

....The headlight fixtures on car are brand new (the previous owner had a minor fender bender, I know it was minor because the previous owner was my girlfriends brother), so I obviously want to maximize that. Anybody have any suggestions? I was going to swing by Wal-Fart tomorrow and pick up some silverstars and maybe a set of fog lights. Also the current bulbs are literally facing the ground, I have to align them.

Its not the bulbs that are mis-aligned..its the whole headlight assembly. Also...for fog lights...look into some 99 or newer Oldsmobile Alero fog lights. They fit PERFECTLY in the small air dams on each side of the front bumper. Check local junkyards to see if they have any. MANY people here have them on their cars. Perhaps someone could post a picture for you?

...I noticed the A/C / Heat dials (and everything included) do not light up, and also the gears [P], [R], [N], etc. don't light up either. Is this simply bulbs or a fuse?

Could be fuse...check first. Infact..check ALL your fuses to make sure they are all good. If it does end up being the actual bulbs..there are some DIYs for replacing them.

...The hood shocks are also shot, as the hood doesn't stay up. Where is a good place to get new ones?

My dad replaced mine when I went to get it in Virginia. Cost $40 for the set and were fairly simple to replace. He got them at AutoZone I do believe.

....Would it be worth it to switch to synthetic oil? The car has 153,000 miles on it.

I dont run synthetic..and my car has NEVER had synthetic in it..and it has almost 333,000 miles on it. I just replace the oil/filter every 3,000 or so miles and it runs great.

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MineralGray02K

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 18, 2008

Wow thank you for that great information!

I picked up the car for $2,000 (it has $2,000 worth of new parts/labor in it)

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dc_98_cam

· #4 · Feb 18, 2008

Try the rheostat control...a knob on the dash...See if any of the dash/gear shift lights change intensity.

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MineralGray02K

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 18, 2008

I tried that, they are just completely dark.

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dc_98_cam

· #6 · Feb 18, 2008

Illumination lights not working could be several different parts...
15A Tail Fuse, Taillight Relay, Integration Relay...
Do your taillights work?

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TurboMeTroy

· #7 · Feb 18, 2008

Any of you mind jumping over to the Thermostat thread real quick?

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MineralGray02K

Discussion Starter · #8 · Feb 19, 2008

TurboMeTroy said:
Any of you mind jumping over to the Thermostat thread real quick?

Hijacker!! jk

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xtremeskier97

· #9 · Feb 19, 2008

MineralGray02K said:
...I picked up the car for $2,000 (it has $2,000 worth of new parts/labor in it)

Luckkyyyyyy (in best Napoleon Dynamite voice possible) :clap:

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MineralGray02K

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 19, 2008

....pegs, shocks, LUUUUCKY!!!

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louie1086

· #11 · Feb 20, 2008

wow...looks like u got yourself a deal. all the problems u listed are pretty minor and can be taken care of with a trip to the junkyard/you-pull-it and autozone. i recommend doing research on how to correct all your problems only because thats the only way you'd actually learn anything about your car.

for the moment, i would focus on bringing your car back to near-showroom condition before investing in aftermarket products.

its never too late to switch to synthetic oils.

also, if you do go to the you-pull-it, u can learn how to fix things without risking damaging your vehicle.

anyway, congratulations on getting a V6 Camry. I've been in the market for one, preferably a coupe :-D

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MineralGray02K

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 22, 2008

Thanks for the information. Do you think it is worth it to switch to synthetic or should I just let it be?

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acitydweller

· #13 · Feb 22, 2008

trying doing a gunk motor flush prior to your next oil change and to clean the throttle body. they are infamously dirty on our 3rd gen camry's.

good luck

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