If the part that may fail will cause bigger issues (realistically) then it gets more attention.
I.E , water pumps usually will start to leak or get noisy before giving up the ghost but your radiator is prone to failure big enough to leave you stranded (they crack the tanks). Also I do more preventive work on the car we use for out of town trips and my wife's rides. I can always figure out a safe way home or a temporary fix, she is at higher risk.
Also knowing what are weak points in a particuliar vehicle from other owners ( like your doing here on TN) can put you ahead of the game. Just gotta keep good records of when,what,where, etc.

 

Great points, I never thought about it that way, and totally agree! Thanks, SD speed!

 

I’d suggest to do a cooling system pressure test. Cooling systems is one of the components that will fail unexpectedly. There’s a couple of heater hoses on the cylinder head. Inspect for swelling or squishiness. Replace as needed.

Valve cover gasket will leak at the seam between the timing cover and the cylinder head. Timing chain tensioner o ring leaks too. Timing cover leaks on the seam at the bottom of the cylinder head and short block.

The solenoid for the vvt located behind the intake manifold can be removed and inspected. Intake manifold gasket should be inspected too. If it’s a 03-04 (late), the gasket came from the factory with a black gasket. These fail, you’ll have idle surge or low idle.

edit : this gen 2zr does have a vvt kit and cam phaser on the intake cam shaft. Here’s a good video on it.

 

Thanks, 75! I'll definitely check all those things out...I just learned about the car care nut, he's probably the best youtuber I've found so far for all things Toyota!

 

At this point I would consider all of the perishable items. Hoses, insulators, gaskets, bushings. Not replace all of them, but inspect as much as you can.

I am a huge fan of physically cleaning the intake path like the intake runners in the head, intake manifold, intake tube, checking air filter. Checking the PCV and breather hoses. In the end of the day, what you put in the motor is as good as what you get out of it. Cleanliness is the Bible.

As for the water pump, check the condition. Do you have any issues now, if not, look around the radiator hoses and at the plastic end tanks of the radiator. If you are not having any coolant smell or signs of leaks, you should be good.

The best thing to do now is to just look at everything and determine if anything needs attention.

My 05 LE has been an absolute unit. Replaced some cracked hoses, gaskets, motor mounts, control arm bushings, sway bar bushings(rubbers) never had much issue. A note for the alternator, it is worth pulling the brushes out of the alternator as usually the thing that goes bad would be the brushes as a wear item. I replaced mine and it charges like new!


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OEM part quality is really good in modern vehicles. In all honesty, driving a car 100,000 miles on just fluid changes is incredible when you think about it. Your car literally drove around the world 4 times and only need oil, gas and if you're meticulous about maintenance, transmission fluid. For example, I had a Acura TSX that I owned from new for 10 years and 218,000 miles. In all that time the only thing that broke (besides speakers) were motor mounts and leaking valve cover gasket. Before the deer took it out I knew it also had wheel bearings getting noisy and a clunk in the suspension was probably worn out bushings but that's it.

My Camry has 107,000 miles on it and I know I can get in her and drive across country and come back home and she will do it with ease. Even in the rock solid 1990's Camry someone taking the same trip with 100K on it would've been wise to have belts, hoses, coolant and tools in the trunk just in case. The 1990's Camry is renowned for its reliability and longevity but the rubber material that they used for belts and hoses back then just wasn't as good as they are now. Then you had spark plugs that were only good for 30K and a distributor and spark plug wires to deal with also. I'm old enough to remember that old spark plug wires and damp weather could cause you problems.

To answer your original question, I would wait. Most parts won't fail catastrophically but give you signs. Even the plastic radiator tank will turn from black to brown as it starts to get brittle with age. As long as hoses are soft, pliable and don't have any bulges you're good to go.

 

Any accessory with bearings will give you a warning before the bearings actually fail. I listened to my wheel bearings and thought it was tire noise. At 200k I replaced all 4. Last inspection they told me the rear beam axle mounts were getting close but still passed the car, Since they will give me plenty of warning I'll get them next year for the next inspection, take them to the shop so they can put them in a freezer before installation.
Try to keep an eye on coolant level and find the leak as soon as you see any loss of coolant. My radiator is 23 years old now as well as all hoses and the water pump. Pushing 203k miles, owned since 147k miles. Want to never replace parts on your car, BUY A PARTS CAR LOL. Don't think I have replaced a bulb in 7 years. Same front brakes when I bought the car, still hanging in there. Replaced the cabin air filter and main air filter when I got it 7 years ago, as well as plugs. Not even a bad coil so far.
What I replaced
shocks-struts KYB Rock Auto deal for $225 total at 170k miles.
transmission at 190k miles with JDM used, works as new with new clutch.
Muffler recently with Walker stainless direct fit. Old one was not leaking but rattling internally.
Rear brake shoes to pass inspection, drum was warped when they did it, next time I took them 2x8X1.25 bolts.
Wiper blades once, use rain x they last a long time.
Two sets of tires.

 

Usually the forums will keep you updated on failure points and if they are remedied with preventive maintenance I'd look to do those.

Besides that, if you open your service schedule see how many items are in the severe duty schedule for your car at its mileage. Fluids, filters, maybe a bottle of techron before an oil change. Aalot of those service schedule items are a good chance to change or inspect items. For instance if you do a coolant flush, check the cooling system out, water pump, thermostat, hoses etc etc.

And finally dont go looking to fix things that are working. Often that just ends up opening a can of worms.

 

Every maintenance parameter is based accordingly to your driving habits and also the state that you live in and conditions of your commute. I have aftermarket parts which require some maintenance and that supposedly can affect the longevity of the vehicle, which as of today I had no issues. I have a 2010 that I bought brand new, now with 204000 miles as of last week, it has been most of the time my daily, my first maintenance protocol has been what is suggested by the manufacturer to replace, so far has been working for me with 2 exceptions, the alternator and the transmission died on me without any warnings. Those are the only 2 times, I had to get my car towed, I had a close call with the starter which has been replaced.

Other than that regular maintenance, spark plugs, serpentine belt, battery, radiator, hoses, oil and transmission fluid changes; my car it's garaged, Florida weather with strict maintenance since new and no accidents or air bags deployed, I'm hoping to reach the 300K mark but I've seen some die at 240K, if that happens I will just rebuilt the engine with monkey wrench racing. I share my commute between my 4 vehicles now, so I'm not doing as many miles as before.

 

I still have my original starter and alternator in my daily driver 07 Camry. Years ago I would buy eBay starters and alternators so I would not have any down time/pay exorbitant amounts in a pinch.
Much good advice given above. I will add that when I do my oil/filter change, I am under the car for a longer than usual time with a flashlight and rag while inspecting for potential problems. I like to nip them in the bud.

 

Hello. In general you don't replace anything until it fails because in most cases the factory part is far better than an aftermarket part unless you buy your parts at the dealership. Then you get OEM however it's expensive. I have 4 Toyotas. 2 of them have almost 300 thousand miles on them. In that time between the 2 vehicles I've replaced 1 water pump 1 set of spark plugs and 1 PCM. They both have V6s. My van has 150K and I've only replaced a battery. I do all my own repairs also. I'm a 35 year ASE master tech.

 

Precisely the way I feel, been wrenching since the mid 60S.

When I bought my 2000 Echo in 2017 at 147k miles it needed the right INNER rack bushing in a manual rack. No bushing available from Toyota, had the part number. Found that bushing in the United Arab Emirates AND bought a parts car with a perfect rack, like brand new. Not available from Toyota either (complete rack new). Toyota has mostly written my car off when it comes to part availability. I would rather use the parts car used parts versus anything you can get now. I could sell you the outer tie rod for brand new, it looks that good (Florida car).

 

The swedishbricks (Volvo) website offers a list of preventative replacement items, many mentioned in above responses. Pressurized rubber and plastic, such as radiator (plastic tanks) and cooling system hoses are among them. Alternator brushes are a wear item and replacing them before failure can save the armature and one might argue the same for alternator diodes, voltage regulator, and starter brushes and solenoid contacts. Ignition coils and plug well seals don't always last forever, either.

 

By the way, totally understand car needs preventative maintenance; however, a lot of "old" OEM parts are built much better than new third party brands. For example: OEM ball joint, OEM Denso ignition coil....etc. Therefore, you also need to do research the brand and quality of the parts replacing the "old" but working OEM parts.

 

Brakes tires belts weat items other wise wzit until.it brakes. 330k 0n 03 v6 xle camry still original but 3 parts alternator knock sensor and radiator. I want to see if starter and ac can make 400k. On toyota replacing before breaking is crazy, many parts last so long it is crazy to spend money for no reason. Would you replace washing machine while it is still working? Hell no

 

A compression test and leak down check can go a long way for the internals of the engine. I don’t know compression range for the 2zr, but doesn’t hurt to do it annually.

Use a long screwdriver to listen to your injectors while the engine idles.

If you have a scanner, watch live data once in a few months. The fuel trims will let you know when the engine is running lean or rich condition.

 

I agree with sdSpeed.
I just did the oil pump cover seal on a 96 LX450 with 4.5 L6. Once I got the radiator out so I could get the Harmonic balancer off, to get the last 2 screws off the oil pump cover. I saw the black OEM radiator was brown/beige color on top, like bleached from Fla sun.
Needed new belts, now that water pump was sitting their easy access to me on a vehicle that's been in Florida for most of its life. It spun very easy by hand and seemed it would go another 200K miles. No issues with radiator or water pump, but I did replace both with Toyota/Lexus parts. Too much work to gain access to them if they started giving my son issues down the road.
I have a 2000 Tacoma with 350k miles and I drive from TN to Fla a lot in the old Tacoma. I have changed several parts on it due to the fact I drive it 600 mile drive to Fla 3/4 times a year. Yes, my wife's 2016 Camry gets close attention as well. She is 100% dependent on key in, start and drive. Thats all she knows. I maintain it.
It's all about how the vehicle is used to start with in determining preventative maintenance, and who's driving it most of the time, how far away from home does it go, to me.
Good Luck with Prevent MX

 

My 1st Camry had been totalled by an insurance company, and put back in road condition by a small shop (there's a long story right there, but just know it all came up all right in the end). And we bought at auction when she was about 3 years old - that was '98. I drove her to 330k miles, and sold her, still running and on the road. Don't judge a Toyota by its age. If I had not had real hard point rust issues, I'd still be driving her. But, she was tired. So, she went to someone else.
My current Camry I bought from the 2nd owner at about 170k miles. She now has 250k on her. My motto is to always mind the maintenance schedules. Otherwise, when something starts making noises or otherwise acting up, I take care of it. As much as possible I try to stick with OEM quality parts, although I do still shop around for the best price. If an aftermarket part is as good as OEM, I'll use it. There are bits I stopped believing in compromise on, though. Exhaust is one of those - so many people will gladly put in a new exhaust system - but the pipes are less than OEM quality. Since I don't intend to STOP driving the car - long term it doesn't make sense to me to replace the complete exhaust system every 50k (or less). But my point is, when you are dealing with high-mileage cars, and intending on keeping high-mileage cars, in my experience it is smarter to invest in quality parts. And to mind the maintenance.

 

Some parts I wait until they break and some I replace before they wear out. Brake pads for example. As soon as they get to 20% I replace all 4 of them while car is on the lift during the oil change. This way I do not have to turn the rotors. Turning rotor is expensive labor wise and they get thinner so eventually would have to be replaced.
Some of the parts I knew would wear out so I bought a replacements and at the first sign of trouble got them replaced before they completely wear out.

 

I would replace any battery cables with any sign of corrosion… not just the terminals but the actual heavy gauge wire that goes back from the battery. Get them in RockAuto not from the stores.

 

I have the oil changed (at the dealer to created a record) every 3-4000 miles. I have changed (165,000) the brake fluid, the coolant, hoses, and thermostat. Quick story--the thermostat was JUST ready to fail, so we got it just in time. You can buy both hoses, clamps, thermostat from one of the online Toyota dealers. Many have discounts off of retail for OEM products. I will be changing the PS fluid next, and that is it. Be darn sure you use one jug of TOYOTA coolant...it will be enough. It is special stuff--not real cheap, but it works.

Unfortunately, on my Japanese-made 2007 I had to change the motor/transmission mounts and the shocks/struts. I used aftermarket items both times--KYB for the shocks/struts, which are EASY to change out, and I can't remember on the mounts, but it was a company that made them identical to OEM but for racing applications. 2 are easy, one is best to do when you change the coolant/hoses/thermostat since you have to remove the same stuff for both jobs, and the one at the rear is a bit of a challenge, but doable. NEVER had to change either of these on any previous Toyota, so their vendors are giving them cheaper parts, evidently.

Used some washers to stop the vents from flopping--use the plastic tools for that. Took out the center bezel and found change and gas credit cards that had fallen down there. I know I have a lot of change near the emergency brake/console area, so will probably take them up sooner than later. Bought an inexpensive TOYOTA trunk carpet and use a moving blanket from Harbor Freight (cheap) over it since this is my daily driver and I haul mulch, soil, sod, etc., etc. all the time. Trunk (with rear seats down) will hold about a dozen bags of mulch.

Also suggest you inspect under the spare tire area. Gets dirty, no paint there, so surface rust possible.

I buy OEM air and cabin filters from online discount dealers and change them fairly often--they are cheap. Started putting Marvel Mystery Oil in the gas tank at about 150,000. Not sure if it helps, but I still get 33 on the highway and not much less around town, so...

Other than that, I keep it waxed (NO clear coat on 2007 white cars!!!) and will NEVER change the tranny fluid. Old superstition that says that causes many issues.

Cheers!

 

If it isn't broke, leave it alone! I too do my own wrenching and my '05 Matrix Xr has 485,000+ miles and I have only replaced my starter and my HVAC Blower.

 

My wife bought a 2016 RAV4 SE new, I replaced the brakes and drums every 45/55k miles, had the oil changed at the dealer every 5k miles. At about 125k miles the water pump started to leak...had Toyota replace that, although had a 3rd party extended warranty, so they paid for the pump labor and pump, I paid for the replacement belts and again the warranty paid for the fluid, and at the same time they flushed the system. Around 130k the brake fluid started to get an ugly color, had them flush and replace that. Replaced cabin and air filters when they got dirty, since it was an AWD I was going to have them flush and replace at 145k, but we sold the RAV. That's about all we did in 145k miles. Oh, we did replace the battery in 2022, it lasted 6 years, but the car sat in the garage when not being used.

 

If you are going to change coolant hoses, don't forget about the two hoses under the intake manifold.

 

Yeah, true. I "missed" the recall for the faulty factory gasket, so changed those when I had to pay for them to replace the failing one with the "orange" one. Did those then.

Cheers!

 

I am a bit OCD with my vehicles.
All fluids are constantly monitored and kept clean and fresh.
As for parts, Here is how I look at it, If it aint broken leave it be.

Exceptions. Timing belt, Change it out ontime regardless of how great it looks.
If a part is very difficult to get to and you have access now because you are working on or replacing something else, might as well change it out now. For instance. If I am doing a timing belt job, well you automatically change out the water pump because you have access even if it is working great. When doing the timing belt job, you have to remove your drive belts to get access, drive belts are inexpensive, Might as well put on new drive belts so you are not down there taking things apart again later. You have to drain most of your coolant on the water pump job so while it is drained, might as well put in a new thermostat and upper and lower radiator hoses. They are inexpensive and why not have the cooling system all fresh so you do not have any issues for several years.

If I have to pull the intake manifold off for any reason, Such as changing the rear spark plugs, well, if it has been a very long time since the valve cover gaskets were replaced or if they are origional, more than 10 years old for example, Heck, might as well pull the covers and put on new gaskets so it is something I will not have to worry about again for probably the remaining time I own the vehicle, you already have access, it is inexpensive, just do it. Anytime I have to do spark plugs or a valve cover gasket, I will automatically install a new PCV valve. Another inexpensive part, easy to install but a part that if it goes bad can cause serious problems that can cost you a whole hell of a lot of money to repair such as a blown seals.

I think if people focused on keeping all their fluids clean and changed on time or even before time, that 90% of car repair places would go out of business for lack of things to fix.

And don't put crap parts in your vehicle. Do not overpay but do not buy garbage. Use OEM or better quality parts, beware of super cheap Ebay or Amazon options. There are good parts on Amazon and eBay but there are also lots of counterfeit stuff. Do not put anything on your car that says Made in Mexico or China. Shop around to find a good price, some shops will price match. I recently replaced a radiator. Got a brand new one off Amazon, I forget the name of the company, but the radiator is 2x the thickness, has better cooling and capacity, is quality built, fit perfectly and have had no issues. The radiator was shy of $100 and has a lifetime warranty. If I went to Autozone for a replacement radiator, a generic brand, it would have cost me $380. Auto parts stores put a Huge markup on their parts. I believe usually 400% and up from the cost. Most of your mechanics get the part for your vehicle from the same auto parts stores and might even add in their own little markup. On Ebay and Amazon I try to buy from a couple sellers on there that are actually Toyota parts departments that also sell on sites like Amazon and ebay rather than from some random seller. Then inspect your parts very carefully.

 

Spark plugs yes depending if you buy the good wounds or the cheap ones I bought the cheap ones so and I don't drive much so I'll replace them in 50,000 miles if I live that long I'm old. I carry a spare drive belt but that's it no need to jump the gun and alternator a starter and many other peripheral items can last as long as the vehicle cuz these are good vehicles I've got a 2003 Corolla with 170,000 miles granted I only paid $200 for it and there's a few things I had to fix the shop where the lady took it said get rid of it it's junk they couldn't get the drain plug out boy were they lazy.
Now I did have to and I thought it was good to replace the intake gasket I cleaned the throttle body and when I have something apart and make sure it's working and clean but to jump the gun and replace some things no. Yes it's best to stay on top of things the oil every 5,000 miles etc but most things will last the life of the vehicle best of luck