Hi all,
I recently bought a 1996 Camry Wagon, in very nice condition (given I live in the snow/rust belt - this one had been pampered and copiously treated with anti-rust products). About 125,000 miles, I-4 engine. Had to get the front pads/rotors replaced, and new rear wipers, and that was about it. It passed safety inspection without a problem, and the air emissions test results were stellar!

Recent work done to the car (it didn't come with receipts, but is a 2 owner car and I bought from the second owners, who cared for it very well):
- catalytic converter 2 years ago
- new battery 1 year ago
- new NGK spark plugs
- new timing belt and water pump about 30,000 miles ago

I have read Camry reviews/messages on the net and on this forum, and conclude that these 92-96 are very reliable and don't require much in the way of repairs, until a higher mileage is reached. The previous owner used synthetic oils in the engine and transmission, and I will continue that approach.

I would be interested to know, based on your experience:[/align]
1. what I can expect to see come up in the next couple of years insofar as mechanical/electrical breakdowns and repairs, with average use
2. any preventative maintenance (other than frequent fluid changes and general upkeep) which would be a good idea to do sooner than later (fuel pump, shocks, coolant system, etc.?)
3. any particular synthetic oil you would recommend for the engine?

Thanks for your input. And Happy Holidays to all!!![/align]

 

Congrates on your "new" car. Yes this generation is solidly built.

You have the rust at bay which is one problem for cars where road salt is used extensively.

Are you going to do your own work? If so purchase a Haynes manual for referance.

Suggest keeping up the the fluid changes. Mobil 1 is used a lot, suggest not extended the oil change beyond 7500 miles. Best to slick with the recommended interval in the owners manuals.

If an auto trans change all of the fluid every 30K miles, a drain and refill only gets about 1/3, thus will need to do this 3-4 times over a short period of driving. If the fluid is dark now, change it. Don't forget the fluid in the differential.

Suggest a coolant and flush every 3 years. Toyota brand coolant is good, suggest avoiding Dex-cool.

Might change the power steering fluid. You can extract the fluid out of the resevoir and refill with new. Do this a number of times and the fluid will be clean again.

If the brake fluid is dark, at the next brake job bleed the sysem of the old fluid.

The above will prevent a LOT of problems due to worn out. dirty fluid that has obsorbed water.

Your limited repairs to date have been extremely good.

A few issues to keep an eye on.

Check the condition of all coolant hoses. If one goes bad suggest changing them all as another may soon follow.

The oil cooler hoses hold up well but for only a few dollars might change this out when doing the trans fluid change.

The large air intake hose to the throttle body can crack all the way around right behind the hose clamp at the throttle body. You will not know it until a close inspection.

The upper and lower radiator tanks are plastic, as they age very small leaks from cracks can start, normally at the top tank which get hotter. This is on the tank, not the seal between the tank and core. If the radiator starts leaking replace it as the leaks can become much worse fast.

The coolant over flow tank can start to degrade and leak.

Typically the water pump is changed at the second belt change. The pumps are OK, a very small number fail. This is just a preventative issue as the engine is apart now. Also replace the thermostat, Toyota makes an excellant one.

Much of the other repairs are done on an as needed basis. As when the part starts making noise, squeaking, clunking, etc.

Over time typically issues are: CV joints start clicking, upper strut mounts start clunking, sway bar bushings start squeaking and clunking, leaks from valve cover, cam, crank and oil pump seal.

Some owners change the seals when doing their second belt change.

Some owners have had issues with front lower suspension arm and rear suspension rod bushings going bad. This may make a knock or cause excess play in the suspension.

These seems to be a point where the cars starts to need a lot of parts due to mileage and age. But once these are changed out repairs issues go away again.

The keys are those fluid changes. More then one trans has failed due to lack of a fluid change. Changing the pS fluid may prevent rack end seal or pump failure which is not uncommon.

The engine is very good strong but don't run it out of oil, water or hot rod it. All have happened to people and killed the engine.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you Toyomoho! That's exactly the kind of advice and pointers I was hoping to get. Yes, I generally try to do my own service, and have already bought the Haynes manual, as well as downloaded the PDF version of the Toyota Service Manual.

The previous owner indicated that the engine oil was changed every 4000-4500 kms and that three advanced engine treatments (?) had been applied within the last 10 years. That the brake system was flushed a few years ago, as well as an engine flush (coolant I suppose). So the car has been well maintained, and I intend on keeping up with similar maintenance, so that this car can last me several years. I own a couple of other vehicles, but was looking for something that would be reliable and "turn-key", and those 92-96 Camrys are in my opinion some of the best that Toyota built.

Anyway, with all the useful things you have pointed out, I have a very good idea what to look at and keep an eye on. Likely, I will go through all those points in the Spring, as it's a little difficult to assess all those elements now, since Winter has settled in and I don't have access to a garage at home.

Again, much thanks, and look forward to learning and exchanging with others on this forum!! Cheers!

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