Hi all,

Having problems with my 1997/1998 Toyota Camry,its an sxv20 4cyl auto 5sfe engine

Car has been jerking and takes off slowly during take off.Some small backfires when slowly taking off.I noticed if i hold one of the tubes/slim hoses behind the efi unit,the whistling sound goes away.Efi area making whistling and funny noise.I have put efi cleaner in fuel tank and has helped performance a little bit.Transmission oil is black,not sure if transmission is causing slow take off,but transmission needs servicing.Im guessing the problem is something to do with efi/electrical problem,a failed sensor/switch? bad contacts in wiring somewhere? Also I have to top up radiator with water once a week.I changed oil,oil filter and spark plugs about 6 months ago.A mechanic told me 6 months ago that engine is no good,needs new radiator,water pump,head gasket etc,but car has been running pretty good until recently.I dont think theres a blockage in the cooling system,since I refill radiator with water and/or collant once a week.The car is about 17 years old now (getting old) and i'm hoping some basic tests/maintenance will get the car running smoothly again.
Would it be worthwhile taking the car to Super Cheap Auto and let them do their $28 diagnostic test?

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.I know a little bit about cars,but dont know how diagnose a problem like this

Cheers
Nero
brisbane-workshop (at) hotmail (dot) com

 

Is the check engine light on?

Use a section of hose as a stethoscope to attempt to narrow down the location of the whistling. This could be an air leak.

Engine backfiring out the tail pipe or intake?

Does the engine over heat or coolant temp vary greatly when driving? Was the engine ever overheated in the past (temp gauge into red)?

Have you inspected the coolant system for leaks? When engine cold, look and feel for coolant at all coolant hoses you can locate, the radiator, coolant overflow tank and hose running between tank and radiator. Also check radiator cap area for signs of coolant, perhaps the cap is bad.

 

Do you notice white smoke out the tail pipe? I think your headgasket is toast but a cylinder compression test would be the best way to be sure.
Like Joey has listed, check those first items first, checking yourself is the cheapest.

 

car been running ok 6 months after mechanic said its stuffed hummm

tranny oil should be red get it serviced next after sorting this first problem out

just wonder if the thermostat is stuck

 

Hi,
thanks for the tips guys.I dont see any green stains near coolant hoses,radiator cap looks used but seems to be sealing the radiator pretty well.Yes mechanic said engine needs work 6 months ago,but car has been running ok till recently (few weeks ago) when it started jerking and slow take.The engine has overheated several times in the past and i noticed if im idling in neutral and I hold down the accelerator for 5-10 seconds,the temperature gauge would go back down to half way (halfway between 'hot' and 'cold') which would be normal operating temperature for engine.I top up with water,and/or coolant once a week.The engine is not original either,when I bought the car roughly 1 1/2 to 2 years ago,the guy said the engine was bought from the wreckers and fitted.The engine has done about 260,000 klms now,and when I first bought it,it had done about 200,000 klms.The guy also said that the timing belt has just been replaced when I bought the car.Seems like a worn out engine and transmission.May be cheaper picking up another 'ok' second hand car instead of spending money on this one.Im on the pension,I was thinking of picking up another once of these camry's like my one and using my current camry for spare parts while keeping the newly bought camry xv20 running...
Ive found my xv20 camry to be pretty nice to drive and reliable but i guess its getting worn out

cheers

 

yes thats what I would suggest if engine overheating is problematic
fit second hand a motor and gearbox from a wrecker

 

An update to my car problems
I looked at the leaking tube just behind the efi unit and put some electrical tape around the slit (leak),the tube is now better sealed and the performance of the car is almost back to normal! yay..but I know there are other issues with the car but atleast I can now take off quicker and car is jerking less now.ahh the magic of electrical tape lol

 

keep the forum updated with its problems

can you buy the correct tube that has the split ?

 

I might be able to buy a replacement tube,but i guess i could go get one from a wreckers somewhere..electrical tape seemed to do the trick.Now my car kerks a little bit and sometimes the rev meter goes up and down a little when idling..could be a faulty sensor? or a mixture of other problems?
maybe resetting the computer will help?

 

reset the computer - you remove the EFI fuse -count to ten replace

that should do it