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Toyota Camry Basic Maintenance Questions

678 messages,  Last post on Sep 02, 2012 at 6:55 AM

You are in the Toyota Camry Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Camry, Toyota Camry Solara, Oil, Sedan

Messages Page 61 of 69

#592 of 678 Re: Oil change interval for Camry 2010 [bigtoeknee] by mcdawgg

Sep 27, 2009 (6:49 pm)

Replying to: bigtoeknee (Sep 27, 2009 3:30 pm)
"Toyota recommend 6months/5K miles for all their Vehicles because they were afraid of the sludge problem in the past. Toyota Cars in Japan get 10K intervals too. "
 
If Toyota in Japan gets the 10K intervals, do you think that's because of some people in the US not paying attention to oil change intervals, which can cause sludge in any car?
 
Very interesting, as the 2010 Camry requires 6 month/5K AND synthetic. I guess if some of those type of people ignored the maintenance schedule, the engine would be more forgiving because it's using synthetic.

#593 of 678 Oll Change Interval--Common Sense by metalibrarian

Oct 01, 2009 (5:39 am)

In response to discussions on lengthening the oil change interval to 10K miles...
 
If you've ever changed the oil and filter yourself and you've seen the dark black dirty color of the old oil and you've felt the weight of the sludge in the old filter (compared to the lightness of the new filter) after just 3 or 4 thousand miles, you'll think that a 5 thousand mile interval is stretching it.
 
Oil does several things in a car engine: it lubricates, it cools, and it cleans. It cleans by picking up tiny foreign particles and carrying them to the filter. If it can't leave them in the filter, either because they are too small or because the filter is full up, then it just carries them along indefinitely. That's dirty oil. And the better it cleans, the more dirt it carries and the less well it cools and lubricates.
 
It would seem that no matter how good the oil, synthentic or angelic,if you go to a 10k mile interval for changing it, you're gonna get 3K of new, pure lurication and cooling, 3K of increasingly dirty stuff, and then 4K of sheer filthy, ill-functioning, awful stuff slipsliding around inside your engine. And for what? You.ve saved, or rather put off spending, 30 bucks (half that if you DIY). And your car is worth 10 or 20 or 30 thousand dollars. Wow. No proportion there.
 
The single, most important, cheapest thing you can do to a Toyota to make it last 250K miles or more is to change the fluids at decent intervals. Oil at 4K or 5K at most, transmission and power steering fluid every 50K, coolant at a hundred.
 
Besides, don't you just feel better about your engine after you put clean oil in it? I always celebrate the occasion with a beer. Two if I DIYed it.
 
I once read an article in Popular Mechanics on hows they keep cabs going in New York 24/7 for hundreds of thousands of miles--they change the oil every 3K. O:kay, that was 40 years ago and oil has improve. ..So 4K or 5K.
 
But not 10K

#594 of 678 Re: Oll Change Interval--Common Sense [metalibrarian] by mcdawgg

Oct 01, 2009 (9:21 am)

Replying to: metalibrarian (Oct 01, 2009 5:39 am)
That's how I feel. I've always changed my own, every 4k or 4 months, whichever comes first. It is good, cheap insurance. The only thing I am not liking is putting synthetic in the 2010, due to the higher cost.

#595 of 678 Location of spark plugs by bassman45

Oct 05, 2009 (3:54 pm)

I know this sound really stupid, bit where are the plugs? I need to change plugs and wires. Also heard to use oem wires. Is this true.

#596 of 678 Re: Location of spark plugs [bassman45] by kiawah

Oct 05, 2009 (4:02 pm)

Replying to: bassman45 (Oct 05, 2009 3:54 pm)
It might be a lot easier to take it somewhere. A mechanic would also know what to be looking for when taking the old parts off, so can be on the lookout to spot other trouble before it turns into a problem.
 
You don't want to end up with a vehicle that won't run, because the wires aren't on correctly, the plug isn't gapped correctly, or you cross threaded (or stripped) the plug in the head.
 
You don't say which engine you have, so don't know whether you have one head or two.

#597 of 678 99 solara intermittent stalling by jaymac1

Apr 15, 2010 (2:26 pm)

i have been having problems with my 99 solara (4cyl) stalling from time to time,usually after it's been sitting still for a few hours.Took it to a dealer & they say it needs an IAC valve ($482 inst) BUT they also found loose drive belt(s) & recommended new valve cover gasket & end plug (leaking).Now I'm wondering if the stalling problem is really due to the loose belt(s) and maybe also the plug possibly being fouled due to oil leak.This can get expensive in a hurry& I don't want to spend $482 if I don't have to.any suggestions.----car just hit 100k mi.Thanks in advance. jaymac1

#598 of 678 how much oil? by imupabove

May 12, 2010 (3:37 pm)

#599 of 678 how much oil? by imupabove

May 12, 2010 (3:37 pm)

i have a 1993 camry le 2.2 liters. how much oil do i need for an oil change? and what brand of oil and oil filter? i do have the manual, but it doesn't say how much oil i need. thank you very much.

#600 of 678 Re: how much oil? [imupabove] by kiawah

May 13, 2010 (2:54 pm)

Replying to: imupabove (May 12, 2010 3:37 pm)
I don't have your manual, but most manuals talk about oil in two places. One where they talk about it in a maintenance section, where they give you the designation (like 5w20, 10w30, etc). The second place is back in a 'capacities' chart, where they tell you all the fluid capacities. I would suspect it is somewhere around 4 quarts, and a little more with a oil filter change. Buy 6 quarts, and I'm sure you'll have enough.
 
If you really can't find it in the manual, then use the oil stick to help guide you. Put in 3 quarts, and then check the dipstick to see how far it is down. Keep putting in oil, 1/2 quart at a time until you get it up in range, then start the vehicle so the oil can be pumped around and fill the new oil filter up. Stop the engine, let the oil settle, and look at the dip stick again. Top the oil off.
 
Any good quality oil will do, of the correct weight (whatever that engine calls for ie. 10w30, 5w20, ???).

#601 of 678 How to turn off MAINTENANCE REQUIRED light? by awn7e

May 14, 2010 (7:33 am)

I have a 2010 Camry (4 cylinder) and since Toyota announced the new "rules" to change oil and filter every 10,000 miles I plan to do it less frequently. However, the minute my car hit 5,000 miles the "Maintenance Required" light came on.
 
1. How do I turn this off?
2. Is there a way I can re-set this so that it comes on every 10,000 miles instead of every 5,000?

Messages Page 61 of 69

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