we bought a brand new Toyota Camry in 2000 for dawn , when we retired from work , lovely car , and still is , but we had to say good by to it today , because we had it in town last Friday when we were shopping ,on the way back home we heard a bad rattle in the motor ,so I pulled up at a garage and the mechanic came out and had a listen to the noise , he said it was either the alternator or the air con , or the timing belt , and he could not fix it Friday afternoon but booked it in for today Tuesday to be fixed , this morning Tuesday I had to take it back into him , I got up at 6 am ,but the car would not start , so I rang the racq , they came out and he could not start it so he rang for a tow truck , and I told him to take it to my mechanic , I then rang the mac and told him it was on the way in on the truck because it would not start , he said if if wont start then he don't want it at his workshop , because he has to have it running to he can test the noise again , he said it had to go to an auto mac and he told me of one just up the road , so I rang the racq again to tell them to take it there instead , the auto mac found the fault and said it was the timing belt had worn out and jumped two teeth in the gears and it had to go to the mac to be fixed, but how do I get it to the mechanic to fix , so I walked down to him and told him the trouble , he said he can fix it but it would cost over $ 2000.00 + to fix and the market value on that model was about $ 1000.00 , and if I pay him $ 2000 then something goes wrong like the brakes or gear box than it could cost me a lot more and he said it was not worth fixing it , the tow truck then wanted to charge me about $ 200 .00 to bring it back home but I said no I will get it home myself . and the auto elec guy charged me $ 151.00 just for time to find the fault . I then went and hired a car trailer to bring it back home , cost me $ 70.00 for 3 hours to get my car back home , now it is sitting in my yard , and now I just don't know what to do about it . I must add it is still a very well kept car , and still looks too good to throw away . ,, kel ,,[attachment=3792][attachment=3791][attachment=3790]
RIP Toyota Camry.
Gee I wish you were closer in location. $2000 for a timing belt is BS. Just the belt would be around $70, the labour sure would be quite a bit, but not $1900. I'd get a second opinion if I were you. My only concern is if you throw a belt, it can result in bent valves, which means a new head etc. In that instance perhaps the $2k becomes more realistic. I wish you all the best with it as you have enough on your plate at the moment.
That mechanic is a wanker mate
I must add that that did not happen with it uni , the belt is about 1 inch wide when new , but this one had still got about 1/4 inch still working and was a bit loose because it was not as wide as should be ,, the rest had gone to fibre under the cover , I would say that is why it jumped a couple of teeth but not enough to do any damage .
thanks unicorn .
It's like us mate - wearing out in old age
Check changeover prices. Repco, https://www.enginesplus.com.au/ etc
Sorry to hear that Kel,if the car has reasonable K's,less than 200,000,its worth fixing as they are a great model that gave little trouble.
Might be worth getting onto one of the Oz.Toyota Forums and see if one of the guys in your area are prepared to replace it for you,its a easy job just time consuming.
Hi Kel, just a couple of view points,
1/ the commercial value of a 2000 Camry may be not much but to you its worth the dollar value equivalent to what you need to spend to replace it! So spending the money to give the old girl a full engine/transmission big service may not be wasted.
2/ the cam belt is a critical service item and must be replaced at reasonable intervals I used to let my belts go to 60/80,000 km but checked them carefully for any sign of cracking or tooth wear in between. Any sign of fatigue and out it came! Yes I know some belts never get replaced in the life of a motor, but now you know what happens if you skip replacing them.
3/ Basil is right, to just replace the belt is a straightforward day job for a DIY mechanic, you really just unbolt everything in the way (lots of swearing with frozen bolts) like the cooling system/alternator/ pulleys/ covers get in there, clean out the mess, set the crank and cam to the timing marks, slide in a fresh belt, pray the tensioner still works and put every thing back together. Away she goes! Tools required are outlined in a handbook but really you only need the normal stuff and a puller for any pulleys that wont slide off.
4/ If there has been a valve /piston clash Houston we have a problem................................
5/ If you had a DIY Toyota enthusiast near you I would tend to cross my fingers, slide in another belt, and start her up. If it then rattles and misfires badly............................................scrap.
6/ Your local mechanic was bit negative, must be doing so well to not want to help, maybe seen too many broken cam belts!
7/ Oh, shoving another belt in will get it going, but really the whole kit should be used with the seals and tensioner parts and the cog wheels checked carefully for stone damage that may chew a new belt up.........................
Quotethe cam belt is a critical service item and must be replaced at reasonable intervals
Yes, most important. Most manufacturers specify replacement at around 100,000km intervals and, if not done, common for belt to fail not long after.
Do you have service records for the car Kel? if the belt has not been replaced in accordance with manufacturer's specification you might have a case for a claim against the service company.
If it is only just two teeth jump then valve/piston clash is unlikely. But if it is just that it is likely it would still start but run very poorly -I suspect the problem may be more than you were told.
If you want to keep the car for several more years then a reconditioned, changeover motor could be worthwhile. Sure it will be fairly costly but, as Fred said, a lot cheaper than buying another car.
Kel, as Jeff said if the belt is not broken, then further damage is unlikely.
If you need any parts, remember you have a mate in the business (Me),
let me know what you need and I will look after you. :)
a big thanks to you for that offer Steve .
I wont know any more until I go over to Bribie island
on Monday or Tuesday morning where the car is .
the guy over there is going to look at it and let me know if it can be fixed or not .
Quote from: 'keldaw' pid='117311' dateline='1541234753'a big thanks to you for that offer Steve .
I wont know any more until I go over to Bribie island
on Monday or Tuesday morning where the car is .
the guy over there is going to look at it and let me know if it can be fixed or not .
Well, if can be of help, just let me know. :)
Hi Kel, is Camry out of the dead car park and back on the track?
Just want to know how it panned out.
Fred.
Yes Fred , the guy at bribe island got it going again , and with a service all up cost 1870 dollars but now going ok , but dawn has lost a lot of conferdence in it now . .
Hi Kel, that's good news. Look at it this way , for about $2000 you have obtained a second hand Camry, (the most reliable Toyota ever made so long as it is serviced) with a full service, a fresh cam belt and the drivers seat is pre shaped to fit your bum so its a WIN-WIN-WIN situation!!!!
The previous owner was a little old lady who only drove to church on sundays so what could possibly go wrong!!!! (Oh hang on that's my old corolla with my Barbara driving).
So long as you just tootle around in it, (no fast drives to Ayers Rock or Rally stages), it will last forever with the occasional battery/light/service/rego by that guy on Bribe island.
Cheers, Fred.
thanks fred , that's goon news , but it is my wifes car , [ I have a ute .] but I will have to make the seat fit my bum for a while now , my wife ( 73 ) was up the ladder changing curtains yesterday and fell of the ladder , hit her side on the handle bars of her exercise bike on the way down , and now has a bruise on her side as big as a dinner plate , and may have broken ribs . but laid up and wont go to the hospital .
Kel, Dawn should get those injuries checked out just to be sure.
Pedro
I have finally convinced her to go to her drs ,
but we cannot get in to see her till 11.00 am tomorrow morning .
so she is ok with that ,
but for me , I have to do the cooking , washing , cleaning up .
and take every thing over to her while she sits in her lounge chair
watching tv . but no way am I going to make the beds .
the lady comes on Thursday to do that , and clean the floors .
Did you say "Cleaning Woman"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w23oPQdnNH8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w23oPQdnNH8)
Yes uni , we have a lady to come and help us every fornight for 1 hour
I bet you appreciate that Kel .....
btw: No offence intended by the "cleaning woman" scene. It's just from one of my favourite Steve Martin movies "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid".
Get her to the doc Kel even if you have to throw her in the back of the ute!!!! I'm sure shes a tough old chook but its easy to have muscle tears and bone fractures that may need strapping and supporting, an easy thing to do so long as you know. Leave those injurys unchecked and you can have endless trouble and damage that could have been fixed so simply. I'm the same age group and have sworn off ladders. When I was younger I could fall off, bounce, roll, and make it look like I meant it that way. Now I stay on the deck and send up a child!
Fred.
My 2 cents...the cheapest car to run is the one you already own. Regular and programmed maintenance will keep it running for ever. $2K (while it may be a rip off) is good for a new/reconed engine. What are your options - buy another car?? Far too expensive and you get a car not as good as the Camry. Camry are EXCELLENT. We have a 2005 Camry and it will go another 13 plus years.
The mechanic is a scare monger. Embrace the joy of the Camry.
thanks chromos ,
that's what we thought also , he did not want the job ,
we have been buying our fuel off him for years , but no more ,
he has now lost a regular customer for sure ,.
end of my rant , thanks to everyone .
I hope Dawn gets all good news and that there's nothing broken. :heart:
Always good to reach out. I am sure when you got the news it was a little disturbing. But keep the faith - the Capable Camry is a great and faithful car.
We are in the bush and when the mechanic/auto electrician etc said (in 2014) that our 1994 Volvo 960 Estate was unable to be fixed because it was an "exotic" car, that is the time to walk away from these "bush mechanics" and tell them what they are full of....I got the book and the old dear lasted for a few more years until we traded the "Mighty Volvo" in on my current wifes car a 2003 Golf.
You can see the moral of the story - never buy a new car. 1st off you loose 20% just driving off the lot, then you never know what diabolical "deal" the dealer has given you, then the doggy new car servicing that is done my the 12-year old who knows as much as your family dog.
Keep the Camry
Quote from: 'chronos' pid='117706' dateline='1543360744'You can see the moral of the story - never buy a new car. 1st off you loose 20% just driving off the lot, then you never know what diabolical "deal" the dealer has given you, then the doggy new car servicing that is done my the 12-year old who knows as much as your family dog.
Keep the Camry
Yeah,the 'Service' is usually done by apprentices that are straight out of School often know nothing about cars.
I worked for GMAC back in the 1970's and i always remember the Servicing of the HQ & HJ's at a major Sydney Dealer whilst i was doing a Floorplan audit.Basically a Kid in greasy overalls drove the the car onto the hoist dropped the engine oil,lowered hoist and filled oil and then drove it back onto the lot,10,000/20,000 K or whatever Service done.
Another trap is 5/7 year Warranty,make sure you get an agreed Service costs other wise you trapped for the length of the Warranty,this happened to my Niece,getting slugged $500-$700 Service costs every year on a $20,000 car.
Quote from: 'Nevol' pid='117704' dateline='1543357981'I hope Dawn gets all good news and that there's nothing broken. :heart:
thanks Nancy , she had x-rays taken this morning on her hip and ribs ,
so we should get results tomorrow ,
we have the x-rays now at home but we cannot read them ,
and the guy said they fax the results to her doctor , so we will find out in the morning ,
she is so very sore still ,.
and don't forget, no matter what the dealers say, you are not obliged to use them for servicing your new vehicles. You can take them to any service centre you like, as long as they use parts of original quality.
Mate - keep the old girl (Camry) alive.
Too many people live in the throw-away society. The best car is the one you already have....We as said, have a 2005 Camry, 2003 Golf and there is no thoughts of updating....I have teased the wife with the possibility of electrifying the Golf and using our own PV to charge it...fuel in the bush is just.....(not allowed to really express myself)...
Quote from: 'Triggersmob' pid='117715' dateline='1543406532'and don't forget, no matter what the dealers say, you are not obliged to use them for servicing your new vehicles. You can take them to any service centre you like, as long as they use parts of original quality.
That's correct but if anything goes wrong Dealerships make it as hard as possible to get Warranty if its been serviced outside the Dealer network.Hundreds of egs online,VW Gearboxes is one of the later examples.
Dealers are ....
We were advised by the local VW dealer that we needed a new Golf Clutch - it would cost 1,400 plus installation and by there way there are NONE in the country, we will have to get a special order from Singapore and we will have to advise on the shipping. It gets worse.....then the service manager told me we needed more coolant and that it requires a special tool...I told him yes like you.....As we all know you unscrew the coolant cap with the special tool - your hand....
I got the clutch from Melbourne delivered within 2 days to the bush for $495
All I can say liar, liar pants on fire....I spoke to VW Australia - who could not give a rats....