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Old June 25th 05, 11:06 PM
Ray O
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> wrote in message
m...
>
> "Ray O" > wrote in message
> ervers.com...
>>
>> "Steve B." > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On Sat, 25 Jun 2005 04:12:28 GMT, Ajanta > wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >>How should I approach the maintenance of this car? What should be
>> >>done and when?
>> >
>> > Look in your owners manual and follow the severe service maintenance
>> > schedule. If there are things you are behind on or don't know to have
>> > been completed then go ahead and catch them up.

>>
>> Great advice!
>>
>> >>
>> >>Secondly, where should such work be done? I am so happy to be able tp
>> >>plan that, instead of being limited by who is near and who is open
>> >>during a holiday weekend!
>> >>
>> >>Are big national chains like Sears, Pep Boys, WalMart etc any good?
>> >>CarX, Midas, Firestone? (Recommendations for places local to Chicago
>> >>are also welcome.)
>> >
>> > I avoid the above mentioned places at all costs. Some of them can be
>> > good but most are not and you never know which kind you are getting.
>> > Ask friends and co-workers for reccomendations on an independant shop
>> > that is reliable and in your area.
>> >>

>>
>> Also great advice!
>>
>> >>I stopped at a local garage in an area where I had to kill time today.
>> >>He suggested (1) changing belts (incl timing) and (2) getting a
>> >>tune-up, even if nothing seems wrong. Is that good advice?
>> >>
>> >>He was unsure about water pump: it would be $80 if done with timing
>> >>belt but a lot more if it had to be done on its own, but nothing is
>> >>wrong and it could possibly last.
>> >
>> > The fact that he was unsure about the water pump is a little troubling
>> > to me. Replacing the water pump with the timing belt on these cars is
>> > a very good idea as you have to remove it to get to the belt anyway
>> > and when it fails in the future (not if) it can take out the brand new
>> > belt. Gates web site shows your belt needing to be changed at 90k
>> > miles.
>> >
>> > When a timing belt breaks on your engine the valves can hit the
>> > pistons. When this happens either the valves or the piston breaks....
>> > either way it will cost you a small fortune so don't mess around with
>> > it. Check out
>> > http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?br...cation_id=3487
>> > for a pretty good explanation and a couple of illustrations that show
>> > what happens.
>> >

>>
>> On a Camry, the valves will not hit the pistons if the timing belt breaks
>> but the car will leave you stranded.
>>
>> I recommend changing the timing belt at 90,000 miles and if you can
>> afford

> a
>> little extra to change thw wter pump as a prevantative measure, then I'd

> do
>> it when the timing belt is changed because much of the work to change a
>> water pump is removing the timing belt.
>>
>> Although changing a timing belt is not that difficult, Toyota dealers
>> have
>> it down to a science and often have sales on timing belt replacements. I
>> recommend that you have the timing belt changed by a dealer.

>
> The Gates book shows the V6 to be interference, I believe, while the L4 is
> not, if I read it correctly.


I stand corrected! By the way, a timing belt that is getting ready to fail
will start to make a slapping noise so they generally give warning before
they fail. If you change it every 90,000 miles, then no worries.
>
> I would pick my mechanical service carefully.


I agree - see my earlier responses.

Some dealerships are crappy,
> others may be pretty good. A blanket recommendation to take your car to a
> dealership garage is not the best advice,
> in my opinion.
>


Dealerships must meet special service tool, training, equipment, and
facility requirements. They also receive a full set of factory service
manuals and new special service tools every year as well as receive every
technical service bulletin as soon as they are issued. Dealership service
departments are rated by consumers and regularly receive customer
satisfaction scores.

Independent service facilities generally do not have every special service
tool for Toyotas, do not have factory service manuals, do not have factory
trained technicians, and do not receive service bulletins as quickly as
dealers do. In fact, many do not receive service bulletins unless they do a
specific search for one.

I have no problem with most independents for simple work like oil changes,
brakes, suspension, etc. but beyond that, their knowledge and experience
tends to be generic where Toyota technicians have more specific knowledge
and experience. My recommendation was not a blanket one to take the car to
a dealership; it was for a timing belt replacement.
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply


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