Repair 7

Finding a Toyota thermostat depends on the year and the engine motor you are dealing with. However, there are a few standard guidelines to follow when locating and servicing the thermostat.

Follow the Flow

Follow the upper radiator hose from the top of the radiator. Where the hose ends and clamps on is called the thermostat housing. This housing will be either on the intake manifold or the engine block.

Housing Removal

Sometimes in newer Toyotas this housing in under a plastic engine cover. This cover is easily removed, as it is held on by either a couple of bolts or a couple plastic clips. Once removed, the thermostat housing will be visible. Remove the radiator cap and unclamp the upper hose from the thermostat housing. This housing is held in place by two or three bolts.

The Thermostat

Once the housing is removed, the thermostat will be revealed. It should pull out easily at this point. Thermostats have either a rubber O-ring or a fiber gasket to keep the housing from leaking. Be sure to replace this gasket if the thermostat if replacing the device.

Catalytic converters, important to your vehicles emissions, clean exhaust before it enters the atmosphere. A bad catalytic converter can turn on your "Check Engine" light and lead to ensuing engine problems and power loss in your Camry.

Late-Model Camrys

Camrys made after the year 2000 will likely have two catalytic converters whether they have a four- or six-cylinder engine. Typically, the front converter is much less expensive to replace. Earlier-model Camrys from the 1990s and before may have only one converter, depending on the model.

California Camrys

Califonria has particularly strict emission laws. Camrys sold and driven in California will definitely have two converters.

Further Considerations

If still unsure about how many catalytic converters your Camry has, a mechanic can look under the car and quickly tell you. If your "Check Engine" light has turned on, have a mechanic plug the car into a diagnostic machine to determine which, if either, converter has begun to fail and diagnose the underlying engine problem.

Replacing the spark plug wires with a new set of high-quality wires on your Toyota Camry can improve the performance and allow the engine to run smoother. New plug wires can increase the fuel economy of the car as well. Regular inspection of the wires for cracks, nicks, tears or burns is the best way to know when the wires need to replaced. Spark plug wire sets are available from Toyota dealers and most auto parts stores.

Instructions

1

Open the hood of your Camry and locate the negative cable on the battery terminal. Remove the retaining bolt from the battery cable end with a wrench. Lift the cable off the battery. Set it aside, making sure it cannot fall back against the terminals while you are working.

2

Locate the spark plug wires on the top of the engine. The wires run from the ignition coil or coil packs to the spark plugs. There are four on the 2.2-liter engine and six on the 3.0-liter engine.

3

Pick one wire. Remove the wire from the coil by pulling the wire off the terminal. Follow the wire to the spark plug. Grasp the wire by the boot on the spark plug end and pull it off the spark plug.

4

Lay the spark plug wire out straight and find the matching wire from the new spark plug wire kit. Place a small amount of dielectric grease in each end of the wire. Install the new wire on the coil and the spark plug. Push the wire onto the terminal and the plug until it snaps in place.

5

Move to the next wire and repeat the process. Continue replacing plug wires until all of them are new. Do not remove more than one wire at a time. Doing so could affect the firing order, in which case the engine will not run correctly.

6

Reattach the negative cable on the negative battery terminal. Tighten the retaining bolt with a wrench. Close the hood and discard the old wires.

You can stop the seat belt alarm from chiming on your 07 Toyota Camry right from your home garage, saving yourself a trip to the mechanic. You can find the instructions on how to do this right in the Camrys owners manual. The alarm is there to remind you to fasten your safety belt every time you drive the vehicle, but many people find it highly annoying. Just remember to fasten your seat belt before you drive anywhere because it is the law in most states.

Instructions

1

Put the key into the ignition and turn it "on" but dont start the engine.

2

Press the odometer knob in the instrument panel until it says "ODO." Turn off the ignition.

3

Turn the ignition on again and pull the odometer knob for 15 seconds. While still holding the knob, put your seat belt on.

4

Release the knob. The instrument panel should now read "B off."

In 2001, Toyota Camrys were manufactured with multiple engine options. In base form, the Camry came equipped with the 2.2-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine which offered buyers excellent fuel economy at a reasonable price. In upgraded form, the Camry came equipped with a more powerful 3.0-liter DOHC V6 that provided more power with slightly increased price tag. The camshafts in each engine are monitored by a camshaft position sensor that records the position of the camshafts in relation to the crankshaft. The positional information is used by the PCM to alter ignition timing and ensure that the engine runs smoothly. A faulty camshaft sensor can cause symptoms such as stalling, sputtering, and lack of power. Checking the resistance on camshaft sensor terminals and comparing that to a specified value is the proper way to determine the whether the camshaft sensor is operating properly.

Instructions

2.2-Liter Engine

1

Open the hood and locate the camshaft position sensor. It is bolted to the lower-right side of the valve cover assembly, on the front side of the engine block. Its a small black sensor with a two-wire connector attached to it.

2

Disconnect the sensors electrical connector by depressing the locking tab on the connector and pulling it away from the sensor.

3

Measure the resistance across the camshaft sensors pin terminals with a digital multimeter.

4

Compare the resistance value on the digital multimeter to the specified value. The specified resistance value for the 2.2-liter engine is 835 to 1,400 Ohms when cold and 1,060 to 1645 Ohms when hot. If the sensors resistance value is outside these parameters then the sensor must be replaced.

3.0-Liter Engine

5

Open the hood and locate both camshaft position sensors; in the V6 engine there are twoone in each cylinder head. The sensor itself is located on the back rear corner of each cylinder head. It is black, just like the sensor for the 2.2-liter engine and has the same two-wire connector attached to it.

6

Disconnect the electrical connectors on each sensor by depressing the locking tab and pulling the sensor connector off of the sensors connector flange.

7

Measure the resistance across each sensors two pin terminals and record that value on a piece of paper.

8

Compare the resistance value against the specified values for the sensors. If the sensor is made by DENSO, the resistance should fall between 835 to 1,400 Ohms when cold and 1,060 to 1645 Ohms when hot. If the sensor is made by Wabash, the resistance should fall between 1,690 to 2,560 Ohms when cold and 2,145 to 3,010 Ohms when hot. The sensor should have a stamping mark on the inside of the plastic connecting flange indicating which company manufactured it. If the sensor falls outside of these specified values then it is faulty.

A good way to handle problems with your Camry exhaust system is to tackle the culprit. Exhaust system difficulties could develop from several causes, so inspect devices from the engine to the tailpipe. Troubleshoot the exhaust system in a Toyota Camry by recognizing warning signs from exhaust system components. Work with a mechanic on the steps below that relate to most model years.

Instructions

1

Check the exhaust manifold and cylinder head. Leaks usually occur where these devices connect because of heat expansion and contraction. Shear stress affects the exhaust manifold gasket every time you crank up your Camry, drive it or turn it off. Leaks can result as time passes.

2

Listen for hissing or popping sounds occurring intermittently when the engine runs. See if you spot paint discolorations or burns around the exhaust ports on the cylinder head. Make certain to inspect your spark plug wires and boots for burns.

3

Inspect the area that joins the head pipe and exhaust manifold. The back-and-forth motion of your engine caused by drive torque leads to movement at the joint where the head pipe and exhaust manifold meet. Look for discoloration from hot gases that escaped this area. This pertains to the 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines.

4

See if the exhaust pipes suffer wear. Take large pliers and put pressure on the pipes. Replace all pipes that break, tear or give way to pressure. Keep the engine on while you test the system because leaks and other problems are more obvious with a live engine.

5

Determine if sounds come from exhaust areas around your muffler. Buzzing sounds that increase with acceleration for example, are a sign of exhaust system problems. A whistle or high-pitched hissing noise in the tailpipe could come from system restrictions. Ask a mechanic to read your engine intake manifold vacuum. Low readings indicate blockage.

The Toyota Camry is a series of compact and mid-size cars in production since 1982. The 1987 model is a second generation Camry, which typically has a four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine. This engine uses a timing belt to synchronize the rotations of the camshaft and crankshaft. The timing belt on a 1987 Toyota Camry has a limited lifetime and should last at least 60,000 miles before needing replacement.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the covers for the timing belt with a socket wrench and discard their gaskets. Remove the thru-bolt and the mounting insulator on the right side of the engine. Disconnect the retaining bolts for the right engine-mounting bracket and remove the bracket.

2

Remove the timing belt guide and timing belt with a socket wrench. Disconnect the retaining bolts for the No. 1 and No. 2 idler pulleys and remove the pulleys. Detach the timing pulley for the crankshaft, using a pair of pry tools if necessary. Disconnect the retaining nut for the oil pump pulley and remove the oil pump pulley.

3

Slide the oil pump pulley onto its shaft and tighten the retaining nut to 21 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench. Align the set key on the crankshaft-timing pulley with the corresponding groove on the pulley shaft, and slide the pulley onto the shaft. Tighten the retaining bolt to 80 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench.

4

Connect the No. 2 idler pulley and tighten its retaining bolt to 31 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench. Install the No. 1 idler pulley, loosely fasten its retaining bolt and connect the tension spring. Pull the No. 1 idler pulley as far to the left as it will go and tighten its mounting bolt with a socket wrench to hold it in place temporarily.

5

Turn the crankshaft clockwise until the key groove on the crankshaft-timing pulley faces up. Place the new timing belt onto the crankshaft-timing pulley, oil pump pulley, No. 2 idler pulley and water pump pulley.

6

Turn the crankshaft pulley two complete turns clockwise until the key groove on the crankshaft-timing pulley faces up once again. Adjust the No. 1 timing pulley as needed to keep it aligned with its timing mark. Tighten the No. 1 idler pulley to 31 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench.

7

Install the bracket for the right engine mount. Tighten the bracket bolts to 38 ft. lbs. and tighten the thru-bolt to 52 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench. Connect the insulator for the right engine mount and tighten the insulator nuts to 38 ft. lbs. Install the timing belt cover with new gaskets and tighten its mounting bolts with a socket wrench.