Moving from PA to WI - need input on buying a car

[Jawadali]

Hi Guys,

Just an update: It looks like I will be going with the Camry (paperwork pending). hopefully we will pick it up on Tuesday.

The previous owner seemed to take pretty good care of it, at least in regards to regular maintenance and service records. It has one small dent/gash on the front, and the engine bay could sure use a cleaning (especially the battery/terminals). It has had the 60k mile service done, but that was ~3 years ago IIRC. Since then, it seems this car has spent a lot of time just sitting, with an occasional trip taken every 1-2 months.


Any suggestions on maintenance to do before the big road trip?


I'll definitely go for an oil change, but suggestions for any other things to get checked (either personally or professionally) would be appreciated.


Also, any particular recommendations on batteries? Is there a minimum CCA rating I should be looking for or anything?

I was thinking to go with the Autocraft Silver 24F 585 CCA battery from Advance Auto Parts (should be about $65 after coupons/exchange, with free installation), but if it's worth upgrading to something else, I am all ears.


When I actually get the car, I will probably post back with more details.

Thanks once again to everyone for their input,

Jawadali

 

[JCH13]

I'd take it for a good test drive before the road trip, and pay the $50-$100 to have a good mechanic do an inspection.

 

[jlee]

When you buy your battery, buy it from a retailer that has a storefront near where you're moving so if you have to warranty it at some point, you aren't SOL.

 

[exar333]

When you buy your battery, buy it from a retailer that has a storefront near where you're moving so if you have to warranty it at some point, you aren't SOL.

Good advice. Advance autos have all closed around me, so I would be cautious in my area of getting something that may need replacement down the road.

I like Sears, to be honest. They have decent sales and their battery service has been very good. I had a battery go bad before, and they were very quick to test and replace it.

 

[Jawadali]

Thanks for the input. I just got home with the car, and will start poking around under the hood tomorrow during daylight.

Great point about making sure there is a local store. There is an Advance Auto store about 17 miles away from the ZIP I will be working at, and I'm sure there are also Sears and Wal-Mart stores.

I was at Wal-Mart today, and their EverStart MAXX batteries seem like a decent deal at $80 (3-year warranty, 750CCA, made by Johnson Controls). I will probably check out Sears in the next Day or so.

I hope to have a family friend, who is a mechanic, take a quick look at it tomorrow to advise us on any other recommended service (or for further inspection).

 

[Jawadali]

Hi Guys,

I apologize in advance for the long post. I have spent the past couple days reading at ToyotaNation Forums, and am copying much of this from my post over there.

My mechanic friend was busy today, so he will hopefully look at it tomorrow.

The car needs an oil change anyway, so next week, I am planning to head to the dealer and pay go for an "upgraded" one with a more detailed inspection while I'm at it. I know the dealerships typically charge more, but I think its worth it this time around.

The car seems to have been maintained pretty well by the original owner, but seems to have been sitting outside unused for weeks or even months at a time in the past ~3-4 years. For reference, the 60,000 mile service was done in 2005, and the most recent oil change was at 69k miles in May of 2010. Oil changes were done every ~3,000 miles, but the time gap between them has increased in the later years.

Below are a few particular issues I wanted to address before my trip:

1) Cleaning and Rust

Many of the components (bolts, connectors, etc.) under the hood have rust buildup ranging from light to severe. The engine itself seems to be in good shape, but could definitely use a cleaning. Any recommendations on how to (safely) do some general cleaning under the hood, especially for rusted components?


2) Battery and Battery Cables

The clamps on the battery cables are rusted pretty well, and there is heavy sediment buildup on the terminals. As stated, I am thinking to replace the battery in anticipation for winter in Wisconsin. Any recommendations on cleaning or replacing the battery cables/clamps? If I need to replace them, is this something that I can do myself?

3) ***Cooling System - Empty Coolant Reservoir with Blue crystalline deposits, Brown fluid in Radiator.

While poking under the hood today, I noticed that the coolant reservoir was under the recommended fill mark. When I went to open it, it turns out that the reservoir is stained brownish at that level, and that there were only a couple of brownish drops in the reservoir, along with a bluish-white powder. This was a major concern for me, even though we did not encounter any issues with a 1-hour highway drive yesterday. After doing some more reading, I opened the radiator cap, and noticed that it was full, although the liquid was brown instead of "Toyota" Red. I believe the cooling system was flushed, or at least inspected, during the 60k mile service, but that was 5 years ago. The fluids were supposedly inspected in May 2010, during the last oil change.

I guess a full coolant flush/service is in order, but are there any specifics on what to ask for when requesting service (i.e. leak testing), or how much this should cost? I hope the empty reservoir was just due to sitting/evaporation and not a leak. Also, any input regarding the blue crystals or brown fluid would be appreciated.


4) Spark Plugs and Wires

According to the receipt, these did NOT seem to have been replaced during the 60k mile service in 2005. With the coupons at Advance Auto Parts, it looks like I can pick up a set of NGK wires plus Iridium IX plugs for around $50 out the door. I used the NGK Iridium IX plugs before when replacing them in our 2000 Echo, and I have heard good things about them (They also seem to cost about as much as the recommended platinum plugs from NGK or Denso). I can probably do this myself. Is it worth it to replace these?



Once again, I apologize for the long post, and any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[EagleKeeper]

Hi Guys,

I apologize in advance for the long post. I have spent the past couple days reading at ToyotaNation Forums, and am copying much of this from my post over there.

My mechanic friend was busy today, so he will hopefully look at it tomorrow.

The car needs an oil change anyway, so next week, I am planning to head to the dealer and pay go for an "upgraded" one with a more detailed inspection while I'm at it. I know the dealerships typically charge more, but I think its worth it this time around.

The car seems to have been maintained pretty well by the original owner, but seems to have been sitting outside unused for weeks or even months at a time in the past ~3-4 years. For reference, the 60,000 mile service was done in 2005, and the most recent oil change was at 69k miles in May of 2010. Oil changes were done every ~3,000 miles, but the time gap between them has increased in the later years.

Below are a few particular issues I wanted to address before my trip:

1) Cleaning and Rust

Many of the components (bolts, connectors, etc.) under the hood have rust buildup ranging from light to severe. The engine itself seems to be in good shape, but could definitely use a cleaning. Any recommendations on how to (safely) do some general cleaning under the hood, especially for rusted components?


2) Battery and Battery Cables

The clamps on the battery cables are rusted pretty well, and there is heavy sediment buildup on the terminals. As stated, I am thinking to replace the battery in anticipation for winter in Wisconsin. Any recommendations on cleaning or replacing the battery cables/clamps? If I need to replace them, is this something that I can do myself?

3) ***Cooling System - Empty Coolant Reservoir with Blue crystalline deposits, Brown fluid in Radiator.

While poking under the hood today, I noticed that the coolant reservoir was under the recommended fill mark. When I went to open it, it turns out that the reservoir is stained brownish at that level, and that there were only a couple of brownish drops in the reservoir, along with a bluish-white powder. This was a major concern for me, even though we did not encounter any issues with a 1-hour highway drive yesterday. After doing some more reading, I opened the radiator cap, and noticed that it was full, although the liquid was brown instead of "Toyota" Red. I believe the cooling system was flushed, or at least inspected, during the 60k mile service, but that was 5 years ago. The fluids were supposedly inspected in May 2010, during the last oil change.

I guess a full coolant flush/service is in order, but are there any specifics on what to ask for when requesting service (i.e. leak testing), or how much this should cost? I hope the empty reservoir was just due to sitting/evaporation and not a leak. Also, any input regarding the blue crystals or brown fluid would be appreciated.


4) Spark Plugs and Wires

According to the receipt, these did NOT seem to have been replaced during the 60k mile service in 2005. With the coupons at Advance Auto Parts, it looks like I can pick up a set of NGK wires plus Iridium IX plugs for around $50 out the door. I used the NGK Iridium IX plugs before when replacing them in our 2000 Echo, and I have heard good things about them (They also seem to cost about as much as the recommended platinum plugs from NGK or Denso). I can probably do this myself. Is it worth it to replace these?



Once again, I apologize for the long post, and any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

#2 - go to any auto supply store and get battery cables. DO not get the cheapest if they have a better pair. Wire gauge and the look of quality for connectors at each end.

It is a 10 minute job for each connector to replace unless the non-battery connections are rusted on.

IF you were to get a battery and cables from Sears; they should do the installation at no additional charge. You do not need their top of the line battery, the next level will do fine. I put one from that level into a Jeep and have had no problems.

#3 Go to a place that will do a cooling system flush and pressure test. You may wish to replace at least the radiator hoses. Est $25 per hose and clamps.
If you do it yourself, once coolant is drained, replace the hoses.
Heater hoses are the same. Less expensive and should be easy to replace if you can get to the attachment points. IF difficult; you will not damage anything by doing it yourself other than knuckles badly. Let a pro do it, your hands will appreciate it.

You may wish to add a flush cleaner prior to the actual flush; It helps strip out some fo the built up rust that you are seeing.

#4 Wires are cheap - get good quality ones. As for plugs - beyond my bailiwick- I usually reply on the AutoParts store recommendation. An extra $10-$20 does not phase me if it is quality.

 

[Jawadali]

EagleKeeper, thanks for the advice, especially regarding the coolant. My friend wasn't able to come today either, but should hopefully be able to come by on Sunday. Aside from the coolant job, he suggested that the transmission fluid be examined too (especially if its dark).

Battery - I hope to get the battery tested at Autozone tomorrow, (free service), and see what they recommend as far as the connectors. I did clean the terminals with baking soda + water today, and then applied a bit of Liquid Wrench type stuff to the connector nuts. As for the actual purchase, I will probably go to Sears or Advance Auto Parts. I will be buying the spark plugs and wires from Advance Auto anyway, so it may be easier to get everything at once.

Spark Plug Wires - The NGK wires seem to be of good quality and recommended by other camry owners, and I prefer using the same manufacturer for the plugs and wires. I checked my current wires today, and they say "Sumitomo 1997" on them, so I bet they have never been replaced.

Coolant - I stopped by a smaller auto parts store today to check out degreasers, and I recognized the attendant from school. He recommended a shop for the coolant flush, so I will get in touch with them to get a quote. I will also get in touch with the dealership just to compare. Since the coolant has been sitting for a long time, I'd like to have it professionally done at least this time, and may consider DIY down the road. I will be sure to inquire about replacing the hoses, using a flush cleaner, and using OEM "Toyota Red" coolant when I get the quotes.

I will probably detach, clean out, and re-mount the coolant reservoir before sending it in anyway.


Thanks once again,

Jawadali

 

[Jawadali]

Hi Guys,

Another update:

I had the coolant flushed today, at the shop that was recommended to me by the parts store attendant. Using Toyota coolant was a couple bucks more, so I went with it (although it was the newer "Super Long Life" pink one instead of the red one). They replaced some clamps, but they said the hoses looked and felt good.

Before the flush, they did a "courtesy check" 36-point inspection, which included checking underneath the car. They said although there was rust (which is to be expected), it was only surface rust at this point, and was nothing critical. They let me hang around and watch while everything was being checked.

The only other service suggestion they had was an oil change. I had scheduled one at the dealer for next Monday, but these guys seemed to be honest and do a good job, so I just had it done right there. They used an OEM Toyota filter, which was good, and their oil change included a tire rotation.

They said the battery tested out fine, so I may wait to replace it till after the move. They also said that the spark plugs probably didn't need to be replaced immediately as well (since I wasn't having issues), so I may wait on those too.

Other than that, they mentioned the brakes are in good shape, and the front brake pads are like-new. Also, the transmission fluid looks like-new too.

Overall, I was happy with the service. Not only was it a good value (compared to what the dealer quoted me), but it did a lot to alleviate my qualms about the vehicle.

I will probably be looking to get snow tires/wheels in the next couple months. I may make a new thread on that when the time comes, especially since it'll most likely involve changing wheel sizes from 14" to 15".

Thanks once again to everyone who provided their input.

 

[JCH13]

I always like it when they let you watch, then you know they're a decent shop IMHO. Good deal :thumbsup: