QuestionThanks Brandon for the super-quick reply; I'll get back to you with compression numbers. A garage actually told my wife the car needed the sensors, and he gave her the explanation about the octane, said it would be about $600. (maybe a special price just for her) Where would I locate and what exactly is the hot wire MAF?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...
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Hi;
I'm trying to evaluate my car to see if it's worth repairing: Here's the deal:
It's a 95 E300 and here's the list of issues; It smokes when starting, bluish, white smoke, for about 1 minute. It smells, kind of an oil-burning smell, when running. I have to add oil, about 1 quart every two weeks.
The brakes need repair, probably just pads. It needs, I'm told, 2 sensors that tell the car what kind of gas it's using, it now thinks, because the sensors are gone, that it's running on the cheapest gas, and it stutters and hesitates, especially uphill. Also, one motor mount is gone, so when you gas it quick, it thumps hard.
Biggest question, how long do you think the car has left to live, given that it's burning that amount of oil and smoking?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
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It's really more a question of what all is leaking. Eventually any seal will leak. As far as structural integratiy wise, it'll probably last a million miles if you put up with the car that long & really stay proactive with it.
I would warm the engine up & do a compression, or leak-down test just to make sure there isn't a head gasket problem & that the rings are fine.
The smoke from oil on start-up is generally valve stem seals beginning to leak. The water is most likekly condensation. But do a compression test to make sure the head gasket is sealing & your compression is good.
Loosing oil could be from alot of gaskets, but generally it's the rear valve cover gasket, the front, or rear main oil seal causing it. (Assuming you've not blown your rings out, or completely destroyed a valve-stem seal).
There is no sensor on any engine that tells it what octane fuel it's using. So I can't really help you there unless you can help me with a better description? Normally you can clean the hot-wire MAF with a q-tip soaked in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. The oxygen sensors in any vehicle tend to last about 100,000 miles. You're most likely needing a new pair of main sensors. They're not that expencive. Especially if you are up to buying generic units, cutting the wiring & harness off the old one & soldiering it on the new generic sensor.
It's a 10 year old car. Rubber rots & seals in hydraulics blow. You can get a new front engine mount, and dogbone (lateral) engine mount off ebay for about $60 for a cheap chinese set. They're easy to change. That'll take care of most of it. There is still the rear engine mount (Which has the passanger axle running in the middle of it.), and the transmission mount right beside the driver's wheel well.
I digress. At the moment. Test the compression of each cylinder & tell me the numbers you get from each. Becuase if the oil leaking & smoke is caused by the head gasket. It needs to be taken out of service immediately & replaced, along with all maintenance done.
I digress... 90% of things are just maintenance issues it sounds like. Unless maintenance has been poor enough to cause damage. Just get back intouch with me.
AnswerOh me! The MAF (Mass Air-Flow sensor) is right after the air filter box. The oxygen sensors. There is a main sensor (Sensor 1-1 & 2-1) in each exhaust manifold, and a sub-sensor after the catalytic convertor (1-2) The sub sensor dont' worry about.
Honestly. If you're smart enough not to touch something HOT, and understand the concept of, "lefty=loosy, righty=tighty". You can change the oxygen sensors. You'll just need a special socket & you sorta have to wiggle your arm for the rear exhaust manifold. (Do it with the engine cold so you dont get burned. Only warm it up if they're 100% frozen in. It'll heat up like you put a blow-torch to it).
I'm just guessing they mean the main oxygen sensors, or the MAF sensor. Do you have a check-engine light on? If you do tell me the codes.
That engine calls for 87 octane. 87 won't hurt it at all. Now *some* of them run alittle better the higher the octane you put in it, but that's not because of a mechanical reason so dont' worry about it.
If you join www.toyotanation.com. The 1992 Camry factory service manual is on there.
btw. Being an ES owner also. I'm big on flat out telling people. **** the Lexus dealers. We drive slightly modified, very up-scale Japanese Camry's (Windoms). If you *have* to buy parts (basically anything other than interior, or exterior trim pieces). Just buy v6 Camry parts! If you *have* to go to a dealer... Go to a Toyota dealer! Or any independant mechanic that services Toyota's.
You'll pay 2/3 the labor & sometimes 3-6x less in parts costs.
