Toyota Repair: #1 Cyl and Repair Manual Recommendation, chilton manuals, engine sensors

Question
Hi Ted,

I have two questions about my 1995 Camry 4 cyl whose VIN starts with the letter J.

First, is the number one cylinder on my engine the cylinder that is closest to the passenger side of the motor (timing belt side) or the driver’s side of the motor (where the distributor is located)? I have looked at several repair guides but they do not agree on which cylinder is the number 1 cylinder!

Second, in reading your question library I have seen you suggest having a good repair manual handy. What repair manual do you recommend for my Camry?

I have purchased a few Chilton Import auto reference books and purchased AutoZone’s online repair manual and also have used Power Library. The Chilton manuals I have don't cover testing and replacing many of the engine sensors. AutoZone covers many of the sensors, but misses a key step or two in the testing and repair process.

Hayes is a name I have seen folks mention online, but I am unfamiliar with that book. I appreciate your input on recommending Hayes or other repair manuals.

Thanks for you suggestions!

Sincerely,

Mike

Answer
The number one cylinder is at the front of the engine behind the timing belt(passenger side), as far as repair manuals you can't do any better than the factory manual, the same we use, it's available from the toyota parts department,they are extremely accurate and thorough but they are also expensive, the Haynes manuals seem to be the second best choice but I hear that sometimes they are inaccurate in certain cases, not too many but sometimes, this is what I'm getting from feedback from people like yourself.