Requesting Help (99 camry)

this is my first car, so please forgive my ignorance on the following subject(s).


i have a 99 camry, i bought it with 100,000 miles on it. it was my first vehicle purchase...and i've had it for nearly a year.

recently my engine has been making lots of noise. when i accelerate the engine gets even louder. it sounds like a thick clicking sound. when im stopped...the car rumbles quite a bit as well. with the exception of checking my oil & changing coolant...i dont know a single thing about whats under my hood, so if someone is able to point me in the correct direction towards figuring out and fixing this problem...i ask that they would keep that in mind & be descriptive.

thank you for your time...

Everyone is ignorant about one subject or another. You are far from alone! As for the car - noises are probably the toughest complaint to nail down. I would find a friend or relative who knows something about cars and get their opinion. Short of that find an independent repair shop (not a dealer) and ask them to listen to it and give an opinion. A reputable shop won't charge you. I wouldn't drive it too long like that. It's only going to get worse. Let us know what they say.

I hope it's had routine maintenance in the last year?

Welcome to the AF!

I hope the mechanic you talk to doesn't mention the word "sludge". If sludged, see the first post in the FAQ thread at the top of this forum.

Fill in this form and print out your maintenance recommendations. Follow them:

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/MaintenanceServlet?tid=edmunds.a.landing.feature.. 4.*

Get your oil changed every 3000 miles. Flush your transmission every 30k

It sounds like you may have a hole somewhere in the exhaust. Given the milage and the age of the car, there is a good chance that you have a hole in the flex-pipe coming off the catalytic converter. This is a common problem as the car reaches 6-7 years of age. It's a shame - because the 99 Camry exhust is quite durable - but the flex-pipe is a weak link in the chain. A good mechanic should be able to identify if this is the cause pretty easily.

Anthony

this is my first car, so please forgive my ignorance on the following subject(s).


i have a 99 camry, i bought it with 100,000 miles on it. it was my first vehicle purchase...and i've had it for nearly a year.

recently my engine has been making lots of noise. when i accelerate the engine gets even louder. it sounds like a thick clicking sound. when im stopped...the car rumbles quite a bit as well. with the exception of checking my oil & changing coolant...i dont know a single thing about whats under my hood, so if someone is able to point me in the correct direction towards figuring out and fixing this problem...i ask that they would keep that in mind & be descriptive.

thank you for your time...

The clicking sound is likely coming from the tappets (aka, valve lash adjustment). As the other guys have already suggested, anyone who is knowledgeable about engines enough should be able to recognize this noise. The rumbling noise at idle is likely a result of an exhaust leak, as somebody else already had pointed out.

If these are indeed the sources of the noise, it shouldn't be too hard to fix (for a reputable shop, that is). If your Camry has the V6, it's going to cost a little bit more because of the stuff they have to remove to gain access to the tappets. It's a good idea to have this repaired soon because a loose tappet adjustment can accelerate wear on the tappets. The exhaust leak on the other hand, is not much of a major concern as this does not cause any more damage elsewhere.

it turns out my problem happens to be the water pump...

i have to take off the flywheel in order to get to it. but the damned thing is stuck...i bought a manual but it doesnt say whether or not the flywheel has reverse or forward threads. would anyone here happen to know which my model has, before i break it and open up that can of worms?

You have to take off the flywheel to get at the water pump???

Are you using the right words? Please explain again. You must not be talking about the flywheel. The flywheel is at the other end of the engine and is between the engine and the transmission. Perhaps you are talking about the crank pulley. If so, it has standard threads.

How do you know you have a problem with the water pump?