Help, 95 Camry Timing Belt Changed, Now Steering Wheel Vibration, Other Problems

[ann kansas city]

Help! Sept. 26, 2007

4 weeks ago, my car suddenly died after a local garden center threw 4 bags of heavy mulch into my 1995 Toyota Camry, 4 cyclinger (135,000 miles on it.) No kidding--when I put key into ignition--nothing, no sound. Dead as a doornail. Garden center helped jump car 4 times--would run briefly, then die.

Towed car to local toyota dealer, they said timing belt was frayed--that was problem: Dealer installed new timing belt and water pump.

New Problems Arise: After this timing belt installation the steering wheel vibrates when brakes are applied and I am in gear. The vibration grows worse if I am stopped for a train, etc. vibration grows worse as I wait and will ease up if I put car in park. Also, have a host of other problems that just started with this timing belt change:

1. Car struggles for proper acceleration going up a hill--does not run smoothly like it use to. I can actual hear my engine--sounds like little plopping noises.

2. There are new noises which are quite alarming coming from the car:
if I hit any little bump I hear big rattles that sound like they are coming from the passenger side, underneath middle of car (?). Hard to pinpoint--but there are no sounds when I am on smooth road--sounds
arise when I am driving waving or bumpy roads. This never use to be the case before timing belt change!

Took car back to dealer a week or so later, then said I had cracked front engine mount. They replaced the one cracked mount plus dogbone. Still having same problems, nothing has changed--wheel vibration, noise, acceleration problems still continues. Again, none of these problems were here with this car until the timing belt was changed.

I went into a library database of car info and found a service bulletin for my car (TSB Tecnical Service Bulletin EG001-99, January 29, 1999) that says a new tension spring (redesigned for my engine model) MUST be installed when timing belt is replaced. Dealer mechanic said he did not do this--as it doesn't matter. Toyota Service Center, which I called, said they stand by their bulletin. Could this be part of the problem? If the proper tension spring was not installed could all these problems be a result? Bulletin says:

For all 92-96 Camry 5S-FE, Revised Timing Belt Tension Spring:
"The service replacement Timiong Belt for the 5S-FE Engine has been revised. To insure that this belt fits properly, the Timing Belt and Timing Belt Tensioner Spring must be replaced as a set."

Again, this was not done.

I used to love to drive my 95 Camry and now I can't stand driving it--and the dealership seems to want to ignore these new problems. The mechanic that did the work is a young man--but everyone at the dealership says he does good work. However, this dealership also told my husband he needed a new engine for his 89 Toyota Camry when it started sounding terrible--whereas a second mechanic fixed the problem my installing a new muffler!

I would be grateful if anyone can shed some light on my problems. I am slowly going insane!

Thanks, Ann in Kansas City

[RIP]

Originally Posted by ann kansas city

However, this dealership also told my husband he needed a new engine for his 89 Toyota Camry when it started sounding terrible--whereas a second mechanic fixed the problem my installing a new muffler!

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Knowing this, why oh why did you go back to this dealership?

If the mechanic who changed the timing belt without changing the tension spring worked for a Toyota dealership, that mechanic is obligated to follow the TSB unless it has been superceeded by another telling him otherwise. Doing anything else violates Toyota policy. Though I would cringe at the thought, you need to go back to this "dealership" and stand on someone's desk until you are taken care of. If they don't help insist on an seeing an area rep. Next would be Toyota corporate. Next would be your State Attorney Generals Office or State Division for Consumer Affairs. Then there is always the BBB and Angieslist.

Sounds like when they installed the belt, it was installed a tooth or two off and this has thrown the engines timing out to lunch. Could have been there wasn't enough tension supplied by the old tension spring, the belt got loose, slipped, and threw the timing off. They need to tear it down again and check the installation and timing. This is exactly why Toyota insists on changing the tension spring with the belt. SO PEOPLE DON"T COME BACK WITH TIMING PROBLEMS AFTER A BELT CHANGE.

Another possibility is when they troubleshot it the first time, they disconnected the spark plug wires and reinstalled them on the wrong spark plugs. Has the same effect as a misaligned timing belt. The engine shakes and you have lousy acceleration.

OBTW - Are you seeing a check engine light?

Another OBTW - You're not really blaming the garden shop for the first event are you? Oh and if you turned the key and absolutely nothing happened, not even a click or a just a click, the timing belt has absolutely NOTHING to do with it. NOTHING!!! It would be like changing a lightbulb if the power went out in your house.