I am my own grandpa [image heavy] - 2004 Toyota Camry LE 2.4 auto - Page 2 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Xist · 04-24-2021, 04:16 PM

I don't have any reason to believe the mechanic tested my radiator. I think it is absurd he said that I needed to replace it and flush the system without actually testing it.

JSH · 04-24-2021, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xist

I don't have any reason to believe the mechanic tested my radiator. I think it is absurd he said that I needed to replace it and flush the system without actually testing it.

There is nothing in Post #2 that indicates any of that list is from an actual mechanic. You do list 3 - 4 of what I image are youtube channels.

Anyway - congrats on the car, hopefully it serves you well.

Xist · 04-24-2021, 06:07 PM

The mechanic said:

The timing cover is leaking.
The radiator is leaking.
The power steering pump is leaking.
The struts are leaking.

I just added all of the information that I could for each repair.

Thank you! I hope this car is reliable for many years! I just never wanted a car this big, and it seems that when I drive the speed limit and time lights I get 26 MPG.

That is underwhelming.

I haven't calculated the average amount that I have spent repairing my Accord recently, but I believe that it was last around $30 monthly. That isn't much, but Mom's car has required far fewer repairs. If I spend half as much on repairs that would fund 60 gallons at today's prices, 1,560 miles at 26 MPG.

It has a timing chain, too, so that may eventually save me some money.

Xist · 04-25-2021, 04:02 PM

As I have mentioned before, we always say that our grill opening is designed to support driving uphill in Death Valley in the summer.

Nobody mentions air conditioning!

How many times have you seen signs on hills telling you to turn off the air conditioning?

I didn't take pictures of my car until I could run to Dollar Tree. I just wanted a roll of the world's-cheapest duct tape. I felt confident that it would come off far easier than Gorilla Tape. I planned on taking pictures with a grill block, remove the tape, and never try it again.

They didn't have duct tape, so I used painter's tape, and I used most of the roll, which was much longer than the duct tape would have been, so I spent $1 being silly instead of a couple of dollars.

However, I kept forgetting to remove it before I drove.

I thought Gramps ran warmer than other cars that I have had and then I climbed the hill before the canyon south of Payson.

Gramps was getting too hot!

When I got to the bottom of the canyon I slowed from 65 to 55 and soon needed to turn on the heater. I needed to slow down to 45 again. I kept missing places to pull over because I was looking at my temperature gauge.

I got to the top without overheating Gramps and drove 55 until it leveled out. The engine still seemed too warm when I was close enough to Phoenix for it to be 85° at night and I felt that I had cooled down my engine with my face for too long, so I turned off the heater until I approached the dump, when I turned off everything.

I stopped at the first Dollar Tree to buy some L.A.'s Totally Awesome Cleaner, which didn't seem to do anything to my Accord, but at this point I don't care if I remove paint, that Gorilla Tape is coming off!

I removed the top grill block from Gramps. We will see if that is adequate, but I am positive that it won't be once it gets warmer.

JSH · 04-26-2021, 12:45 PM

I was curious about the full grill block.

I've only experimented with grill blocks on a 2nd gen Prius. I found I could block 1/2 the lower grill all year. (Was living in Alabama at the time)

I've thought about experimenting with the Astro van. It has a huge grill opening and I don't do any towing with it. I'm thinking of putting some cardboard between the grill and radiator.

Piotrsko · 04-27-2021, 11:41 AM

On the astro you'll be blocking the AC condensor also. Shouldn't be all radiator so I surmise that you can block the grill that doesn't cover the radiator but I won't predict how that will help CD.

Xist · 04-30-2021, 07:07 PM

First of all, the seller insisted on going to a third-party MVD, which was supposed to hand me a permanent plate, but they gave me a temporary one, which had a handy perforation at the bottom, with the registration down there. My girlfriend followed me to Payson and I noticed that there was a perforation in the middle, which was starting to tear. A clear plastic cover looked perfect, but there was a big legal disclaimer.

Clear license plate covers are prohibited in Arizona.

I bought a frame, but it still blew away!

I wanted to drive down to see my girlfriend this evening or tomorrow morning, but I need a plate!

Some random Internet denizen said "Just use one from your Accord!"

What kind of criminal would do that?!

Wait! We will find out!

I called the third-party MVD and they said the permanent plate will probably take a month, maybe longer. I asked them to e-mail me my temporary plate because it blew off in the wind.

"We can't do that, just drive down."
"I can't drive down! I don't have a license plate!"
"That isn't our fault."
"Yes it is! It tore off right where it was perforated!'

I hung up and left a one-star review--not their first!

I waited on hold with the MVD and the lady walked me through downloading my temporary plate. I just want to laminate it before I mount it before anything else happens, but I looked it up, and at least most Staples employees in this conversation think that only sketchy people want to laminate temporary plates.

I also read that people often steal them, which someone mentioned when I said that mine blew off.

I am supposed to expose plain paper to the elements for 30 days? I didn't put it inside my back window because the police have a poor record of seeing temporary plates through tint on vehicles driven by people who have been in the Army.

I don't know why criminals are laminating temporary plates, but among other nefarious deeds, they are registering non-Texas cars in Texas temporarily.

So, they were asking $250 more for the 2003 Camry, one year older, and 64,000 fewer miles.

The owner said that he and his dad were the only owners.

I will just post one picture:

The paint is much better than my car. My girlfriend's dad looked at it and said that it looked great, although he had concerns with the exhaust and one shock. I haven't compared the exhaust pipe with my Camry. I just wanted to run the CarFax.

The dad sent a picture of the license plate, which my app said was for an Accord.

If I wanted a Camry with an Accord license plate I would do that myself!

I started telling my girlfriend and her dad that if the seller used the wrong license plate I didn't want to know what else he was hiding.

Well, I found a few other things that the seller was hiding. The dad really liked how it looked and sent me a picture of the label in the door jam. VehicleHistory.com says that it is a 2002 Camry that was sold in January at an auction with 241,683 miles. The owner stuck with his story and then said that he would sell to someone else. The dad said "It is a good thing you looked it up, I never would have thought of that!"

As little as I wanted to buy a fourth car and then try to sell another, that still seems easier than replacing the shocks and fix the timing cover and power steering leaks.

Oh well!