my car...

Pro Member First Officer
Ryan Finn (pilotguy44) First Officer

hey everyone.. i drive a 1994 Toyota Camry, and considering that it has over 140,000 miles on it, it's in decent shape, and very clean on the inside.

however.. the past month or so, the car has been shaking... sometimes violently. it seems that it shakes most violently below 25 mph or above 55 mph.

the shaking is actually more of a lateral rocking motion.. back and forth from left to right, although the car shakes vibrationally sometimes also.

it seems to be getting progressively worse.. 😞

i have talked to some friends and they all are almost positive that it's the alignment.. but i wanted to see what your guys' opinions were before i spend money on repairs.

....also, side note.. the car, while running idle, makes a slight knocking noise.. almost like there's a loose piece of metal somewhere in there. ..could the knockin noise just be telling me to get an oil change?

i took a 2 month course on basic automotive mechanics and repairs. (and i DO mean basic, lol) ... but i am still, afterall, an aviation enthusiast. i don't really know anything about cars. 😕

what could be causing these problems? and how much do you think repairs would cost me? (in US dollars, lol)

any help would be appreciated guys, thanks in advance 😎

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Pro Member First Officer
amermel First Officer

when you turn that corner when you drive does the car kinda lean to one side or the other?

if it does then the suspension is bad.

Guest Ed Guest

Take it somewhere and get an estimate. Then you will know how much it will cost-- nobody can tell you that by hearing the symptoms described on a web site.

But violent shaking and swaying is dangerous; get it checked out before you get yourself killed. If the suspension is badly worn out, and comes apart at speed, you're gonna be in a world of hurt.

An oil change isn't going to fix noises in the engine, unless the engine is extremely low on oil. Did you check the oil level?

Ed

Pro Member Chief Captain
Jonathan (99jolegg) Chief Captain

It sounds as if its close to literally falling apart 😂

I don't know how it works in the USA, but in the UK, a car with that many problems will take a lot to fix it, so it ends up cheaper to buy a new second hand car for £500 ($1000) or so.

😉

Pro Member Chief Captain
tomthetank Chief Captain

The vibration below and above 55(will a Camry do over 50 😂 ) Oops!
could be may things from chassis alignment to something simple as wheel balance,whatever, it needs checking out by someone who is qualified which means $$$$ sorry Crying or Very sad This is dangerous,not only for you but for others on the road

The knocking sound ❗ again it could be many things.You say it sounds like a loose piece of metal in there 😳 what,like floating around?
A light tapping noise is common in older cars and is normally associated with the top of the engine and favorites for this are the tappets or camshaft.
A deeper knocking sound is normally associated with the bottom part of the engine and means $$$$$$ bigend bearings(too late for an oil change)

Everybody knows a qualified mechanic 🙄 a friend of yours or a friend of a friend,get them to give it the once over,or just take it to a garage and expect the worst(you never know it might not be that bad)

Sorry,theres not much good in the above Unsure

Good luck and let us know how you get on 😉

Pro Member Chief Captain
Greekman72 Chief Captain

100% agree with TTT.

Pro Member First Officer
Ryan Finn (pilotguy44) First Officer

thanks for the advice guys 😎

i figured it was something that needed urgent attention... now i just have to figure out where I'll get the money.. and how'll I'll get around until it's fixed 😞 (there's really no public transportation around here)

ugh.. i didn't want a japanese car (no offense to the Japanese) .. but hey, i got it for free from my grandparents... how can you complain about that?

Pro Member Chief Captain
tomthetank Chief Captain

😳 Whats wrong with a Japanese car 😳

TTT has just bought one,ok it was built here in the UK but its still Japanese car.
Its huge,Im 6"1 and I can sit behind the drivers seat when its set up for me 😳
Last car I had was a Vauxhall(still part of GM ?)Vectra,nice but nowhere near as nice as this and Ive got all the bells and whistles(aircon,satnav,cd/dvd)You try buying a same spec Brit car for the same money ROFL

Down side Ive just found out that when the time comes it will cost £155.00 a corner for new boots Crying or Very sad

Pro Member Trainee
mrtazzy Trainee

Dare I say this? I am an import specialist. Japanese cars are my living. Not that I am totally sure here but - GET YOUR TIRES LOOKED AT NOW!!!

Sorry. There is one other item that my cause this - inner CV shaft joints but I doubt it.

Engine noise - is your car a 4 cyl? if so check exhaust manifold. other then that if you think you should change you oil it can't hurt.

Guest Ed Guest

pilotguy44 wrote:

ugh.. i didn't want a japanese car (no offense to the Japanese) .. but hey, i got it for free from my grandparents... how can you complain about that?

Nothing wrong with a free car, that's for sure. My first car was free-- my brother gave me a 1958 VW, and said "If you can start it, it's yours."

How about hitting up the grandparents for a little "loan" to get it repaired? They probably wouldn't want their favorite grandson careening around in an unsafe car. Think how bad they'd feel if you got all messed up. 🙄

Anyhow, my mechanic doesn't charge anything for an estimate-- ask around and see if you can get a free estimate. You need an estimate to know how much to beg off your grandparents. 😂

And I like Japanese cars; I haven't owned an American car since 1978.

Ed

Pro Member First Officer
Ryan Finn (pilotguy44) First Officer

i dont really have anything against japanese cars.. it's just i can't tell if the shaking is bad or normal sometimes, lol 😂 ..because we all know that japanese cars made before 1995 shake -to some extent- while they're running, lol (i'm making a joke.. for those of you who will take offense and yell at me 😂 :wink🙂

..but anyway.. the thing is Ed.. my grandparents put about $2000 into the car before they gave it to me last summer (i'm spoiled, lol) .. so it was in mint condition.. but for some reason it has deteriorated pretty rapidly... and please believe me when i tell you that despite the fact i am a 17 year-old male, i DO drive safely, lol 😂

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