Toyota Camry Problems

LOWERING a car changes the geometry of the suspension, and the drive shafts, which may account for the amplification. A vibration will often travel through the car, causing other components to resonate. Go through the normal driving process that you know causes the vibration, and while you're doing it identify when it occurs, at what speed, whether slowing down, accelerating, brakes on, brakes off, coasting and so on. I'd check the brakes, looking for a sticking calliper, uneven pad wear, or foreign objects stuck in the disc. The things you mention seem to be focused on what's happening as a result of the vibration, not the cause of the vibration itself.

THE market is flat so your trade-in figure is a little optimistic. I would work on $1000 less.

LIKE anything used, there is a risk. Though you might be told a motor has done 30,000km, there's no way of knowing the truth, so a warranty is important. Fitting a rebuilt engine is the best course, but the risk of fitting a second-hand imported unit is worth considering given your car has such high mileage and won't be worth much anyway.

I ASSUME you've tried different pumps. The rate of delivery can vary. Try easing the nozzle out a fraction from the filler neck, though it does seem your car has a problem, possibly with the venting of the tank.

I WOULD rule out the Commodore immediately because its six-cylinder engine will be too thirsty for your budget. But any cars fitting your price range will almost certainly be unreliable and expensive in the long run. Even though you're stepping up in price range, $5000 will buy an old car that is only marginally better than the cheapies you've been driving. You'll be better if you can spend $10,000 on a car that's still got some life left in it. I'd recommend a five-year-old Nissan Pulsar, Ford Laser, Mitsubishi Lancer or Toyota Corolla. They will still accommodate four and will be much cheaper to run than the Magna, Camry or Commodore.

YOUR research is correct. Toyota might on the whole build bland cars, the Camry being one of them. But they are well built and generally very reliable.

IT'S hard to assess what damage might have been caused internally to the engine -- that could vary greatly depending on the heat of the fire and for how long it burnt. The wiring shouldn't be a big problem to replace, and an internal inspection of the engine should be revealing. I think it's premature to write it off without checking, so I would take it to a Toyota dealer for assessment.

NOT an easy one, because it isn't possible to predict when it will become uneconomical to maintain. The reality is that the higher the mileage, the more likely it is to break down, but it may not. The Camry generally doesn't give too much trouble, so I wouldn't rush in and sell it simply because the odometer is climbing. If you want to update, then it's probably better to do it sooner rather than later because its value is decreasing. I get the feeling you're happy with the Camry, so keep it.

EITHER car would be fine for your purpose. But remember that whatever car you choose, it's likely to have lots of kilometres on the odometer. By all means try to find a Telstar or a Camry, my preference would be for Toyota as long as it's a four-cylinder model, but if you cast your net wider you might land a mint model of some other make. The key things with a car that old is to find one that's in good condition with the lowest odometer reading possible. Hopefully, you will find a car that has been lovingly looked after by its owner, and perhaps not often driven.

CHECK the driveshaft joints. You may have a worn joint, which could have the effect you describe. It would also be worth checking the front wheel bearings.