Ask Me Help Desk - Letting Go of a Car. Would Appreciate Thoughts and Ideas.

Hi, All!

Okay, I think that it's time that I let go of my car. But, I'm having a bit of trouble rationalizing it. Would appreciate some advice. It's a 1997 Toyota Camry LE.

I've asked questions about the problems with it two or three times on this site. It won't start. Haven't ever figured out the problem. Has not been running for a year and a half. Has about 160,000 miles on it. Although, the engine doesn't have near that amount of miles on it.

A couple of other problems that I've not mentioned in the past are that the driver's automatic window will not work properly. Stays down after opening it. Takes forever to get it to come back up. Another thing is that the gear shift will frequently blow a fuse. I've probably been through hundreds of fuses because of that problem. It's also been sitting so long, that a friend and I had to empty the brake fluid out of it in order to be able to push it.

I think that it's time to let it go. It served it's purpose for me for a number of years. What would I miss by getting rid of it? I guess the air conditioning, being able to play CDs and taking my old lady friends for rides.

The other vehicle that I have is a 1991 Nissan King Cab truck. Only about 32,000 miles now. It functions primarily as my work vehicle. Is much more functional than the Camry. However, in the past couple of months, I've been stranded six times with it. Alternator and battery problems. I think the bulk of the problems have been solved, though. It's another story...

I've decided to lose the Camry and concentrate on putting money into the truck. Money is a problem for me right now. Friends and I have pushed the Camry in and out of the garage a number of times. Keep getting in trouble with the city because of it sitting in my driveway because a not very nice neighbor keeps turning it in.

I need my garage in order to do work for other people. I'm mostly self-employed. Will probably be having a huge piano refinishing job coming up in the near future where I absolutely have to be able to use my garage. It's a one car garage.

Questions - Am I doing the right thing by getting rid of it? If I get rid of it, I'd rather not just junk it. It has a brand new battery that's never been used, plus other work has been done on it. How do I get rid of it for some type of profit, other than the junk profit, so that I can maximize the monetary potential out of getting rid of it?

I've thought about using it for bartering potential with work that needs to be done on the Nissan truck.

Just looking for other ideas and input...

Thanks!

Well, if I were there right now I'd give 500 to 1000$ for it depending on condition.
The mechanicals are no big deal to me. With that being said, there are lots of guys like me who would pay the same thing.
Go see the guys at the Toyota shop and let them know what you said here. A cheap Camry will fly off the shelves so-to-speak.
We're like sharks smelling blood when an offer comes up like this. LOL
Good luck. Yes, time to let it go.

I definitely agree with kitch428--watch out for the wolf pack smelling red meat. A number of people who ask questions on this site are used car dealers. They buy a car for next to nothing, because of previous ignition system or overheating problems. Items in the Sticky are popular with them in solving electrical problems. Once they get it running, their ROI skyrockets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitch428

Well, if I were there right now I'd give 500 to 1000$ for it depending on condition.
The mechanicals are no big deal to me. With that being said, there are lots of guys like me who would pay the same thing.
Go see the guys at the Toyota shop and let them know what you said here. A cheap Camry will fly off the shelves so-to-speak.
We're like sharks smelling blood when an offer comes up like this. LOL
Good luck. Yes, time to let it go.

Hi, kitch428!

So, do you think it's time to let it go because it's impractical for me to keep it?

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxGreaseMonkey

I definitely agree with kitch428--watch out for the wolf pack smelling red meat. A number of people who ask questions on this site are used car dealers. They buy a car for next to nothing, because of previous ignition system or overheating problems. Items in the Sticky are popular with them in solving electrical problems. Once they get it running, their ROI skyrockets.

Hi, TxGreaseMonkey!

I've already let my situation be known here. What are your personal feelings on this, please?

My gut feeling, is that I should let it go because it's taking up space; my truck is practical and logical to use; affording two vehicles with insurance, yearly registration and the maintenance of two is something that I would think would be logical reasons to let the Camry go.

I'm not totally resigned to letting the Camry go. But right now, it would seem to be the thing to do.

I am confused on the issue...

Thanks!

I think you should let it go for all of the reasons you mentioned and more. Remember, less is more. Just be sure to get a fair price for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TxGreaseMonkey

I think you should let it go for all of the reasons you mentioned and more. Remember, less is more. Just be sure to get a fair price for it.

Yes, "less is more".

Do you think that if I advertised it on the Internet, that I would be able to get a fair price for it? I would have no trouble advertising it.

It won't start. Is that a detractor for someone purchasing it?

Other than it not starting, it's in really fine condition.

Thanks!

That should work. Be sure to check the Blue Book price.

OK, it won't start and it's been sitting for a while. You failed to mention what happened just before the "doesn't start issue".

Gas could be yucky at this point. You could make sure the timing belt isn't broke. Do you know anything about timing belt replacement history?

A compression tester will run you about $20 if you can't determine a broken belt by looking at it.

At the very least, charge the battery.

Get a code reader from Autozone. All it requires is a deposit, so it's free.

Read any codes. Attempt to start and read any new codes.

Spray a little carb cleaner or starting fluid in the intake and try to start again.

That won't cost you much at all.

Then let it sit for a day. Check for spark. Pull a plug and check to see if it's wet so you check for fuel and make sure the air filter is clean.

The gear shift thing could be related to the starting issue. The neutral start safety switch. Insect all wires carefully. You may need to replace it.

The window is the window. Could be friction or the motor. Motor may have gotten wet.

It's not an intermittant problem, so it should be easy. The free code reader is a place to start.

Go for it. You have to make some effort. It won't fix itself.
You have the resources here.

The biggest help would be the factory repair manuals if you can get them, but they are expensive. I consider them insurance policies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeepItSimpleStupid

OK, it won't start and it's been sitting for a while. You failed to mention what happened just before the "doesn't start issue". It just simply stopped running when I was driving it. Seems to be a common problem.

Gas could be yucky at this point. You could make sure the timing belt isn't broke. Do you know anything about timing belt replacement history? To my knowledge, the timing belt has never been replaced. The engine doesn't have as many miles on it as the rest of the car. Replaced the engine with a used one a number of years ago. The present engine probably has 40 some thousand miles on it.

A compression tester will run you about $20 if you can't determine a broken belt by looking at it.

At the very least, charge the battery. The battery is charged.

Get a code reader from Autozone. All it requires is a deposit, so it's free. Thank you for that information!

Read any codes. Attempt to start and read any new codes.

Spray a little carb cleaner or starting fluid in the intake and try to start again.

That won't cost you much at all.

Then let it sit for a day. Check for spark. Pull a plug and check to see if it's wet so you check for fuel and make sure the air filter is clean.

The gear shift thing could be related to the starting issue. The neutral start safety switch. Inspect all wires carefully. You may need to replace it.

The window is the window. Could be friction or the motor. Motor may have gotten wet. I'm not so much concerned about the window. The way that it is just adds to the overall hassle.

It's not an intermittant problem, so it should be easy. The free code reader is a place to start.

Go for it. You have to make some effort. I already have. But, the new information here is helpful! It won't fix itself.
You have the resources here. Money is an issue...

The biggest help would be the factory repair manuals if you can get them, but they are expensive. I consider them insurance policies.

Thanks, K.I.S.S. Responses are in the quote.

The stopped running while driving possible problems are:

1. The timing belt snapped
2. No spark (ignition control module if it has one, or camshaft position sensor)
3. Fuel pump

Check the codes. Borrowing the scan tool is free.

I had that issue a couple of times. One was an alternator. The rotor opened. Definitely not your problem.

One was the ICM (1982 Toyota). Just died. No spark. Walked to a junk yard. Replaced temporarily on the spot. Drove 50 miles home. Made a permanent repair.

Parents car (1987 Ply Caravelle). Would just quit for no apparent reason. Sometimes it would start back up. Other times it had to cool down. Distributer pickup. Drove me nuts.

Then there was the Holley carb. Accelerator pump linkage fell out. Car stopped.

And then the fuel pump. Car coughed. Got off on interstate and coasted someplace. Replaced it on the road. Got ice tea from a nice family. Back on the road again.

Mom's car. A recently replace MAP sensor died. Car would seem to start, but once you released the key it would immediately try to die. Giving it gas would roun extremely rough. Impossible to drive. Disconnected MAP. Car went in limp mode. Drove it home. Replaced sensor again.

Some of this stuff happened years ago. The basics are still: fire? Fuel? Air?

If I remember right, it sounds like the Camry died due to a timing belt failure. $ CHA-CHING

The drivers power window is the motor. I've done dozens of them. Same issue as yours. Motor alone is 278 dollars. Now add some more labor. CHA-CHING $$

And the fuse popping, that's from every time you open your trunk, you create a short. Bad wiring in there. Very common.
Now you have some electrical diagnosis & repair to pay, so, add some more labor. CHA-CHING $$$

You could easily get for the car for what you are about to put into it as per my estimate.
Word of mouth is better than the classified for a vehicle such as this In my opinion.