Maintenance schedule for 1998 Toyota Camry

Believe it or not my car’s manual does not have a maintenance schedule in it. Three people confirm! It’s got 95,000 miles on it. These days I drive about 3500 miles an hour but I used to drive more like 7000-10000. I have done only oil changes for the last three years. I’ve been bad. Now I’m catching up and want to do everything needed, on schedule. But I don’t know what to do when. Can you help?

I mean 3,000 miles a year, not an hour. Sorry!

Go here…

http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com/index.php

I do not believe your owners manual comes without a scheduled maintenance section, no matter how many people confirm it. How do we know you aren’t bribing those people ??? :wink:

The Interweb is your friend:
http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com/guides.php?v=0&y=0&int_id=0&done=1

Or you could just walk into your favorite Toyota dealer and ask them to print you one. Or point it out in your owner’s manual.

You beat me to it :-)))

Truly, truly - we sat around a table and turned the manual pages one at a time – all 220 of them. Thanks for the website info. No nearby dealer, but next time I’m near one, will drop in for a printout. (Will bribe if need be). :slight_smile:

I believe it - my 1998 Camry does not have a maintenance schedule in the owner’s manual, either. It has a supplemental manual which does have the maintenance schedule.

All Toyotas that I’ve owned have had a separate booklet (from the manual) that shows the maintenance schedule.

My Toyota dealer has computerized rthe maintenance schedule for every model and year. They will gladly print off the pages with the applicable activities required.

Having said that, in 1998 Toyota probably had a separate little book with those tasks. My 2007 has such a booklet. It’s called the “Owner’s Manual Supplement” and covers “Warranty, Maintenance, & Roadside Assistance Information”.

When you get down to driving only 3000 miles per year, You have to go by the TIME schedules rather than mileage maintenance. I would change oil twice a year, spring and fall, and flush the cooling system every 6 years or so. Transmision fluid & filter changes every 6 years.

My 92 year old mother in law maintains her Pontiac Sunbird exactly the same way. If the car has ABS, I would change the brake fluid every 5-6 years as well. The best “tune up” for your car is a brisk drive of 40 miles on the freeway or Interstate at the legal speed limit.

In other words, manufacturers don’t count on anyone driveing this little and as a result you will likely “over maintain” if you follow the manual to the letter.

I was reading your mail !

Really? Every 5-6 years for transmission fluid and brake fluid?! Who knew. It’s a lifestyle change for me, driving so little. I now live where I can walk everywhere or hop the T. Nowhere near 92 but would love to see my Toyota last another ten years or more! I’m going to have the garage do everything listed on the 90,000 mile maintenance point and then take it from there. Thanks!

That must explain it. If I ever had that supplemental manual, I certainly don’t know. At least I know I wasn’t crazy or blind when I couldn’t find it in the manual I have. Thanks for the reassurance.

Good for you! Fluids deteriorate with age as well as use, so do belts and hoses, which the shop will no doubt check out as well. Toyotas of your vintage last a very long time, where I live (dry area) some 30 year old ones are still performing faithfully every day and with mileages as high as 350,000 miles.

Take care of your Toyota and it will take care of you the rest of your life!

P.S. I would get a relative to take it out for a 20 mile fast drive on the Interstate a couple of time a month. My brother-in law does that to his mother’s car to keep it running smoothly. Cars, like people, get bunged up if they don’t get sufficient exercise.

Had to giggle. I’m young, active, out and about, zippy, and do in fact drive on the highways, so no need to go on a relative hunt. Driving so little now because I’ve switched to walking and biking since moving in from the burbs. But point well taken, and I’m looking forward to reaching that 350K mark!

You are on the right track, margarine.

By the way, there are some fluids that improve with age; whiskey, good wine, brandy and cognac. My bar has a special place for these “old” fluids.