Hi I apologize in advance if this is not proper forum to ask question. I will describe the problem just in case someone can shed some light.
I have 2002 camry 4 cylinders and has 175,000 miles. I was driving on the freeway and suddenlt I felt a jerky motion and check engine light came on. When I stopped at light the car began to vibrate and when started driving at low speeds it got me home. Admitedlly I had put lot of hard miles on the car in past 6 months and I was lazy in getting oil changed in time. It might have been 7000 miles since oil chg. I took the car to local oil change place they did not mention anything about engine but they said my transmission oil was dark and burnt. They said I should flush and replace. I agreed and tech said he had to do second flush as oil was still dark. After second flush, he said its little bit better. I was hoping this would solve my problem but unfortunately no. Car was still vibrating and when i drove at slow speed it was driving but as soon as I tried to accelerate the car lost power. Check engine light has been on since the inicident at freeway, but now check oil light and battery sign came on. The poer steering lost power. I had to park the car and restarted, as long as I drove very slowly it would drive but if I tried to accelerate where the rpm went from 1 or to next level car would loose pwer with warning lights on. I had recently replcaed fuel pump, filter and any repair which was suggested to me. Admitedly I have not done timing chain or belt. I would appreciate any help and assistance any one can provide?
First, never go to a quickie-lube place. They just took the opportunity to relieve you of some cash for a fluid change that had nothing to do with your problem and may not have been necessary.
Second, the check engine light means you have one or more stored trouble codes in the computer that will aid in diagnosis. Take the car to a local auto parts chain and ask them to read the codes for free. Write the codes down in “P0123” format and post them here.
Also, consult the “mechanics files” section of this website for a recommended mechanic near you. You’ll need one to do the diagnosis and repair.
But since you say the car suddenly began to jerk and the check engine light came on, one possibility is intermittent loss of spark to a cylinder. This could be a cracked/faulty ignition coil, a cracked or arcing distributor cap, a bad spark plug wire, etc. But the “jerk” suggests to me a bad coil that’s intermittently arcing/shorting out. This was a common symptom of VW’s with bad coils during the early 2000’s when VW had a rash of defective ignition coils.
Whatevere it is, you’ll need a good mechanic, so start looking for one in the “mechanics files” here.
thank you jesmed1
Sorry fir spelling errors in above post
When you stall, does the motor restart easily and quickly? In neutral is the idle smooth and does the motor rev up smoothly when you push the gas pedal? Trying to determine if you have a motor problem or a transmission problem.
“they said my transmission oil was dark and burnt. They said I should flush and replace.”
They say this to everyone. It’s how they make their money. It’s also totally irrelevant to your problem.
I agree with Jesmed. On all his points. You need a qualified mechanic that can diagnose the proper cause of the problem. As much as I enjoy trying to help people over this forum, this type of problem requires a good diagnostician hands-on with he proper equipment. Since you won’t be working on the car yourself, find a good locally owned and operated shop, give him as clear a description as you can of the problem, and let him figure out what broke.
Sincere best.
Hi Uncle turbo:
After car stalls, it restarts easily and quickly. In neutral the idle is way smoother than in drive. I will try to rev up the motor in neutral, I am not sure what happens as I have not tried that. I did put the car in park and put gas pedal down and the rpm needle went up. Sorry if I am not describing the errors correctly, I just do not have mechanical background. Thank you for your time and consideration
Hi The same mountainbike
I am trying to find a reputable and competent mechanic. So far have not had good luck.
Thank you for your time
Get a test on the battery. You are about due for a new one and bad batteries can cause a myriad of issues. Many auto parts stores will do one for free, use a memory saver if the battery is disconnected, my local store said it was sop when they replaced the battery in my daughters car.
It seems to me that your transmission is the problem.