# Tune Up- Toyota Camry **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366 "2012-08-30T02:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Toyota\_Ms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Toyota\_Ms](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Toyota_Ms)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366/1 "2012-08-30T02:20:05Z")
I have a tune once a year on my 1996 Camry. How often should I have the timing belt replaced? ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366/2 "2012-08-30T02:25:24Z")
Check the manual. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366/3 "2012-08-30T04:47:05Z")
You will be safest if you follow @Bardkydog’s advice and change it out when the owner’s manual says. Don’t want to suffer the expense? I can only offer only my experience with an early 90’s Toyota Corolla. The owner’s manual recommend the timing belt be changed every 60K. I changed mine at 120K, and it still, from visual inspection, it still had plenty of life in it. I took the risk because I have a light foot on the pedal, and I use this car for around town driving only, never on 1000 mile out of town trips. And this car has a “non-interference” engine design. If you want to go to the trouble, I expect the timing belt on your car can be visually inspected without too much effort. On my Corolla, I have to remove some rubber plugs in the timing belt cover, then have someone turn the crankshaft while I look at the belt as it passes by the inspection hole. I’d be looking for cracking and fraying, but I never saw any such thing to date. How long a timing belt lasts depends upon how the car is driven, the climate, etc. And if the timing belt breaks – interference or non-interference – while the engine is running, especially if at freeway speeds, it can still seriously damage the engine. When to change it out? It’s a compromise. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366/4 "2012-08-30T06:00:13Z")
The “[Gates.com](http://Gates.com)” web site can give you some specific info on your car. Most Toyota’s of the mid '90’s that had timing belts that required changing every 6 years or 60K miles whichever came first. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366/5 "2012-08-30T07:01:25Z")
Uncle Turbo is correct on the timing belt schedule. The spark plugs (tune up) should be relpaced every 30,000 miles (4 cylinder), or 60,000 miles (V6 with platinum spark plugs). ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366/6 "2012-08-30T20:57:05Z")
I’d go with platinum even if the originals were not. As long as you use the plug listed, and you use an NGK or Denso, this’ll be a very low cost upgrade with no risk. Actually, I’d probably try irridium, but that might be too big a chantge for most folks’ taste. By the way, congratulations on having kept the car on the road this long. Its longevity is a testiment to your maintenance discipline. How many miles do you have on it? ---
**Author:** ![Toyota\_Ms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Toyota\_Ms](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Toyota_Ms)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/tune-up-toyota-camry/74366/7 "2012-09-02T20:17:04Z")
174,000 mile, yeah but its getting difficult /expensive to maintain. It now has a rear main seal leak, which cost about $800.00 repair. Changed oil and put in blue devil sealant both work for a little while, but the small leak came back. Should be ok hopefully until I come up with money or get a different car…Unless want to give me some money…LOL