hi, first time owning a toyota. Make:Toyota model:camry year 2011.Automatic trans.
just got this car, bought from private party. took it to dealership to give it a once over. it has 105,500 miles on it. they say recommend trans flush or drain and refill. according to the maintenance schedule i was planning on following the guidelines in the manual.
I popped the hood and noticed almost no coolant. Its at the very bottom, just barely visible I have not put any in and noticed its pink in color. Dealership did not put any coolant in that i know of.
My question is, what coolant do i need to use on the camry and what is the best type of oil to use? i also was going to get the oil changed just for peace of mind and i was going to use valvoline. any issues running that?
and is there any other advice/ knowledge on upkeep for the camry that i should need to know. i have never had a toyota before. The reason i bought one is because of scotty. i have learned a ton of stuff on fixing my own cars from him. saved a ton of money. very grateful. The camry is replacing my soon to be retired 2001 ford taurus. she has been very good to me. 225, plus thousand miles, sadly shes starting to slip in gears and doesnt like going up hills very much anymore. i havnt hardly had to do a thing to that car, im hoping that will continue with the camry.
Thanks, Tony
@toyotatony
Inspect before, not after.....
I did. what i could anyway. the unseen stuff is why i took it to the dealership mechanic.
@toyotatony
The next time just tell them you want to take it to somebody before you purchase it
First of all, do lot go to that dealership anymore. Obviously, they didn’t pay attention to basic stuff. Next thing is about your transmission fluid, if it shifts fine, do not touch it. If you want to change or, just drain from the bottom and add the same amount. For the coolant, drain the current one, put any HOAT coolant and watch it to see if you loose or not. Change engine oil every 5k miles and stick to the manufacturer recommendation ( check the oil cap for viscosity)
Good luck.
Here's a downloadable owners manual - it tells you what maintenance to do when, fluids to use. etc.
https://www.toyota.com/owners/resources/warranty-owners-manuals/camry/2011
I've found this forum to helpful as well as Scotty's https://www.toyotanation.com/
