1997 Toyota Camry

ON SATURDAY 8/23/14 I WAS DROVE ON SW WALKER IN BEAVERTON, OREGON WITH THE SPEED IS 45RPM. THEN I WAS SMELL THE GAS IN MY CAR. THE SMELL OF GAS MAKE ME HEADACHE VERY BAD. I DROVE HOME AND CHECKED UNDERNEATH FRONT OF THE CAR AND SEE THE LEAK LOOK LIKE OIL LEAK ON THE GROUND BUT THIS IS NOT THE OIL LEAK. IT IS THE FUEL LEAK. I OPENED THE HOOK TO CHECKED FOR THE LEAK TO FIND WHERE THE LEAK COME FROM? I FOUND THE LEAKED CAME FROM THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL INJECTION CONNECTED TO FUEL FILTER. THE PIPE WAS CRACKED AND LEAD. MONDAY I DROVE 97 TOYOTA CAMRY TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR THE FUEL LINE LEAK. THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP CHARGED ME $351.12 FOR REPLACED THE FUEL LINE TO STOP THE LEAK. *TR

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE VEHICLE HAD A FUEL LEAK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC ,WHERE HE DETERMINED THAT THE 90 DEGREE FUEL LINE CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL TO LEAK OVER THE OUTSIDE OF THE TANK. THE CONTACT HAD THE FUEL LINE REPLACED, BUT THE MANUFACTURER FELT THAT THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM AND CHARGED THE CONTACT FOR THE REPAIRS. *AK THE FULE PUMP WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 01/25/07. *JB

IN JULY, 2003 (PLEASE REFER TO ODI ID NUMBER: 10030262) OUR 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY CE (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) BEGAN LEAKING LARGE AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE. IT WAS DETERMINED INTERNAL PRESSURE HAD CAUSED THE TANK TO BULGE OUT AND RIP AT THE SEAMS. AFTER TWO SOLDERING ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO PATCH THE TANK, THE ENTIRE TANK WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. A PRESSURE TEST WAS CONDUCTED BUT NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. IN FEBRUARY 2005 THE GAS TANK STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. THE SAME BULGE FROM INSIDE OUT WAS FOUND AS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SEEN WITH THE OLD AND SINCE REPLACED TANK. THE TANK WAS REMOVED & SENT OUT FOR WELDING, RETURNED AND TESTS WERE CONDUCTED ON THE CHARCOAL FILTER & VACUUM SWITCH. BOTH TESTED FINE. THE VACUUM SWITCH WAS REPLACED AS THE COST OF REPLACING THE CHARCOAL FILTER WAS TOO EXPENSIVE AND SINCE IT DIDN'T SHOW FAILURE, IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE NECESSARY. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED PERIODIC TESTS IN CASE THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. ALSO, THE HEAT DISTRIBUTOR (I BELIEVE THAT'S THE NAME FOR THE METAL BETWEEN THE EXHAUST PIPE & THE GAS TANK TO KEEP THE TANK FROM OVERHEATING & EXPLODING) WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN "WRINKLED" BUT FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE IN-OUT EXPANSION OF THE TANK, NOT FROM AN OUT-IN PUSH THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED FROM DRIVING OVER SOMETHING. *AK LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, THE GAS LEAK RETURNED. TOYOTA WAS CONTACTED AND WE WERE REFERRED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER. THE CSM COORDINATED WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE THE CAR PUT UP ON THE RACK AND LOOKED AT. THREE INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING THE CSM DECLARED IT WAS AN "EXTERNAL LEAK FROM THE PATCH" AND FELT IT WAS NOTHING THEY WERE WILLING TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. THEY DID SUGGEST REPLACING THE TANK AND DOING FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS TO ATTEMPT TO DUPLICATE THE PROCESS, HOWEVER, THE EXPENSES ARE SO EXTRAORDINARY, WE HAVE OPTED TO REPLACE THE TANK WITH A USED ONE AND LOOK AT OTHER REPLACEMENT VEHICLE OPTIONS, POSSIBLY SELLING PARTS OR TOWING TO A JUNK YARD.

MY 1997 CAMRY WILL NOT START BACK AND HOLD AN IDLE SOMETIMES AFTER IT HAS BEEN DROVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE. IT STARTS FINE WHEN IT IS COLD AND WHEN IT REFUSES TO IDLE, IF I WAIT UNTIL THE FUEL INJECTORS FILL, AND TURN ON THE A/C IT WILL THEN START. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY CANNOT GIVE ME ANY EXPLAINATION, THEY TOLD ME IT COULD BE THREE DIFFERENT THINGS AND EACH PART WOULD COST AT $100.00 OR MORE PLUS LABOR THEY TOLD ME I'D HAVE TO JUST PUT ON EACH PART UNTIL IGET IT RIGHT, THAT'S TOO MUCH MONEY TO GUESS, SO I CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT AND HOPE THAT IT WILL START, THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING. I THOUGHT THAT TOYOTA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE VERY GOOD AT SERVICE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING, HIRING JUST ANYONE OFF THE STREET TO REPAIR CARS?*AK

COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE TANK. MECHANIC DETERMINED LEAK IS COMING FROM A DEFECTIVE TANK AND THE LEAK IS COMING FROM A GAP IN THE SEAM. LOCAL AUTOMOBILE DEALER STATES PART IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY (62K MILES) AND WILL NOT COVER REPAIR EXPENSES. POSSIBLE REMEDY MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE TANK BUT YET TO BE DETERMINED. SOLDERING THE TANK AT THE GAPS DID NOT SUFFICE AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL RECURRING. *AK

I WAS ACCELERATING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUDDERED AND I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER QUICKLY, RELEASED THE HOOD AND STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR THRU THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS ON FIRE SO I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED SHUT THE HOOD AND CALLED FOR HELP. FORTUNATELY A MOTORCYCLE COP FROM THE SAN DIEGO POLICE WAS AT THE SCENE JUST MOMENTS AFTER IT HAPPENED. HE RADIOED FOR A FIRE TRUCK WHICH ARRIVED ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER AS THIS HAPPENED DURING THE RUSH HOUR (5:45 PM). THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES BY THEN. AAA HAS NOT DETERMINED YET IF THE CAR WILL BE TOTALLED BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT WILL BASED ON THE EXTENT OF THE VISIBLE DAMAGE. I HAD THIS CAR SERVICED BY KEARNY MESA TOYOTA ABOUT TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THEY REPLACED THE VACUUM SWITCH VALVE.