Horrible Top End Rattle

[Johnntheboy]

Hello all,

New here and need advice. My fiance has just picked up a 2002 (140bhp) VVTI celica today with 69000 miles on the clock. It drives and accelarates superbly but when driven hard from 3000rpm upwards there appears to be a disturbing top end rattle that sounds very 'cammy'. I've checked the oil which is very clean and is showing a max level on the dipstick. There is no smoke from the exhaust and although I've never driven one of these before the rattle does not seem to impede the performance. When driven conservatively the engine is silky smooth and pulls really well from low speeds in higher gears. Is this a characteristic of the engine or should I be worried? Bought the car from a used car dealership which carries a one month warranty but I'm thinking if this is serious it would be better dealt with by a Toyota garage. Any help or advice woudl be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

John

[reidy]

Id take it back to the dealer you got it from, if they're a reputable dealer they should sort it under warranty

Take it to a Toyota dealer and you'll obviously be paying for the repair and if its serious it could be very expensive

[Johnntheboy]

It's sorted now,

My fiance took it to a mechanic she knows who said it was a piston problem and that he'd done a couple before and that it commonly occurred between 60-70k. We took it back to the garage who to give them their due gave her a full refund plus her old car back and refunded her the money for having her hands free kit removed and even the £55 worth of petrol she'd put in the Celica! The dealership owner was astonished that his 'qualified' mechanic had missed such a serious fault and is now out of pocket. So kids, the moral of this story is, always give a car a good proper test drive and don't be afraid to get your foot down and listen out for any catastrophic noises.

Thanks

John

[Parts-King]

I'm glad the used car dealer had the sense to give you your money back, he had no choice in law, and he probably knew that

As for a one month warranty, that is illegal, the sale of goods act clearly gives you six months where you do not have to prove goods were inherrantly faulty, after that time it is difficult to prove and it will be down to you, to pay for expert advice to prove the goods were inherrantly faulty. A little bit of knowledge goes a long way, most retailers have no idea about the sale of goods act and will try and blag there way out of refunds or repairs. All you need is a receipt or proof of purchase

SALE OF GOODS ACT

Kingo