New User Help

[edminson2012]

hi i am new to this forum and am wanting someone to help me. I am thinking about buying a Celica 1.8 VVTI 2000 plate or higher depending on prices. I have seen some people talking about the oil problem these celicas seem to have and i was wanting to know if anyone can give me some advise on this, such as sould i buy one or are they not worth the trouble?? or is there away i can tell a good buy from a bad buy?? i dont really want to buy one then have everything go wrong!. So if anyone an give me some advice or tips that would be great, thanks alot

[190tsport]

Not been on this forum long myself but hope this helps. I have seen mention on here about oil problems but personally speaking, i own a 2006 celica Tsport 190 with over 70k miles on it. I have owned this car for three years now and to date have had no problems with the oil (touch wood ) I dont know if it is a problem with older models but i been using semi synthetic oil and been ok so far. I also have a friend who owns a celica 190 on a 54 plate and likewise no problems.

There will be members on here who can offer better advice or who have experienced the problem. Hope you dont get put off as they are great cars and great to drive.

[edwardio]

ALL early VVTi (140bhp) engines (Celica, MR2, Avensis & Corolla) all suffer from a design flaw on the pistons. Basically the drain holes get blocked and the engine burns oil. However NOT ALL develop an issue.

Regular servicing, bi-weekly oil checks and decent oil should keep the issue undercontrol.

All of the engines that have suffered from the oil issue and there done damage, is down to not monitoring their oil level. This may be because of a previous owner or whatever, but is from not doing the above that is the cause of the issue.

Really study the service history to ensure the serive intervals are consistent and check the receipts/invoices to check the type of oil used. As for the oil level, that is a gamble as to whether to owner has monitored this.

There are plenty of the older VVTi engines out there that have done well over 100k miles without the issue.

All of the VVTL-i (190bhp) engines do not suffer from the issue. Their only issue, was snapping cam lift bolt in the earlier engines.

[Scarlett Arrow]

Welcome to T.O.C.

As you can pick up a face lift 140 (52 plate on) for £2.5K now, it's worth paying slightly more than a PFL for peace of mind alone IMO. I'd be looking for an unmolested example with the "premium" pack if you can afford it.

Other benefits inc. bigger front brakes and a nicer/darker interior.

HTH :)

[edminson2012]

thanks for some of the help people. some of the celicas iv been looking at have run about 84k to 102k i dont know much about celica engines iv head civic vtecs in the past and i know they can kepp going and going most f the time without problems, will a celica that has done 102k miles still run for some time if it been looked after?

[Scarlett Arrow]

The oil burning issue on pre face lift apart, the VVTi Engine is very reliable with no Cam Belt changes required as it's Chain driven.

Good luck in your search and if you want opinions on a specific car you're interested in buying..just ask :)

[Golden bay NZ]

This is interesting. I know the Dog and Lemon Guide said these Celicas have faulty piston rings.

But am I learning now that its actually the too small oil feed holes that are the cause of the problem?

One thing I've noticed on this site is that a lot of guys are still using 10W40 and even 50 grade oils on these Celicas. Those tiny oil holes are designed for a semi synthetic 10W30 clean oil with regular changes. Is that why only some of them have this problem? ..That only some owners are using the correct light oil and changing it regularly?

[Scarlett Arrow]

This is interesting. I know the Dog and Lemon Guide said these Celicas have faulty piston rings.

But am I learning now that its actually the too small oil feed holes that are the cause of the problem?

One thing I've noticed on this site is that a lot of guys are still using 10W40 and even 50 grade oils on these Celicas. Those tiny oil holes are designed for a semi synthetic 10W30 clean oil with regular changes. Is that why only some of them have this problem? ..That only some owners are using the correct light oil and changing it regularly?

I can't say i've noticed Gen 7 owners on here using a 10W40 or 50. 10W40 is however the recommended oil for a Gen 6 1.8ST or 2.0GT (not Beams or GT4).

10W30 is not a viscosity that is readily available in many outlets in the UK.

Toyota recommend 5W30 for the Gen 7 and that's the viscosity i've always used and recommended for the VVTi.

The revised Engine Block in the VVTi from Autumn 2002 had more oil ways drilled into the Pistons keeping the Piston Ring area cooler to prevent burnt deposits clogging up the Rings.

HTH :)

[Golden bay NZ]

How did you find out that the pre Beams motors used 10W40?

You mught be right, im sure I read off a Toyota website that they all used 10W30, but I was mainly looking at my car

Im not going to go back and double check as it took me weeks to find out my oil grade.

All the garages were wrong and so were the Toyota Dealers

It was the same in NZ that there was almost no 10W30 or 5W30 a year ago, but now our local garages all stock the 10W30 and its appeared in the auto stores

[Scarlett Arrow]

How did you find out that the pre Beams motors used 10W40?

It was the same in NZ that there was almost no 10W30 or 5W30 a year ago, but now our local garages all stock the 10W30 and its appeared in the auto stores

I've been logging onto a dedicated Celica Forum in the UK almost every day for over 7 years..sad I know, but the knowledge i've picked up has saved me a considerable sum of money over the years.

5W30 has been readily available here for almost 20 years. It's the correct grade of oil for the Ford Zetec Engine which was launched IIRC in 1992.