Spotting Avensis 2003-9 Vvt-I Bore Liner/undersize Piston Problems?

[arnold2]

Hi,

First post after a long time - after 2 x HORRIBLE Ford Focus diesels - the last of which, in 3 years, cost me £3,000 in repairs!!

Anyway, looking to return to a nice reliable petrol Toyota again.

Test drove an 04 plate 1.8 VVT-I Avensis & loved it, so now looking around s/h what's available - jolly sensibly priced anyway.

Question:

Is there any way of spotting when buying one, if it has the bore liner/undersize piston problems? Was it limited to a model year/batch, or across the whole of the 2003-9 cars? I'm wondering if it's something I can get off, say, the engine or chassis number, & bounce back to Toyota UK, before I buy....

Must say I'm very surprised at this problem, and looking at Toyota' UK's list of recommended oils, I suspect the issue is wrong oil! VVT-I engines, no matter what size, need to run on fully synthetic oil. Toyota have a semi-synth down as recommended ....

Cheers;

[Parts-King]

Must say I'm very surprised at this problem, and looking at Toyota' UK's list of recommended oils, I suspect the issue is wrong oil! VVT-I engines, no matter what size, need to run on fully synthetic oil. Toyota have a semi-synth down as recommended ....

Really? Wow I must get in touch with Toyota right away and tell them what a mistake they have made ;)

With respect, the problems with engines is not down to running on semi synthetic oil, it is well document on here and the internet, not just with Toyota but very many manufacturers

What engines need is good quality oil, not just an oil that meets the 5w 30 or whatever viscosity, but the correct grade in terms of the whole specification

Kingo

[arnold2]

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/138146-what-causes-high-oil-use-on-18vvti/

"The use of poor quality or overly thick oils (thicker than 5w30) increased the likely hood of the issues above occurring. Toyota noted that even dealers where using oils such as 10w40 and quickly pointed out that although the owners manual listed 10w40 it was for warmer climates and that 5w30 was the preferred grade and insisted that dealers use 5w30 when servicing and repairing #zz engines."

So, insufficient oil capacity, poor piston and piston ring design. This led to the oil-ways sludging up, eventually causing hardened oil around the rings to misshape the bores. And running with 10w40 exacerbates the problem - my Corolla 1.4 VVT-I (affected engine) ran to 165K, but I always used 5w30.

So 'parts king' try and answer the issue I raised helpfully, rather than replying with a slightly acerbic and rather juvenile reply?

The forum is here to help people.

[Druid Boy]

Wow. Way to ask for help.

[Devon Aygo]

According to Toyota, Avensis was fixed from August 2005 production onwards.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Taken from one of Devon Aygo's previous posts re engine oil:

"The issues over which oils are used is caused by a European law called "Block exemption" the same law that states that manufacturers can't insist on main dealer servicing, also stops Toyota from insisting what oils are used by anyone wishing to service a car including their own dealer network.

All Toyota are allowed to do is list a set of specifications that the oil used must meet and they can also list a "preferred" oil."

The same would apply to your similar topic re the Corolla on the Honest John forum.