Loss Of Heating - Head Gasket Problem

[Yarek]

Hi,

Just signed up to get some advice. Bought our Rav4 2.2d from new in 2008 and recently with the cold weather we noticed the heating wasn't coming on (brrrrrr!). Took it to a local garage to have that and a couple minor things checked and they've advised the car is losing coolant, likely due to a crack in the head gasket.

I've booked it into Toyota to investigate next week and have noticed a few threads with similar reports of a known problem with the coolant eating the head gasket.

Does any of this sound familiar and does anyone have any advice for when it gets taken into our local Toyota dealership? I guess the car is only just out of the five year warranty by a few months. It's done 50k miles.

Cheers,

Yarek

[Rattymr2]

Read charliefarlie's 50 page guide above. Will tell you all.

[Big Kev]

The goodwill warranty on engine will hopefully apply to you, Neil, and is 7 years if other criteria met, such as proper service history, not necessarily all Toyota main dealer. Read the Pinned article as directed above, and pat your indie garage on the heid for a decent diagnosis.......and welcome t'Club of many nutterz, min.........forzi caur noo, as your neeburs would say.......?

[Yarek]

Thanks guys - fingers crossed everything will go ok with the dealer. I do find it incredible that a manufacturer knows about a problem that can have serious engine consequences, but doesn't force a recall to rectify the problem - particularly in this day and age, where people can be so effectively connected and informed through excellent websites such as this. Maybe I'm just naive.

[Big Kev]

It is a non-safety issue, so recall not mandatory, and not all engines affected. What they have committed too is laudible, que.....?

[Yarek]

Sure - there's a difference between a safety issue and otherwise, which makes something mandatory or not. I may be jumping the gun and think that something so fundamental a manufacturer should take the lead in ensuring their customers remain happy with their product, but I will refrain from being too harsh until I hear the response from my dealer. Having said all that, I generally replace cars every 6-7 years with a brand new vehicle and have a strong tendency to stick to a brand that I have a strong belief in. The outcome of what happens over the next couple of weeks will significantly affect any decision I make in the next year or two.

[anchorman]

Aye well good luck in finding another manufacturer who will look at you after 3 years never mind 7.

[gjnorthall]

Kia give 7 years and others such as Hyundai give a 5 year warranty. The Kia Sportage and Hyundai I35 + Santa Fe are well regarded by many.

[anchorman]

Very good. You chose to quote the Koreans that are based on Japanese technology. Only Kia give a 7 year warranty that does not cover all items but even so, we are talking about vehicles that were originally covered by a 3 year warranty. Look at all your mainstream stuff - Ford, Vauxhall, anything French and even German. They will fight you inside the warranty, never mind beyond.

[voyager t180]

Kia give 7 years and others such as Hyundai give a 5 year warranty. The Kia Sportage and Hyundai I35 + Santa Fe are well regarded by many.

Correct,but the devil can be in the detail..

i.e. what items do their warranties actually cover.

Very few,if any, will offer a 7 yr 'goodwill' engine warranty.

You could argue there was a known engine issue,but Toyota still deserve some credit.

My last german vehicle suffered from the timing chain snapping..It was a known fault but the company would never admit to it,leaving you with a massive bill for an engine rebuild.

[CharlieFarlie]

Kia give 7 years and others such as Hyundai give a 5 year warranty. The Kia Sportage and Hyundai I35 + Santa Fe are well regarded by many.

But these warranties are very limited and the reality is they do not offer anything like the comprehensive cover many seem to think they give......

To the OP....

Read here. http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/132178-charliefarlies-guide-to-the-toyota-2ad-diesel-engine-and-its-issues/#entry1175067

Feel free to ask any specific questions but be assured that under current policy your car IS covered and IF your engine has the issues Toyota will replace it...

Try getting that from Kia .............................

[firemac]

Kia give 7 years and others such as Hyundai give a 5 year warranty. The Kia Sportage and Hyundai I35 + Santa Fe are well regarded by many.

Correct,but the devil can be in the detail..

i.e. what items do their warranties actually cover.

Very few,if any, will offer a 7 yr 'goodwill' engine warranty.

You could argue there was a known engine issue,but Toyota still deserve some credit.

My last german vehicle suffered from the timing chain snapping..It was a known fault but the company would never admit to it,leaving you with a massive bill for an engine rebuild.

VAG have had well-known issues with their ABS/VSC kit which they did squat about. They may be rectified now, I don't know, but I do know that, at the moment, I wouldn't touch an out of warranty VAG car as a result.

You only have to have a rudimentary trawl around major manufacturers' owners' forums to find that they all have issues and none of them are as generous as Toyota was with their 2AD engine goodwill warranty extension.

[Yarek]

Update: Car was taken into the local Toyota garage today. Phone call a few hours later stating "In order to fully identify what the cause of the problem is, the engine will need to be stripped down. We currently suspect the problem may be due to an extended warranty issue and if that is the case the problem will be rectified at no cost to yourself. Unfortunately we only have one engineer qualified to identify if it is a warranty issue and he is working on another car that has the same problem as your own. He will be available to strip the engine in 10-14 days time, in the meantime we do not advise driving the car but understand if you do need it over that time you should keep a close eye on all fluid levels to avoid further damage to the engine."

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with the response so far. They didn't have to mention the warranty issue until they'd investigated further and were honest about the time it'll take to investigate. Fortunately in the position where I can leave the car with them until they've looked into it properly, so will see how it goes in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed.

[jizzer]

If it's a extended warranty for engine they Should not strip down!!! Should do a consumption test oil/water and replace engine not strip down .......picking mine up today dealer had it a week new engine fitted

[anchorman]

Correct - the engine should not be stripped.

[Big Kev]

Cannot believe yet another Far King dealer is going to do this......strip an engine doon......and here we were actually getting our new member to smell the coffee and enjoy the fact a manufacturer was good enough to fix his car after all.

Was there some kind of later proviso that allowed dealer to strip and investigate, THEN return the engine when CONFIRMED it was gubbered, or as usual am I just making this up..........? Something rings a bell........

[voyager t180]

Going of the Rav engine guide thread I thought dealers didn't waste yours and their time stripping engines down anymore,just fitted a new factory replacement,or have I dreamt it?

[jizzer]

Just arrived back home after picking up car new engine fitted purring like a diesel kitten ....... Even the wife noticed the difference in engine sound ...... All good. New clutch fitted and 2 geolanders fitted as they price matched black circles ....great dealership unlike my local one .... Thanks to Don for your help

[anchorman]

;-)

There is your answer Kev.

[Big Kev]

Right Royally Good result then Neil min......?

To a Yorkshireman......how many Chritmasses is that equivalent to, gettin' a new engine in yer moatir caur......?

[jizzer]

Its worth a couple a Christmases ........ but ah wouldnt trade me cloth cap N whippet .....Ey Bye Gum al si thee.

P.S its the wife's car but shes not avin any of it that the new engine is her chrissy present.......

[Big Kev]

Was the EGR changed too, Neil.......or was it just cleaned, or much worserer.........NEITHER....?

Only wan route tae find oot.......?

[jizzer]

No egr is original ...don't know whether it was cleaned but got a full list of all gaskets o rings and the like fitted ..... Cleaned it my self about 4 months ago will have a look at it in due course if her indoors sees me at it with spinners the day after the new engine she will have a face like a bulldog licking the preferbial from a nettle

[anchorman]

Probably niether. They are not allowed time for that so unless it was blocked at the time and showing a fault code they probably didn't touch it.

[Big Kev]

Probably niether. They are not allowed time for that so unless it was blocked at the time and showing a fault code they probably didn't touch it.

False ecomony then, but costs the dealer nowt........at least 2 others I can remember had gubbert EGR valves extremely soon after new engines. If the engine is carbonated, surely they know the valve will be bowfin' min......?