Over Reving

[caploc]

My wige has a new Auris 1.4 about 8 weeks, on approacking a T junction yesterday when attempting to change down, the engine ran away and red lined. She says the gears could not be moved and braking was innefficient. She had the foresight to turn the car off using the key and use the handbrake. Luckily the car was going in a straight line.... On attempting to restart the car the engine again redlined, 500rpm into the red. On third attempt, engine started normally. Car now with Toyota.

Anyone experience similar and should we be looking for an engine replacement due to it being over revved.

[Jp-Auris]

hmm..i drive a 1.4 auris and havent had this problem..are you sure that you wife is not stepping on the brake and accelerator at the time when shes changing down gears? because the brake and accelerator are pretty close together.

[caploc]

Not too sure really but she has been driving for twenty years and never a problem till now. Even if she did though, I am more worried that the ECU has an intermittent fault and that it could happen again. When she restarted the car it again redlined and went to 7500rpm and I am afraid the engine could be damaged due to this. The Toyota garage rang back today and said that they could not find any faults and want us to collect the car Monday. I am a bit hesitant though as if there is a snag with the ECU, it will most likely happen again. As a matter of interest, I would have thought that the computer diagnostics used by the garage can detect an overspeed of the engine

[T600]

I'd pay a visit to the dealer immediately, and not drive the car until it has been fixed; perhaps have the car trailered to the dealer even.

Last night I heard that a Lexus recently did something similar in a petrol station in Nottingham, and it ended up on its roof as a result. Don't know any more details, but max throttle when you don't want it could be very serious, and you may not get time to turn the engine off with the key.

With regard to a new engine or not, I think I'd at least ask the question. You probably won't get far, but perhaps put in writing the fact that you're not happy about it having red-lined like that, and advise that you're going to be even less happy if at some future date the engine fails prematurely. Might give you some backup if say the engine packs up just after the warranty runs out?

[tippo1983]

a work colleague had a corlloa 2.0 D4D that did the exact same thing. the only difference being your wife had the common sense to switch the engine off. he also had a problem of intermittent power loss don’t know if the two were connected.

[Grippen]

Just for curiosity does your Auris have Auto or Manual transmission?

About the red line well one or 2 won't hurt him much but if continues happening then yes that can be a problem I'm sure many of the engines suffer this kind of tests before they are shipped out the problem is it this keeps happening almost every day.

My opinion is that this is a serious problem but I also guess this happens in Auto transm. cars this is one of the reasons why I don't like Auto we are just too dependent of electronics.