Rav 4 Engine Gone Bang?

[splitty63]

Hi Guys,

Cracking forum you have here!. My mum is the owner of a 2000 w reg rav 4 GS 3 dr. Engine has 88k on it, cam belt being done at 71k.

She went to start her up the other morning and there was a loud clattering noise (She describes it as a chain coming off a bike) she immedietly turned the key back. Tried it again 10 secs later and it turns the motor over but sounds very very different.

Got the AA out, and cut a story short it went on the back of a loader to the garage we use (Which have to be the best garage we have ever used, so no worries there)

Cambelt etc is fine, all lining in, tensioned etc, there is a spark and there is fuel. But they have done a compression test and there is NO compression on any cylinder. Does anyone have any ideas? The garage are going to investigate further but they are as puzzled as we are at the moment!

Any comments greatly received, mum is in a hired Ford KA at the moment , we need the toyota back!!

Mark

[bothwell_buyer]

Hi Guys,

Cracking forum you have here!. My mum is the owner of a 2000 w reg rav 4 GS 3 dr. Engine has 88k on it, cam belt being done at 71k.

She went to start her up the other morning and there was a loud clattering noise (She describes it as a chain coming off a bike) she immedietly turned the key back. Tried it again 10 secs later and it turns the motor over but sounds very very different.

Got the AA out, and cut a story short it went on the back of a loader to the garage we use (Which have to be the best garage we have ever used, so no worries there)

Cambelt etc is fine, all lining in, tensioned etc, there is a spark and there is fuel. But they have done a compression test and there is NO compression on any cylinder. Does anyone have any ideas? The garage are going to investigate further but they are as puzzled as we are at the moment!

Any comments greatly received, mum is in a hired Ford KA at the moment , we need the toyota back!!

Mark

Well Mark, I suppose a welcome to this forum greeting is a bit raw, given your problem.

I guess the engine will be a 3sfe, although they changed it to a VVTi engine in the same year.

If its the 3SFE, then its a funny one and I'll be interested to hear whats wrong. The engine block is the same as the 3SGTE and is a strong bit of kit....but I don't know if the crankshaft is the same or has the same bearings.

It almost sounds (guessing out loud) that the crank has broken, or something catastrophic on the camshaft....trying to think of things that affect the compression (other than the compression tester being broke).

Its unusual as these engines are good for 200,000

If its the VVTi, I really don't have any experience with those engines.

[splitty63]

Hi Guys,

Cracking forum you have here!. My mum is the owner of a 2000 w reg rav 4 GS 3 dr. Engine has 88k on it, cam belt being done at 71k.

She went to start her up the other morning and there was a loud clattering noise (She describes it as a chain coming off a bike) she immedietly turned the key back. Tried it again 10 secs later and it turns the motor over but sounds very very different.

Got the AA out, and cut a story short it went on the back of a loader to the garage we use (Which have to be the best garage we have ever used, so no worries there)

Cambelt etc is fine, all lining in, tensioned etc, there is a spark and there is fuel. But they have done a compression test and there is NO compression on any cylinder. Does anyone have any ideas? The garage are going to investigate further but they are as puzzled as we are at the moment!

Any comments greatly received, mum is in a hired Ford KA at the moment , we need the toyota back!!

Mark

Well Mark, I suppose a welcome to this forum greeting is a bit raw, given your problem.

I guess the engine will be a 3sfe, although they changed it to a VVTi engine in the same year.

If its the 3SFE, then its a funny one and I'll be interested to hear whats wrong. The engine block is the same as the 3SGTE and is a strong bit of kit....but I don't know if the crankshaft is the same or has the same bearings.

It almost sounds (guessing out loud) that the crank has broken, or something catastrophic on the camshaft....trying to think of things that affect the compression (other than the compression tester being broke).

Its unusual as these engines are good for 200,000

If its the VVTi, I really don't have any experience with those engines.

Thanks for the reply. I seem to remember the AA guy saying it was a 3SFE engine, as he looked at the number as he used to be a toyota mechanic. We were wondering whether it could be something like the end of the camshaft had sheared off between it and the pully or something.

I think the next thing the garage were going to do was remove the rocker cover to have a look inside...

[bothwell_buyer]

Thanks for the reply. I seem to remember the AA guy saying it was a 3SFE engine, as he looked at the number as he used to be a toyota mechanic. We were wondering whether it could be something like the end of the camshaft had sheared off between it and the pully or something.

I think the next thing the garage were going to do was remove the rocker cover to have a look inside...

Ye - thats another poss. Dunno how the pulley is glued to the camshaft - bad news is this engine is an 'interference' lump as has been said before here. So if the valves don't move in time with the pistons, then bent metal results.

For interest, you can buy 3SFE engines fairly easily as they were fitted to a number of different Toyotas. I think I even have 1 spare still...79000 miles on it before I chose to swap it for another 3SGTE turbo engine. Ironic that that car came up from London and you are in Cambridge (well it is south of Gretna init?)

[shutty]

Water pump seizure making the belt skip a few teeth ???

Had 1 before do that if i remember right

[bothwell_buyer]

Water pump seizure making the belt skip a few teeth ???

Had 1 before do that if i remember right

Thats a good one...

maybe we should run a competition to guess the right answer??

[splitty63]

Water pump seizure making the belt skip a few teeth ???

Had 1 before do that if i remember right

Thats a good one...

maybe we should run a competition to guess the right answer??

Ha! Well, hopefully should be hearing early next week, unless the garage gets onto it earlier, as we know they are busy, and we cant just jump to front of the que, but i will keep you updated. I will mention the ideas to them if they get stuck for ideas, but i think they will find it themselves, hopefully.

[splitty63]

Quick update. The head is now off, all valves are fine, cam still turning etc. Water pump is fine, and all lined up.

Baffling.

[bothwell_buyer]

Quick update. The head is now off, all valves are fine, cam still turning etc. Water pump is fine, and all lined up.

Baffling.

naw

more like bgr ...!

did they try turning the crank over to see if the pistons turn to suit?

In the good old days, there used to be a cast plug in the block which if I remember sometimes cracked...wonder if its something similar? Just seems so weird having no compression.

[anchorman]

I don't know if I would have taken the head off without a bit more investigative surgery.

I would like to have turned the engine with the cam cover and belt cover off. The cam belt turns the left or rear cam and a drive gear turns the second cam. If turn the crank and the pistons move you now need to turn the left/rear cam and see that both cams turn. It is possible that a drive key has sheared and one isn't turning even though the front pulley is. I would have liked to have seen No 1 piston at the top with both inlet and exhaust cams on thier backs just to see they were reasonably well timed. You will have to do it all seperately now.

Good luck!

[splitty63]

Hi Guys,

Well, good news, the rav is all ready to be picked up tomorrow morning!. They just want to start her up tomorrow morning after a cold night to make sure all is ok.

Now im sure you all want to know what the problem was.....

None of the exhaust valves were closing/seating due to carbon build up. The garage said they have had a lot examples of this before with all different makes of car, they say its down to supermarket forcourts fuel. So we wont be buying fuel from them in the future, they said one name which was the worst offender but i wont post which...

So there you have, nothing to do with the car itself, just the one thing it needs to run!.

Mark

[Hoovie]

Hi Guys,

Well, good news, the rav is all ready to be picked up tomorrow morning!. They just want to start her up tomorrow morning after a cold night to make sure all is ok.

Now im sure you all want to know what the problem was.....

None of the exhaust valves were closing/seating due to carbon build up. The garage said they have had a lot examples of this before with all different makes of car, they say its down to supermarket forcourts fuel. So we wont be buying fuel from them in the future, they said one name which was the worst offender but i wont post which...

So there you have, nothing to do with the car itself, just the one thing it needs to run!.

Mark

Or as the illustrious Anchorman likes to call it ....

Supermarket Weasel Pee

I think you should give us a clue ... First letter of the name?

[anchorman]

I'll try to help with a clue;

Tesco

Morrisons

Sainsbury's

Any other budget brand.

They do not contain the additives that stabilise the premium brands. The "super" petrol is probably OK which only puts them on parr with prices elswhere but non of the supermarkets do premium diesel. The noise mine makes with supermarket diesel is horrendous.

[Hoovie]

you cynic :D

for some reason, I thought Sainsbury's Fuel was one of the main premium brand just rebadged

I will have to change my habits as I do use Sainsburys if not near a Shell :(

[anchorman]

you cynic :D

for some reason, I thought Sainsbury's Fuel was one of the main premium brand just rebadged

I will have to change my habits as I do use Sainsburys if not near a Shell :(

You could use the higher grade petrol but they don't give us that choice.

[Hoovie]

Well, another tank of Shell in yesterday (96.9p/litre) - I was trying out the V-Power to see it was making any difference whie the free model car promo was going, but nothing noticable as far as driving and economy goes, so reverted back to standard Unleaded.

[bothwell_buyer]

A rep from Esso explained to me years ago about supermarket fuel and the lack of additives. Its ok to run now and again but at least 1 tank in 2 should be branded stuff.

I only use Shell vpower for the turbo engine - it makes a difference compared to the lower octane, but then so does nitrous! :lol: