Vvti Knock

[jenko1402]

Hi everyone.

Thanks to the information everyone posted to me on this website i was able to sort my engine knock out for £450, and heres how.

I have a 7 and half year old MR2 with 70,000 miles on the clock.

When i noticed my engine was knocking i was told by many garages that the big ends had gone, and if i kept driving the car it would ''put a leg out of bed'' so to speak.

I got various quotes and was looking at £1,300 labour plus parts, and i really cannot afford that. I also looked at trying to PX the car but it really is worth nothing as it stood with a dodgy engine.

After reading about the extended warrenty on this site i decided to go and see TOYOTA and see if there was any le-way on the 7 years/125,000 miles extended warrenty.

BEWARE - DONT BE FOOLED, THIS IS NOT AN EXTENDED WARRENTY, IT IS A GOOD WILL GESTURE, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT IF OVER 5 YEARS OLD!

As expected there is no le-way what so ever. I even asked to speak to TOYOTA MANUFACTURING and they would not budge, not even on a contribution to the costs,,, i was told;

''The 7years/125,000 miles, is a ''good will gesture'' and we are stricktly sticking to this, where do you draw the line?''.

I personally feel that this is fair enough and so i was back to square 1.

After speaking to the nice chap at my local dealer (Ron Brookes Ilkeston) He said the problem was definatly the SHELLS on the big ends, and it would be worth a go changing them as it is a common problem. The problem starts with the 3rd piston ring, as it sticks, letting oil pass draining the oil leaving the engine dry.

Heres my ROUGH price list

Labour £300

Shells £ 50

oil change and filter £ 40

TOTAL was around £450 inc VAT

The reason this is so cheap is because they do not have to take the engine out. They can simply drop off the sump and get to the engine that way.

TOYOTA had my car for 1 Day,,,,,,,,, YES 1 DAY !!! and i got a courtesy car.

Honestly, since getting my car back, the rattle has gone, and all i have to worry about is bedding the new shells in by driving normally (or slow to me) for 500 miles, then do an engine flush, and refill with new oil.

From there all i have to do is check my oil once every 2 weeks (just to be safe)

If you have read this out of interest, and have a VVTi engine (not just in the MR2) please please please keep checking your oil. My VVTi used a full tank of oil in under 2 months causing this common problem.

Also i would like to add, if TOYOTA find any damage to the CRANK when they will do the job, they will inform you that you need a new engine or continue with the job agree'd and there will be a ZERO warranty. So get it to TOYOTA as soon as you hear the sound or you'll damage the crank! ££££££££££££££££££

I hope people find this helpfull for those who have VVTI's out of the 'good wil gesture'.

£450 is nothing compared to all other options, not too mention the sleepless night i had worrying about all those thousands i would have to spend.

Please let me know if any1 finds this usefull, because i would like to think i have saved someone else the hassel i went through.

Essay over lol

Jenko1402

[JappyBeast]

Ron Brooks is my local Toyota also,

Can you describe this engine knock sound as mine makes a very fait almost clacking sound but I can only hear it with the windows down and driving past a wall!

[fazzer]

Ron Brooks is my local Toyota also,

Can you describe this engine knock sound as mine makes a very fait almost clacking sound but I can only hear it with the windows down and driving past a wall!

Hi

that is alot for labour,you can come to me for the same job at about half the price,10 years experience working on this engine.pm me if interested.Takes about 2-3 hours max

regards

[Karma Supra]

Where did my post go????

In short;

If you had a knock you had metal on metal contact, the journel surfaces will be damaged Just replacing the bearing shells is a bodge and short term fix.

-if the problem really was a failed piston ring, should that have not been addressed first? or was it more a matter of failing to check the oil reguarly?

[McLovin]

agreed with the above post

and just to say you CANNOT bed shells in, there is NOTHING to bed in as it runs on a film of oil

[McLovin]

Ron Brooks is my local Toyota also,

Can you describe this engine knock sound as mine makes a very fait almost clacking sound but I can only hear it with the windows down and driving past a wall!

IF thats coming from the engine, it will be the valvetrain and the shim's out of tolerance, needing to be re-done

[GIDDLEPIN]

Already answered this same post HERE

[JappyBeast]

Ron Brooks is my local Toyota also,

Can you describe this engine knock sound as mine makes a very fait almost clacking sound but I can only hear it with the windows down and driving past a wall!

IF thats coming from the engine, it will be the valvetrain and the shim's out of tolerance, needing to be re-done

Fancy coming for a spin at TOC Xmas meal for a closer look?

[Karma Supra]

That's where my post went

[McLovin]

Ron Brooks is my local Toyota also,

Can you describe this engine knock sound as mine makes a very fait almost clacking sound but I can only hear it with the windows down and driving past a wall!

IF thats coming from the engine, it will be the valvetrain and the shim's out of tolerance, needing to be re-done

Fancy coming for a spin at TOC Xmas meal for a closer look?

Im not going to the xmas doo thingy unfortunatly, but if there are any other meets soon then ill be happy to check it

to ther op/jenko1402 ever thought about selling your car? now might be a good time ;)