engine rattle

GSB · February 5, 2004, 17:28

Ive changed a few engines in cars, usually single handed, and as long as you are methodical and plan each move in advance, its not to difficult. The key is to have plenty of patience, or else you get hasty and break things, and hire a decent engine lift. The MR2 doesn't look to bad, I've seen engine installations that are an awful lot worse...

Tem · February 5, 2004, 18:18

Quote from: "markiii"anyone care to comment, I've never had an engone changed?

I had...but it was a RWD Celica, where the guy just pretty much unplugged the wires and lift the engine up...that was about 100 euros.

Don't have an idea about how much harder MR2 actually is, but shouldn't be much of a problem to a garage with good lifts...

Anonymous · February 10, 2004, 10:55

Whats really annoying is that I love the car, and if Toyota were any kind of professional outfit they would have had this car fixed months ago, and I would still be able to enjoy it !!

Anonymous · February 18, 2004, 10:00

Oh well, car is booked in from Monday. Hopefully I will be proven wrong and they will do a great job and fix the car completely this visit !!

DAZ400 · February 18, 2004, 17:57

I may be wrong but the engine drops out of the car through the botom after the drive train is removed. Also sounds like the dealer you are using are not very clever, I might have tried to hold out for a complete new engine and cats to be fitted, I know this was done for a customer in MK. Good luck I hope it goes well...... s:D

s:D

Anonymous · February 19, 2004, 11:33

Picked up car yesterday afternoon, apparently they needed the car all day to conduct extensive diagnosis, the result of which is they tell me the car has a sensor fault!!!

Anyway, error code is P0175 which Markiii confirms as:
> P0175 System Too Rich (Bank 2)

Car is booked in next Monday, so hopefully this time they will manage to fix it.

Anonymous · March 1, 2004, 10:37

Dealer called me on Friday to say they were now waiting for Toyota to authorise warranty work, which when it is authorised they can order, but soonest it would be with them is Tuesday.

Finally the Field Service manager has promised to inspect and roadtest the car to ensure it is completely fine before I get it back this time.

Anonymous · March 4, 2004, 11:07

Just had another call from the dealer.

They have put the engine back together (round of applause?), but apparently don't think they can fit this and inspect it by tomorrow, so need the car till next week.

They want the loan car back on Monday morning, as they need it during the day, but say I can have it back for the evening.

I really hope the car has no more problems after all this, as its gone well past ridiculous I think.

aaronjb · March 4, 2004, 11:10

Quote from: "jblackmore"They have put the engine back together (round of applause?), but apparently don't think they can fit this and inspect it by tomorrow, so need the car till next week.

Good grief.. It'd be nice to think they'll use that extra time to do the job properly but.. We know what these places can be like! Silly really, I'm sure any one of us could refit & test the engine in less than a day!

Taking the courtesy car off you is just incredible too - afterall, it's not your fault the work is running on!

s:evil: :evil: s:evil:

Anonymous · March 4, 2004, 11:14

Quote from: "jblackmore"They want the loan car back on Monday morning, as they need it during the day, but say I can have it back for the evening.

I agree with aaron, tell 'em to f-off. The fact they ain't got a loan car is their problem, not yours.

GSB · March 4, 2004, 11:26

Quote from: "phil4"
Quote from: "jblackmore"They want the loan car back on Monday morning, as they need it during the day, but say I can have it back for the evening.

I agree with aaron, tell 'em to f-off. The fact they ain't got a loan car is their problem, not yours.

Indeed. Or you could tell them they are more than welcome to come and pick it up, its in Aberdeen...

Anonymous · March 10, 2004, 09:20

Just wanted to post an update as finally, subject to an inspection this morning by the Toyota Field Service Manager, I should be able to pickup my car this afternoon.

I am pretty disgusted with the duration and hassle, effort and frustration which I have had to endure over two pretty minor issues, a small split in the hood, and a loud engine rattle.

ToyotaGB are a complete joke, have made it very clear that they have no interest in customer problems, and have told me "we are not here to assist with problems, we are only trying to mediate for the dealer". Having said that phoning them twice a day was the only way I finally got a Field Service Manager involved, which was the only reason I think we have even got this far.

GSB · March 10, 2004, 09:56

Its a damn shame you feel that way James, as the sad truth is that its not just Toyota GB who are guilty of poor customer service... If I didn't know better, I'd say its now a common corporate policy to fob you off as long as possible in the knowledge that eventually you'll give up and go away.

It seems to be very commonplace these days, you buy an item in good faith, but if it goes wrong its tough luck unless you can be bothered to do the legwork and sort it out. Just about every major item I've bought in the last 6 years, from cars to houses to tv's to washing machines, has required some stern letter writing, numerous delays, hours on hold, and never speaking to the same person twice... Real stress raisers.

I have to say though, that of all the aftersales organsiations I've dealt with, including Sony, Phillips, Hotpoint, Zanussi, Wimpey, Toyota, Peugeot, Ford, Karcher, CPM maintenance, and numerous others, My knackered Toyota gearbox was the easiest of the bunch. (The worst has without doubt been Hotpoint - Never, ever again will they see a penny of my hard earned...)

Perhaps given time to cool off, you'll re-consider, or maybe even drop a 2ZZ in instead... s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Anonymous · March 10, 2004, 16:22

I appreciate crap customer service has become the norm, but I still don't understand when Toyota have spent years trying to build up a good reputation, and clearly trade on their reliability, that they can't sort out ToyotaGB (who they own), and the dealers (who they should have control over) so jobs are done right first time, and in the (hopefully rare) cases where mistakes are made, they are swiftly and painlessly resolved.

I genuinely hope I can get over this, as I love the car and there is honestly no other car I would change it for out of choice (I don't like any of the MX5/S2000/MGF, can't afford a Boxster, Elise is too impractical). If I have to change the car due to problems I will probably get some boring hatchback (Leon diesel cupra probably), and drive everywhere with cruise on.

Just had a call to say they will finish the car today, it failed the FSM inspection so they are sorting out the things he picked up.

Hopefully it will be OK and I will breath a HUGE sigh of relief and look forward to some good weather this summer, and getting back to buzzing around country roads with the top down and a huge grin on my face !

Anonymous · March 11, 2004, 09:46

Just to update this, hopefully for the last time.

Sounds like the Toyota FSM spent most of the day checking over my car, and after a few small issues were corrected, it has been given a clean bill of health.

I went for a drive last night (first non-esential drive in 6 months) and the car seems fine.

I am extremely relieved to have hopefully got this problem corrected, and whilst I am still angry that it took so long, and with ToyotaGB who basically refuse to get involved despite several phone calls and written complaints, none of which were ever replied to, at least hopefully the car is now fixed.

My advice to anyone else who has a recurring problem with a dealer is to phone Toyota Customer Services twice a day, fax them every other day and barrage them with calls until they get the dealer to request a Field Service Manager to visit, as clearly the dealers do not want to attract any attention from these (they also review all their warranty claims I think).

Good luck !

Anonymous · March 23, 2004, 11:49

Error code was P0172 (engine too rich), at 3mph, the Toyota fitter cleared the code and started the engine, error came again instantly. Some pointless head scratching and I suggested they clean the air flow meter as a possible, which they did as I stood over them, and this cleared the error, quick test drive and still seemed OK, so off I trot.

Have only done a few journeys but light is staying off, I really hope this was an unrelated one off, and won't re-occur as it is very annoying to have my new found confidence in the car dented so quickly.

Anonymous · March 23, 2004, 12:00

You have to tell 'em which bolts, what to do about the engine code... everything.

Ever thought of charging them consultancy?

Tem · March 23, 2004, 12:23

Quote from: "jblackmore"Also, my girlfriend found an orange/clear plastic film thing in the passenger locker, which looks like some kind of waterproofing from somewhere.

Yeah, I'm not really what it's supposed to cover, but it's on top of the wires that go behind the plastic panels between the lockers and the side of the car.

Maybe it's supposed to cover the wires from random drips of water. Not sure, but I left it there, cause there must be a reason for it...sorry, don't have any pics to better show the position.

Anonymous · March 23, 2004, 12:47

Thanks Tem, I thought it would be something like this. I wonder if this was done when the roof work was done, I have barely used the car since August due to its frequent trips to the dealer, so this could have been sitting at the bottom of the locker since then.

Oh joy, another thing to try to sort out ! I assume if this waterproofing is missing then any problems near it will be refused under extended warranty.

GSB · March 23, 2004, 13:49

Heres a pic of the aformentioned orange/clear plastic thing in my car, where it fits over the bank of relays and wiring on the passenger side (top right of frame):

hope that helps... s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Anonymous · May 4, 2005, 11:50

Just to update this, thankfully, I have had no more problems since all this hassle 14 months ago, car has done about 9000 miles with no problems which has been a real relief.

I took the car back to dealer to have them refit the plastic water shield they had thrown in the bin, and checked this was done properly, and they did this without fuss or charge.

I tried another dealer for the service/MOT in November last year, who were even worse than my local dealer - MOT was completed for wrong date, and they refused to re-issue it without the original returned, they hadn't checked the list of 4 things I asked them to (list was left with the servicebook), also had charged me for changing brake and clutch fluid, but I don't think they had done this as brakes were as spongy as before - they took the car back a week later for a day and claimed the fluid was all fine, but brakes and clutch were much better after this 'check' so I suspect they realised they hadn't changed fluids and only did it on this second visit.

As the car has been fine since, I have really enjoyed driving it again, so not sure what I will do in November when the extended warranty expires, I am reluctant to extent Toyota extended warranty again as it ties me to the useless main dealers!!