Finally, my pre-cats failed! Or so I'm guessing...

so.simple · May 23, 2005, 13:32

I was already feeling a bit like not really being a member of the club, because even though I've already had an engine blow up in smoke, I never had my pre-cats failing! Now that I guess that has changed I truly feel like a member of the club! s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Yesterday, while travelling on the highway, the car started to lose speed. Thinking I could be having some kind of fuel surge (I only had less than a quarter tank), I immediatly got off of the throttle and put the car in neutral. The engine kept running smoothly. Thankfully, I was less than a kilometer away from a petrol station, so I just coasted there. I filled it up completely and restarted the engine. The engine started up fine, I gave it a blip or two of throtlle and everything looked fine.

The surprise came when I put the car in gear and tried to drive: it can't climb above 2000 RPM, and makes a weird muzzled clattering sound... I shut off the engine and called for assistance and got my car transported back home.

What do you think? It really does looks like pre-cats, right?

I called Toyota in Portugal and they'll take care of it. I was told not to worry. I have to admit, that even though their service is being better than I expected, I am becoming a bit "annoyed" with all this situation. I didn't buy a sports car to be forced to repeatdly having to bail out of my weekend getways only to discover the joys of being "towed" back home... s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Anonymous · May 23, 2005, 13:39

Sorry to hear of your trouble.... From what I've read on here, it sure sounds like pre-cats.

roger · May 23, 2005, 13:40

Yeh, hard luck Carlos. Lets hope you've caught it before its done any engine damage...but there again, who knows?

Any precats (especially of your sort of age) need regular checking that they have not cracked (or whatever). A bit of a guess here, but you have played hard with the car, that may well have finished them off.

More of a warning to others.

You weren't trying to increase your acceleration were you s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

kanujunkie · May 23, 2005, 14:11

Carlos, sorry to here that chap, hope you get your pride and joy back soon

Anonymous · May 23, 2005, 15:27

Sorry to hear that Carlos. In my opinion the only good pre-cat is a gutted one. Good luck with it.

Anonymous · May 23, 2005, 17:18

sorry too hear about yet another failure, i know exactly of your woes having had a pre cat failure earlier this year

Ernie Ball · May 23, 2005, 19:03

May I ask how many miles (or km) were on your car?

so.simple · May 23, 2005, 19:07

Quote from: "Ernie Ball"May I ask how many miles (or km) were on your car?

Total: About 80000Km
Since last rebuild: 20000Km
Since last service: 5000Km

Tem · May 23, 2005, 21:21

Welcome to the club! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 00:33

Carlos, my friend, according to your sig:

Quote00 Black, Leather, HT, AC, 16" AEZ ICON5 Wheels with Falken's FK451, Scion/Pioneer MP3 H/U, GPS Nav., J-Spec'd, Red Calipers with white Spyder decals, Mongo's Wind Deflectors, Clear repeaters, Corky's Anti-flex Plate, Che's Front Member Braces, Cusco FSB, H&S Inlet Duct, MWR Cruise Control and TRD: Gearknob, Oil filler cap and Air and Oil Filters.

So the question bears asking, seeing as how you're driving an '00 with high miles, and seeing as how you obviously know a great deal about your Spyder and you're a regular follower of these boards an' everything, and considering that you've put a lot of work into your car, why in the world were you driving around with precats on your motor?

My assistant and I are sorry to hear of your situation and we wish you a speedy return to the road.

heathstimpson · May 24, 2005, 05:47

Yes, bad luck Carlos. As mentioned earlier gut those precats as soon as you get it back just in case s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

so.simple · May 24, 2005, 08:55

Quote from: "southerneditor"why in the world were you driving around with precats on your motor?

There's always a reason. In my case, it is the fact the the engine / pre-cats / main cat have been swaped 20000Km ago (back in September). Toyota gave me a 2 year warranty on all of the parts swapped with the condition that I don't fiddle with them. That's my reason. s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Anonymous · May 24, 2005, 09:01

Quote from: "so.simple"
Quote from: "southerneditor"why in the world were you driving around with precats on your motor?

There's always a reason. In my case, it is the fact the the engine / pre-cats / main cat have been swaped 20000Km ago (back in September). Toyota gave me a 2 year warranty on all of the parts swapped with the condition that I don't fiddle with them. That's my reason. s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

Good reason, shame that Toyota don't recognise that these precats are the problem. Suppose it is just cheaper for them to fix each individual case s:(

s:( .

so.simple · May 24, 2005, 11:32

OK... I just arrived from Toyota Portugal Headquarters. They'll swap the main cat and gut the pre-cats. The mechanic that was assigned to take care of it is the 2004 winner of the "European Toyota Mechanical Olympics", so it seems the car is in good hands. He thinks the engine should be ok for the time being... If it starts losing oil or goes "Caboom!", they'll even consider a 2ZZ-GE swap, with me paying for the difference. Lets wait and see.

While I was there, the Marketing Manager was keeping me accompanied and the car should be ready tomorrow. How's that for service?

Bongo · May 24, 2005, 11:37

Did they tell you what they think the cause was?

so.simple · May 24, 2005, 11:45

I didn't ask. Track-day pops into my mind... All that hard revving upto 7000 RPM can't have done any good. s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

kanujunkie · May 24, 2005, 11:46

Quote from: "so.simple"OK... I just arrived from Toyota Portugal Headquarters. They'll swap the main cat and gut the pre-cats. The mechanic that was assigned to take care of it is the 2004 winner of the "European Toyota Mechanical Olympics", so it seems the car is in good hands. He thinks the engine should be ok for the time being... If it starts losing oil or goes "Caboom!", they'll even consider a 2ZZ-GE swap, with me paying for the difference. Lets wait and see.

well, alls well that ends well then and at least they've removed the bits that matter and swapped the other one out and in a way lets hope for an early death of the of the 1zz for something better

kanujunkie · May 24, 2005, 11:49

Quote from: "so.simple"I didn't ask. Track-day pops into my mind... All that hard revving upto 7000 RPM can't have done any good. s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

dont say that, i'm off on a track day soon s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

but really though Carlos, i cant imagine thats the cause, i drive mine to the redline every day and have covered over 30k with no hassles, i've gotta be starting to think it's just pure bad luck or bad manufactueuring of the parts

so.simple · May 24, 2005, 11:58

To be honest, I don't have a clue, was only guessing. You could be right though. Probably just bad manufacturing combined with bad luck, which I have plenty.

After all the horror stories I've read aboout this issure here and on SpyderChat, I'm really thankfull that Toyota in Portugal seems to be an honest company acting in good faith.

kanujunkie · May 24, 2005, 12:02

Quote from: "so.simple"After all the horror stories I've read aboout this issure here and on SpyderChat, I'm really thankfull that Toyota in Portugal seems to be an honest company acting in good faith.

makes a change for once, i know for one that mine are a bunch of crooks out for themselves only s:evil: :evil: s:evil:

Tem · May 24, 2005, 12:07

Quote from: "kanujunkie"
Quote from: "so.simple"I didn't ask. Track-day pops into my mind... All that hard revving upto 7000 RPM can't have done any good. s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

dont say that, i'm off on a track day soon s:shock: :shock: s:shock:

I guess this is a good time to mention that mine blew soon after a trackday as well s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:

(no idea if it had anything to do with it though)

kanujunkie · May 24, 2005, 12:11

oh great s:(

s:( , well at least i've got a place on the gutting meet the week after, fingers crossed now s:? :? s:?

Tem · May 24, 2005, 12:23

Quote from: "kanujunkie"oh great s:( s:( , well at least i've got a place on the gutting meet the week after, fingers crossed now s:? :? s:?

I thought you already did that? (your sig says "gutted pre-cats")

Just check them after the trackday and you should be just fine s8)

s8)

so.simple · May 24, 2005, 12:24

Quote from: "Tem"
Quote from: "kanujunkie"oh great s:( s:( , well at least i've got a place on the gutting meet the week after, fingers crossed now s:? :? s:?

I thought you already did that? (your sig says "gutted pre-cats")

Just check them after the trackday and you should be just fine s8) s8)

It also says "Soon" s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

so.simple · May 24, 2005, 12:25

I would be great if one of you guys in the UK could organize a group buy to have a couple of these manufactured: http://www.spydermagazine.com/2002/August/Cyclops/cyclops.htm
Of course, we'd have to include ear-plugs in the group buy. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

Just for the trackdays! s8)

s8)