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Toyota Celica (Hatchbacks / All Years)

1543 messages,  Last post on May 02, 2013 at 11:26 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Celica, Coupe, Hatchback

Messages Page 127 of 155

#1261 of 1543 2000 Celica GT with huge oil consumption problem by rjsavino

May 09, 2005 (3:59 pm)

My celica first had an engine light go bad at about 58K miles. My dealer looked into it and found the cat converter needed to be replaced (just an emissions issue). Since that point forward, my oil consumption, which was completely normal, shot down to approx 2 to 3 quarts every 1K miles. At 81K now, and my dealer is telling me I have to replace the engine at $3500 (says the "scope" his technician used tells him the rings are shot and the cylinders are leaking and immediately burning oil on usage). I've seen many postings about a Celica oil burning problem and a replacement engine as the fix. I don't feel I should be responsible for paying for what looks to be a material defect in this car. The dealer stated he knew of no other oil burning problems in 2000+ Celica's, but he will follow up with Toyota to double-check. What can I do, is there any information on this being a material defect?

#1262 of 1543 rjsavino by nippononly

May 09, 2005 (5:16 pm)

I have never heard of this being a car with problem engines, the block in the GT is the same engine they use in the Corolla since 1998, after all. If you drove away from that cat converter replacement at 58K miles, and it LITERALLY started the heavy oil consumption right away, then you probably had some type of big compression problem that the computer had detected, which was the original reason for the CEL. Remember, large-scale oil burning will plug the cat up quickly. If the car was at 58K when it happened, and was less than 60 months old at the time, then if I were you I would take all my repair records and the car straight down to the nearest Toyota dealer and explain the situation. If they are unsympathetic because they did not perform the repairs, take it to the next level (usually regional rep). It may be that Toyota will cover it if the proper maintenance has been done and the repair would have been covered under warranty if you had only gone to a Toyota dealer in the first place.
 
OK, having said all that, I have to ask: why did you just drive it like that for almost 25K miles? You would have had a much better case if you had gotten it straightened out right away at the time.

#1263 of 1543 Re: rjsavino [nippononly] by rjsavino

May 09, 2005 (7:07 pm)

Replying to: nippononly (May 09, 2005 5:16 pm)
Thanks.
 
Answers:
It was under warranty with the cat replacement. I drove it for 20K miles because I reported the problem at 70K (at about 63K I noticed the problem but it was manageable at that time), but they made me go back on 3 separate occasions to ensure the oil was really burning (presumably to ensure I was not making it up).
 
The dealer did perform the cat repairs, but they are unwilling to make any correlation to the fully blown cat at 58K and the oil problems that started thereafter. They said the systems are unrelated, and replacing the CAT has nothing to do (even positionally in the engine, like replacing the CAT couldn't have caused them to put the engine back together wrong) with the blown rings.
 
Proper maintenance has been done and I have it all documented
 
Questions:
What is CEL?
How can I approach them with the correlation you mention between the blown cat and oil consumption?
How do I escalate, the owner of the dealership, whom do I contact thereafter? Even if this is out of warranty, do I not have a case that I need a new engine at between 60 and 80K?

#1264 of 1543 A TLA... by ed_scott0013

May 09, 2005 (8:26 pm)

CEL = Check Engine Light

#1265 of 1543 answers by nippononly

May 09, 2005 (8:41 pm)

yes, you have a case, but it is a weak case. If you didn't notice oil consumption until 5K miles later, and it was only a small ("manageable") amount until 70K, then the two things are unrelated.
 
So then what do you have? You have what you say is a well-maintained engine, WITH RECORDS (which is very much in your favor), that has only 83K and needs a ring job - very unusual for a Toyota. What you do is, you go back to the Toyota dealer and ask to speak to the service manager. You explain how well cared for the car is, how it seems very early for the engine to need new rings, and how you would like some "good will" assistance with the repairs.
 
He/she will say no.
 
You then ask for contact info for the regional representative. They will give you a phone number and hopefully an e-mail address. You contact them, and make a very convincing argument for how well the car has been maintained, and how you are deeply shocked, hurt even, that it needs such an early and expensive repair. They will schedule a date and time to come and inspect it. In the meantime, they will be in touch with the service department, which will provide them with the diagnosis on your engine.
 
If at any stage you get put off, Toyota also has a nationwide 800 number you can call to try and get a response. Toyota has in the past been good about going beyond the warranty when it comes to major stuff like this that shouldn't happen. But the car does have almost 85K miles, so don't expect miracles. And if the car is in any way not stock, or there is evidence of racing, forget it.

#1266 of 1543 Re: answers [nippononly] by rjsavino

May 10, 2005 (4:33 pm)

Replying to: nippononly (May 09, 2005 8:41 pm)
Well,
The dealer did not budge.. so I have to try the 800 number. The dealer did (off the record) recommend thicker and frequent oil additions and "engine restore" liquid that may "coat" the engine to hold oil better. He said I could get another 60K miles out of it assuming the rings are worn vs. cracked (since he didn't open it up yet to know). Since I have no noticable symptons, I can get by, and I would know when the symptons start coming, and will need to replace the engine anyways at that point. Does this sound like a viable option? Does anyone think it is possible I will get another 60K out of this engine assuming worn vs. cracked rings?

#1267 of 1543 rjsavino by nippononly

May 10, 2005 (9:55 pm)

Are you really consuming a quart of oil every 350 miles? If so, and you are not blowing smoke all over the road, I would dump it quicker than a heartbeat. But try calling the national assistance number first, see if you can get any help there.
 
And if you are in any way thinking of keeping it, get a second opinion on the oil problem. Generally speaking, those "engine restore" additives don't do much for very long.

#1268 of 1543 New - Celica GT 2000 by cleangt

May 11, 2005 (7:10 pm)

Hey,
 
I just got a 2000 celica. The car has 66k miles and I want to give it a tune up.
 
I got 4 Denso iridium spak plugs, a K & N air filter, I'm going to Mobil1 Sythetic and I just need recomendations on good spark plug wires. Is there anything else I'm missing, any recomendation? Does anyone use anytype of additives? (eg. Lucus motor oil stabilizer}
 
Another question is, when going from normal oil to sythetic oil, should I do a GUNK engine wash before I change the oil and how long should you wait before the first oil change going from sythetic to sythetic.

#1269 of 1543 GT-S in Germany by jojofries

May 25, 2005 (4:22 pm)

Whats up all, I have always been a fan of the 2000 series celicas and right now am in desperate need of a car. Right now there are three prospects here in germany with american specs (so i can take it home). They all have the power moonroof, alloy wheels, leather interior and antilock breaks. The first is a 2001 model with 25K on it going for $16K. The second is a 2004 model going for $21k with 31,000 miles on it. The third is a 2004 going for $22,995 with 10k. Being a soldier stationed in germany its hard to find a used car deal, especially when you want american specs. Any suggestions?

#1270 of 1543 replies by guitarzan

May 26, 2005 (2:09 pm)

Hi Cleangt. As far as wires, I'm sure any premium wires will do. I don't know too much about these things, but one factor is length. A good shop like Summit Racing may have a good recommendation for a quality wire, one that has accurate lengths, etc.
 
No, do not use any additives. They are snake oil and a waste of money.
 
Oil change intervals seem to be personal preferences. I am pretty confident that synthetic lasts longer than petrol-oil. That is why I use it. On the contrary, these double and dual cam engines are more sophisticated, and one definitely wants to keep them clean. Depending on my mood I go from 4000 to 6000 between changes for my GTS.
 
Do not wash the engine. It probably will not hurt, but it basically washes the oil off of all the moving parts, and is a waste of money.
 
If the oil on your new car looks completely black, then change the oil, drive it around a couple miles, and change it and the filter again. You may wish to use petroleum oil for the first change to save money.
 
Jojofries, if you get the 2001, you'll have a lot of extra cash to put on custom wheels, new tires, satellite radio, and fill it with the best gas you can find. The newer model would be better for resale value in a handful of years. What does your pocketbook tell you to do? What does your heart say? Are they in agreement, or at odds?

Messages Page 127 of 155

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