Failure After J02 Recall - Discussion Threads

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Not good, of course.

What evidence is pointing to being the recall and not something else? I didn't see anything obvious, almost sounded like a brake or traction system issue.

I would think a fire under the hood that is coming out the wheel wells would do a number on the traction and ABS sensors?


Need a "holy shit" button for that one.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

I would think a fire under the hood that is coming out the wheel wells would do a number on the traction and ABS sensors?


Need a "holy shit" button for that one.

Anytime there is a speed discrepancy between the front and rear wheels you will get a traction light. When the engine blows the rear wheels will stop rotating causing a speed discrepancy and loss of traction in the rear.

Video is worth a thousand words. Notice the tire smoke before the fire.:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpZsZimnwtg[/ame]

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by ermax

When the engine blows on a RWD car you will end up with rear traction problems. Which is why Toyota is concerned about the "stalling" engine in the first place..

Understood, but my question is what caused the fire? I've had an engine blow before (actually two) and the symptoms were not as described.

I'm not saying it wasn't the valve issue, but I'm just asking what evidence there is that it was. The "popping" sound heard was down the list of events, and could have been anything. In both cases where I had a blown engine, the noise comes first, then the other issues.

If it was the work done on the recall, then that needs to be discovered, but we also don't need to assume that is the cause.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by ermax

Anytime there is a speed discrepancy between the front and rear wheels you will get a traction light. When the engine blows the rear wheels will stop rotating causing a speed discrepancy and loss of traction in the rear.

Even in the video the rear wheels did not stop rotating, it looks like they ended up in the oil, which caused a skid.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ermax

When the engine blows on a RWD car you will end up with rear traction problems. Which is why Toyota is concerned about the "stalling" engine in the first place.

I hope he tells the insurance company about the recall so they know where to recoup their money.

Or give them an excuse to try and say it isn't their problem!

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

I would think a fire under the hood that is coming out the wheel wells would do a number on the traction and ABS sensors?


Need a "holy shit" button for that one.

Ya but he had traction issues well before he said the engine blew. I think there were several factors at work there not just a bearing spinning.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Turbo

This thread is SUPPOSED to be a place to document failures after the J02 recall being performed.

Not about "nam" stories, questions about idiot lights or anything else. All that shit does is piss people off who are trying to stay informed about this.


SO- would it be possible for an admin to delete all the useless shit in this thread and get it back on track? Perhaps post a disclaimer on page 1 that ONLY those affected are to post & comment.

Additional threads could be opened for EACH specific recall related failure for ppl to discuss with others here, but this thread as it currently stands just wastes time and pisses people off who are looking for FACTS.

There has been some significant press given to these failures in the past week and anyone coming here to research the issue will be greeted by this garbage.

You're right, @Turbo . My story, like all of my stories, was out of place.

I'll try to do better -


humfrz

[ermax]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Even in the video the rear wheels did not stop rotating, it looks like they ended up in the oil, which caused a skid.

I see tire smoke, hook then explosion. If you are in gear and it blows then the wheels will decelerate rapidly. Not all engine failures would be as dramatic though. A spun rod bearing for example isn't going to seize the engine but some people may still call that a blown engine. A valve spring braking, dropping a valve, hitting a piston, throwing a rod, putting a hole in the block, dropping oil and then exploding is probably what Toyota/Subaru wanted to avoid though.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Ya but he had traction issues well before he said the engine blew. I think there were several factors at work there not just a bearing spinning.

He is assuming it wasn't already failing. Also, how many times can you recall exactly what happens and the sequence when it comes to stuff like that. I just don't see the brakes failing in the rear causing the rear to lose traction and then blowing up the car. Hahaha

Whether the recall caused the engine to blow is the only thing debatable IMO.

[venturaII]

In the case of the car fire, I suspect the engine didn't blow at all. I'd be much more suspicious of shoddy assembly work causing an oil or fuel leak, eventually resulting in the underhood fire which likely started miles earlier, and eventually destroyed the wiring harness enough to cause the ECU and associated braking systems to start freaking out and their subsequent failures. At any rate, another case of poor dealer workmanship.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by venturaII

In the case of the car fire, I suspect the engine didn't blow at all. I'd be much more suspicious of shoddy assembly work causing an oil or fuel leak, eventually resulting in the underhood fire which likely started miles earlier, and eventually destroyed the wiring harness enough to cause the ECU and associated braking systems to start freaking out and their subsequent failures. At any rate, another case of poor dealer workmanship.

If it happened within 50 miles I would agree.. not 2000 miles in though. My bet is on a thrown rod.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by venturaII

In the case of the car fire, I suspect the engine didn't blow at all. I'd be much more suspicious of shoddy assembly work causing an oil or fuel leak, eventually resulting in the underhood fire which likely started miles earlier, and eventually destroyed the wiring harness enough to cause the ECU and associated braking systems to start freaking out and their subsequent failures. At any rate, another case of poor dealer workmanship.

Or one of a hundred other things that could have caused an underhood fire....

[venturaII]

Originally Posted by ermax

If it happened within 50 miles I would agree.. not 2000 miles in though. My bet is on a thrown rod.

I disagree. With a catastrophic engine failure, the first hint at trouble would have been a whole lot of bad noise, followed by the rest of his symptoms, not the other way around. The FRS owner describes the event as the first time he'd taken the car on an extended drive (3+ hours) since the recall work had been done. A slow leak might not get hot enough to the point of combustion on a daily highway commute, but certainly could on a spirited extended ride through canyon country.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by ermax

He is assuming it wasn't already failing. Also, how many times can you recall exactly what happens and the sequence when it comes to stuff like that. I just don't see the brakes failing in the rear causing the rear to lose traction and then blowing up the car. Hahaha

Whether the recall caused the engine to blow is the only thing debatable IMO.

If indeed the engine went first I don't think that the recall being the cause is debatable at all. It would almost certainly be the cause. He was pretty specific with his chain of events though.


Nothing saying that the braking issues and the engine blowing were the same thing even if they did happen at the same event.


But...


The downshift may have been the last straw for the engine. All the other reported failures were far less dramatic with just spun bearings. None of them were lifting hoods. If he spun a bearing at the beginning of the events and then down shifted he could very well have thrown a rod and caused the engine to blow, spew oil and burn. THAT I have seen happen at the strip more than once.