some advice needed about non starting car

abbas5001

Hello there,

I was hoping to get some advice about a conundrum i have with my Toyota Avensis 56 plate D-4D. A few months ago i noticed the engine temp gauge was heading north, i checked the coolant and there was nothing there so i added more but at the end of my journey this was gone too. I was told by my local garage the head gasket has gone and this would cost in the region £800-£1000 and they can't guarantee that as the cylinder head may have gone which will cost even more. The car is only worth i am guessing around 2k as it has a dent at the side where someone hit me!

Anyway i couldn't afford the repair at the time and have been saving up but now it has completely stopped and will not start.

Someone mentioned to me a new engine would solve the problem so i contacted the local scrappy who quite me £200, which i thought was megacheap. However, the mechanic says that engine is likely to have the same or some other problem so it is a big risk, he said to get a guaranteed one but this would be more expensive.

I have got a few quotes for guaranteed engines and they range from £800-1800 inc vat. What concerns me is a guarantee in some cases is not even worth the paper is is written on if the dealer sends me a dodgy engine anyway and then refuses to deal with the problem and then i would have to claim from the credit card company and back to square 1.

Do you guys think this is a viable option? What is the alternative, on the one hand the car i guess is knackered but it seems such a waste giving it away for scrap for like £200. Is there any other way i could maximize a sale by selling anon-starter?

Any friendly help appreciated!

arcon5

I'd expect that price to include the head being sent away to be skimmed to be honest.

How much is the garage looking to charge to fit a new engine? It is a big risk, but if you can get one fitted for £300-£400 it may at least start long enough to go to auction or sell privately. Could well go on to run for a long time after, but that's the risk you take.

Otherwise sell as HG failure on eBay. Might get a few hundred quid for it.

New_and_Improved_Me

When you say it will not start at all, can you be a little more clear.

Have you checked the engine oil and is it frothy - ie mixed with water.

Before it stooped starting altogether - How long did you run it with a dodgy head gasket?

All these question can make a big difference as to whether you need a new engine or just a head gasket sorting.

Ive had head gasket failure in the past, normally a gasket failure will NOT kill the engine. It just needs sorting and the Head skimming 4/5 hundred or a if you have a mate who is a mechanic than the cost of parts and a pint or two. J

Needing a new engine, all depends how long you drove it without noticing the issue or ignoring it.

Westmead_Fan

do these engines suffer with cracked cylinder heads???

the car is not worth alot as it stands, but to buy a reconditioned engine will cost you alot even before fitting it. i presume you need a car but if you don't fix the avensis can you work out & afford to buy another car?

colino

The local scrappy has given you sound advice, he clearly knows how hit or miss these engines are. Additionally by driving it around for months you have pretty much made sure both the head and the block will need additional work if they are ever to seal again.
For every one of these that has went to the moon and back as a private hire, there will be another that is on its second Toyota provided replacement engine.
Unless you have the engine stripped, repaired and replaced by a trusted source (that will not leave you change out of £2k) I would not even contemplate throwing in a replacement from a write-off, warranty or no.
I'd put it on ebay with a full and honest description and hope that someone who still believes in Toyotas alleged, universal bomb-proofness snaps it up.

fivetide

Looks like, if it sneaks intot he up to seven years old category, Toyota might do an out of warranty repair on it. Will depend on your circumtances though.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/toyota/avensis-2003/?section=good

More info there. Worth a chat with a main dealer.

AdrianC

fivetide wrote: »

Looks like, if it sneaks intot he up to seven years old category, Toyota might do an out of warranty repair on it. Will depend on your circumtances though.

Given that the OP admits he ran it dry of coolant, I doubt they'd pay up even if it was in warranty.

goonarmy

For all the coolant to be gone in one journey would be quite a leak, water pump gone? And surely the car drive like a bag of poop uo to the point where it stopped?

AdrianC

goonarmy wrote: »

For all the coolant to be gone in one journey would be quite a leak, water pump gone?

How long since it was last checked?

fivetide

AdrianC wrote: »

Given that the OP admits he ran it dry of coolant, I doubt they'd pay up even if it was in warranty.

Did you read the link?

Known fault with the water pump on the car and resulting head gasket failure hence the extended warranty cover.

Given the OP didn't cause the HG to fail in the first place it is worth a try. It will totally depend on the date of registration, miles and servicing though and it seems that the OP will have been using independents rather than the main dealer (which is pretty normal on an aging car).

Whatever the OP did after they don't need to say. Toyota admit there is a fault that causes this.

goonarmy

AdrianC wrote: »

How long since it was last checked?

Have you read the first post?