Toyota 4-cyl with head gasket problems - common

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Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: cousincletus
Why? Blown headgaskets aren't common on GM cars.

Very rare in fact. IM gaskets on just 1 or 2 engines. GM hasn't had gasket issues when you look at the millions of engines. They were sold a bill of good by a supplier with a "new gasket" technology which caused the dexCool scandal

I have done head gaskets to GM 3400 engines more often than anything else.
 
Originally Posted By: rszappa1
I would include the 2.2 and the 2.5 chrysler from about 1986 and up... Many many done....

I entered the business in 2005.

Such Chryslers were nearly extinct by the time I entered.
 
That is a good point.

Re GM, the 1980's and early 90's3.8L was "OK", it's the newer 3.8L that had the problem. I think supercharged 3.8L was excluded.
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: cousincletus
Why? Blown headgaskets aren't common on GM cars.

Very rare in fact. IM gaskets on just 1 or 2 engines. GM hasn't had gasket issues when you look at the millions of engines. They were sold a bill of good by a supplier with a "new gasket" technology which caused the dexCool scandal

I have done head gaskets to GM 3400 engines more often than anything else.


I don't think this is due to a bad headgasket design though...........

this is due to a stupid customer, who probably ran years without fixing an intake manfiold leak.... and sooner or later they drove it til it was out of coolant and heated the engine too much.........

so the real issue their was faulty intake manifold gaskets and dumb drivers......


atleast the last 3 of these motors I've seen this happen to, that was the exact case.
 
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Originally Posted By: pacem
Problem is, most drivers (think 99%) are not BITOG members and will likely have no idea about a developing problem.


I just came across this thread today ... my Mom has a 2006 Camry with the 4 cylinder engine. Last time I visited her, I heard some water rushing sound in the dash, so checked her coolant reservoir tank ... it was empty. Obviously, there was a pretty good amount of coolant loss - never overheated in any way, temp was always normal since the cooling system was still basically full, just the reservoir was empty. This car only has about 20K miles on it.

I'm assuming the engine is covered under the "Power Train Warranty" (5yr, 50K ??), so it's probably still under warranty (??). I told her to contact the dealership and have it checked out before her factory warranty expires.
 
Most engines with an aluminum head and cast iron block will eventually have to have the head gasket replaced because of differences in the rate of heat expansion between cast iron and aluminum.

Unless the head gasket and head is properly designed and maintained, there will be problems eventually. 4-cylinder engines seem to be particularly prone to this problem.

Now, aluminum block and aluminum head? Don't even go there....
 
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Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Most engines with an aluminum head and cast iron block will eventually have to have the head gasket replaced because of differences in the rate of heat expansion between cast iron and aluminum.

Unless the head gasket and head is properly designed and maintained, there will be problems eventually. 4-cylinder engines seem to be particularly prone to this problem.

Now, aluminum block and aluminum head? Don't even go there....


Many engines have an aluminum block, but it is fitted with iron cylinder liners.

Some engines like that get many years out of the factory head gasket, some are absolute garbage. Open deck versus closed deck construction seems to have an effect on that as well.
 
Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: cousincletus
Why? Blown headgaskets aren't common on GM cars.

Very rare in fact. IM gaskets on just 1 or 2 engines. GM hasn't had gasket issues when you look at the millions of engines. They were sold a bill of good by a supplier with a "new gasket" technology which caused the dexCool scandal


The Brazillian-built 1.8 and 2.0-litre 4-cylinders had an almost 100% HG failure rate.

HG failures are fairly common on 2.3/2.4 'Quad 4' engines.

Pre-1998 2.2 OHV engines also had some HG issues.

Not bashing GM, just putting some comparable facts into the discussion......
 
Originally Posted by leakyseals
I agree, the 08's are getting up there now, who knows. Background - never heard of any actual failures post 04 in the 3 years I've been following this. Doesn't mean it didn't happen cause I didn't see it . What I know is Toyota acknowledged with TSB EG015-07 for updated short block. Strangely, there is also a TSB with the same/similar number for for what looks like an admission the Huhn kit is the way to go TSB 01507, NHTSA #10021542. Here are the short blocks by year for the Camry. Yours would be similar/same.

NA 2AZ-FE Camry Cylinder block

2010 410-09270
2009 410-09230 replaced by 410-09270
2008 410-09230 replaced by 410-09270
2007 410-09230 replaced by 410-09270
2006 410-29325 replaced by 410-29326
2005 410-29325 replaced by 410-29326
2004 410-09050 replaced by 410-29326
2003 410-09050 replaced by 410-29326
2002 410-09050 replaced by 410-29326

IMO it was the 410-09050 block causing the problem. Used on some models till 06.5

Flaw - The block mold accommodates space for the foam. Aluminum near the threads is too shallow/thin in that area. Sitting directly behind the foam that insulates the plastic intake are 3 steel bolts. Different expansion than the aluminum. Under high heat conditions, aluminum gets soft. Metal expands. 2 metals expand at different rates. The foam insulation protects the plastic intake from the heat of the block. But it also traps heat on the block in that area near the 3 threads. Under the right conditions, real hot, pop, pop, pop. My old Camry hasn't done it. Drain and filling the coolant every 40k. 4qt drain gets 90% of capacity (6.5) so thats all I do. driving around waiting for pop, pop, pop. Don't blame you for being prepared with the Huhn kit. If its every god-[censored] year and my thinking is wishful please let me/us know.


Wow..Wife crashed our '04 Highlander Limited 3.3 V6 05/14 so when I searched the market value I stumbled on a salsa red '06 2.4 2WD really mint with 28,500 mi. not aware of this I bought it for top dollar $13,500 thinking we would use it out to +250k. I like it better than the 3.3 4WD Limited.

This unit was spotless in and out, engine bay looks like the day it left the lot, coolant is pink and holds perfect in the overflo tank.

I have a cabin 500 mi. round trip that I do almost every weekend close to 30k per year all together, don't want to fix something not broke and hate the thought of frying the engine, guess I'm looking for opinion as what to do with this? Can I check the block # myself?

tia
 
My friends 07 or 08 Auris with d4d engine blew HG on Austrian autobahn at only 80k km.No official repair can be made by Toyota dealer,only new motor at cost of the owner.Of course car will be repaired by another friend and hoped for the best.He thinks that some parts of head overheats cousing HG failure.Total cost 2000 Euro.It's common fault.Great [censored] reliability.
 
Trying to see where this is going. Are we talking about 2002-2006 build dates on the 4cyl Camrys?

Good to know, as this may help out people who are looking at this generation.

Also, can this happen at any mileage, or is it more likely to occur before 100k?
 
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for 2AZFE, mostly 02 ~03 production date in North America has a higher frequency of head failure due to head bolt issues. From 04 onwards: not aware of (at least I have yet to come across one yet).

Just like Kita's 05 camry 2AZFE: my wifey's 04's 2AZ-FE is getting "there"...it now has over 187k on the odo and still original....

Most 2AZ-FE head related failure happened around 80~100k IMO, and I have serviced 2 of them so far. (Not very common, around 1 every many 10s of thousands of 2AZ-FE still running up and down the streets every single day...

We have more imports (incl. Toys) than any other places within the region....most failures on Toys are somewhat exaggerated by the internet "perpetuating"/magnification effect.

Q.


@chrisri: what engine is on the auri? how does it doe (did any mech/shop performed post-mortem on it)? Inquiring minds like to know instead of posting casual remarks...
 
@Quest:engine is all aluminium then new (in 2007) D4D 2 litre.It's currently being rebuild by independant garage.Toyota (dealer) sad engine need to be replaced and it's not repairable.Toyotas are rare here but dealer sad they try to fix HG but problem would start again after 10k.Design of engine block and head has been modified after some time and that is why Toyota force new engines,but this car is out of warranty and there is no other way then try to fix.Frend that is doing repair sad that on front (facing radiator) block and head had HG imprint and it seems that this part of engine overheats.Modified engines supposedly habe bigger water ports.
 
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Thanks Chrisri. We don't have D4D here on file.

Would really like to know what really fails in that (overheating? valve drops/crash on piston due to timing belt snaps, cooling issues lead to localised head overheating? etc.

Q.
 
Car did lose antifreeze for a while before overheating on a autobahn.After strippng head off it appears that cooling loss was where the imprint on a head was,probably from localised overheating.This is known issue with this engine in Eu but Toyota did change engines free of charge while under warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: chrisri
Car did lose antifreeze for a while before overheating on a autobahn.After strippng head off it appears that cooling loss was where the imprint on a head was,probably from localised overheating.This is known issue with this engine in Eu but Toyota did change engines free of charge while under warranty.


...and THIS is the key function to be(a)ware of...keeping an eye on the temp gauge is something I do regularly...and check the overflow reservoir weekly...and how many Camry owners are likely to do THAT!
 
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