Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! - Car Talk - Nairaland
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| Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 11:32pm On Nov 29, 2013 |
Goodday fellow Nairalanders especially d car talk gurus dat have rekindled my keen interest with automobiles! siena, ikenna, car doctor, sultan, only 2 mention but a few. My dad's toyota 4runner wid d 4lowin spec; 2.7L 3RZ-FE I4 Engine mated with a 4speed automatic gearbox(Aisin Warner), does not engage other gears except reverse. I wud try my best possible to give detailed explanatn as to hw dis gearbox wahala all started although i'm nt d 1 dat drives d suv, its my broda. At 1st, the issue started wid d car vibratin at a speed of 60km/hr and above. Our roadside mechos suggested dat he shud change d propeller shaft dat its prolly bent. He did just dat! Few weeks later, another problem turned up with d joint bearings(i think they are called spider bearings ryt? Anyway I stand 2 b corrected) on the newly purchased propeller shaft. The mechos opined dat since d old prop shaft had no issues wid joint bearing(lyk i said, i'm nt sure of d name in proper technical terms), then he(my elder) shud... |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 12:05am On Nov 30, 2013 |
...then my elder shud give both props 2 a welder 2 cut d bearing portn of d old prop and then weld it 2 d new 1(prop shaft). A these cut-and-join work on d prop shaft was done in katsina state and after dat, d problem seemed solved because he drove all d way down 2 edo state(about 12hrs journey) without any other issue except dat of A/C gar leakage. The car is an evryday car, it being driven evryday! He kept on driving 4 anoda 2weeks (within the town though) afta his journey without any hassles. Few days into d 3rd week whilst he was drivin a few km away 4rm home, all hell broke lose! He heard a loud bang and water gushed out fiercely beneath d car. he came out looked beneath d car to see wat has happened and Lo! He sighted a shattered transmission(torque converter housin between d engine and d gearbox itself). There was absolutely nothin he could do so he tolled d car home... |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 12:26am On Nov 30, 2013 |
The car was grounded 4 abt 3mnths plus because dad was shyin away frm d huge expenses of doin a gearbox change(which was estimated 2 cost abt 180k plus by our roadside mechos, shattered transmission inclusive). Dad finally agreed 2 fix d car d mecho insinuated dat d gearbox may hav nt bin affected durin dat incidence so he decided to do a transmission change 1st, so as 2 knw if d car wud move or nt. Gearbox seatings were also damaged so he bought new 1s... |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 8:17am On Nov 30, 2013 |
after unmounting d gearbox frm d engine, the mecho made a frightenin discovery; 3 different part of d engine block(made of cast iron) where d gearbox is bolted 2 d engine was broken. This discovery explained d water flow beneath d car durin d incident. Water routes within d engine block had been exposed! Mecho advised my broda 2 do a weldin with steel electrode and dat der is no need 2 panic. He did all dat was 2 b done as per repairs and coupled d gearbox back 2 d engine. Fortunately, der was no more water leakage. Surprising enuf, d car did nt move an inch wen gears are engaged(mark u, includin reverse gear) as at dat time. Still within that time frame, anoda problem popped up-a loud ticking noise (comin frm only GOD knws where) which subsides with increasin rpm. I browsed d net and did a thorough research as 2 wat could cause such noise, i finally came 2 find out dat a cracked flexplate was d culprit. We took d car 2 anoda roadside mecho who did a flexplate and some other technical stunts and d car... |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 9:09am On Nov 30, 2013 |
...and d car finally moved(engaged all gears perfectly)! Less than 10mins drive back home frm d mecho's workshop, and Lo! d tickin noise came back! Another cracked flexplate? What a nightmare! This same flexplate problem kept on occurin several other times(we changed 3 flexplates all havin identical crack points). It was nt until we took d car 2 another mecho dat we finally anoda jaw breakin discovery. The weldin of d engine block was nt done neatly and as a result, the former 17mm steel bolts could nt fit in2 where they belonged and d mecho foolish(d 1st mecho) replaced 2 of d 17mm bolts wid a 14mm iron bolts and nuts. This finally xplained d cracked flexplates! The present mecho(i.e d third) said he wud av 2 drop d engine and gearbox 2 correct d defect. He successfully bolted d gearbox to d engine with d 17mm as factory preset, flexplate issue cleared! After 3 days of hitch-free ride within town, anoda palava came in, a worn-out oil seal(d one inside d gearbox wher d propeller fits in)... |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 9:48am On Nov 30, 2013 |
...ATF kept on sippin out of d gearbox until der was none left. My bro wasnt even aware until d car halted by itself. He was far frm home so he took bike and went into town 2 buy 5 cans of seahorse atf. He drained all d cans in2 d gearbox but b4 he could get home, it all sipped out and then d car halted, again! He repeated d procedure ova and ova again until he ended wid 25 cans b4 gettin 2 mecho's place. Oil seal was replaced and anoda 5 cans of seahorse was poured in2 d gearbox and since then, d car wont engage evry other gear except reverse, imagine?! So pls, dis thread is formally open 2 evry1 who has any experience/suggestn/solution watsoever 2 automotive catastrophe dat has wrecked my dad's acct in a very cruel manner in d past 1.5 mnth. He has spent nt less dan 190k on dis trial and error diagnosis of our traditional roadside mechs. Are we lookin a gearbox change? Is der any technical stunt dat 1 could perform 2 solve dis? Hw much wud a gearbox change cost if need be? Help a nlander, GOD bless u all! |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by sultaan(m): 2:09pm On Nov 30, 2013 |
WHAO! You went from vibration to needing a new drive shaft, transmission, then engine. Don't expect a cheap easy fix for an expensive mess, everything they have worked needs replacement. I don't know how much you have spent but you should have gone online when you had vibrations. Your problem started when they took a good propeller and made it out of specification by welding to another/different part. The spider is in the differential and I don't want to think of them working on it or how the jeep was towed. Google 'towing 4 wheel drive' and read up what can go wrong. Right everything sounds like they nerd replacement with the right part no join no rework |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 5:34pm On Nov 30, 2013 |
During d 1st part of technical issues(vibratn, cuttin and joinin of prop shaft), I was in school so my elder brother was in charge of d car as at then, and even till nw. Are u suggestin dat we replace d engine and d gearbox? |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by sultaan(m): 8:03pm On Nov 30, 2013 |
Problem #1 caused 2 then 3 so you have to fix all properly. |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 9:32pm On Nov 30, 2013 |
hw much shud we b lookin at here sir? |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by sultaan(m): 1:24am On Dec 01, 2013 |
jimts: hw much shud we b lookin at here sir? You said your mechanic welded a drive shaft, start with cost of replacement part Your brother drove with transmission fluid empty with damage,add cost of replacement/rebuild. Engine damage,weld might fail soon too judging from quality of previous work add cost of replacement. All this adds up to the improved economy of your mechanic and you learning more about the cost of owning a car  If you decide to sell I bet your mechanic will be the first to make an offer.Which ever way I don't think I will ever be the same. |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 9:06am On Dec 01, 2013 |
haaa! We're talkin about 300k plus sir! |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by Nobody: 9:58am On Dec 01, 2013 |
Wow! I would replace the engine, transmission and propshaft. That "mechanic" had no business welding a propshaft that is balanced from the factory. If you examine it, you'll find tiny tabs of metal spot welded at different intervals. These are balance weights. Have you ever seen a propshaft fracture in service? I pray you never do. It smashes through the floorpan, and flying shrapnel could kill or maim anyone hit. And this was welded?? Welding a cast-iron block is a specialist procedure, and not always successful. The mounting tabs for the transmission are under serious load, an engine actually twists in service! I would not trust that welding job. A transmission that has been run dry to the point of losing drive will never be the same, from the write-up here, that was done on several occasions. Replace all the forementioned units, and I would advice you stay away from roadies. I can't even estimate how much all this will cost. Good luck. |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by IdaraCHODB(m): 10:14am On Dec 01, 2013 |
You seem to know more about cars than senior brother, sorry this happened to you. Hope you won't take this i bad faith, you need to share more of what you know with your brother, it might have prevented this. Also, always ask a for second opinion and a third opinion or do your research online before you commit to a course of repairs whether from a dealership, a stealership and independent or a roadside mechanic. Many a time mechanics - both roadside and dealerships and independents can fix one problem and create another - that happens here and overseas including the US and Europe. There are so many stories online to testify to that. No wonder the term stealership came into use. It is good advice to stay away from the roadies but I was conducting some research at a popular spare sparts market and i saw a woman that I felt was out of place there getting her car serviced, so I made some discreet enquiries and I learnt she is an ex-Minister's wife, she has not fallen out of funds as the car she was having serviced demonstrated or the quality of the parts being used to do the service BUT she ran away from all the Toyota dealerships to a common ordinary spare parts market. The morale of the story: seems not only the lowly are running away from the dealerships, even the high and mighty. SO if you have the funds or do not mind go to the dealerships, if you don't have such funds, then do some discreet investigations and I am sure you will find a mechanic that might not be linked to a dealership but who knows his work, and I usually do not recommend going away while your work is done. There are very good independents, some charge heaven and earth, others charge more reasonable fees. I wish you the best. There is no shortcut all the damaged items must be replaced with new, the damage is too extensive to be fixed and expect a safe and sound car I am tired of hearing stories of I had this little problem, and I went to the mechanic and he suggested this and that and now I am in this mess. Now, don't get me wrong, I have been there, so I know how it feels. |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 12:29pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
Thanks everyone 4 your invaluable advice! The issue with buying engine & transmission here in Nigeria is that you pay more for less reliable parts. Imagine replacing an engine and transmission 4 about #320k plus in a car thats barely a year old, and then 4months later, you start getting all sort of issues with these replaced parts?! We seldom get reliable car parts here, except if you are just in luck! |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by IdaraCHODB(m): 5:40pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
i have been in that situation before, replacing two engines in one year. I think you face two issues here. The quality of the engine and transmission being replaced and the quality of the workmanship. On the quality of the engine and transmission - if that matters a lot to you, you will need to import from reputable scrap yards overseas, unlike here they tell you the mileage of the car the engine was taken from. On the quality of the workmanship, as a rule i study all my cars the placement of everything in the engine bay and under the engine bay, i take pictures and i check it from time to time so I know where everything is placed and I can tell when something has changed position. Based on practical experience no matter the quality of the workshop that does your work, please do a cross-check afterwards, take it to a lube bay and go under and do a visual inspection. I have experienced a situation in which the speed sensor was allowed to rub against the wheel and the brake lines were allowed to rub against the wheel. I had to have those corrected myself after I did the inspection. I have had situations where they fix one thing and spoil another so your best best to get close to those who own your type of vehicle and try to discover is there a consensus of some sorts as to who is best in handling issues with my type of vehicle and after you decided on one, remember that in the final analysis, you are your number 1 mechanic, its your car, you drive it day in day out not the mechanic, so you should be able to tell when something is amiss, and to a large extent, he will do fixes based on your report of the situation |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 6:15pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
[quote author=IdaraCHODB]i have been in that situation before, replacing two engines in one year. On the quality of the engine and transmission - if that matters a lot to you, you will need to import from reputable scrap yards overseas, unlike here they tell you the mileage of the car the engine was taken from. Well said sir! If we shud b looking at importation of parts, hw long will take from d day of payment to d day of delivery, days, weeks, months?? Thanks! |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 6:16pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
IdaraCHODB: i have been in that situation before, replacing two engines in one year. |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 6:40pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
I'm sorry I couldnt access my ymail accout, could u pls resend it to jafaruismail@gmail.com. thanks sir! |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 6:46pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
@Siena If we have purchase parts from abroad, u may be the only reliable person I knw. Could u pls come 2 a NLer's aid? |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by IdaraCHODB(m): 6:54pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
[quote author=jimts][/quote] PM me so I don't loose my license to post in this section |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by Nobody: 11:20pm On Dec 01, 2013 |
jimts: @Siena Sure. Feel free to shoot me a PM, or add me on BBM (my details are in my signature). |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 6:56am On Dec 02, 2013 |
Thank you 4 your time sir! Do expect my mail soon! |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by jimts(m): 9:31pm On Dec 06, 2013 |
@Siena I'm sorry I wasnt able to pm you, i'm havin challenges accessing my old gmail acct so I had 2 re-open another 1. Could u kindly drop your e-mail adress here so dat I can reach u via my new email acct. Thanks sir! |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by Nobody: 9:17am On Dec 07, 2013 |
siena_@hotmail.co.uk |
| Re: Help! Dad's 4runner Only Engages Reverse Gear!! by erico2k2(m): 10:30am On Dec 07, 2013 |
jimts: Thanks everyone 4 your invaluable advice!Get one frm the US.there are guys on here that would sort U out. |
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