₦airaland Forum

Case Study of fixing a cold start uprattle noise on a VENZA TOYOTA 1AR 4 cylinder engine.

I have had encounters with some of these engine types, found on some Rav4s, and even on the 2012 camry. 2ARs.
The noise on cold start is just so terrible and annoying.
The major cause of this noise is as a result of defect. In the INTAKE CAMSHAFT gears in these engines.

You can opt to replace on the intke camshaft gear, or better still, if i will advise, is to replace both the intake and exhaust camshaft gears, in pairs.

For this particular Venza, it was for a user on NL, who i encouraged to purchase a brand new camshaft gear, including the timing chain upper damper,on ebay, instead of risking using old or used part from the open market, as a replacement part.

Everything costs the client, about close to #250'000, just in parts, without labour, and an ~ 2_3 weeks delivery to Nigeria.

Here is a short update guys!

For the matrix, the "emergency surgery", could not save the transmission.
The reason being that the transmission was left to have deteriorated to the point it was.
According to the car owner, she thought when ut started with a sort of shudder, it will disappear on its own.

PS: Make it a point to seek for 'medical' help, when you observe any unususalities with your vehicle's performance.
Early attacks on a tumor, with the right information, can prevent the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.


*Joseph*

Scan the car first

Digital meter used to perform resistance, continuity tests.
Always carry this out, to eliminate electrical issues.

These are some of the switches(non solenoid) on display

The transmission valve body fully on display

The valve body removed, with the pan

U250E transmission(13pin), transmission valve body exposed with the pan already removed.

Case study two, is a Toyota Matrix 2009, with transmission issues too.

Complaints was that when vehicles comes to a traffic stop, there feels a terrrible shudder from the bonnete area, as though the transmission is about to fall off. It is that feeling of being rear ended (as though somebody hit you from behind). It is such a terrifying experience. At that point, the transmission reengages itself again, and everything smoothens out.

Scanning this vehicle, we retrieved the following codes:

1. P0016. This relates to a misalignment of the timing chains on the crankshaft and camshafts.

2. P0746. This relates to the transmission problem customer complained about.
It is basically a hydraulic line pressure control problem,where the SLT solenoid, acts as the upstream fluid source(this time not functional), that discharges its 'tributaries' downstream to replenish the transmission bands, clutches, brakes and so on.

A blockage, or malfunction on the part of this solenoid valve, would starve other solenoids lime the SL1, SL2, etc from accessing transmission fluids, necessary to pressurise, and make the transmission's engagement smoother.

The Fix:
1. Transmission fluid drained, with the transmission filter removed cause it was clogged.

2. Performed voltage, resistance and continuity tests of the solenoids, and their wire harnesses for signs if shorts or open circuit proems.
During these tests, using a digital voltmeter, it was observed that the suspect solenoid, SL1-A, was within range, but on voltage application, plunger of the solenoid moves slowly instead of faster. Solenoid was not ok. Got to replaced it.
But the suprising thing discovered was, on testing the resistance of the SLT solenoid, it was within spec tol, but performing voltage test, showed it was stuck, and somewhat shorted internally.

Continuity teats between the solenoid +ve and -ve terminals to ground, and wire harness to geound also checked out perfect.

3. Replaced the transmission filter also in this case, like I did for the ES350 transmission.

4. After individually servicing the kther somenoids, and replacing the failing ones, SLT, and SL1, before installation of the valve body, apply a thin light silicon grease to the checkball, and spring, in order to hold them in place. Without doing this, it will be difficult to mount the valve body easily.

5. Lightly applied transmission fluid to the rubber seal on the transmission filter before installing it, and securing it firmly by torquing the 3* 10mm bolts.

6. Applied silicon seal on the transmission pan, and tightened the pan. Allowed it to set for about 5 hours, before a new 4 liter WS transmission fluid was introduced.

7. Reset the memory, and prepared the vehicle for adaptive test drive, where the ECU, relearns the operation of the transmission.
Disconnecting the battery terminals, and reconnecting it back, will not reset the system.



Regards,
Joseph

The SL2 solenoid was the one replaced, in this case.
It is the second, from left, with the brown connector.
You identify this one by the 4 number of slots or ports inline with the solenoid's connector.

Had to remove the solenoids individually, for cleaning. This helps with organizing them, so that they do not get mixed up. They somehow look similar too.

U660E transmission valve body, with the solenoid wire harnesses being visually checked for fragility.
If one can, I will prefer to replace a failing senoid, than totally having the whole unit replaced

My pictures are not uo to 4MB, yet can not upload them here.
I will upload them on my websites, so that anyone interested would view them and apply same to their vehicles.

Can not llst pictures here. What is going pls?

Automatic transmissions, are sweet to drive, but when their failures are about to set in, it can be fustrating, and sometimes, a money pit fixing or replacing them.

I will suggest, if one has got transmission issues, to instead, weigh, replacing electrical parts, such as solenoids, if they are the culprits, than the mechanical parts like, clutches, and so on.

Outrighy replacing the transmission because of a shift issue, that could be attributable to those solenoids, in my view would be costly.

So, i have put together, a few transmission jobs i have tackled some weeks ago, hoping that this will be of benefits to you guys.


CASE STUDIES:
1. ES350 2009
The transmissio on this vehicle is higjly sensitive.
You got to be careful the kind of fluids used in the system.

Complaints:
Transmission in drive, is sluggish. Takes time to respond, when accelerating on takeoff.
If it eventually takes off, there is this jerky feeling during gear changes. After that, all gears selects without issues.

Discoveries:
Transmission has burnt smell, and black as a dead engine oil, with soots present.

Diagnosis:
Retrieved a P0776 solenoid B kind of code, and an oxygen sensor.

The fix:
1. Drained the transmission fluid, which was actually dead black. Owner says fluid was replaced January 2023

2. Performed resistance, continuity, and voltage test on the transmission wire harnesses, and solenoids.
Those tests helped us determine if it was only a solenoid or two that needed to be replaced.

During resistance and continuity tests, always be handy with your vehicle's brand specification values.

For instance, resistance test values recomended for Toyota
/Lexus is 5.0-5.6ohms @ 20°C, or in some cases, 5-6.00ohms.

During my tests, all solenoids(SLT, SL1, SL2, SL3, etc), measured 5.6ohms, while the suspect one, SL2, was 7.8ohms, which was out of spec.

That solenoid, was replaced with a known good one.

3. Removed the other solenoids, and serviced them, as did the one replaced.

4. Washed or cleaned off the dirts from the valve body of the transmission, considering it was too dirty.

5. Reinstalled the valve body, after using light silicon grease, to hold off the spring, and checkball in its place to make it easier to install.
Without doing this, the checkball and spring would be a formudable task installing before the valve body.

6. Replaced the transmission filter with a new one

7. Installed the transmission pan, after lightly applying silicon sealant.

8. Introduced Toyota WS transmissiin fluid, to the right level.

9. Reset the memory of the ECU, since amother solenoid was replaced.

10. Finally carries out adaptive driving so that the vehicle relearns what has being done.


PS: always test all solenoids in the transmission. Do not rely on the culprit solenoid. Some solenoids could be fault or hve failed, without even trivgeeing a code to be retrieves by the computer.

dicksonadams:
How many weeks or days does the rebuild takes

9
Duration of the rebuilds depends on the engine capacity.
For a 4cylinder, takes 1week, whilst for a V6-V8, takes 1.5weeks.

@dozieson. No, i am not in Abuja. I travelled to the city of Kano, last week, but would be heading to Kogi state this week.
You want us to meet, or something? Any job for us abi how oga?
If work de, let me know, i might stop over in Abuja.

@dayjeee. It is on my signature

Shows the top cylinder spark plug ports where the bad one and the good ones are compared.

Here is how the faulty spark plug ports looked like when top cylinder was removed.

Here is the top cylinder of the engine removed.
Please always inspect the piston rings by shaking the piston top for any unusual play for signs of piston ring wear, before installation.
You would not want to installation the top cylinder, and later find out that the piston rings are worn out.

Here is an exame of how a good spark plug port looks like

Take a look at the port where one of the stuck threaded spark plug is.
This is the bad one

Another sample

I am very sorry everyone.
I have being trying to post pictures on this thread, but there appears to be a problem on here.
My picture sizes are nax 1.4MB, and still can not successfully uoload them here.

Take a look at how different the spark plugs are.
From L>R: bad spark plugs without their threaded metal portion shown; threaded metal portion shown

1. I was in Abuja some few weeks ago, to fix a Toyota camry 2002 vehicle.
The customer had complained of a terrble loss of power, and excessively poor fuel economy, accompanied by misfires on every startup and acceleration.

2. Diagnosising the vehicle, we discovered the following:

a) cylinders 1-2 were misfiring(P0301-P0302)
b) removing the ignition coils on cylinders 1-2, to access the spark plugs, was a suprise.
c) the ceramic insulation on the threaded part of the spark plugs were just dangling in there.
With the insulation not affixed to the threaded part(which acts as the chassiss ground), sparks generated from the ignition coils will not be able to be ignited directly in the combustion chamber for proper ignition.

d) stucked threaded spark plugs on cylinders #s 1-2, which could not be removed using a 16mm socket wrench.

e) all the fuel injectors on cylinders 1-2 were dirty(fouled with carbon deposits).

f) all engine mounts degraded, to the point where their aluminium parts were in contacts with the engine.

g) the ignition coil boots on those cylinders(#s 1-2), were missing.

The Fix!?
Well, here was how we fixed it.
1. Because of the inability for the spark plugs removal, the only best bet for us was to remove the top cylinder, and have it transported to a tuner in Apo Me hanic village, to have them removed, and the 16mm spark plug threads rethreaded.

2. All the spark plugs were replaced with new ones at #2k/spark plugs.

3. Cleaned the fuel injectors, and tested them for functionality, using a split second application of 12V battery on their terminals.
The spark plugs MUST make clicking sounds to signifify they work.
No sounds, means they are bad(not working).

4. Replaced all engine mounts.



End!

PS: Always ensure that the ignition coil boots on all your coils are available.
Their availability on ignition coils is to prevent dirts, and water(moisture) from entering into the spark plug boots.
Water intrusion in to the spark plug ports, would cause rust in between the threaded sections of the spark plugs, and the top cylinder spark plug port.

Do not buy substandard spark plugs for use in your vehicle.
They may offer some kind of temporary fix, or relieve from issues, but in the longterm, you might suffer from a major labour intensive tasks, that would have being earlier nilped in the bud.



Regards,
Joseph

@pauleman. It depends on what sort of noise you are talking about here.

I have rebuilt those 1GR 4Runner engines severally; and the torque and traction still intact.

In my experinces rebuilding such engines, thee noises i have often noticed, are always coming up from the high mileage 1GRs that have undergone serious engine tear and wear in the valve trains(camshafts, valve shims, etc).

In such cases, a rebuild wont fix a worn out valve train noise due to high mileage problems.

I would like to inspect the vehicle, and possibly listen to the noise, to ascertain if the noise you were referring to is not a KNOCKING KIND OF ENGINE NOISE.

Figure below shows the valve train of a 2008 corolla 2ZR engine. I depicted this as an example to you what a valve train looks like.

Hope this helps.

@ conner44. Location is Aswani Isolo, Lagos.

@ jojomario.
1. Aswani Isolo, Lagos
2. Just take your time to think through both options then. Anyone you decide, should be based on your pockets, and if you want to keep that car for a long time(possession).
3. Whatsapp line is in my signature pls

@ dicksonadams:
#150k plus?! This also depends on exactly what the state of the engine is internally.
A year is the warranty o!



Thanks,
Joseph

Jojomario. Yes, i am still availble in this field.
You got a job for me?