Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Ted,
I have a 1999 4Runner limited with a automatic transmission with about 57,800 miles on it. I also have a TRD supercharger installed on it. The supercharger was installed in 1999, so most of the miles that the vehicle has seen have been with the supercharger.
In mid June I had about $2000 worth of work done on the 4Runner. Charged the A/C system. Replaced water pump. Replaced rear axle seals. Replaced front brake pads and machined rotors. Had 30,000 service includes replacing all fluids. Replaced timing belt and other drive belts. Serviced the front and rear diffs and the transfer case.
The day I left the dealer the check engine light came on again. I took the vehicle back for service and they said the problem was the air fuel sensor, so they replaced it.
After leaving the dealer the second time and driving maybe about 50 miles I stopped at a gas station and filled up with gas. When I tried to start the vehicle it would not turn over. I had the vehicle towed back to the dealer and they looked at it and said the problem was with the flywheel, that was why the vehicle wouldn't start.
The question, what would cause a problem with the flywheel? Would any of the things that they fixed possibly cause a problem with the flywheel?
If you have a problem developing with the flywheel would you notice something before it got to the point where you couldn't start the vehicle? Could the supercharger have caused the problem? Should the dealer have noticed something when they where checking out the vehicle and doing other work?
I hadn't ever had any problem starting the vehicle other than battery problems up until then.
If it makes a difference the dealer was Antwerpen Toyota in Clarksville, Maryland.
I would appreciate any light that you could shed on this problem.
Thanks.
Floyd
Answer -
This sounds kind of rare, we just don't see many problems with flywheels.
I need you to tell me just exactly what happened when the truck failed to start before having it towed, where there any noises when trying to start, any clicking, screeching, or any other noise that may give me a clue as to what is going on, did the engine turn over but not start or was there absolutely no response without any noise at all?
The flywheel diagnosis just doesn't sound right without further information.
----------------- Follow-up question ------------------
Ted,
Now, I have all of the information that I'm going to have. Some new information and some old that I thought was irrelevant at the time.
When I originally took the 4Runner in for service, one of the problems was a noise that I originally thought was coming from the exhaust system. After I took a look at the exhaust system I wasn't sure about that anymore. When the dealer took a look at it they thought that the noise was coming from the super charger. I took a look on the net and found information out there that seemed to confirm there conclusion. The sound was kind of a clanking sound, similar to what a diesel engine sounds like. The sound only occurred for the most part when the vehicle was in gear and idling. If you were in park and idling, for the most part there was no sound. When you were driving in gear the sound went away, only when you were braked in gear or going really slow, so that you were basically idling did you hear the sound. There were descriptions of exactly this problem with super chargers starting to occur at just about the amount of mileage that I had on my super charger on the net. So, thinking that this all seemed to fit, I thought this information was irrelevant, so I didn't say anything about it.
When I was at the gas station and the 4Runner wouldn't start, the starter seemed to make its' normal noise and then all of the lights on the dash came on like normal, but then nothing. There was no clicking or screeching and the engine did not turn over. After the lights on the dash came on there was basically no noise.
After the 4Runner was in the shop and the service technician took a look at it, he came up with the diagnosis that there was a problem with the flywheel. The service consultant then called me and told me this without much other information. So, at that point I sent you the question.
After the flywheel was replaced and I have the 4Runner back I now know a little bit more. They left the old flywheel in the vehicle so that I could take a look… The center of the flywheel has eight holes in it where I think its connected to the transmission and then on the outside I think is where it is connected to the engine. Anyway the center of the flywheel was sheared away from the outer portion of the flywheel so that the inner portion could turn freely without the outer portion moving. You could also see that on the back side of the outer portion of the flywheel and on front side of the center portion of the flywheel the metal on these two sides had been worn where it looked like the center portion was spinning and the outer portion was not, so the metal was shiny from wear. Also, after the new flywheel was put on and the engine was started, the notice that was suppose to be coming from the super charger was gone. So, that noise was coming from the flywheel all the time.
The service tech also said that he hadn't ever seen a problem with a flywheel on a Toyota and he had only ever seen a problem with a flywheel on a Chrysler once. Which is inline with what you've seen as you stated in your reply.
So, the question is what happened and why? Was the flywheel just defective from the start?
I know that Toyota will under some circumstances reimburse you for some service problems even though the vehicle is out of warranty. Do you think this is a possibility?
Thanks for any information that you can provide.
Floyd
AnswerThank you for the additional information, this is indeed a rare occurence, I have no idea what could have caused this problem.
I would recommend calling the service director at the dealership and ask if the factory may be willing to assist, they may offer to pay for the parts but not the labor, the powertrain warranty is in force for 5yr/60,000 miles, it's worth a try.
