Destroyed Engine

[Wedgy]

When I worked for Toyota, we had a tech doing an induction service on a 3.4l Tacoma, basically it was a chlorinated solvent connected to a vacuum line on the intake. You're just supposed to idle the vehicle and let it drip in with the vacuum pressure, but the tech revved up the motor and it pulled a large amount of the solvent all at once and hydrolocked the motor, sent a rod through the block and everything. If they were using any maf cleaner or solvent to clean the intake and got too much in there, it's very possible the same thing happened.

It's totally possible it was a freak accident and the motor let go randomly, but chances are there's something they're not telling you.

Wow, that sounds like a possible explanation.
Years ago I had a full Blazer that made a loud metallic "clank" noise occasionally when shifting. About the 4th trip to the dealer they told me I had a bent drive shaft and broken U-joint to the tune of $650. No way I had been driving it around like that. Turns out my friend worked at the body shop next door watched them do burnouts and power brake in forward and reverse when it snapped. They ended up fixing everything for free but never fixed the clank, it turned out to be tranny mounts.

 

[lockedlex]

Two years ago, I had the same thing happen to a friend that brought his 98 in to replace the valve covers, mechanic said they moved it outside after doing the job and while idling in its parking spot, the engine blew a hole.

I always felt it was fishy. However since then I've ran random searches and have discovered that indeed other people have had their engines blow, but with no rhyme or reason.

That makes me feel that for a very very small percentage of these trucks, that is a possibility. If it NEVER happened, then that'd be different, but since I've read of several people reporting it... I'm now not too quick to blame the mechanic.

In my friend's case, the mechanic sourced an engine for him for about 1k, but then pretty much replaced it for free. I'm still not sure if that was because of guilt or awesome customer service, haha.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

Correction to what I wrote then- when sitting still, with an automatic. Driving around, yeah it revs easier.

That makes no sense; you stated "in any gear". Wait, if you're not moving, and in gear, I can see how it would be hard to get above 3k- regardless of gear selection. These aren't exactly burn out machines! [emoji23]

 

[GSTMike]

One way to test MAF sensors is a wide open throttle test on the road and you can plug the numbers into a special calculator based on RPM, engine size and grams per second intake air. I've done it a hundred times on various makes and models to diagnose a poorly operating MAF (normally for under reporting and causing a false "lean" reading in the exhaust). The idea is to get the RPMs high but not to redline and do a couple pulls of about 80-90% max airflow.

The point of my ramblings is that they could have likely just discovered this type of test and went out and floored your truck to redline a bunch of times until it shot a rod. The only way a rod is grenading (ESPECIALLY on a 5VZ) is continual over revving and lack of oil. They totally f*cked up. I'd get at least the cost of a new engine out of them. That's total horsesh!t.


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If a mechanic has experience with a particular vehicle they shouldn't need to do this, unless checking or suspecting vacuum leaks they'd know the MAF voltage a typical car runs while hot at idle and then again under certain load conditions.

Failing that a voltage and amperage regulator can be used to test the MAF outside of the obvious imp tests

 

[GSTMike]

I don't think a oil analysis will do you much at this point (Blackstone etc) as the damage is already done and subsequently the oil is also contaminated so the results would be more than skewed.

I do find it odd for a car in an engine bay to put a hole through a cast iron block, by chance do you recall you're drop off mileage? Typically a windowed block would only happen with a motor that had already lost it's bearings in that scenario, during WOT stuff it would be cylinder pressure which given how detuned the 5VZ is and how poorly the heads flow seems unlikely (they are that much under-driven from the factory you can run FI from a bolt on supercharger even on CA 91 and not create enough cylinder pressure on the factory mapping to window a healthy engine)

 

[Kanoe]

That seafoam theory sounds sound. They were reving the snot out of it to add the seafoam. And someone inexperienced used a large hose such as the brake booster (No No) and just stuck it down in the can (instead of pouring the seafoam in gradually). Potential hydrolock on a high reving engine.

Sounds as likely as anything at this point.

 

[T4R2014]

Eillenbergers Automotive which makes it super strange because they have really good reviews on Google.

Not reliable enough for me IMO. The good reviews are written by people that don't know shit but pay 800 bucks to shops like this to change a radiator because the seem "really professional and friendly". Pretty easy for shops to make women cough up money on repairs because they tend to not know how these things work. Not saying this shop is guilty of that, but keep that in mind.

 

[pluton]

Not reliable enough for me IMO. The good reviews are written by people that don't know shit but pay 800 bucks to shops like this to change a radiator because the seem "really professional and friendly". Pretty easy for shops to make women cough up money on repairs because they tend to not know how these things work. Not saying this shop is guilty of that, but keep that in mind.

Agree...Google reviews mean almost nothing. Same for Yelp. The sophistication of Search Engine Optimization and just plain old fake reviews are pretty good these days.

 

[BrianSD_42]

I’m in a bad situation where I’m out of town for the next two months for a job, and the earliest I’d be able to talk to a lawyer is July. It’s just a frustrating situation all around.

So you have time to post on a public forum but you don't have time to call a law firm, most of which will speak with you FOR FREE on the phone until they sign you as a client to even see if a good case is possible. All of this with over $5,000 on the line and you were ripped off.

It is a challenge to find this believable.

Lastly for the guys taking insurance, if the shop does not actually have insurance but they are required to by law, well shouldn't that only make the legal case stronger and give more incentive to settle right away.

OP, call a lawyer and call your local district attorney.

 

[spartacus]

@%1;

So you have time to post on a public forum but you don't have time to call a law firm, most of which will speak with you FOR FREE on the phone until they sign you as a client to even see if a good case is possible. All of this with over $5,000 on the line and you were ripped off.

It is a challenge to find this believable.

Lastly for the guys taking insurance, if the shop does not actually have insurance but they are required to by law, well shouldn't that only make the legal case stronger and give more incentive to settle right away.

OP, call a lawyer and call your local district attorney.

absolutely, if thé garage does not have insurance they should. settle quietly. once the state finds out its fines and possible loss of business license also the owner of the business and the mechanic can be sued in a civil court putting their personal assets in to play and garnishment of future income if their assets are insufficient to cover the settlement.

 

[thegipper]

Every state, county, local business laws are different. Just because one place has X rules does not mean another has the same.

OP, hopefully you can get some kind of compensation one way or another.


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[AntleredRuin]

I don't think a oil analysis will do you much at this point (Blackstone etc) as the damage is already done and subsequently the oil is also contaminated so the results would be more than skewed.

The damage is done, yes, but the point is trying to prove HOW the damage is done. If the oil shows traces of additive, and the OP hasn't added any himself, then there you go.

 

[Coward]

At this point I think you are in a tough spot. Step #1 would have been to leave it there and demand a resolution. I have a fleet of OTR trucks and something similar happened. If you don't make a fuss and just take your vehicle you have somewhat released them of liability. In this case, you may have even signed a bill that released them from liability. Had you left and demanded justice eventually (maybe) they would have fixed it. I agree with others, the odds that this thing randomly let a rod go is nearly 0%. More than better odds that the shop messed it up somehow (drained the oil and forgot? seafoam? aliens?). And there is always the possibility that this entire thread is fake news!

Anyway. Tough luck. If the truck isn't a rust bucket and you like it, get a used motor and move on.

 

[GSTMike]

The damage is done, yes, but the point is trying to prove HOW the damage is done. If the oil shows traces of additive, and the OP hasn't added any himself, then there you go.

Ah I get where you're coming from I just didn't see any anything from the OP leading to think an additive was used.

Mike

 

[Danielx129]

Sound like you need a lawyer!

 

[mindavion]

Its been some time and I figured I'd give some closure.

I recently returned back to my state after being gone for two months. I spoke with several local lawyers and the majority response I got was that proving that the mechanic was at fault would be very difficult, and apparently my county is very anti-consumer and would likely side with the mechanic. I even reached out to a local investigative reporter and got similar advice.

Now I'm in between putting the vehicle on Craigslist and hoping for a couple hundred bucks or seeing what Carmax will give for it.