Think I just lost my motor. 280k miles.

[JayRolla]

Went outside to start her up. Fired up and was running really rough. Could hear a knocking sound from the lower part of motor. Shut it off. Checked oil. 1/2 quart low and looked clean. Now it just cranks and sounds like it barely has any compression. No start.

Doesn't look good. Bad day.

 

[Scramble]

I hope not!

 

[LittleCaesar]

Oh no. Can it manually be turned over with ease? There is always the leak down test....

 

[psraff]

Keep us posted....

 

[theesotericone]

I'd put money on a broken timing belt from the symptoms you described in the OP.

 

[JBurt]

Now you can swap the motor from your talon over!

 

[thecole1098]

I hope the motor isn't toast! That's just breaking in for these motors!

 

[ThorInc]

I'd put money on a broken timing belt from the symptoms you described in the OP.

Hoping for this bud!

 

[BrianSD_42]

Let's hope wasn't the crank. Sorry to hear that man. Keep us updated.

 

[theesotericone]

Let's hope wasn't the crank. Sorry to hear that man. Keep us updated.

How many crankshafts have you heard of breaking on these motors? It's not a common failure. I've never even heard of them failing in the 3.4L. Not saying it can't happen but I broken crank means nothing turns. You wouldn't get crank and not ignition. You'd just get a really loud grinding sound as the starter turned the broken crank.

 

[Kotrin]

Bummer man I hope it goes better than it sounds, Keep us posted!

 

[JayRolla]

It sounded like rod knock. Like a spun bearing. I didn't have enough time to do much. I pulled timing cover and timing belt looks okay.

One thing that was strange was I noticed two times the bolts on the timing cover had a major static shock. That's never happened when working on this truck.

I had the wife crank as I listened closely and motor sounds smooth. No bad sounds at all. Just won't fire. I'm hoping I just freaked out and thought the worst and it's just fuel or spark related.

Will keep you guys posted.

 

[thecole1098]

It sounded like rod knock. Like a spun bearing. I didn't have enough time to do much. I pulled timing cover and timing belt looks okay.

One thing that was strange was I noticed two times the bolts on the timing cover had a major static shock. That's never happened when working on this truck.

I had the wife crank as I listened closely and motor sounds smooth. No bad sounds at all. Just won't fire. I'm hoping I just freaked out and thought the worst and it's just fuel or spark related.

Will keep you guys posted.

It's odd that it actually started and ran at first but now won't fire up afterwards. Strange indeed...

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, it's possible that "knocking" you heard was just the engine barely spinning enough to generate oil pressure due to lack of fuel. I've had this on my engine when I was running a fuel injector service directly at the rail and it started making that god awful knocking once the cleaner ran out.

 

[HiLife]

Sounds like it's fuel related.

 

[mtbtim]

Hope it ends up nothing to serious. I'll put in a prayer to the 3rd Gen Gods for you.

 

[CdaleR4000si]

Sounds like it's fuel related.

Agreed^^^

My fuel pump died a few months ago, with no noticeable warning. Truck ran fine, parked at work, then when I went to start it up to go home, nothing. It sounded like the motor was just spinning "loosely". I remember thinking that it sounded like there was no compression. It also sounded exactly like one of my previous cars did when the timing belt broke. Since I have 397,000 miles, I felt very relieved to find out it was just the fuel pump.

Good luck, I hope yours turns out to be something minor also.

 

[JayRolla]

It's odd that it actually started and ran at first but now won't fire up afterwards. Strange indeed...

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, it's possible that "knocking" you heard was just the engine barely spinning enough to generate oil pressure due to lack of fuel. I've had this on my engine when I was running a fuel injector service directly at the rail and it started making that god awful knocking once the cleaner ran out.

I'm starting to think this may be it. In hope I just prematurely freaked out.

 

[JayRolla]

Agreed^^^

My fuel pump died a few months ago, with no noticeable warning. Truck ran fine, parked at work, them when I went to start it up to go home, nothing. It sounded like the motor was just spinning "loosely". I remember thinking that it sounded like there was no compression. It also sounded exactly like one of my previous cars did when the timing belt broke. Since I have 397,000 miles, I felt very relieved to find out it was just the fuel pump.

Good luck, I hope yours turns out to be something minor also.

I hard wired in a denso 190lph fuel pump from a lancer evolution 8. Maybe my wiring came un done somewhere. I used fuel safe wire connectors. I hope it's just that.

 

[Brenn]

Debbie Downer

This is nearly the same story of what happened to me when I spun a bearing at approximently 308k. Fingers crossed it's only a fuel issue.

 

[mikeferg]

The problem is you have to drop the fuel tank to get to the pump, why didnt toyota just make a access door.