My car needs a new motor?!

You should probably ask for more details before paying.

Motor could mean starter motor but im guessing it means engine since im not sure what a broken starter motor would have to do with the oil pump though $1200 seems a little cheap for a new engine so you might want to see just how used those parts are.

EDIT:
though really I wouldn't pay for a new engine just becouse of a "clicking noise" without a second and possibly third opinion

Thanks for your reply.

So you're saying, assuming it's not the starter motor, that the entire engine would be replaced?

The guy that runs the shop is a friend of one of my relatives. So I think he's giving us a somewhat cheaper price than he normally would.

Yeah I probably should ask how old the used parts are. Do you think I should get a warranty on used parts?

Thanks for your advise.

A used engine isn't that expensive but changing one is a big job so if your getting nearly free labor costs that price is more reasonable

You need a second opinion. Period. Don't spend that much money on your car without one. It doesn't matter how much you trust the guy; he may have missed something, or be mistaken about the nature of the problem.

$1200 does seem cheap, but if it's just for a new motor then that makes sense. Labor costs will be high. You want to take it to a reputable shop too! Kind of odd that a Toyota would experience this kind of a problem at 125,000 miles, did you keep up with maintenance on it?

What exactly did the "clicking" noise sound like? Did it sound something like this:

">Youtube vid

If you hear that trademark drum-line kind of noise, you have a case of rod knock and you definitely need a new motor.

Yeah, I think I'm going to take it to another shop. Thanks.

Quote:

Original post by blueEbola If you hear that trademark drum-line kind of noise, you have a case of rod knock and you definitely need a new motor.

That's the most likely explanation, yeah... particularly since that's what'll happen if your oil pump quits.

Yeah it sounds kind of like the one in the YouTube video, but it's more of a steady beat, with regular intervals. It sounds like a ticking time bomb.

Hey guys, so you're saying the "motor" can be replaced without replacing the "engine"?

Thanks.

Quote:

Original post by slowmike Yeah it sounds kind of like the one in the YouTube video, but it's more of a steady beat, with regular intervals. It sounds like a ticking time bomb. Hey guys, so you're saying the "motor" can be replaced without replacing the "engine"? Thanks.

The two words are used interchangeably quite a bit. Most of the time, they are referring to essentially the same thing.

Take it to another shop and find out what they say. Compare prices. Going cheap is not the way to go .. you want it done right. Your car's engine is what makes it move, after all :-)

I'd say you get a second opinion. Toyotas are known for their reliability. We had 2 Toytas for over 10 years and they worked fine.

Quote:

Original post by Karan Bhangui I'd say you get a second opinion. Toyotas are known for their reliability. We had 2 Toytas for over 10 years and they worked fine.

So you think the sound isn't really there? :P


You can take it to another shop if you want, and definitely ask specifically what's wrong when people tell you 'yeah new motor'. If they'd actually replace your motor (engine) final bill of 1200, that is pretty cheap and possibly not much more or even cheaper than fixing what's actually wrong. Chances are they would have to take the engine out to fix it anyway, and that's a lot of labor.

Good luck though, it sucks when cars break, it's never cheap if it's something you can't fix yourself.

More on the second-opinion bit we all keep rehashing... We recently took my mom's car to a dealer to find out why her "Check Engine" light kept coming on. They said one of the sensors needed to be replaced, as did her ECM computer, for a total of about $2000.

Okay, I don't really want to spend $2000. I don't really want to spend $1200 either. I could simply disconnect the battery and let the system reset to factory defaults, then see if the light comes on again. But we went yet another way...

A friend of ours (who has bought the car since) took it to a friend with a machine to test it, who then turned up the problem: One of the car's two oxygen sensors had gone out, and the other had been working for both of them. The total to fix it, according to this gentlemen, was about $200.

$200! Granted, I didn't see any specs on what that sensor actually costs or what labor is involved in replacing it, but our friend paid for this anyway (we didn't) so that didn't really matter to us. [smile]

So we went with that. The CE light is off, and hasn't come on since. The car is fine, and we're not out $2000. In fact, the car is currently being sold, and everyone's happy. Nice.


A lot of people seem to know something about cars, but that's ignoring all the different facets and complexities you see in different years, makes and models, as well as the vested interests a whole lot of crafty mechanics have in making you spend more. Dealerships are especially bad at this, apparently. Definitely, definitely get that second opinion.



My advice, after this is all settled:
1. Be sure to check that your oil pan gasket is not soaked and worn after this. Have this checked next time you change your oil.

2. Be sure to check that your starter is not saturated with oil (which happens when something like the rear main goes out, or when the oil pan gasket wears away).

3. Be sure to check your oil everyday that you drive it for a while, and keep a little record for this. Note how much oil is approximately seen, when, and how much oil you put in, and when. A record of this will tell you your oil economy, and if you have to put in more than a quart of oil in that car in a given month, you still have a leak.

4. Take some time and familiarize yourself with the workings of your car. I'm not a mechanic, but when that thing you use to get to work and back breaks down, it pays to know why this happened, and how to prevent this from happening again.


What happens is your oil pan gasket (correct me if I'm wrong, but afaik this is the lining around your oil pan's lid that's usually made of cork, and is often reinforced or even replaced by silicone) can soak up too much oil over time, especially when there's a leak, and it can wear away. Then you have another oil leak because your gasket is all worn.

Any time there's an oil leak near your starter (ie: rear main leak, a shot oil pan gasket, etc.), that oil can squirt into your starter (which is the motor attached directly to your battery that starts your vehicle). If this happens, you'll notice it takes a bit longer and longer to start, and eventually your starter will just quit. It happened to me. And it sucks. Hence point 4.

To replace your oil pan gasket with silicone (sp?) would cost about $15 or so, just for the silicone. Have this checked next time you change your oil, and you may knock out two birds with one stone. Definitely keep your oil record (written or not, but keep it in mind) for a while, just to check that the problem is or isn't solved.


I hope that helped, and I hope I haven't screwed something up. Gearheads, if I've gotten something wrong, please tell me. Cuz I'd like to know, too.

I'd definitely take your car to another mechanic to get checked out. Corollas are pretty tough, but it sounds like you might have some engine knocking. Unless your "check engine" light is on I doubt you've got serious damage to the engine.

If you actually need a whole new engine (and not just a replacement gasket or two), you can probably lift one out of a pick-and-pull for less than $1200. Hell, you can probably get another used '97 Corolla for less than two grand. You're in California, the absolute mecca of used cars.

Starter motors for a Corolla are probably like $140-150 USD, at the absolute most. He probably is recommending total engine and fuel system replacement.

$200 for an O₂ sensor? What the hell are you driving?

Quote:

Original post by Ravuya $200 for an O2 sensor? What the hell are you driving?

Oh I know. This was a 2000 Honda Accord. Point was, that's not $2000, and I didn't have to pay for it either way. $200 was simply the estimate that our buyer was given at first, and I don't actually know that he paid this. It could've been less.

Quote:

Yeah it sounds kind of like the one in the YouTube video, but it's more of a steady beat, with regular intervals. It sounds like a ticking time bomb. Hey guys, so you're saying the "motor" can be replaced without replacing the "engine"? Thanks.

If it is higher pitched, faster and steadier sounding than the knock in the youtube video, then it is probably your rocker arms clapping against the cam shaft due to lack of oil. The lack of oil could be caused by the leak or a faulty oil pump. Obviously you don't want to run your engine low on oil, but the noise by itself does not mean your motor is blown (though if you have been driving it like that for several days then you may very well have caused significant damage). I would definitely get a second opinion. In the meantime, check your oil every morning and add as necessary. Don't let it get that low again. If the oil level is good, and you are get that ticking sound again, pull over immediately because your oil pump is most likely dead. Have the car towed to a shop; don't drive it with a dead pump or you will kill your motor before you get there!

Some people use motor and engine interchangably, but in a car there is usually some distinction between the two. Basically everything under the hood is the "engine". The main working part that actually produces power for the car and makes the car "go" (block, cylinders, cam, head, and manifold) is the motor. When the shop says you need your motor replaced, they don't mean everything under the hood which would include vacuum tubes/controllers, electrical wires, pumps, hoses, computers and other electronics, possibly the transmission/transaxel, etc. They usually just mean the big block of metal in the middle that breathes air and spits out fire and smoke. So depending on the definition, sure you can replace just the motor part (the engine block) without replacing anything else (pumps, electric, etc).

[Edited by - CodeMunkie on March 28, 2008 4:05:15 PM]