Well another celi down

[miklo2411]

Well this is the story boys, I was driving home on New Years day. I was doing about 85 and in 6th gear. I went to down shift into 4th and well I hit 2nd gear. Stupid me, I didn't think this could happen to me. Ive had the celi for about two years and I have never misshifted before. I was just cruisen i wasn't even racing. I know right now that the timing belt broke but I dont know if i bent any values yet. The dealer is giving me a hard time about covering it under the warranty. I have 23,000 miles on it, but they say it was driver error. I under stand their point, has anybody had this problem with the dealer after a misshift. I miss my car and hope it will be covered under warranty. I want to know if the dealer should fix it under warranty or is I just screwed. Thanks.

[Mistrimeat]

Actually you broke your timing chain, which, that in itself, is a very very bad thing...but...

I think for once the dealer is actually correct, you are screwed. It is driver error, not mechanical failure. Try doing a search on this topic and see what the results were for all the others that this has happened to. Some said the dealership actually fixed it if you put up a fight - or was that with the syncros? :confused:

[oldster]

There have been plenty of misshift cars fixed under warranty. If they refuse to help go to your regional Toyota office and complain. Whether or not it is a good thing for Toyota to be doing doesn't matter, they have done it in the past.

PS - Why were you shifting into 4th at 85 anyway?

[SlasherX]

/queen/

another one bites da dust, another one bites da dust, yeah!

/queen/

[Fiero]

Yikes! :eek:

That is 3 misshifts in the last 2 weeks. What is up with everyone lately.

[miklo2411]

Well I was going to pass this car so I down shifted. Iam still looking for someone that had this same problem that has had it covered under warranty. Thanks for the responds.

[larryd]

damn man sorry to hear it.. the only thing u can really do with the dealership is be like look i know this is a problem thats been covered many times before and i know its my fault but id really apprecaite if there is anything you can do, if they say no then escalate tot he regional manager..

[cam_n_scott]

Is't redline in 4th around 80 MPH anyway?

BTW sorry to hear about the incident, hope you get it fixed...

[autxr]

Redline in 3rd is a hair below 85mph. 4th goes to well over 100mph.

There's be a better case ere if the shift didn't occur when the car was already at illegal speeds.

Scott

[GeeTeeEss]

Hey,

You have nothing o worry about... I got the same thing told to me when I mis-shift... You might have to call Toyota USA, but I know you will get it covered. Toyota knows its a problem with the design. You might wanna play that "I will NEVER buy another Toyota" card... It worked for me...

Best of luck!

[IrCGTS]

Been there, done that... Like he said, you got nothing to worry about... First off, go back to the dealership and speak with any manager you can find... If you are young, bring your parents into this... The dealership shouldn't even say anything, because in the end they aren't loosing a dime on fixing your car... They file a claim through Toyota itself which covers all parts and labor costs to fix your vehicle... If that doesn't work, call the toyota national hotline number, it's somewhere in a booklet they give you... Complain all you can about the dealership... Because of the idiotic way my Service Rep was acting, I don't see him at the dealership with me... If worst comes to worst, and everyone is denying everything, then simply get a lawyer on this case, watch the lawyer play the cards and get you a brand new celica under the "no lemon" law...

[oldster]

Originally posted by IrCGTS
Been there, done that... Like he said, you got nothing to worry about... First off, go back to the dealership and speak with any manager you can find... If you are young, bring your parents into this... The dealership shouldn't even say anything, because in the end they aren't loosing a dime on fixing your car... They file a claim through Toyota itself which covers all parts and labor costs to fix your vehicle... If that doesn't work, call the toyota national hotline number, it's somewhere in a booklet they give you... Complain all you can about the dealership... Because of the idiotic way my Service Rep was acting, I don't see him at the dealership with me... If worst comes to worst, and everyone is denying everything, then simply get a lawyer on this case, watch the lawyer play the cards and get you a brand new celica under the "no lemon" law...

Just a personal opinion but in this situation I wouldn't go near the lemon law theory. Unless IrCGTS has seen something with entirely different language than I am used to seeing.:confused:

[GeeTeeEss]

Lawyers...?

Guys... Your making this bigger than it needs to be. I promise you will have no problems. PM me if you have any questions. P.S. Toyota even paid for a rental car while my car was out.

[miklo2411]

Hey thanks guys, I have to wait until Monday to do all this s**t. The only other problem is that iam in Caly right now and the car is in San Antonio. So my parents are taking care of all this stuff.
FYI
3rd goes to around 83
4th goes well over 100

[cam_n_scott]

Redline in 3rd is a hair below 85mph. 4th goes to well over 100mph.

Whoops!

Apparently I need to start driving faster ;)

[GTS LAID]

you wont have a problem... if they give you any trouble call corporate.

JUST BE NICE.

if you're an ass you them they wont fix your car... and it'll end up being much more trouble than if you're calm about it all.

[miklo2411]

Well I just got the phone called that ive been waiting for. My father as been taking care of all the busy with Toyota for the past week. He called me today and told me that everything is going to be covered throw the warranty. The celi will be on the road by Tuesday, boy I cant wait. If been driving this damn chevy lumia for the past week and it sucks. Once again thanks for all the info, I related the info to my father and it came in handy. Man I cant wait to get back into my baby.

[redcel180]

I hate to hear it man, I feel your pain. At least this is your first time and not your third. :D


Brett

[Grinder]

I heard a lot of similar incident like yours. Im pretty sure that several Celica GTS owners here experienced the same thing as you've experienced and blew up their tranny or even their motor. If I were you, i'll ask for those Celica owners full names make up a least and file for complaint or something that this incident didn't just happen to you but it happened to several Celica owners. That this is not a drivers fault, but a poor quality control by Toyota factory. "A FACTORY DEFECT". Im sorry to hear that bro!!!

[Grinder]

oops!! I mean "list" hehehehe sorry for the typo

[GeeTeeEss]

3 words...

Told you so.

Glad to hear guy...!

(ok, 7 words)

[larryd]

congrats :)

[yakkosmurf]

Glad to hear you're going to get it fixed. Just don't expect them to do it again. Maybe you'll pay attention from now on.

[JS7773]

My Local Toyota Mechanic (@Fred Anderson Toyota in Raleigh, NC) mentioned to me that it was actually possible for the transmission linkage to shift during hard driving. i.e., when you shift into 4th you DO hit the shift gate for 4th gear, but the linkage has shifted so you have actually hit 2nd gear...

Has anyone else heard anything on this?

I was also told that the GTS' motor was built with Zero clearance, meaning that it the Timing Chain snaps while at WOT, it is the same effect as misshifting... Bent Valves.

[oldster]

Originally posted by JS7773
My Local Toyota Mechanic (@Fred Anderson Toyota in Raleigh, NC) mentioned to me that it was actually possible for the transmission linkage to shift during hard driving. i.e., when you shift into 4th you DO hit the shift gate for 4th gear, but the linkage has shifted so you have actually hit 2nd gear...

Has anyone else heard anything on this?

I was also told that the GTS' motor was built with Zero clearance, meaning that it the Timing Chain snaps while at WOT, it is the same effect as misshifting... Bent Valves.

I am certainly not an expert but I would consider both of your scenarios highly improbable. Perhaps a more in depth explanation would clear it up for me.

[autxr]

I've not heard of any issues with the linkage/tranny moving enough to result in a misshift, but I won't rule that out as impossible.

As for the timing chain breaking and the pistons hitting the valves as a result.

Duh.

That is why they call it an INTERFERENCE engine. That is also why it has a timing chain and not a belt. Timing chains snap so infrequently under normal (and even racing) conditions that it is an acceptable risk to have such an engine design (and necessary to get the compression ratio so high).

Drive a honda. They use timing belts on all the B series motors and most of those are an interference design. It is a much bigger problem though becaue timing belts are not designed to last more than 60,000 miles or so...

My '91 Pontiac Sunbird has a non-interference engine. It lost the timing belt and no damage was done. If I wanted another slug like that car I could have had one...

Scott

[yakkosmurf]

Honda and Toyota use interference engines so they can make the compression ratio higher. The fact that the Celica engine is this way should be no surprise. Just look at the crown of the piston. It's got grooves in it for the valves to open without hitting it.

[kabal57]

Older MR2's and Celicas with the 4AG engine were non-interference engines... no need to expel anyone to the Honda darkside just because B series engines have timing belts.. :)

On a side note, My old 85 MR2 went 195k miles before the timing belt died, on a stock engine and tranny too :)

[yakkosmurf]

Originally posted by kabal57
Older MR2's and Celicas with the 4AG engine were non-interference engines...
Correct, but they don't have a compression ration above 10 either.

[Maelfyn]

It's going to get ugly when people are misshifting after the warranties start to expire.