3VZ-FE ignition timing

[Crushgate]

hey the other night i went to fuel up and i put premium unleaded in (95octane)

when i went to start my car up afterwards the engine sounded realy chuttery and rough like it was missing


i took it to the mechanic and he said that the cam timing is out by about 3 teath (stuffed if i know what that means)


and idea's? and is it serious?

[Unco]

how long have you had the car? they don't run any better on premium and cam timing is not related to the fuel you put in the car.

if the cam timing is out, it means that either the last timing belt was replaced with lack of care or that the belt has slipped somehow.

all in all, there's no relation between the fuel you put in and the cam timing.

not sure if the 3VZ-FE is a non-interference engine. someone else might be able to tell us. but you should definitely get it fixed.

when was the last time the timing belt was changed? if it was, say, 70,000Km or more, then i'd suggest you have the timing belt replaced altogether.

EDIT: if you do get the timing belt replaced, be sure to replace the cam seals and the crankshaft seal too and have the water pump checked.

[Crushgate]

its a recon engine that only just got put in yesterday

its only done 60,0km's + the 60km i did when i got it back from the mechanic so it shouldnt need a timing belt change yet

i only mentioned about the fuel because it only happened after i put the fuel in, was thinking dirty fuel or somthing


is it serious? and how much roughly will it cost to fix?

in australian dollars

[Unco]

it's not like you're going to break something but that's not the point. the point is that you have a reco'ed engine that was not put back together properly. take it back to the place where you got the engine from and tell them what your mechanic told you. shouldn't that be covered by their workmanship warranty??? i don't see why you should have to pay for it.

if the cam timing is indeed out, then it's just going to run like a piece of crap until you have it rectified.

but to answer your question. if you did have to pay to have it rectified, it will probably cost as much as having the timing belt replaced (anywhere from $250 to $400)

[92ES5sp]

The 3VZ is non interference.

The rear exhaust cam runs the distributor so if its got a constant misfire the rear cams might be off. I think if the front cams are off it will just run like a pig with no power at all.

Did your mechanic actually physically take the timing cover off and look at the timing marks, or pop the valve covers off and check the alingment dots on the cams?? Or is he just playing "automotive baseball"?

Anyways, good luck and keep us posted on what the problem is

[Crushgate]

well its defenantly covered by warrenty and im not sure what the mechanic did or didnt do

i found out the problem and what he is doing so i should have my car back in the next 24 hours

at least i hope so coz i need it for work