Timing belt failure??

[fosterb]

Howdy,

Toyota 1994 2.2L 4 Cyl. ~110KM

So I was driving down the highway last night when my car abruptly became ill. The only thing I noticed at the sudden instant was that the OIL light came on, while all other lights remained off. After the tow we tried to start the car, but it would not turn over. The garage told me that the engine was seized due to a timing belt failure. (They added that they were able to turn the crank shaft (right?) **less** than 90deg.)

I know that interference engines typically die as a result of this, BUT from my research it seems the 2.2L 4 cyl. engine is not of that type. (Correct? I checked on gates.com.) There was no indication (strange noises, etc) leading up to this that failure was eminent. In fact, it was working great!

Of course my gut says to take the car to the scrapper because of age and what not, but I want to understand this a little more before I do so. (Part of me has become quite attached to the car.)

So my question is, if the timing belt goes, does the engine go with it? Why would only the OIL light come on as opposed to check engine, charge, etc? (The other lights show on start up as part of normal operation.) What other causes would see this failure? Anything I can try to give er a shot in the dark before giving up? (I'm grasping at nothing here, but are there any silly methods of un-seizing an engine temporarily for a very very short ride?)

Plan B is a hopeless attempt to convert it to an EV one day.

Brett

[carsrus]

Was the oil light on for a while when you were driving? If yes its probally toast.

Its normal for the oil light to turn on for a brief instant if the belt is getting chewed up. Since the belt isnt turning good the pump cant give enough pressure but this is only for a few seconds before the timings off and it turns off.

Does the shop have the timing all apart and is spinning only the crank? Seems highly unlikely the engines a goner because the belt broke. Now if the oil light was on for a while then the engines probally seized.

[fosterb]

The oil light shot on the instant I felt the problem which is also the instant I pulled over (being in the right lane and all). It happened real fast! I don't know... I'll ask them tomorrow when I check in.

[hill8570]

As you say, the 5S-FE is a NON-interference engine, so a timing belt break typically just stops the engine from firing...no permanent damage. Now, if instead the water pump or the oil pump seized, you'll typically have many of the same symptoms of a belt break, and the belt may have some or most of it's teeth stripped off, but still be sorta-kinda intact...maybe enough that the seized pump can prevent the starter from turning over the engine.

Also, when you say "won't turn over", do you mean she won't start even tho the starter is spinning the engine, or there is a tremendous grinding noise when you try to start? Or something else?

I'd certainly try to check into this further, preferably with the aid of mechanic who knows his ass from a hole in the ground about this particular engine.

[carsrus]

Originally Posted by fosterb

The oil light shot on the instant I felt the problem which is also the instant I pulled over (being in the right lane and all). It happened real fast! I don't know... I'll ask them tomorrow when I check in.

Yeah the engine souldent be seized then. The belt did break/timing was off right?

Im not buying into the whole engine will only rotate 90 degrees crap. If its locked its locked.

[tomtom25]

i agree with hill8570 and get further into this with a tech that can actually give you a really answer an not just throw a engine your way instead of actually looking into it.

[The Camry Man]

Please update the thread so we all can get the answer. has your car been fixed since January when you posted this?
It would only take an hour to pull the belt cover to see what happened.

I would put money on the Belt Broke

[ghettosled]

^ um, this is from january... of last year.