Engine went out

[ferretkona]

Originally Posted by PassTheChocolate

It isn't worth the money they're asking to rebuild it. The car BBs at less than $3000 and I'm already $3500 in. If I sell it, I can't imagine what I would get for it with a blown engine.

Any input would be helpful.

You will be very lucky to get more than $300 for a auto with a blown engine.


There is this company in California called K. Watanabe Corporation, they sell Japanese engines with 30,000 miles. Barely broken in. With a Japanese auto you are better off to swap out the complete engine with a lightly used engine. Watanabe sells Toyota 4 cyl engine used for $400 or so. These engines come complete with alternators, starters, etc,,. They cut the wires and hoses when removed from the car for speed.

Google used Japanese engines for sale you will find many.

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by PassTheChocolate

Engine went out

I hate it when mine does that. It never even tells me where it's going or when it will be home.

[tickyul]

Yes, you could part it out....sell it on CL and Ebay. Some of the heavy part that are aluminium...sell those babies at the recycler. That car is very popular.....you could sell all that stuff...pcm, fuel injectors, various electronics.

[crestliner]

My experience tells me that most of the time replacing an engine even with a used one that runs well is not cost wise on a 3k car. The only way to come out is for you to do all of the labor . A 3k car with blown engine then becomes a 500 buck car.

[Miller88]

What's the car doing that means the engine is "out".

If it's a 4 cyl, they were known sludgers. It's possible that a previous owner went too long on oil changes and filled it up with sludge, clogging oil passages and eventually starving parts for oil.

[Thegonagle]

I thought the V-6 was the sludger.

Anyway, Camrys can be good, but they're always overpriced compared to most used cars. Therefore, I never recommend them in the older/lower-price ranges, unless you know what you're doing buying an older car. There are too many out there with poor maintenance/super-duper high miles/etc., that sellers still try to get top dollar for just because it's a "reliable" Toyota.

A used car can be a gamble, with longer odds as they get older/higher-miles, and one can't put blind faith on Toyota's reputation alone. A $2000 Buick, for example, may carry the same odds of being great--or a lemon--as a $3000 Camry--it's just that you're gambling less on the Buick. You may just have gotten a lemon.

Still, get a real estimate from a real mechanic who has lots of Toyota experience. (They're so common that most mechanics will have plenty of Toyota experience.)

PS: If it's making bad loud noises, don't drive it, or you're likely to make it worse. Have it towed.

[PassTheChocolate]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Is it knocking, blowing smoke, or overheating?

It can't say it's knocking, it's making a very loud ticking/grinding sound. No smoke, but it gets hot. I was going to take it to one more mechanic, but it started seizing so I turned around and parked it.

Originally Posted by ferretkona

You will be very lucky to get more than $300 for a auto with a blown engine.

There is this company in California called K. Watanabe Corporation, they sell Japanese engines with 30,000 miles. Barely broken in. With a Japanese auto you are better off to swap out the complete engine with a lightly used engine. Watanabe sells Toyota 4 cyl engine used for $400 or so. These engines come complete with alternators, starters, etc,,. They cut the wires and hoses when removed from the car for speed.

Google used Japanese engines for sale you will find many.

Thanks! I will look it up.

Thanks to everyone else for their input.