Possibly a broken connecting rod in the engine

[kabotnik]

First off I hope this is the right forum for this type of question.

I have 2003 Vibe base, and last night I had the misfortune of hearing my car go from driving fine to a knocking, rattling sound coming from the engine. A friend thinks it's probably a broken connecting rod in the engine but even if that's the case I suspect there is another issue that may have caused it. I know very little about cars, so I'm not entirely sure.

My question is if it's a broken rod, what can I expect a mechanic to charge to fix it. I understand something like that requires a full engine rebuild. Either way, there is something wrong in the engine and from what it sounds like the engine would need to come apart to figure out what needs fixed. This is the first time since I've moved to the area that I've had to go to a mechanic so I don't know what to expect and I don't want to be ripped off.

[Chiadog]

Probably not a broken rod! That would likely stop the engine in a hurry. And unless the engine was over-revved, a rod knock usually starts quietly and becomes more noisy over a period of time.
Try not to drive the car until you find someone knowledgeable in auto mechanics. Ask friends and family if they know a good mechanic.
How many miles are on the car? Are you the only driver? Have you checked the engine oil level? Who changes your oil? When was the last oil change? Were any any engine lights on when the engine was running?

[Nasmfell]

Time for new(er) ride. You're probably going to pay more than what the car is worth, for workmanship that will probably be average at best. Rebuilding or remanufacturing main parts like and Engine and/or transmission is so that the owner can save up for something else.

[kabotnik]

So it had been knocking a little bit when I revved high and the oil was low for a while which I took care of a few weeks ago. I was going to take it to the dealership on Monday for a recall and to have them look at it for the knocking. No engine lights except the few weeks ago when I found the oil was really low. I am the only driver and it's about 122k miles.

My friend who knows a bit about cars says it sounds like a broken rod. That's what the mechanic said as well. To fix it I'm looking at about 3k for an engine replacement so I'm probably looking at a new car. I've found an 09 Vibe at a dealership for what appears to be a fair price so I might look into that or a Matrix.

It was a good car while it lasted and I hadn't had any problems with it until this issue, which probably could have been prevented. If I find another Vibe I have no reason to switch to a different car. Funny thing is I just put a new head unit and LEDs in the interior barely two weeks ago.

[Raven]

If you ran it low enough on oil for the light to come on then your engine is likely dead. Sorry to say but you got what you deserved. No engine should die at 122,000 miles unless badly neglected such as yours.

[kabotnik]

The oil light didn't come on. So I didn't know there was a problem until I checked the oil and saw how low it was. And there was no indication that there was a problem earlier this year when it was at the shop. It could have been something else, too. I don't think the mechanic took it apart to really figure it out since it sounds bad enough when it's started up. I admit that I miss checking things from time to time but I would hardly say I neglected it. This was my first car so I'll make sure to be more diligent next time.

[tpollauf]

Assuming that you abandon this Vibe and go with another Vibe (nice thought process!), what will you do with this one? Someone here may take it off your hands for salvage value and rebuild it and keep it on the road. A good used engine and a good day of labor is all it would take for those of us who have the shop & know how to make the swap. Something to consider, especially if the color/options are rare.

[vibrologist]

Kabotnik, I feel for you. Your bad luck reminds me that I need to check more frequently.

I bet someone will pay a little more than salvage value. Put it up on kijiji and also post it here: viewtopic.php?f=46&t=43412" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All the best

[Chiadog]

Many junk yards replace engines with low mileage used engines for very reasonable prices. With only 122K on the car, it is worth the cost of a used engine. My last used engine cost $1400.00 installed. That was 5ish years ago, the car still runs fine. Good Luck!

[kabotnik]

When you say the junk yard replaces the engine, they actually do the labor too or do they just supply the engine? Both the mechanic and the dealership told me that a replacement engine would be about 3K, maybe up to 4K with parts/labor. It's got a Toyota engine, which I wouldn't have thought would be too expensive given how many Toyotas I see on the road. It's definitely something to consider and I didn't know it could be done for that cheap.

I've heard that the dealership where I got it sells Vibes like hotcakes so I could see if they are willing to do a trade in or buy it outright. I could try a trade in through another dealership too, but either way I wouldn't be getting much. But someone else recommended I try craigslist for salvage or something.

I looked around a bit today and I did find a couple 09 Vibes at a dealership in the area but if I go the route of a new car I'm kind of split between a Vibe or a Subaru Impreza. I love the Vibe, I think it's a great car, so if I can find one that I like I would lean towards sticking with it. Unfortunately for me, it seems that the Vibes disappear as soon as they hit the lot in this area so I just have to watch to see what I find.

[lannvouivre]

Used engines are usually $400-900 for these cars. Removal and installation of the engine is a little over 12 hours, and labor can run $80-160 per hour.

I don't think you had a broken rod. You can have two bent on a 4cyl and lose so much compression that the engine won't start. A broken rod would also probably flop around and stab through the side of the crankcase. It sounds more like you had a bearing or few bearings fail.

You have to watch the oil level closely, some cars suddenly consuming a lot of oil after a certain amount of miles. The 2003 1ZZ-FE used in the base vibe and matrix had issues like this.

PS: Snapped connecting rods in one of the Tundra engines at work, due to being overfilled with oil (oil got into the combustion chambers 7 and 8 and hydrolocked the engine)

[vibrologist]

Here is a website that can help you find an engine, but be sure you look at your VIN and do your own search.

http://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[trb]

Sorry to hear about your problems! Oil level should be checked at least every month, and more often if you notice it is using oil. I like that my Mustang has a low oil sensor that comes on when it was exactly 1 quart low. I got spoiled with that. Wish all cars had it.

Looks like replacement used engines are in the $800-1200 range in PA from car-part.com. So you could figure about $2K for a swap with a used one done by an independent shop. I'll bet those other prices are for rebuilt ones, but if you can get a good warrantied engine, I'd go with used. Either way, at least you know what your car is approximately worth with a bad engine, just figure the price from KBB, edmunds, NADA and subtract about $2,500 -$3,000 or so.

Good luck!

[triz]

If you ran it low enough on oil for the light to come on then your engine is likely dead. Sorry to say but you got what you deserved. No engine should die at 122,000 miles unless badly neglected such as yours.

Pretty screwed up thing to say.

Sometimes it has naught to do with neglect.

[lannvouivre]

Pretty screwed up thing to say.

Sometimes it has naught to do with neglect.

Yeah, 122k is right around the point these engines can start having valve stem seals issues and burn through oil like crazy.

[Doug14]

If you ran it low enough on oil for the light to come on then your engine is likely dead. Sorry to say but you got what you deserved. No engine should die at 122,000 miles unless badly neglected such as yours.

Not really worth apologizing and then saying they deserve it. You don't know this person's schedule or what's going on in their life. They came here looking for help, they may not have been aware of maintenance needs or may have not been a priority. Let's try to help others out and keep this forum friendly.

[Nasmfell]

Pretty screwed up thing to say.

Sometimes it has naught to do with neglect.

Yeah, 122k is right around the point these engines can start having valve stem seals issues and burn through oil like crazy.

Is it all of them or just the earlier (2003-2005) ones?

[triz]

On the MR2 Spyders the ones that had problems were the 2000-2002's They solved the issues on the 2003's+. Not sure with the Vibes. Unfortunately once the oil light goes on in these cars its already too late.

[lannvouivre]

Is it all of them or just the earlier (2003-2005) ones?

2003-2004 although the '98-2003 1ZZs had the same problem because Toyota thought they'd save a buck or two by making the pistons really small and compensating with bigger rings or so they say on the street