- Moderator
- #41
LC uses a spin on filter
The Unexpected Risk of an Early Break-In Oil Change
- Thread starter mrCharlie
- Start date
If your going to get your own oil sample done, I would suggest www.SpeedDiagnostix.com, Lake Speed is damn good at what he does. They are pretty good at getting your results back pretty quick, quicker than Blackstone.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #43
Good suggestion. Planning to bring a container along to take my own sample, and ordered a Blackstone test kit. If their analysis comes up clean I'll do my own test.
All sounds good with the exception of an engine REPLACEMENT. For me, that would be a no go. I didn’t pay this amount of money for a truck with an engine not factory installed. It would be new vehicle - period.
Anyone knows the location of oil pump intake. If it is at the bottom of the sump, I assume it would still be able to circulate oil for a short time before all the oil in the sump is pulled up.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #46
That might explain why it was fine on initial startup for about 5-10 seconds...until it wasn't.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #47
Kind of feel the same way. I suspect with as forthright as they are being a buyback is an option if the engine is DOA. I'd probably still insist on the extended warranty to cover any install issues too.
Replacement seems kind of risky and potentially expensive for them too. Seems like a big job anyway, and who knows how long parts are likely to take. I'm only willing to drive a loaner car for so long, and I won't feel great driving this one if I know the engine is compromised.
Keep corporate informed all along the way. This was a dealer initiated failure which means the dealer is footing the bill. Unless I'm mistaken, Toyota corporate isn't shelling out money, but they should be very willing to put pressure on the dealer to keep the Toyota reputation.
I had an engine replacement / rebuild (new short block, rebuilt heads) under recall on an (ahem) Hyundai (ahem) which corporate paid for because it was a recall. The dealership screwed up the install resulting in a cascading failure of my transmission and exhaust system.
Corporate (rightly) said the cascading damage wasn't a Hyundai issue, but was a dealer issue and put pressure on the dealer (who was trying to shrug and first say, "we don't see a problem", then "well, yes, but you can't prove it was us") to make the repairs. In the end the dealer still ended up charging me for a portion of the work and parts (about $2,500) but corporate cut me a check for that amount as a "loyalty bonus" since they can't pay for dealer induced issues.
I had an engine replacement / rebuild (new short block, rebuilt heads) under recall on an (ahem) Hyundai (ahem) which corporate paid for because it was a recall. The dealership screwed up the install resulting in a cascading failure of my transmission and exhaust system.
Corporate (rightly) said the cascading damage wasn't a Hyundai issue, but was a dealer issue and put pressure on the dealer (who was trying to shrug and first say, "we don't see a problem", then "well, yes, but you can't prove it was us") to make the repairs. In the end the dealer still ended up charging me for a portion of the work and parts (about $2,500) but corporate cut me a check for that amount as a "loyalty bonus" since they can't pay for dealer induced issues.
X
Lake Speed for the win!!!
@mrCharlie, You can let Lake speed know what happened, and so he knows what set this in motion.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #50
Drove a bit at lunch. One issue with this being so new to me is I'm not 100% used to the normal sounds it makes - but the car felt a little lumpy(?) and diesel-ish at certain engine speeds. It also kind of is like that anyway, and I'm possibly just being hyper vigilant/paranoid. I took a couple of acceleration videos on an empty road with the car fully warmed up - one with gentle throttle, one basically WOT if anyone wants to compare.
- Moderator
- #51
My advice is to drive it like you normally would, ignore the thought of a problem (easier to say than do) but at the end of the day it's either hurt or it isn't......... if it's hurt, I'd want the problem to reveal it's self sooner than later. That way the dealer would be forced to fix it.
Sounds just like mine. Hopefully you will be fine.
So sorry this happened. I actually felt anxiety watching that video of you revving the engine.
For what it’s worth, sounded very normal to me.
Like I said, I think for the short duration and mild conditions limited harm was done. That being said, the companies are less than eager to have unknowns and litigation against them. What really would still concern me is that turbo.
We built our home in 2020 and installed solar panels from Tesla in 2021. Last year we had a roof leak from a single bracket. When patching the roof was discussed, I argued that Tesla would have to warranty the patched section of roof (8'X8') as that section was no longer be covered by the builder. To avoid being responsible for what could happen in the future, Tesla paid to replace the entire roof.
IF it was me, I would argue for a new Land Cruiser, leaning into the unknowns are a result of their negligence. While an extended warranty is well and good; I would question if they would warranty engine/turbo failure if it was starved of oil. Demand the warranty company provide a letter acknowledging that they are aware of its history (unlikely to happen at best). The dealer can easily take your Toyota in trade, and put it on the used lot, send it to auction, sell it as a CPO, whatever they want to do. This eliminates your concern with any damage to the Toyota and is likely one of the cheaper options for the dealer.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #56
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #57
I've been thinking entirely along these lines. I was considering accepting a 125k mile Toyota warranty - but there is the point you raise about denial because of the oil incident, and there is likelihood it will fail outside the warranty period but still sooner than expected. Those are likely both problems way down the road, and there would zero recourse on my end. Essentially I would be accepting all risk and liability for their mistake.
I agree the trade-in option is probably easiest and best for them. I also wonder if the title ends up branded if I force a buyback. They do have an LCLC on the lot I'd be willing to trade for, though I would miss my round headlights and cloth seats.
Part of the annoyance here is part of why I bought the truck I did with 6 miles (2 of which I added on my test drive) is knowing I was buying a truck that was broken in properly to better ensure longevity. My plan was to keep this one a long time, and maybe even give it to my kid when he gets his license (he is currently 7). My efforts picking the right truck and meticulously breaking it in were entirely offset and compromised through no fault of my own.
Let’s be honest, a lawsuit will be unsuccessful because it would be based on a hypothetical future failure.
OP, my advise for issues like this is to stay reasonable. The moment you say something like I will take you to court unless you trade in my vehicle, they will most likely stop all future interactions and refer you to their legal department. And a lawsuit will at best get you a full engine disassembly, cleaning and inspection.
OP
OP
- Thread starter
- #60
Thanks! I always try to be realistic and reasonable. I'm definitely not looking for blood, calling for anyone's head, or to exploit their mistake for my own personal gain. Mistakes do indeed happen, and I think it will say a lot more about their dealership when we see how they resolve theirs.
My main concern is I want to make sure I have a truck I can rely on, one of many reasons I bought a Land Cruiser instead of a Land Rover. Obviously factory defects happen and nothing can ever be 100% reliable, but it's an uneasy feeling knowing for sure your engine has been compromised. I can't ever unhear the sound it was making. After finding a few examples on Youtube, it sounded exactly like knocking.
