My 2003 Toyota Matrix xrs blew spark plug, totalled engine. I’ve read many comments on this and most have said that engine should not have been ruined. My husband had trouble with it stalling, the next day I drove it about 60 miles. I did have some trouble with it stalling but on the way home it got worse and was glad to make it back.
Took it in and they said pieces of the spark plug got in on top of the piston and got so hot it cut into the piston and won’t hold compression. Hence totalled engine. The shop is willing to take car in payment of work done.
Please help me! I don’t want to just sign it over to them.
Yes, it’s possible that a distengrated spark plug can destroy an engine. Continuing the drive the car with it stalling is what may have pushed the engine into the destroyed category.
Is your engine actually destroyed? I have no idea because it’s unknown as to how the shop arrived at that conclusion. (Compression test, Borescope, etc., etc)
I’ve seen a washer get sucked into a carburetor that destroyed an engines head…so I guess if a sparkplug broke apart in the engine (which I’ve never heard of) could easily do the same thing.
The spark plug parts could have gouged the cylinder wall so badly that it can’t be repaired or overhauled, but I would not trust this shop to tell you that. “In trade for work done” – what work did they do? $50 for looking into the bad cylinder? Outrageous.
Depending on the mileage, condition and options, this car with a good engine is worth $7500 or more. A remanufactured or used engine might run you $3000-$4000 or so. Even if you let the car go, it should be worth $3000 to someone who wants to fix it up, assuming the frame, body and other parts are in good condition.
The spark plug parts could have gouged the cylinder wall so badly that it can’t be repaired or overhauled, but I would not trust this shop to tell you that. “In trade for work done” – what work did they do? $50 for looking into the bad cylinder? Outrageous.
Depending on the mileage, condition and options, this car with a good engine is worth $7500 or more. A remanufactured or used engine might run you $3000-$4000 or so. Even if you let the car go, it should be worth $3000 to someone who wants to fix it up, assuming the frame, body and other parts are in good condition.
I’ve seen a piston (Chevy small block) cracked in half because of a 1/2" nut that was inhaled. In this particular case it was a sabotage job, as the owner found out later.
In this case, there was an apparent problem and the OP drove the car a long distance in this condition. Chunks of spark plug bouncing around in the cylinder will glow white hot and they’re going to chew up aluminum especially.
If the cylinder is ok and the head needs no more than a thread repair. I would have a piston put in and a new rod bearing. I find it hard to believe that spark plug did any damage. If it came loose then it blew out. Maybe a bit of dirt got suck in, but it would be blown back out. You need a second opinion.
I had the tops of 2 pistons along the top ring grove break off. It was a 350 chevy in my boat. It ran fine but it would push the oil out pass the seals. I ran it back to my slip about 5 miles. Then ran it 3 miles to the boat ramp. When pulled apart I found no damage to cyl’s. The head was beat up a bit. I would have reused it but we found a crack in it elsewhere. Pistons are tough. At most it would be the tip of a spark plug that broke off. I could see a valve getting bent maybe. Even some of the threads dropping in would not cause any real damage.