Under certain conditions, customers with various 2002 Camry and Solara, and 2001-’02 Highlander and RAV4 vehicles may experience an MIL on condition with DTC P1349, indicating a variable valve timing (VVTi) malfunction. In some cases, the cause of this DTC may be the VVTi actuator. Use the procedures in this...
The foundation of every engine is the cylinder block. Whether you are rebuilding a stock engine or building up a street performance engine, a circle track engine, drag engine, marine engine or whatever, you have to start with a good, solid block that's machinable and free from cracks and other...
Several years ago, the phone rang about 10 a.m. with a voice on the other end introducing herself as the service writer for a well-known import shop in a nearby state. The conversation revealed that the son of a very good customer had broken the timing belt on his 2000...
When car manufacturers come out with a new engine design, some car enthusiasts eye the new technology from a perspective of how to squeeze more performance out of it. The smaller displacement engines that are turbocharged or supercharged tend to be the most likely chosen because of their power-to-weight ratio....
Sometimes the best opportunities are cleverly hidden in plain view. As one example, when Chris Lafferty of Lafferty Engine Creations was asked why he opted to expand beyond race engines into the hot rod and muscle car arenas, he snorted, “Just look outside.” His North Carolina facility sits squarely in...
Though six-cylinder, inline engines are not as popular today as they were just 25 years ago, their sound and layout still translates well into high performance, durability and smoothness. The six-cylinder M50 series was originally used in 5 series cars in the early 1990s, and is now the basis for...
In today’s world of high-tech electronics, onboard diagnostics and scan tools, you would think engine diagnostics would be easier than ever. Yet some technicians struggle when confronted with an engine that cranks but refuses to start. Most no-starts do not generate any fault codes, so how do you proceed to...
Have you ever heard the phrase “old wives’ tales”? My father used it all the time whenever something didn’t seem to make sense to him for the moment. For instance, most everyone knows these: “Don’t cross your eyes or they’ll stay that way” and “feed a cold, starve a fever.”...
Saab engine technology has evolved through the years, but the same basic design of the original B202 engine is still used in today’s Saabs. When the 16-valve 2.0L engine (B202) was developed in 1984, I was one of 10 people chosen from the East Coast area by Saab in the...
