Humble Moment: Don't Take a Reliable Car for Granted

"way2blu does a rev update" (way2blu) 07/14/2019 at 12:23 • Filed to: WAY2BLU, Toyota MR2, Autocross

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Autocross started off as usual: check the MR2's oil & tire pressures, and go. I’ve done the proper maintenance, so this’ll run just fine, I thought. Little did I know how wrong I was.

See, driving a Toyota product is typically a trouble-free situation. Well-engineered and overbuilt, these cars run for hundreds of thousands of miles with just routine maintenance. This confidence, however, can lead to overconfidence.

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See, autocross is straightforward. Get around the cones in the parking lot, preferably fast, and repeat. When my MR2 began to overheat after that totally sick drift in the video above, I was quite surprised.

This car’s never overheated, ever! What’s wrong??

See, this is where that “Toyota Reliability” got me. My own pre-autocross checklist included checking the oil levels and tire pressure, but not coolant. Having never dealt with overheating issues, I’d never thought to check.

Had I checked the cooling system pre-autocross, I’d have seen this:

Uh-oh.

Is that rust, or is that oil, I wondered. The latter would indicate a blown head gasket. Not cool.

After a flatbed trip to my local indie mechanic (luckily only a few miles from the autocross venue) I was relieved to find out that it was, in fact, rust. Not oil.

Phew.

One coolant flush later, and a new rust-free radiator cap, and the car runs properly again. Counting myself extremely lucky that the damage wasn’t severe, I reflected on how easily I could have avoided this laughable situation.

Lesson of the story? Being aware of our assumptions, i.e. it’s never overheated so it never will, and doing the maintenance anyway, can save us from a lot of headaches when those assumptions break down. Taking the Toyota’s reliability for granted is a great way to make it unreliable.

There’s probably some kind of metaphor in there that applies to life in general, but I’ll leave that up to all y’all to interpret.

Drive safe out there, everyone!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 13:04

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/me only checks his brakes before going for a ride

*Squeezes levers* aight... We have no brakes...try to avoid emergency stops ..right off we go

MM54 > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 13:15

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All fluids are important. Learning from this, have you ever checked the gearbox? Could be low or long-due for a change. How about the power steering (if so equipped)?

sony1492 > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 13:16

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Glad it was something simple, and the motor didnt get toasted

Tapas > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 13:17

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That was a t otally sick drift!

You’re right about reliable cars. I've gained a new appreciation for the after buying the M5 lol

way2blu does a rev update > MM54 07/14/2019 at 13:27

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*checks when next autocross is*

Thanks for the heads-up on that.  I’ll be looking at the gearbox & brakes too this week. Haven’t had the transaxle serviced in a while, only when I first got the car 2 years ago.

way2blu does a rev update > Tapas 07/14/2019 at 13:29

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“Drift” or “unexpected oversteer?” We may never know...

See, the UNreliable cars are fun because they’ll have issues even when maintained properly. How’s the M5 doing these days?

way2blu does a rev update > sony1492 07/14/2019 at 13:32

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I googled “blown head gasket coolant symptoms” and the heart attack didn’t stop until after the coolant flush.

Luckily, it was just rust. No coolant in the engine oil either. To say it was a relief would be an understatement.

NYankee1927 > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 14:04

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The 4AGE is a champ running on no coolant. We had a hairline crack in a coolant fitting and it all evaporated without anyone noticing. Drove the whole 5 mile thunderhill lap with no coolant in the head at a cool race pace . Brought the car in, let it cool naturally, replaced fitting, filled it with water bled the system (takes forever) and we were back out in a couple of hours. No lasting damage done.

Tapas > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 14:16

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Maintained properly and still having issues lol

AC fan is dead. Need to find out where a rattle/clunk is coming from. Need to fix te bumper .

The amount of money I’ve spent on this car could buy a rough MR2. Sadly.

Its a blast to drive when it's good though 

bob and john > Tapas 07/14/2019 at 14:26

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still need to t ak e me for a spin in it.

way2blu does a rev update > NYankee1927 07/14/2019 at 15:11

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The fact that it took 2 years of me driving,  and a hot day of autocross to get the temperatures up, is testament to how overbuilt (and understressed) these cars are. The 5S-FE engine in mine seems to be designed to handle even the most lazy maintenance schedule possible.

Tapas > bob and john 07/14/2019 at 15:27

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Hell yeah! Come visit Toronto!

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 15:59

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Just like when googling medical symptoms. 

bob and john > Tapas 07/14/2019 at 16:34

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you derp. look at the user name :D

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > way2blu does a rev update 07/14/2019 at 21:49

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How long had it been since a coolant change and water pump? Looks old as dirt, glad its back up and running!

way2blu does a rev update > Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's 07/14/2019 at 21:56

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Had been almost 2 years.. . Could be due for a new water pump too  with that much corrosion going through it. It has fresh coolant in it currently though and stays plenty cool, even in traffic.

Tapas > bob and john 07/14/2019 at 22:40

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LMAO my bad

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > way2blu does a rev update 07/15/2019 at 02:45

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Wow im amazed 2 years did that to the coolant. All my cars have had aluminum engine blocks so I’ve never dealt with rusty coolant, maybe that’ s why it unfamiliar to me? I’d budget for a water pump replacement in the near future, especially since you track the car. Love the blue by the way, I always smile when I see an MR2 in traffic, they’re so out of the norm for present day Toyota products

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > way2blu does a rev update 07/15/2019 at 08:16

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If your coolant looks like that in 2 years I think you have some major issues going on!?!?!