T350 Engine blown?
Discussion
Just crawled home with a very poorly sounding and smelly engine - more like a tractor than a sports car. Engine looks fine externally but perhaps the black soot on one exhaust and the melted aluminium on the other gives it away! 
I bought the car new 6 months ago and it's only got 5500 miles on the clock now. My bubble has burst, time to phone the dealer ...
I bought the car new 6 months ago and it's only got 5500 miles on the clock now. My bubble has burst, time to phone the dealer ...
Hi Chris,
sorry to hear your news - have to say it doesn't sound promising.
I guess if the car is that new then it's under the factory warranty so at least you aren't looking at signing the cheque.
That said, disappointing to hear of a 2005 car letting go at such a low mileage - I know that one swallow doesn't make a summer but it casts significant doubt over recent reports that latest spec S6 engines have been 'fixed'.
Unfortunately it's more fuel to the fire of the issues outlined by Al Melling as discussed at length on other threads here.
Good luck & fingers crossed that it's not too serious.
JT
sorry to hear your news - have to say it doesn't sound promising.
I guess if the car is that new then it's under the factory warranty so at least you aren't looking at signing the cheque.
That said, disappointing to hear of a 2005 car letting go at such a low mileage - I know that one swallow doesn't make a summer but it casts significant doubt over recent reports that latest spec S6 engines have been 'fixed'.
Unfortunately it's more fuel to the fire of the issues outlined by Al Melling as discussed at length on other threads here.
Good luck & fingers crossed that it's not too serious.
JT
j.t. said:
Hi Chris,
That said, disappointing to hear of a 2005 car letting go at such a low mileage - I know that one swallow doesn't make a summer but it casts significant doubt over recent reports that latest spec S6 engines have been 'fixed'.
Unfortunately it's more fuel to the fire of the issues outlined by Al Melling as discussed at length on other threads here.
JT
No it doesn't! All manufacturers have 'friday afternoon' engines that fail prematurely. Just because it's a s6 doesn't mean it has anything to do with the value train related issues that have previously been discussed. Surely waiting for the diagnosis is the more pragmatic approach rather than scaremongering?
really sorry to hear about your problems !
I hope this is resolved to your satisfaction quickly.
There will be a lot of people interested in how you get treated under the new car warranty so please keep us posted on how it is handled.
Lets hope its good luck from now on -you've just had all the bad you need.
I hope this is resolved to your satisfaction quickly.
There will be a lot of people interested in how you get treated under the new car warranty so please keep us posted on how it is handled.
Lets hope its good luck from now on -you've just had all the bad you need.
_DeeJay_ said:
Hi Chris,
That said, disappointing to hear of a 2005 car letting go at such a low mileage - I know that one swallow doesn't make a summer but it casts significant doubt over recent reports that latest spec S6 engines have been 'fixed'.
Unfortunately it's more fuel to the fire of the issues outlined by Al Melling as discussed at length on other threads here.
JT
No it doesn't! All manufacturers have 'friday afternoon' engines that fail prematurely. Just because it's a s6 doesn't mean it has anything to do with the value train related issues that have previously been discussed. Surely waiting for the diagnosis is the more pragmatic approach rather than scaremongering?
Fair but wasn't just valve train problems pointed out by Melling.
macdeb said:
Fair but wasn't just valve train problems pointed out by Melling.
WHAT....either you were not there or you fell asleep for half of the venue......rods, pistons, crank, block design, engine capacity, oil delivery and distribution.....to add just a few additional alterations he discussed on the S6 vs his AJP6.
yzf1070 said:
Fair but wasn't just valve train problems pointed out by Melling.
WHAT....either you were not there or you fell asleep for half of the venue......rods, pistons, crank, block design, engine capacity, oil delivery and distribution.....to add just a few additional alterations he discussed on the S6 vs his AJP6.
Wasn't there but heard the comments. It's not a perfect engine, never will be.
AM is obviously a god who can build undestructable engines. The fact his design was never given any real world testing means it was never proven to be less than perfect, therefore it must have been the best engine ever.
From what I hear on the s6:
Pistons - changed
Crank - dunno
Engine block - changed
Engine Capacity - the 350 is a 3.6, what would you prefer?
Oil delivery - changed to some extent (though still a single feed).
It's a joke, one 05 engine fails and people jump to conclusions with no evidence whatsoever.
Hi Darren,
Sorry if my post came across as doomsaying - not the intention as I'm a big supporter of the S6 (as evidenced by a number of posts on this forum).
That said, I think there's been enough 'friday afternoon' engines made to warrant disappointment when an 05 appears to have serious problems. As I also said, I hope it's not serious and I'll be deilghted to eat my words if that's the case.
As my engine is currently being re-built, I have analysed a lot of info regarding design/mods/specs of the S6 - I've yet to hear anything from TVR other than sub-standard parts and driver abuse (both of which will undoubtedly have accounted for a percentage of the problems) as the causal factors which I believe is (at best) a little disingenuous.
JT
Sorry if my post came across as doomsaying - not the intention as I'm a big supporter of the S6 (as evidenced by a number of posts on this forum).
That said, I think there's been enough 'friday afternoon' engines made to warrant disappointment when an 05 appears to have serious problems. As I also said, I hope it's not serious and I'll be deilghted to eat my words if that's the case.
As my engine is currently being re-built, I have analysed a lot of info regarding design/mods/specs of the S6 - I've yet to hear anything from TVR other than sub-standard parts and driver abuse (both of which will undoubtedly have accounted for a percentage of the problems) as the causal factors which I believe is (at best) a little disingenuous.
JT
J.T. said:
Hi Darren,
Sorry if my post came across as doomsaying - not the intention as I'm a big supporter of the S6 (as evidenced by a number of posts on this forum).
That said, I think there's been enough 'friday afternoon' engines made to warrant disappointment when an 05 appears to have serious problems. As I also said, I hope it's not serious and I'll be deilghted to eat my words if that's the case.
As my engine is currently being re-built, I have analysed a lot of info regarding design/mods/specs of the S6 - I've yet to hear anything from TVR other than sub-standard parts and driver abuse (both of which will undoubtedly have accounted for a percentage of the problems) as the causal factors which I believe is (at best) a little disingenuous.
JT
It's difficult to know how TVR could deal with this. TVR claim that parts were substandard and engines have been abused. I don't doubt either fact. However, I've spoken to people who have had the engines in pieces and they claim they can see dramatic changes to the engine specs over time.
Should TVR advertise that fact, if it is in fact true? They're between a rock and a hard place; either admit there was issues and that they've been fixed (then stomach the massive financial implications) or keep quiet and hope it blows over as newer cars rack up higher mileages, hoping people forget.
My point was that people jumping on the back of an individual case of engine failure won't help. However, that may just be a concequence of their approach of either not changing the design, or not telling people that they have! Hand built engines will fail as there is margin for human error. That's especially true if the process of assembling the engines has changed (due to new designs/parts). It's not a perfect situation, but I believe TVR have changes the spec for the better and I cannot begin to judge how successful that has been on the basis of one failure. How others interpret it is entirely up to them.
The failure rate has been reported to have been greatly reduced, I agree with Deejays stand on this, but I also do feel pity for this 2005 TVR owner, in retrospect - a skyline twin-turbo engine is a 6 and I have never heard of an engine failure on a stock engine personally. The speed 6 is a different beast, but the commonsense bit says, its been over 6 years, surely <30k failures should now be a thing of the past????
Everytime a failure is reported, it makes my gut cringe.... yup, could be a number of reasons behind the problems, might be anything from x-y-z, but the bottom line is, another owners has posted a failure report, where his recently aquired new P&J will be off the road.... a pattern which many of us have become accustomed too on these forums, and thats what raises suspicion...
I cant even remember the last time I heard a cerbera owner mention an engine failure on the Cerbera forum.... (and quite a few are running over the 40k miles mark now) go figure....
Everytime a failure is reported, it makes my gut cringe.... yup, could be a number of reasons behind the problems, might be anything from x-y-z, but the bottom line is, another owners has posted a failure report, where his recently aquired new P&J will be off the road.... a pattern which many of us have become accustomed too on these forums, and thats what raises suspicion...
I cant even remember the last time I heard a cerbera owner mention an engine failure on the Cerbera forum.... (and quite a few are running over the 40k miles mark now) go figure....
_DeeJay_ said:
Daggart?
His case was very unique in itself from what I understand.
My point was just that the Speed 8's are relatively solid, and they're hand-built high performance engines too....
Putting all electrical and workmanship quality niggles aside, the engine is one area which should outlast the glue/staples holding the interior together IMO...
Seriously, are all the failures really results of poor components and driver abuse? We'd never know... but I still feel for those who were hit by a failure....
MikeyT said:
Yeah, but either way the guy's £40k TVR is now uselss as it stands ... so have some sympathy for that.
Just revisited these Speed Six and Tuscan forums after months away as mulling the idea of Tuscan ownership but 10 minutes on these forums have scared me away again!.
That is such a shame, i have had 2 tuscans now a total of 38,000 miles and only problem was a master cylinder you will regret it for the rest of your life. Prices are so cheap at the moment JUST DO IT.
tovie said:
...you will regret it for the rest of your life. Prices are so cheap at the moment JUST DO IT.
Hear hear!!! Take the rough with the smooth - the time it's going well more than negates the time it spends 'en repair'.
...take it from me - mines been out since mid July - and I CAN'T WAIT!!!. Winter weather and future mishaps be damned...
nelly1 said:
...you will regret it for the rest of your life. Prices are so cheap at the moment JUST DO IT.
Take the rough with the smooth - the time it's going well more than negates the time it spends 'en repair'.
...take it from me - mines been out since mid July - and I CAN'T WAIT!!!. Winter weather and future mishaps be damned...
fully agree with you despite the frustration that creeps in from time to time. Same for me Nelly but she's almost back now - counting down the days and dan the British winter, she'll be the daily driver as often as is possible!
JT
yzf1070 said:
Fair but wasn't just valve train problems pointed out by Melling.
WHAT....either you were not there or you fell asleep for half of the venue......rods, pistons, crank, block design, engine capacity, oil delivery and distribution.....to add just a few additional alterations he discussed on the S6 vs his AJP6.
Err, isn't that what I said? NOT just valve train. PS. Was there and awake.
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