So I drive a 2007 Scion tC with about 120k miles on it. I was driving the other night when all of a sudden I hear a faint knocking/clicking noise. No dash lights or CEL codes. I pull over and its not to bad..sounds like a fan barley hitting on something. (I know I should have turned the engine off here) I wasnt quite sure what it was so I quickly put a quart of oil in to make sure it wasnt that. I continued down the road. A few miles later the engine started having a hard time accelerating and the knocking/clicking noise got worse so I quickly pulled over, and as I did I hear a horrible grinding loud noise. Then, the engine dies. I stop, look under the hood, no abnormal signs of anything. So I try and start the car, Clunk, nothing. again-. Nothing. Wont even try and turn over. Again, no CEL codes.

I tow the car home and check the oil, seems low but not empty. I then drained some oil out of the pan, no metal shavings and quite a bit of oil came out. I then took the top plate off the engine off and the timing chain looks fine. Transmission fluid looks fine. I then tried to turn the crank, I can turn the crank clockwise, but not counter-clockwise. So, my question is..Do I need a new engine? Is the engine seized? I'm not quite sure what to do here. Please Help!?

 

Take it to a shop and let them properly diagnose it. Seems beyond your capability unless you have access to an arsenal of tools, a lift, and good knowledge of engines.

 

This is exactly what happened to my tC. I have been to 3 shops and they have all said that the engine needs to be completely replaced because it is beyond what would be worth it for a rebuild. I want to buy a new engine and swap it, but I don't know what other engines will fit in a 2007 Scion tC. I don't want to buy a used from from a junkyard...

 

Here's what I ended up doing. I went online a bought the exact same engine, a remanufactured 2AZ 2.4L Toyota engine. Engine was essentially brand new. I swapped them out myself and it starred right up! The total cost after proper fluids, gaskets, belts, and sensors, etc. was right around $2300.

Here's the important part... I took great care of my car, changed the oil and everything regularly. I owned the car for about 5 months before the engine seized. Why it seized?? I have no idea!! Never had oil leaks or anything. BUT.... While I was doing the engine swap I took the oil pan off the seized engine. I found a lot of metal shavings from spun bearings etc. AND I found a bolt..all bent up, it looks like it came from one of the pistons. It wasn't stripped, just bent up from being grinded though the engine on the way down. It was a bolt about 3 inches long with a star pattern on the head.

I'm guessing whoever owned the car before me treated it poorly..or someone did work on it and didn't torque the blots down. Who knows! But that's what I found, and more importantly it's running again!

 

When I first joined here, I was informed by a member that any 2AZ will work. There are slight differences internally with some, but not significant enough to affect how it will run

I made a thread about it because I bought my TC about a couple months ago and it has a tapping noise from number 4 cylinder. However, it still has plenty of power and runs excellent. I wanted more information on the engines for if/when mine ever needs to be replaced. For now Im not concerned with the noise. If I ever replace it, Im going with a used one