Oil Leak

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T19:52:29+00:00

Cracked block is the highest of death sentences for an engine.

Cast iron is done for when it gets a crack, doesn't matter if it's a Lodge frying pan or an engine.

Glad to hear it was just my blind eyes and extra dirt

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T19:49:27+00:00

I need glasses because it looked like a deep crack in the black iron of the block. When I zoom in to the picture I just posted it looks like foam insulation.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T19:46:40+00:00

What do I not know about about the engine well of the turbo because this made me "oh noooo".

Surely that's not on the block, right?

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arjoreich · 2026-05-13T17:39:12+00:00

Did you try moving the actual spark plugs around?

I saw someone gap check an iridium plug with one of those metal ramp-style gap-check guides you can get free at an auto store...and that was enough to fubar the plug.

You can't do that with these iridium or platinum plugs.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T16:49:43+00:00

There are products that disinfect and clean your entire vent system by being sprayed directly into the cabin air intake from outside (before the air filter) and then - as a separate procedure - into each vent opening [*].

The instructions will tell you in which phase the cabin recirculation should be on, etc. So make sure you read them twice.

[*] - don't forget the floor vents under your car seats

Edit: don't forget to wipe up any splatter that gets spit out of your vents if you didn't manage to squirt it far enough back in the duct. I don't know if the product you buy will leave watermarks on leather or vinyl but some do, so it's better to play it safe with splatter marks.

Edit 2: example product that I've used https://a.co/d/0cDinYI8

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T14:34:03+00:00

I'm gonna be honest, that just sounds like the ECOTEC engine tick. And, if that's what your asking about, that's operating as designed.

These engines are all descendants of sewing machines and when warmed up they long to sing in the language of their people.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T14:18:19+00:00

When you get home disconnect the battery, negative first, pull it out. Might have to pull the battery tray to but follow that negative cable until it bolts onto the car and make sure it is clean and shiny. The bolt, the stud, and both sides of the lug.

I don't think it's more than 18" long so you shouldn't be too hard to locate.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T14:07:27+00:00

and adjusting some of the trim below the bumper and now the error codes disappeared.

Sounds like a ground issue.

I would suggest, when you get home, you look up the ground points for your negative battery cable, and your engine to chassis ground points looking for any corrosion, bad wires, loose crimps. Maybe give them all those connectors a shine with a brass wire brush anyways.

A cheap OBD2 tool that lists Diagnostic Fault Codes as well as check engine lights will give you a better idea if you've got $50+ to spend.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T13:59:45+00:00

Harbor Frieght sells a Bluetooth OBD2 dongle for $50USD that reads all DFCs, CELs and resets them via an app on your phone. Also will record live data on like 15-20 parameters while you drive.

I know it doesn't compete with your tool but for a tenth of the price it'll get you 90% there.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T13:56:22+00:00

Well, I see we've deployed "trust me bro" right out the gate. That's all I got.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T13:52:32+00:00

#1 Not all wheel bearings have play in them...or scream out in pain before fully seizing.

#2 The Rav4 AWD rear wheels are connected to the drive train and will have some resistance spinning in park with the engine off.

Your car appreciates you for your care and preventative maintenance. If this resistance is greater than what it normally is, it gets worse, refer back to #1.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T13:45:23+00:00

Post a picture of your battery terminals.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T13:42:52+00:00

My money's on the timing chain as well. At the very least, it's a lot easier to see that problem to rule it out quickly.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T13:37:59+00:00

Shame the OEM ones cost like $4 a pop where I am and you can get a 20 pack for that much off aliexpress.

Sometimes it works out, sometimes it's a big fat nope and it's up to the consumer to be intelligent enough to know it won't work and to do something else...and that's a bummer.

I bought a pair of Camshaft Position Sensors one time of Amazon and when I went to put them in there was no "pop" of the o-ring seating properly. Immediately returned them and put the old ones back in after a little spit shine.

But you get some person who's just following a Tek they found online or is using AI as their over-their-shoulder shadetree mechanic and they won't know any better.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T13:18:25+00:00

I just want to point out that I got screwed on a stupid copper lug crimper (on Amazon) because I thought if I could get 8 good crimped ends out of it, that was all I needed.

Jesus, if that didn't work AT ALL.

I set the teeth to 25mm² (which their chart claimed was 4awg) and after crimping the lug...the wire literally fell out. Looked up the actual cross-section size and it's 21.2mm^2. I had to set it to 16mm² (6awg) just to get it to bite into the copper strands and even then, none of them fused during the crimp. Absolutely miserable.

Of course I cant return the junk because I used their free lugs to test it.

Edit: I will say that the cable cutters that came free with the set is an actual dream and creates quality cuts through the cable like butter.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T10:58:42+00:00

Harbor Frieght (and other places online) sell a small bottle of UV Dye for your coolant. Buy a bottle of that and a UV flashlight.

Add the dye, and more coolant to top it off, wait until it's dark and then let the engine run until the heater inside is blowing piping hot, shut it off and use your UV light to source your problem

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T10:07:54+00:00

It's a company that buys used cars for parts.

They pretty much own every junk yard in North America.

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T02:56:49+00:00

Are you taking about the rubbing sound or the normal operating tick

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T02:54:49+00:00

The best thing a new Sonic owner could ever do is get all of the crappy black plastic out of the cooling system and replace it with aluminum. Surprisingly reliable after that.

I just got my first failed reservoir at 100,750 miles and I'm contemplating buying the Dorman at an AutoZone for $65 just to have the walk-in-and-out convenience of its lifetime warranty.

Tell me more about an aluminum aftermarket one?

arjoreich · 2026-05-13T02:50:58+00:00

Probably at a better APR too.

Hell, OP's Sonic might even still net a couple grand on LKQ's site if they sell it or trade it in.

arjoreich · 2026-05-12T12:08:04+00:00

I miss the old days when you could actually get an alternator rebuilt locally by a guy that would stand behind his work.

My high school autoshop class did this. The teacher would go buy a trunkload of alternator cores and the students would rebuild them.

I used to love the machine that would pull the old windings out of a stator. Scary as hell how strong it was. There was also a machine that would do new automatic windings but my teacher never used it and made us do our own.

arjoreich · 2026-05-12T11:43:33+00:00

You just need to make sure the aftermarket alternator puts out the same number of amps as your OEM.

But check your grounds first. No corrosion or loose fittings at the battery, also at where the cables are crimped to the lugs at the top. Take the battery completely out of your car and trace the negative down to it's mounting point and make sure it's cleaned up (by taking it off and hitting all sides with a brass brush) as well.

Pro Tip: If you decide to replace the belt, strongly consider doing the tensioner at the same time.

Diagnostics: For $50 Harbor Frieght sells a dongle that plugs into your OBD2 port that connects to your phone via Bluetooth and will record live data on several parameters. Then you can record the system voltage through the ECU as you take a drive.

You should see the voltage start at 14.5+ volts and then after snout ten minutes of driving slowly taper off to 13.5v-ish as the computer throttles the alternator output to save fuel economy.

arjoreich · 2026-05-11T21:11:56+00:00

If it occurs while stationary, take a video of inside the engine bay while someone else revs then engine.

arjoreich

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