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Toyota Four-Cylinder Engine Teardown Reveals Why It Failed, It Is Easy To Guess

Toyota enjoys a reputation that is linked to reliability, so learning about the occasional engine failure is surprising, right? Well, what most people do not talk about is the link between maintenance and reliability. An engine teardown of the popular 2AZ-FE unit will show why it may fail.
Toyota 2AZ-FE engine teardown 6 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by speedkar99
Toyota 2AZ-FE engine teardownToyota 2AZ-FE engine teardownToyota 2AZ-FE engine teardownToyota 2AZ-FE engine teardownToyota 2AZ-FE engine teardown
For those who are not familiar with Toyota's portfolio, you should know that the 2AZ-FE has been made since 2000, and it was phased out in 2018. It was available in 2.0 and 2.4-liter configurations and was powered by gasoline.

The 2.0-liter variant was called 1AZ, and it was a “square” motor, as it had the same bore and stroke, 86 mm (3.39 inch). The unit was the first generation of the AZ family, and the FE in its name means that it had a narrow-angle DOHC configuration and multipoint fuel injection.

Toyota's go-to straight-four had an aluminum engine block and an aluminum cylinder head, which had dual overhead camshafts inside. The intake side came with VVT-I, which is Toyota's variable valve timing system. The successor of the AZ engine, the AR family, came with dual VVT-I, as well as other changes.

The 2AZ was the second-generation engine of the AZ family, which came with a 2.4-liter displacement due to an 88.5-mm (3.48-inch) bore and a 96 mm (3.78-inch) stroke, which means that the configuration is under-square.

If the engine code ends in FE, it means that it comes with a DOHC configuration and multipoint fuel injection, but if there is an S between the F and the E, it will have a gasoline direct injection system.

The unit that is the star of the teardown in the video was fitted from the factory in a 2008 Toyota Camry. The same type of engine was available in models like the Corolla, Matrix, RAV4, Scion tC, and others.

It is no secret that the 2007-2009 version of the 2AZ-FE in the Camry tended to burn oil excessively. If the vehicle has less t has less than 150,000 miles (ca. 241,402 km) on its odometer and is less than ten years old, it should not burn more than a quart of oil (946 ml) in 1,200 miles (ca. 1,931 km). If your 2AZ-FE does this, we recommend inquiring about it at a Toyota dealer.

Regardless of the manufacturer, if your vehicle's engine burns a quart of oil (946 ml) in just 1,200 miles (ca. 1,931 km), you should have your vehicle's engine checked by a mechanic.

Regular oil and filter changes should be performed on any vehicle, and we recommend checking the oil level every time you fill up your vehicle's tank with gas. Or at least every second fill-up if you never encountered oil burning issues.

If you never check your vehicle's oil level, delay its change, or ignore other basic maintenance, it does not matter how reliable the brand of your vehicle is, as the matter is no longer in their hands.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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