Toyota RAV4 Forums banner

Car shakes when starting and I have blow by

6885 Views 57 Replies 15 Participants Last post by  ruggb
Hello, my 2020 rav 4 shakes when I first start the car then it stops when RPM goes down.
My car sometimes hesitates to accelerate and they said that it’s normal and cannot duplicate the issue which I’m sick of hearing the same excuse with them.
Also, if I open the engine cap there is serious blow by going on and the Toyota mechanic said it’s a new technology in Toyota and its normal. Said all cars have this and I told him no it does not as I have checked other random vehicles and asked other mechanics.
Also, the engine sounds a bit rough at times and I have taken videos of everything.

Does anyone have input on these issues?
1 - 20 of 58 Posts
Year and model of your RAV4 please.
Year and model of your RAV4 please.
2020 rav4 XLE.....automatic
Post your videos where other can see and evaluate.

Also you refer to blow by when open the oil cap. Can you further eloborate?
Blown head gasket, or bad PCV valve. Pray that's it's the PCV.
How many miles on your Rav? Was your car part of the fuel pump recall? There is a thread about the software update for the 2019 model year. What is your build date (upper right on the vin sticker)?
How many miles on your Rav? Was your car part of the fuel pump recall? There is a thread about the software update for the 2019 model year. What is your build date (upper right on the vin sticker)?
Or the cracked block recall?
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I will say this is the noisiest, most rattly engine I have ever owned, but mine has never shaken the car?

Its really hard to determine blow flow from the oil cap. All engines will blow some air out the oil cap. PCV varies based on engine running conditions, especially with these new engines that can run in quasi Atkins cycle. Comparing to other engines is irrelevant - you would need to compare to the exact same engine in the exact same condition - and even that is almost impossible with closed loop computer controlled engines you never know what there doing.

If you truly have blow by I would assume you will also end up with oil dillution? If its bad enough you could smell it in an oil sample. I am not sure if Blackstone oil test will determine that - but it might be worth looking into?
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Thank you guys, my father thinks it’s either a blown gasket or pistons. He is an old school certified mechanic. He said some small amount of air is normal but the amount coming out isn’t normal. I do not know how to add a video on here so you can see how much blow by I have.
How many miles on your Rav? Was your car part of the fuel pump recall? There is a thread about the software update for the 2019 model year. What is your build date (upper right on the vin sticker)?
It’s a 2020 rav4, a little less than 20k miles
Post your videos where other can see and evaluate.

Also you refer to blow by when open the oil cap. Can you further eloborate?
Thank you. I do not know how to post my videos. I have been having kick back issues when driving so my father was checking everything and he noticed way too much blow by when he opened the cap. He also used a stethoscope and some pistons (I believe what he said) sounded off.
Thank you guys, my father thinks it’s either a blown gasket or pistons. He is an old school certified mechanic. He said some small amount of air is normal but the amount coming out isn’t normal. I do not know how to add a video on here so you can see how much blow by I have.
Did you check to see if your RAV was impacted by the cracked block recall?
Did you check to see if your RAV was impacted by the cracked block recall?
I was just there for an oil change and they told me “there is no recall”. I feel like I’m being lied to and they are brushing under the rug. Was it for 2020 rav4?
I was just there for an oil change and they told me “there is no recall”. I feel like I’m being lied to and they are brushing under the rug. Was it for 2020 rav4?
WOW I just searched the recall and I had antifreeze leakage months ago and they told me that was normal. I told them it is absolutely NOT normal! I will attach a picture of that too.
I was just there for an oil change and they told me “there is no recall”. I feel like I’m being lied to and they are brushing under the rug. Was it for 2020 rav4?
yes.

TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS (nhtsa.gov)
Here is the coolant leak which was in January.

Attachments

See less See more
Thank you guys, my father thinks it’s either a blown gasket or pistons. He is an old school certified mechanic. He said some small amount of air is normal but the amount coming out isn’t normal. I do not know how to add a video on here so you can see how much blow by I have.
A blown gasket - such as a head gasket - or a blown piston should throw a CEL on a modern engine - at minimum a rich or lean condition - likely some misfire as well. If you do have a problem with blow by it is more likely something along the lines of a burnt valve or stuck rings or whatever. It could also be a cracked block - per the other suggestions - and it wouldn't necessarily need to be in the recall - sometimes materials just fail.

Do you have another Toyota dealer in your area you can take it to?
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Here is the coolant leak which was in January.
If you had a blown head gasket and coolant was leaking into the combustion chamber you would have billowing clouds of white smoke coming out of your exhaust pipes and most likely some liquid also. If you had a cracked or defective engine block casting the coolant would be going into your oil pan and you would see this on the dipstick as the fluid level rises up way above the maximum mark. If a head gasket or crack in the block was leaking externally outside the engine you would see huge puddles under the car and could see the coolant trickling out of the side of the engine from such external leak because it is under pressure when the engine is running. Did you have any of these conditions?
IMHO this is either a whole lot of uninformed overreaction or a serious lemon law case.
As mentioned it needs a second or even third opinion from other dealers or shops.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
If you had a blown head gasket and coolant was leaking into the combustion chamber you would have billowing clouds of white smoke coming out of your exhaust pipes and most likely some liquid also. If you had a cracked or defective engine block casting the coolant would be going into your oil pan and you would see this on the dipstick as the fluid level rises up way above the maximum mark. If a head gasket or crack in the block was leaking externally outside the engine you would see huge puddles under the car and could see the coolant trickling out of the side of the engine from such external leak because it is under pressure when the engine is running. Did you have any of these conditions?
This seems like an exaggeration of the "cracked block" symptoms that Toyota publicly acknowledged.
1 - 20 of 58 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top