Toyota 4ZZ-FE engine
Content
The ZZ series of motors did not decorate Toyota's image too much. From the very first 1ZZ, not everything went according to plan, especially with regard to resource and reliability. The smallest unit in the series is 4ZZ-FE, which was produced from 2000 to 2007 for the budget trim levels of the Corolla and a number of its analogues. A lot of cars with this engine have been sold on the world market, so there is enough information about its design, pros and cons.
Structurally, the 4ZZ-FE engine is not much different from the 3ZZ - a slightly more powerful and voluminous version. The designers replaced the crankshaft and made the cylinder stroke much smaller. This allowed to reduce the volume, as well as to make the motor more compact. But it also left all the traditional malfunctions and problems of this power plant, which are known a lot.
Specifications 4ZZ-FE - main data
The motor was produced as a budget alternative to more voluminous units. The creators planned lower fuel consumption, improved performance for city driving. But not everything went as smoothly as we wanted. It’s better not to go to the track on this unit at all, and in the city the start from traffic lights turns out to be very sluggish.
The main characteristics of the engine are as follows:
| Working volume | 1.4 l |
| Internal combustion engine power | 97 h.p. at 6000 rpm |
| Torque | 130 N * m at 4400 rpm |
| Cylinder block | aluminum |
| Block head | aluminum |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Number of valves | 16 |
| Bore | 79 mm |
| Piston stroke | 71.3 mm |
| Fuel supply type | injector, MPI |
| fuel type | gasoline 95, 98 |
| Fuel consumption: | |
| – urban cycle | 8.6 l / 100 km |
| - suburban cycle | 5.7 l / 100 km |
| Timing system drive | chain |
Although the torque is available quite early, this does not give the motor any advantages in operation. 97 horses would be enough in this configuration for the Yaris, but not for heavier cars.
By the way, this unit was installed on Toyota Corolla 2000-2007, Toyota Auris 2006-2008. On the Corolla, the unit captured as many as three versions: E110, E120, E150. It is difficult to explain why Toyota did not make a sensible replacement for this power plant before.
Key benefits of the 4ZZ-FE
Probably, the absence of hydraulic lifters, which by that time were already on many other engines, can be called an advantage. Here you have to manually adjust the valves, look for information about the gaps. But on the other hand, there is no expensive repair and replacement of these same compensators. Also, replacing the valve stem seals is easier and does not cause so much financial discomfort.
It is also worth highlighting the following advantages:
- with a quiet trip, quite adequate fuel consumption is obtained in any conditions;
- there are no problems with temperature operating conditions if cooling works well;
- the generator is serviced, and the starter is also repaired - replacing the bendix is cheaper than installing a new device;
- no need to replace the belt - the timing chain is installed on the motor, only the alternator belt needs to be changed;
- very reliable Japanese manual transmissions came with the engine, they run longer than the motor itself;
- among the pluses, moderate demands on fuel quality are also noted.
The ability to carry out a simple starter repair, as well as a simple valve adjustment - these are all the serious advantages of this installation. But the internal combustion engine is designed for 200 km, this is exactly its resource. So there should not be any special expectations when buying a car with such an engine under the hood. If you buy a car with high mileage, be prepared for a swap.
Disadvantages of the 4ZZ-FE motor - a list of troubles
You can talk about the problems of this line of power plants for a very long time. Many owners are faced with a large expense. This is possible due to various environmental devices, of which there are a lot here. Noises under the hood and chain ringing are normal. You can change the tensioners, but this does not always help. This is the design of the unit.
The following features of the installation cause trouble:
- Chain replacement is required by 100 km. The whole point of installing this chain is lost, it would be better if the engine was designed for a conventional timing belt.
- Very often, a thermostat replacement is required, and its failure is fraught with overheating or a failure in the operating temperature of the power plant.
- It is problematic to remove the cylinder head, as well as to carry out repairs in the event of failure of the main parts of this block.
- For adequate operation, Toyota Corolla will require the installation of a heater; in winter, the unit is difficult to warm up to operating temperatures.
- The maintenance issue is quite expensive. It is necessary to pour good liquids, install original components, the prices for which are not the lowest.
- The resource even with careful operation is 200 km. This is very small even for such a small unit.
Many are interested in whether the valve bends on the 4ZZ-FE if the chain has jumped. The problem is that when the chain jumps, it is quite likely that several expensive cylinder head units will fail at once. So you don't have to worry about bent valves. If this happened, most likely, it is more profitable to find a contract unit with low mileage. This will save you money.
How to increase the power of 4ZZ-FE?
In the reviews you can find many reports on tuning this engine. But you can only do this if you have a spare unit in working condition in your garage. After increasing the power, the motor resource will be reduced. Yes, and with good investments, it will be possible to get up to 15 horsepower from above.
Chip tuning does almost nothing. Judging by the same reviews, this only unbalances the engine and disables its main components. But replacing the injection and exhaust system can give a result. It is not worth going further. Turbo kits from TRD were not produced for this unit, and experts do not recommend installing any "collective farm" options.
Conclusions - is the power unit from Toyota good?
Probably, the ZZ line turned out to be one of the most unsuccessful in Toyota Corporation. Even if you regularly pour expensive oil and install original filters, you have practically no chance to drive up to 250 km. The motor falls apart after the completion of its unspoken resource.
Spare parts for it are quite expensive, contract engines are available, their price starts at 25 rubles. But if the 000ZZ is already out of order, you can pick up something more presentable for your car.
In operation with the 4ZZ-FE, a lot of all sorts of troubles also occur. Minor repairs will be expensive for the owner. All this suggests that the unit is not the most reliable, it is generally not subject to major repairs and belongs to the category of disposable installations.
