Plain Jane

I have a feeling I'm raising more questions than I can ever get answers to! Thanks for all of your input. At least I know what to put in the ad.

Linda, it's noisy in the way an old engine is noisy. Doug, it's my coworker's husband, who was trained as a car mechanic, worked for some dealerships and now fixes his family's Toyotas. All he did, as explained above, was try to start the engine and recognize the sound it made as a timing belt problem that other Toyotas he had worked on had had. I watched him do it, and he did not have any tools with him. So basically I followed jminshew's instructions but did not have to describe the sound - he was right there to hear it. He's also a DIY'er like y'all and didn't charge me a dime to tell me this. Would it have been more authoritative if he had? And finally, for the last time, the engine does. not. turn. over. So any solution that involves that will not help.

So it's a 22R-E engine. So maybe this isn't the end? Fred, you echo my thoughts exactly - it would be a shame if I sold it and then the repair turned out to be something affordable. If only I could get it away from here!

So in a last-ditch effort to identify the problem - not not NOT to save it, but to be more specific about its problems in my ad - I had the husband of a coworker check out the engine. He tried to start the engine and immediately diagnosed a broken timing belt. He said that if it had an interference engine it would have to be replaced, but if not, it might only need a new timing belt. Anyone know if it's got an interference engine?

Thanks, Linda. I did spot a really nice Dolphin parked at a home about 45 mins. from me, in really good condition, but that doesn't mean the owner would be interested in buying another. Maybe I'll take a ride up next weekend and knock on their door.

Thanks, all, for your advice. I'm selling the Dolphin. I paid $6K for it in 2021 so I'll sell it for less. As easy and low-cost as it seems to be to fix, with such predictable success, it'll be interesting to see how many of you are willing to make the investment yourselves.

Please understand, folks. The camper has spent more time being repaired than it has traveling. I poured lots of money into it when I had it to spend, but as I said in my original post I can't afford to put anything else into it right now. It will not move and unfortunately is parked on the property of an unscrupulous mechanic. Regardless of what should happen to such a deserving vehicle, there is very little I can do with it right now. My original question was what to do with it now, not how to fix it. I've taken pictures of the exterior and interior if anyone wants to see them. I don't know what else I can do today. I'm leaving the camper now and continuing with my day.

I'm doing my best here, jminshew. Linda? WLK? any input? I don't know how else to describe that sound and I can't get a recording that doesn't include the warning beep. It's a light buzzing sound.

Okay, reconnected that small hose. Can I add water rather than coolant? And do I add it directly to the radiator? I've got bottled drinking water I can pour in. Not sure why I'm doing these things. So I can argue with the mechanic whose property the Dolphin is on? Try to move it off the property? Is there a chance it'll start if I put water in the radiator?

Okay, following jminshew's instructions and putting it in neutral, I do hear the sound a car makes before the engine turns over. The battery terminals are tight.

Also coolant appears to be low. I see one small hose that's disconnected but don't know where it's supposed to connect, below. About at the center of the photo.

It's an automatic. Assuming battery cables are tight because battery is working. Also, I didn't mention this in response to an earlier post, but it *was* coasting on the highway before I even got to the exit ramp. I know this because I pressed the gas pedal and it didn't speed up (I just wanted to get to the exit quickly). Linda, shot of the radiator below. It's empty to me, but what do I know?

No, nothing happens at all. The battery comes on but that's it.

Also, engine won't start, and oil is normal color and not low.

So I'm up here now with the Dolphin and have taken a few pictures - TBH I don't really know what I'm taking pictures of but hopefully they will be helpful. I'll be here a while emptying out the cabin if anyone wants to respond right away.