Trying To Start A Burnt Toyota Qualis After 5 Years: Will It Start? (Video)

Cold-starting a car can be satisfying to watch. Such videos get huge viewership and appreciation on YouTube and Instagram. A YouTuber from Kerala recently took things to a whole new level and tried cold-starting a Toyota Qualis that had once burnt down. The way things take a turn is interesting.

The video shows a team of young guys setting out to cold-start the Qualis. The SUV was once burnt down and most things on the interior and exterior have been charred almost completely. After taking a quick vehicle walkthrough, the team checks out how things are under the hood.

The fire has had its impact under the hood as well. It hasn’t, however, burned it down completely. The engine is slightly damaged but seems mendable. After completing the primary checks, one slides into the cabin through the driver-side window, as the doors are jammed. He ensures that the gear is in neutral.

The team then opens the hood and shows the engine bay. This Qualis has a 2446cc, four-cylinder, naturally aspirated diesel engine that makes a peak torque of 151 Nm. The hose connecting the engine to the radiator seems to be missing. They perform engine oil checks before proceeding to other areas. The oil levels are satisfactory. The radiator has taken damage and so has the battery. The team takes the old battery off and puts in a new one.

They remove the air filter hose, to ensure better engine breathing during the cold start. The filter seems to be in good health and unaffected by the fire. Now to perform the cold-start, they connect the battery’s ‘+’ to the solenoid to initiate a crank. The video also shows the engine, its flywheel and other components.

The host further explains the fuel filtration mechanisms inside the vehicle. Instead of relying on the vehicle fuel tank, they use a direct fuel supply (a bottle of diesel). One of them then cranks the engine again. Interestingly, within a couple of tries it almost springs into action- almost!

The team then makes some quick improvements to the setup and cranks again. This time, the engine starts after struggling a bit in the beginning! In the next few seconds, we see smoke coming from beneath the engine and from the battery. The team quickly disconnects the battery and examines the mechanicals.

The engine seems to have an oil leak. Large amounts of oil spilt out when they cranked it. The boys find a jugaad to get it sorted. They make a cork out of something that was around and plug it in to stop the leakage. They then work on the overflow and finally perform another few cranks. After trying for some time (and after a few tens of cranks!) the engine finally comes to life!

They shut it off and try a quick restart, and it springs to life like nothing ever happened! All these are being done on a vehicle that once caught fire and the entirety of the cabin turned into ashes! the endurance of Toyota engines is truly immaculate!

The team then tries to get the gear engaged and move the vehicle. The clutch seems to be damaged and they fail in engaging the first gear. After trying for some time, the boys finally get the reverse gear engaged, and move the car a bit. However, the front axle and steering mechanism seem to have been damaged/ dismantled.  Thus driving this Qualis seems impossible. But watching the engine road back to life is satisfying for sure!

The next time someone asks ‘But why a Toyota?’ you could probably say, ‘ Because I wish to have the engine running even if my car burns down!’