so i decided to let the wife drive my 4runner for the first time tonight and well she ended up driving it right off the road into a ditch in about 3ft of water.

so now the question is it didnt seem to take in water or over heat but it wont stay running well and was getting a lot of white smoke out the exhuast as it was running. i also had to hold down the gas pedel to get it to start as if it was choking out, but a couple hrs later it started a little easyer and not as much white smoke, what things could it be or what should i look at to see what damage has happen?

 

Did you pull the spark plugs and turn the motor over? Sounds like you sucked up some water if your puffing white smoke.

 

Might pull the cap and make sure that water didn't get into that as well. I spay some WD-40 in the cap and that should help push any water that is in there out.

Oh yeah, don't let the wife drive it again. That would save from this happening again. Ha Ha

Its a Toyota not a boat

 

Crack case my be full of water. Change oil.

 

Check your diffs too...

 

change the oil before running it anymore or messing with anything else

 

While one is doing the labor...
With that much water involved...
How long has it been since the hubs/ spindles were repacked???

Good luck on the rest....
Doesn't crawler have a de-watering procedures in his forum somewhere??

Repo

 

Looks like a "1st and last time the wife drove the 4runner" story. That sucks man. Hope you get it resolved.

 

Check and see if the air filter is wet . It could cause some of the things described.

 

change the oil asap..then just run it pretty much..all the water is going to be out of the cylinders by now, but if any got in the crankcase then it needs to come out through the drain plug

 

thanks for all the info, im heading out in a few to check the oil and see how other things look.i went out last night and it started easier after sitting for a few hrs, now we will see how it starts this time.

 

Thanks funny. The first time I let my wife drive my truck (1986), she put into a ditch with 3 feet of snow. It took 2 other trucks to get me out. She hasn't drove it since! Good luck with your fix.

 

so no water in oils or anywhere i can see, but after it warms up it wouldn't stay idling and puffing white smoke, do i need to reset the computer? it seems to be if i hold full down on gas it will run and as soon as i let off it wants to die, then after getting it cleared out and no white smoke it idles for a few mins but if i hit the gas too quick it wants to die now..

 

Did you do any of the things above? Distributor cap? It takes a long time for things to dry out, especially if it is still cold and damp where you are. I dont know toyotas but a lot of the computers can be re set by disconnecting the battery for 15+ min.

 

Has your wife made it up to you yet, I'd have breakfast in bed for months Just realized your in Tacoma.

 

i checked the oil, tranny, main relays, air tube, air box, connectors for air box and distributor cap and all have no water, i ran it for a short drive today and after it warmed up it doesnt want to stay running well, i think the air flow meter or tps went bad and needs to be replaced now. oh well guess she will learn to keep it out of the water next time.... mudd yeah im in midland area after i get it up and running again we will have to meet up sometime...

 

If your still getting white "Smoke". Put your hand by the exhaust to see if it is water. If you have warmed it up and run for more than a few minutes you should not still be getting steam. If your are, you could have hydrolocked the engine when/ if it sucked up water. This can cause a blown head gasket and other engine damage. check to make sure the smoke is steam, if it is ,do a compression test.

 

If you want some help I got some days off.

 

3.0 v6? check your coolant level. mark the position of your tps. Once you've marked it. Pull it and blow it out with compressed air. Water in the tps will cause stumbling. Pull the plugs and clean them. Pull the cap and clean it.
Then once you figured it out... ban wife from driving it.

 

IM suprised no ones mentioned at least checking to see if the fuel/gas has some water in it?