Hey guys im new here. Just purchased a 1990 4runner with a 3vze.

When I checked the radiator i noticed the level had dropped from what I originally observed upon initial inspection. So i topped it right up and filmed what happened with the cap off. As seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR6KK...cfAUAAAAAAAAAA

However the oil hasnt gone all milky like I have seen before. here is a picture taken after that video of the oil. As you can tell I recently changed the oil and the stuff that came out wasnt milky either.



Can anyone tell me (and with what degree of certainty) if this is a head gasket?

Cheers

 

I should also mention that this was filmed with the engine cold if that makes a difference...

 

pushing coolant when cold is a tale tale sign. there are dye kits that changes color showing exhaust carbons are being itroduce to coolant systems. follow instruction with kit and will confirm or not a problem

 

not just a head gasket. can be a crack in head. lot of times coolant wont get in oil. only if it is severe enough

 

Are there any other symptoms?

The coolant level is dropping rather quickly and there is not a large amount of white steam coming out the exhaust. I know the radiator was replaced recently perhaps it was never burped properly?

 

overheating, put pressure tester on when cold and watch build pressure right way, if it is yes it is a very good chance the head gaskets are blown. but have head magna flux for cracks

 

steam coming out exhaust. should be white looking, pull out sparks plugs if one has very light crusty material is a sign. a good plug should look like a coffee color coffee with creamer in it

 

Possibly....but, that looks to be more than just a bit of air burping from the cooling system.

Your coolant dropping rapidly points towards a HG, provided the coolant is not escaping through bad hoses or loose clamps.

 

I cant find any of these head gasket test strips or dyes here in Australia. rworegon I think your right as i went and started it and left it running for longer with heater on and it still kept bubbling.

Dammit, well im new to this motor, any idea how long it takes to replace one of these or how much it costs to have done?

 

Thanks for the help thus far guys. I noticed this recall plate on the car, i googled it but it produced no results. Any ideas if this means the head gasket has been replaced under warranty?



Also I took a video of the exhaust once the motor was at operating temp. Theres no excess steam or water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2wqb...cfAUAAAAAAAAAA

So reasons to think its not a head gasket:

No oil in coolant
No coolant in oil
No steam out of exhaust
Does not overheat
Has not been recently overheated

Reasons to think there is:

Bubbling in the radiator
Sort of smells like exhaust but that could be other factors.

I really hope its not a head gasket as I really cant afford that at the moment.

 

You can call a dealership and they will be able to tell you if your rig has had any recalls done.

Your coolant is going somewhere. You just have to figure out where. Any puddles? If you've added more than a gallon or so and never noticed any puddles anywhere your probably leaking internally somewhere, most probably the head gasket.

 

There's a link on Yotatech somewhere for a website where you put the VIN in and it tells you if the recall HG was done. If it hasn't been done (unlikely) you can probably still go to a dealer and have it done.

I can't run the vid on my work computer but if I were you, I would let it run with the rad cap OFF a good time until thoroughly warm, to make sure it's burped. Be sure all the heaters are on full blast. Then, let it cool, top it off, drive for a couple days and check the levels again.

Also, make sure none is dripping in your driveway or leaking elsewhere - I've had leaks on the back of the intake manifold and on the hoses that go through the throttle body. Tracking down leaks can be a bugger on these because you can't see half of the engine. In fact, a lot of work is easier if you take the hood off.

Have you done a dry, then wet, compression check? You'll know if a HG let go with a low cylinder or 2 adjacent low cylinders, provided you can rule out other causes (valves, rings, etc.)

Do some searches and reading on here, lots of good info.

 

Thanks for the info.

I did search around for a VIN checker but the only one I found was for american sold vehicles. Not much help for me here in Australia.

I also found last night that I should call toyota australia rather than my local dealer as they wont know much about the recall.

So nobody knows what that plate means?

Cheers

 

I've never seen a plate like that over here.

 

I called Toyota Australia last week and they told me they'd never heard of the HG recall in Australia and that US recalls rarely, if ever, jump over to this side of the pond. Having said that, I do seem to recall another Aussie on here somewhere saying they'd had their's replaced by Toyota at some stage. In any case, they ran my VIN to check for recalls and there was nothing there.

 

hmm interesting point. Have you any idea what that badge is in the picture i posted? Ive been told its a recall plate of some kind.

IS there a special number you contact with regard to recalls?

Cheers

 

You could have the exhaust analyzed at a shop. It will tell you for sure.

You could also check spark plug #6 versus any other spark plug.
If #6 six is really clean and the others have a normal ash build up, you have a blown HG. I think most problems occur at cylinder #6

Do you have a build up of slime on the bottom of the oil cap?

 

I have no idea what that plate is. The Toyota Information Centre (Australia) is 1800 356 554. You'll need to give them your VIN. When I called they also connected me to their service centre, or tech centre or whatever, and the guy was really helpful talking me through the problems I had.

Incidentally, I'm most likely going to need my HGs replaced and the heads will probably need machining too -- does anyone have any idea how much cost is involved in machining the heads?

 

ok ill give them a call now. Thanks for that. Head machining is cheap. I had it done on my falcon 4L. I think it cost about $50 or something. So maybe $100 for two heads.

 

OK gave them a call and she said that the Head gaskets HAD been recalled and done in JUNE. When I asked which year she said she didnt catch that! Argh. Pretty useless since I dont know how long ago that was. So Ive sent an email off as well now.

I contacted the local Toyota spare parts (wrecker yard) and they told me that they wont do head gaskets on the 3vze as 'history shows that its rarely successful in this motor'

WTF!

Argh, there seems to be no good answer. I cant afford the 5vze swap as that will be $3000+ and I cant repair this problem as Im being told its rarely successful. Even for the head gaskets my local mechanic quoted me $1500 and thats if there is no damage to the heads!