Hey Guys,

I have a 95 4Runner that I put a "toyotacarpart.com" rebuilt 3VZ-E into January of 2010.

This 4Runner is my wife's Daily Driver. Today, as she was leaving from lunch I noticed that it was billowing white smoke from the exhaust. It is my understanding that white smoke is coolant so I am thinking that the head gaskets might have gone. As I said, the engine was a re-manufactured 1/2010 and it has approximately 15,000 miles on it.

My questions are simple:

Is there anything it could be apart from coolant in the combustion?
If it is, is there a likelihood that the engine (head / etc) are damaged?

It would be cool if I just had to replace the gaskets and go back to business (i.e. sell this money pit before something else breaks).

Any thoughts?

 

Billowing white smoke says it all.

:wabbit2:

 

No kidding....my big concerns are if it is damaged...I sure as heck hope they step up and cover this...the engine is warrantied for 3-year unlimited mileage....but they don't cover labor.

Also, any idea how much coolant a person can consume before he needs to see a doctor?

 

Engine at idle:

 

Not good Gerald.

:wabbit2:

 

Brian,

The engine has a 3-year unlimited mile warranty on Parts....but not on labor. I am very disappointed with this 4runner overall. It just shouldn't be this much trouble. It has really given me a distaste for Toyota v-6's (and antifreeze!).

 

Mine spits white smoke out sometimes when it firsts starts, or on a cold morning.

Is this the same problem?!

 

Not sure DC....but this one is the taletale billowing smoke that you know is coolant.

 

Does it stop after it warms up a bit? If it is antifreeze, it smells like it is.

 

The cloud has the sweet smell of coolant? Radiator and coolant reservoir level dropping? What does the oil look like?

Some have had the lower plenum gasket go bad and it lets coolant into the cylinder that immediately gets burned off...at least on the 5vz-fe.

Depending on where the failure is there may or may not be damage.

Most critical: DO NOT let it overheat!!! A sure fire way to damage heads.

 

Don't throw all Toyota V6's out the window, the 3.0 may be a turd but the 3.4 is where its at, pretty much the best motor Toyota has ever made in my opinion.

 

Honestly, I didn't get the anti-freeze smell that I expected when I smelled it....it was more sooty. I have some help that will give me a hand with it this weekend, check a couple of things out and then figure out if we need to dig into it. I am not hopeful right now, we will see when I have a chance to check it out. For now, we left it at my wife's office and it is safe there.

 

Looks like I will be pulling the heads this weekend on the 4Runner….wish me luck. I had to take pictures of the heat tabs that the engine builder installed on the block and just sent them to him this morning….good news is that they were still intact so that should mean that it didn’t over heat. Maybe it will be an easy (relative) fix???

 

 

Well, the engine builder (Luke Hernandez at www.toyotatruckpart.com a.k.a. APR Autocare - 2450 East Platte Avenue - Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909) is dancing around and trying everything he can to come up with an excuse to not warranty this....even to the point of wanting to suggest that since I didn't install a new clutch fan that I might have overheated the engine (since the heat tabs are still intact, I did not overheat the engine). Stay tuned here, I will be sure to let everyone know if this guy stands behind what he sells or if he tries to get out of responsibility.

 

Keep us posted Gerald. Best of luck!

:wabbit2:

 

Ouch I really hope you get it sorted out with the shop. Thats BS. He must have done horrible prep work on the heads. Or maybe didn't use an oem gasket?

 

There were Rock gaskets on the engine when I bought it....I considered changing them before I installed the engine but I knew that would void the warranty so I left it the way it was. I have been told by someone whom I respect on the subject, that I should replace them with MLS gaskets and then I won't have to worry about it down the line.

I just hope the gaskets are the only problem and the heads are good.

 

Well, I think I have identified the problem....found two more heat tabs tucked away behind the cam pullies.....intact.

 

Yep, here is another "heat tab"....