I was driving my 2000 4Runner Friday and suddenly there was a loud putt putt sound - at first I thought it was a bad muffler or something. Kind of a Harley putt putt but slightly softer. Anyway, there was no oil light and no overheating. There was oil on the inside of the engine compartment passenger side, that appears to have been spraying out from possibly the head but can't really tell for sure. Not on the front or rear of the engine that I could see. I had to limp it along to get to a decent place to get off the street, but it was running. It started okay, slightly rough on the start but it did start easily. The engine light did come on and was blinking after a couple of minutes that I was moving it off the street. I checked the oil and it was only a little less than a quart low, and there wasn't a big pool of oil under it when I stopped, just a few drops that came down from the engine compartment. Looked like maybe only a half a cup or so of oil that was sprayed out, messy but not a huge amount of oil.
Didn't look milky or anything, just like clean oil.

The short distance I drove it, it was running rough with the put putt sound and lost some power.

My first thought was a blown head gasket, but didn't seem to quite fit the profile. Any ideas? Hoping it's not as bad as it sounds - but, well, I'm sure it ain't good!

Sounds like you blew out a spark plug.

^^^This.

Blinking CEL = misfire.

Yeah I guess that would make sense - I was thinking the worst but it didn't really follow the head gasket symptoms. Hope that's all it is - cheaper than a head gasket job anyway! Getting it checked out at my mechanic Tuesday so I'll post what they find. Thanks!

Hopefully the head didn't get damaged where the spark plug threads are. Helicoil should work, but if it doesn't, you may need to replace the head.

I blew a spark plug out of a Mazda once — sounded like I was driving an old lawnmower.

Umh, how does a blown out plug explain the spraying oil?

OP hasn't posted pictures so we are all just guessing. Maybe it's fuel?

and how can blow a plug out cause it to blow oil out, unless the rings are totally shot

Or bad spark plug tube seal.

I have a similar issue. I was driving my 99 4runner (hot day) and I started hearing a slapping noise from the engine (kind of like a belt slapping against the wall and it gets faster when I accelerate. About another mile down the road i felt the gas stutter a little. Kind of like when you run out of gas in a carbureted car. And another mile later when i started slowing down heavy white smoke started coming from under the hood. It sounds like a lawnmower now. Below is a video of the issue. I know it's not great but it'll give you an idea of what the engine sounds like and you can see where the smoke comes out of (looks like the passenger side cylinder head?). You guys have any ideas what the issue might be? Trying to brace myself for the repair cost.

https://youtu.be/PRHeDuax_dI

it's almost like your exhaust is plugged or a valve is staying open. something is not sealed up and it's blowing out without compression. no power I would guess with that kind of setup.

have you taken off the air intake on the passenger side and looked at those plugs?

Sounds like a spark plug leak, which would explain the no start, or possibly exhaust. Any CEL/code?

No I haven't taken off the intake yet. And no codes thrown. But it does start and it'll keep running. In the video I shut the car off right away. I just hope pieces of the sparkplug didn't break off and fall into the cylinder scratching up the walls.

Do you guys think just replacing the sparkplug will get it working again? Or possibly more damage?

I doubt the spark plug broke apart and fell into the cylinder, besides there's no way the porcelain can get in the cylinder.

before I pull my spark plugs I always blow out the tubes with compressed air and then hit him with a vacuum, you can do that as a safety measure too.

if you're going to pull spark plugs to change them, I would get the equipment to do a compression test and check each cylinder - if you have a blown head gasket, or problem valve, it'll show up in a compression test. An exhaust leak would be the other probability.

How's your coolant level, are you missing any coolant

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