1999 T4R P0300, P0306, white smoke, etc!!!!
- Thread starter CharliePR74
- Start date
CharliePR74
Member
Yup! Sounds like, and other than spending more money during this Christmas time, I will be having some fun fixing my T4R. Will get the original engine fixed. Working on cars is a hobby for me. What I don't like is having 2 more cars, one not finished and my plan was to sell it before Christmas and knowing that I will be using the other car on a daily basis (which I didn't want to).
Going V8 sounds tempting but my original plan was to complete the TRD combo on it years ago, I already have the TRD 18" wheels (I know, I'm missing the most important part, the SC). I think I will keep it stock as it is right now.
Thanks for your comments!
Going V8 sounds tempting but my original plan was to complete the TRD combo on it years ago, I already have the TRD 18" wheels (I know, I'm missing the most important part, the SC). I think I will keep it stock as it is right now.
Thanks for your comments!
CharliePR74
Member
Went to get a couple of leak test tools/kits today but wasn't able to complete that mission (refusing to go into a major repair)... Came home and something told me to remove the spark plugs to trace the actual problem and found it! When removing the plugs, I noticed that spark plug #3 (the one in the middle, bank 1, driver side) was soaked in something that wasn't gas, it had a strong smell and didn't evaporate as gas will do. Did a second compression test and the lowest reading came from that cylinder, 165psi vs an average 195psi for the remaining cylinders. From a visual inspection, I also noticed that the piston heads were all covered with the usual carbon deposits but that one which was nice and clean with a yellowish aluminum color. I was also able to read a letter "B" on it.... So, that means tomorrow is the day, heads out.
Will post pictures of the findings and the progress. Hope not to find a crack in any of the heads.
Will post pictures of the findings and the progress. Hope not to find a crack in any of the heads.
brian2sun
Elite Member
Coolant leaking into that cylinder is what cleaned that piston. Coolant getting into there can really only be from a cracked head or a head gasket. So keep your fingers crossed it's just the gasket, but expect it to be the head (which seems more likely on these 3.4s). Good luck, let us know how it goes..
CharliePR74
Member
Started removing bolts and nuts like there's no tomorrow! If replacing the timing belt (which is something I will surely do simultaneously along with the water pump, oil seals, etc.) is not easy, tell me about removing the heads! Tomorrow I will finally complete the task. Just wanted to share something I found in the way. As soon as I removed the intake, I noticed fuel coming out of injector #4 (bank 1). Actually I mistook this injector with injector #3 in previous posts. So.... there's part of my problem and I say part cause anyway I was getting white smoke, so the party goes on. I will include some pics of my findings for the benefit of all. You will notice the difference between the cylinder 4 intake (cleanest) and the rest of them. You will also see the injector tip soaked even after hours of being removed. Apparently it just stuck open.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Attachments
Last edited:
LittleCaesar
New member
CharliePR74
Member
Heads finally removed today (had to wait till my vacations to do it). Can't say I found a visible and obvious spot where coolant was actually going inside cylinder #4 but there was a suspicious area between a coolant passage and the cylinder in which the surface wasn't polished and nice looking like the rest of the head surface. You will notice the difference between banks and cylinders. Bank 1 looks fine, even color on valves and piston heads. Bank 2 looks uneven on everything, actually cylinder #6 doesn't look healthy either. I think it was failing too, maybe injector and or coolant intrusion as well.
Will take the heads to a machine shop to have them pressurized, have them valves rectified and checked for tight seal, have all valve oil seals replaced by OEM ones and also have the heads resurfaced.
Regarding injectors, wanna replace all of them. Any suggestion? Read about it and it's real, injectors can fail and you will not know it till it is too late. A plugged or partially opening injector can trigger an increase in temperature which ends up in a premature gasket or head fail, maybe that's what happened in my case. There are options such like replacing them by remanufactured OEM ones. Recommended? New OEM ones ($150.00 each)? Non OEM recommended by you guys?
Will take the heads to a machine shop to have them pressurized, have them valves rectified and checked for tight seal, have all valve oil seals replaced by OEM ones and also have the heads resurfaced.
Regarding injectors, wanna replace all of them. Any suggestion? Read about it and it's real, injectors can fail and you will not know it till it is too late. A plugged or partially opening injector can trigger an increase in temperature which ends up in a premature gasket or head fail, maybe that's what happened in my case. There are options such like replacing them by remanufactured OEM ones. Recommended? New OEM ones ($150.00 each)? Non OEM recommended by you guys?
Attachments
CharliePR74
Member
Mixed it up on the description. Just follow the pics. Bank 1 uneven and Bank 2 even...
CharliePR74
Member
Not so easy to work on these engines! Man I have been working for about 10hrs or so up to now to finally remove the heads, Still have to clean everything, remove the crankshaft pulley, timing belt, replace oil seals and buy everything needed to put my engine back again once the heads arrive.
Question... Did you identify the valves shims? Mixing them up will result in a massive headache as they are matched of every particular valve. In my case I removed the cams only, removed the heads and put the cams on the heads back again exactly the way I removed them. Have to ask the machine shop guys if they need the heads assembled or not and if not, then I'll remove everything but keeping every part identified.
CharliePR74
Member
Anonymous4Runner
New member
I wish I had epic knowledge like you when it comes to working on your truck. I'm a guy, but I'm like those ladies who takes their car to the dealership to get major issues fixed. I can replace fuses, replace tail lights, add washer fluid....but nothing major like your issue where you diagnosed the problem and started correcting the issue. :'(
I hope things work out for you, though. I had a 3rd gen before I moved on up to a 4th gen.
I hope things work out for you, though. I had a 3rd gen before I moved on up to a 4th gen.
CharliePR74
Member
It's an advantage when you realize that this fix will cost about $1K to $1.5K if u do it on your own. A dealership should double this cost, pretty sure.
Up to now:
$300 to get both heads pressurized, resurfaced and valves checked
$300 on the original gaskets and seals set, OEM
$300 on both oxygen sensors. Maybe replacement was not needed but replaced them as the values coming from the tests performed were out of range (should have wait till the real problem was pinpointed or maybe get a better deal)
$186 on 6 remanufactured OEM injectors. Don't trust mine, one was already leaking.
$127 on pump, tensioners and timing belt
$60 on Actron scanner which helped a lot to track the problem.
$60 on new spark plugs and about $50 on cables (part of normal maintenance)
Other miscelaneous such as fuel filter, injector cleaner, etc
$50 and this was today, I broke one teeth of the timing belt crankshaft pulley!
Up to now, about $1400.00!!!!!!!!!!
Hope this horror story ends well.
Up to now:
$300 to get both heads pressurized, resurfaced and valves checked
$300 on the original gaskets and seals set, OEM
$300 on both oxygen sensors. Maybe replacement was not needed but replaced them as the values coming from the tests performed were out of range (should have wait till the real problem was pinpointed or maybe get a better deal)
$186 on 6 remanufactured OEM injectors. Don't trust mine, one was already leaking.
$127 on pump, tensioners and timing belt
$60 on Actron scanner which helped a lot to track the problem.
$60 on new spark plugs and about $50 on cables (part of normal maintenance)
Other miscelaneous such as fuel filter, injector cleaner, etc
$50 and this was today, I broke one teeth of the timing belt crankshaft pulley!
Up to now, about $1400.00!!!!!!!!!!
Hope this horror story ends well.
CharliePR74
Member
Nightmare just ended this weekend. Had to wait for some parts such like new head bolts (no one was sure if it was ok to reuse the existing ones), part of the wire harness (the one that connects to the sensors underneath the intake manifold as the connectors broke when I tried to disconnect them), new crankshaft time belt pulley as I broke one of the teeth (I messed it up in that one - $50.00), etc. Finally put everything back again and my SUV is up and running! What I found and what I learned? I replaced the red coolant my 4Runner brought long time ago (at 30k miles) and started using green Prestone coolant since then. I've read a lot and although people everywhere say green coolant is not good for aluminum but good for iron, I would say a different version. Heads were 100% fine, no corrosion at all, but that wasn't the case for the cast iron engine block. There was corrosion everywhere, even on the areas around the cooling orifices. TG I didn't have to resurface the block. I also found that the gaskets these engines have are the MLS type (Multi Layer Steel) and seem that the middle sheet is made out of carbon steel as I noticed rust particles coming from between the outer layers. Apparently the green coolant attacked the gaskets and that's where the chaos began. Other than that I found a fully open injector which I caught when removing the intake manifold. Just removed it and fuel started to drip from that one injector (fuel hoses already disconnected from the fuel rail). I will post couple of pictures of the process and of the gaskets so you can see what I am talking about. Right now I am just struggling with the IAC Valve. Cleaned it before installing the throttle body and seems to be stuck now. Engine idles low during cold start, idles high when hot and once I get it disconnected, the engine idles just fine (getting code P505). Will fix that on the weekend.
Next step, try to soften the non-comfortable suspension! Any suggestions? Have OEM springs, Tokico Shocks and 18" TRD/BBS wheels (I know that those bigger wheels won't help a lot, but I like them!)
Next step, try to soften the non-comfortable suspension! Any suggestions? Have OEM springs, Tokico Shocks and 18" TRD/BBS wheels (I know that those bigger wheels won't help a lot, but I like them!)
quicksilvr
New member
So exactly how much time and mileage did the engine see with the Prestone green? Also....was it old enough to be the old style green? The new stuff is more yellowish-green, and doesn't contain anything that should "attack" gaskets.
CharliePR74
Member
Well, it has 199,500 miles and it's a 1999 T4R. Should have been exposed to green coolant for 95% of its lifetime. I use to replace it on a yearly basis, meaning more aggressive than what's usually recommended (every 30,000 miles). I put about 18,000 miles on my 4Runner on a year.
You'll see the pictures. I've been it's owner since it was 0 miles and has never ran it on tap water; it has never overheated either.
You'll see the pictures. I've been it's owner since it was 0 miles and has never ran it on tap water; it has never overheated either.
BrianSD_42
New member
glad to hear that your truck is back up and running again.
you spent a good chunk of money but I'm sure you save to bunch as well.
1 question though, isn't it the case that the steel block will always be more corroded than aluminum over time, just because of chemistry of Al?
you spent a good chunk of money but I'm sure you save to bunch as well.
1 question though, isn't it the case that the steel block will always be more corroded than aluminum over time, just because of chemistry of Al?
CharliePR74
Member
Yes, should be the case, but aluminum gets corroded too. I've seen aluminum heads corroded up to the point that they have been fixed by means of filling areas were material have been lost and then get them resurfaced.
Check out this link, it's not about a Toyota, but hey not everything is perfect
VWVortex.com - Corrado slc Serious head pitting(now with pics))))
A quote from that page:
"Its shocking how many people don't know about galvanic corrosion.. especially ones that have iron blocks and aluminum heads. It's a perfect combo for corrosion if you use tap water. The electrolytes in the tap water basically create an electrical circuit, and that allows a cathodic reaction, which strips away the more anodic metal (aluminum in this case). If you use distilled water, you have no conductivity, therefore no cathodic reaction"
That's why I bought a gallon of concentrated red coolant from Toyota and some distilled water. No tap water for my cars.
Check out this link, it's not about a Toyota, but hey not everything is perfect
VWVortex.com - Corrado slc Serious head pitting(now with pics))))
A quote from that page:
"Its shocking how many people don't know about galvanic corrosion.. especially ones that have iron blocks and aluminum heads. It's a perfect combo for corrosion if you use tap water. The electrolytes in the tap water basically create an electrical circuit, and that allows a cathodic reaction, which strips away the more anodic metal (aluminum in this case). If you use distilled water, you have no conductivity, therefore no cathodic reaction"
That's why I bought a gallon of concentrated red coolant from Toyota and some distilled water. No tap water for my cars.
LittleCaesar
New member
Congrats on getting it all back together.
Similar threads
