Can you preemptively diagnose a V6 head gasket failure?

[fdbyrne]

I've only had my 4runner for about a month. Is there a test that I can buy and do myself at home to check for the early stages of head gasket failure?

The only symptom that I have so far is the sound of coolant rushing into my heater core for a few seconds on startup and that might very well be from air in the lines from when the dealership replaced the radiator a year or so ago. I'm not losing any coolant as far as I can tell. No warning lights or rough starts.

I really just want to know because I actually have the money at the moment to do the gaskets if they need it. I'd like to know for sure if I have a problem brewing so that I can go ahead and address it.

I've read dozens of threads with circumstantial methods of diagnosis but I haven't found any sure fire tests. It seems like there would be a cheap mail order solution where I could submit fluid samples for analysis of some sort.

 

[johnbema]

Hi,
I'm not mechanical but this happened to me...2004 Limited V6, 120,000mile or so.

I drove up a very steep logging road with 5 people and a dog ...in lo 4.
Not very smart.

A month or so later, I experienced very rough idling on a cold day.
You could feel the car vibrate until for 10minutes or so.

The VSC off/VSC and check engine light came on.
Took to Toyota dealer and they advise something like #6 cyl was misfiring, etc so they replaced all the plugs and adjusted something (it was 1.5 years ago, do not remember)

same issue...then they checked again and
said, it wont be a huge problem to drive it for awhile.
They quoted a whole new gasket replacement and machining both sides, 20 hrs labour etc etc for about $4000.

I didnt have the money so I just left it but finally i had to get it repaired.

But i read somewhere,,,if the gasket is breached,,,fuel and coolant will mix in the cylinder?

So my take is.
your coolant level will be consumed faster than normal
your car will have vibrating cold starts.
you will have a 'milky' engine oil cap
and you will notice fuel in the coolant system (there is a bulb test kit to detect this)

anyways, i bit the bullet and did it at a toyo dealership and obviously replaced the waterpump , timing chain while there were repairing.

I blame myself for overstressing the engine on the logging road...
but also, I would have had to change the waterpump, timing chain anyways.

I'm not mechanical...so that's my take.

I can send you the repair summary, if you would like
John
[email protected]

 

[nevada]

I've only had my 4runner for about a month. Is there a test that I can buy and do myself at home to check for the early stages of head gasket failure?

The only symptom that I have so far is the sound of coolant rushing into my heater core for a few seconds on startup and that might very well be from air in the lines from when the dealership replaced the radiator a year or so ago. I'm not losing any coolant as far as I can tell. No warning lights or rough starts.

I really just want to know because I actually have the money at the moment to do the gaskets if they need it. I'd like to know for sure if I have a problem brewing so that I can go ahead and address it.

I've read dozens of threads with circumstantial methods of diagnosis but I haven't found any sure fire tests. It seems like there would be a cheap mail order solution where I could submit fluid samples for analysis of some sort.

you can get test strips, to check for combustion gases in the cooling system.
that isnt the ONLY way the HGs fail, but its most common.

 

[fdbyrne]

Thanks. Is there a particular test strip that is more reliable than others? I'll start doing some research but I'd really like to get a recommendation from someone that's used them before.