Coolant in cylinders? Borescope Pics. Please help

[4runnerfiend]

I've got the classic white smoke at start up however I had a shop replace my heads with brand new heads less than 3 years ago. Same shop is saying it might be the intake manifold leaking coolant and getting burned up there.. not from the head gasket or heads...

Pressurized system. I pulled my spark plugs. let it sit overnight and took some Bore scop pic's. However I'm not sure what to look for. Cylinder 5 looks like there may be some moisture getting in. Also it is clear I've had some ping. Rig has a SC on it.

Any help is appreciated. In order 1-6

1:
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2:
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4:

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5:

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6:

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[gamefreakgc]

I don't see anything terrible going on there. If you were burning coolant in excess you'd see a shiny clean piston that has been steam cleaned. I don't mean to be rude, are you sure it's not just excessive water vapor at startup? Of all the vehicles I've ever owned this 4Runner spews out more steam on cold winter mornings than I've ever seen. It even has the slightest sweet smell to it. I was concerned a few months after getting it that I had a leak but it is completely normal. Smoke lingers in the air and doesn't clear out but steam will eventually evaporate if that helps. If you start the 4Runner and move it up 20 feet or so does the cloud linger for minutes (assuming no wind) or does it quickly disappear?

I should also ask, is your coolant level dropping?

 

[4runnerfiend]

I don't see anything terrible going on there. If you were burning coolant in excess you'd see a shiny clean piston that has been steam cleaned. I don't mean to be rude, are you sure it's not just excessive water vapor at startup? Of all the vehicles I've ever owned this 4Runner spews out more steam on cold winter mornings than I've ever seen. It even has the slightest sweet smell to it. I was concerned a few months after getting it that I had a leak but it is completely normal. Smoke lingers in the air and doesn't clear out but steam will eventually evaporate if that helps. If you start the 4Runner and move it up 20 feet or so does the cloud linger for minutes (assuming no wind) or does it quickly disappear?

I should also ask, is your coolant level dropping?

Thanks for the quick reply. No not rude
Smoke lingers...
I've even started it up mid day after sitting all night and half the day.. so was not cold.. 65 ish.

I'm pretty sure i'm loosing coolant because last time I went to do my oil change and fluid check my reservoir was empty and I had to add a small amount to the Radiator.

Here is a video link not sure if it will work

Shared album - Charles McKenna - Google Photos

 

[gamefreakgc]

Thanks for the quick reply. No not rude
Smoke lingers...
I've even started it up mid day after sitting all night and half the day.. so was not cold.. 65 ish.

I'm pretty sure i'm loosing coolant because last time I went to do my oil change and fluid check my reservoir was empty and I had to add a small amount to the Radiator.

Here is a video link not sure if it will work

Shared album - Charles McKenna - Google Photos

Can't really tell from the video, that just looks like steam to me. I think the best course of action is check your coolant and the overflow reservoir when cold once a week or so, you could even mark the level of the tank with a piece of blue tape or whatever you've got. Just be sure to check it at the same time each day, the reservoir will be much higher when the engine is hot vs cold because of thermal expansion. Driving with a small coolant leak that's burning off won't hurt anything. That's the only definitive way to know for sure you are burning coolant.

If after a few months time the coolant level is relatively unchanged you're golden. If it's dropped a significant amount there's a leak and it'll be time to tear it up. The intake manifold gaskets are not too hard to replace, just takes some time and patience as you just pull the rubber intake and the upper intake. Nothing but nuts, bolts and gaskets the whole way down.

 

[4runnerfiend]

Can't really tell from the video, that just looks like steam to me. I think the best course of action is check your coolant and the overflow reservoir when cold once a week or so, you could even mark the level of the tank with a piece of blue tape or whatever you've got. Just be sure to check it at the same time each day, the reservoir will be much higher when the engine is hot vs cold because of thermal expansion. Driving with a small coolant leak that's burning off won't hurt anything. That's the only definitive way to know for sure you are burning coolant.

If after a few months time the coolant level is relatively unchanged you're golden. If it's dropped a significant amount there's a leak and it'll be time to tear it up. The intake manifold gaskets are not too hard to replace, just takes some time and patience as you just pull the rubber intake and the upper intake. Nothing but nuts, bolts and gaskets the whole way down.

Ok good to hear that it is not getting into the cylinders. so no head gasket leak or cracked head.

Thanks for the help. I've already filled and marked my coolant and noted the temp/time on it.

I also did a block test with the rad.. and it came back negative also.

 

[Romeo1]

The coolant reservoir is only a Degas bottle on our 4Runners. It has no ability to return coolant to the system. The only Time this is not true is if a radiator cap designed to hold pressure is present on top of the bottle. Then the bottle is inside of the cooling loop.

Your defast bottle being empty can however cause evaporation out of your radiator thus causing your low fluid level in the radiator situation.

When you’re burning coolant, it’s usually pretty obvious. The correct action would be to pressure test the coolant system and see where it goes.

 

[phattyduck]

The coolant reservoir is only a Degas bottle on our 4Runners. It has no ability to return coolant to the system. The only Time this is not true is if a radiator cap designed to hold pressure is present on top of the bottle. Then the bottle is inside of the cooling loop.

The bottle is not in the cooling loop, but it most definitely returns coolant to the system as the engine cools off. The radiator cap holds pressure IN the cooling system, but has a vacuum relief valve that lets coolant back into the radiator when there is any vacuum in the system. The level in the bottle is high when the engine is hot and lower when the engine is cold.

-Charlie

 

[the_welfare_wagon]

Can't really tell from the video, that just looks like steam to me. I think the best course of action is check your coolant and the overflow reservoir when cold once a week or so, you could even mark the level of the tank with a piece of blue tape or whatever you've got. Just be sure to check it at the same time each day, the reservoir will be much higher when the engine is hot vs cold because of thermal expansion. Driving with a small coolant leak that's burning off won't hurt anything. That's the only definitive way to know for sure you are burning coolant.

If after a few months time the coolant level is relatively unchanged you're golden. If it's dropped a significant amount there's a leak and it'll be time to tear it up. The intake manifold gaskets are not too hard to replace, just takes some time and patience as you just pull the rubber intake and the upper intake. Nothing but nuts, bolts and gaskets the whole way down.

I agree that just looks like steam. When my head gasket blew it looked like someone had set off a smoke grenade in front of my house. Literally couldn't see across the street for like 2 minutes before the smoke cleared

 

[Romeo1]

The bottle is not in the cooling loop, but it most definitely returns coolant to the system as the engine cools off. The radiator cap holds pressure IN the cooling system, but has a vacuum relief valve that lets coolant back into the radiator when there is any vacuum in the system. The level in the bottle is high when the engine is hot and lower when the engine is cold.

-Charlie

Well, I should have phrased it better. Your right, but it still has to have a full burped radiator and the bottle filled to the minimum mark for it to back siphon properly.

You can’t fill the radiator if it’s low on fill from the bottle I guess is the point I’m trying to make here.

 

[phattyduck]

Well, I should have phrased it better. Your right, but it still has to have a full burped radiator and the bottle filled to the minimum mark for it to back siphon properly.

You can’t fill the radiator if it’s low on fill from the bottle I guess is the point I’m trying to make here.

Yes, if the top of the radiator is being used as the expansion tank, then coolant will never go in/out of the cap.

-Charlie

 

[4runnerfiend]

Thanks for all the help!

 

[the_welfare_wagon]

So I forgot I had the video of my runner blowing the headgasket. Here's what the smoke will look like when its coolant and not just steam

Shared album - Rich - Google Photos

 

[jgue467]

And then there's that Sweet odor.....

 

[brillo_76]

I know a had a slight seep on my coolant system. The overflow kept my radiator at the proper level until I found the seep. So if your reservoir is not letting coolant flowing back and forth. Something is wrong in your coolant system. Like a bad cap or the system can't build pressure like it should from a leak.

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