Hello All!
The critical info: 1997 4Runner, 3.4L engine, as far as I can tell it's pretty much stock. I'm the second owner, and the vehicle was a gift with a dubious maintenance history as the first owner was quite ill, but hey, it was a gift, right? I certainly wasn't about to complain.
Now, other pertinent facts: I'm a 47 year old woman, somewhat intelligent and curious enough to try to figure things out. I am finally getting in decent physical shape after an entire lifetime of being morbidly obese, but I am far, FAR from being as intuitive and well-versed in the machinations and abilities of vehicle repair. Given my druthers, I would just as soon drop my vehicle off at a trusted mechanic, get it done by someone else whose passion is being covered in grease and road dirt, cough up the dough and be on my way. Unfortunately, the days where I could do that are over due to my current economic status (yeah, I'm broke most of the time). And I admit, I didn't do much more to the 4Runner than put gas in and rack up the miles - my general lack of luck should have told me all I needed to know on that front....
So when I started experiencing some trouble with the 4Runner belching out bluish-white smoke on start up in the mornings, I started researching the problem on the 'net and virtually every query I googled led me to this forum and that the culprit might be anything from the questionable maintenance history I mentioned, to crudded up valve stem seals, to problems with the rings. All of which totally freaked me out.
Still, the important thing was, I had help - in the form of all of you fabulous folks, who - it seemed - collectively have experienced just about every issue that could be experienced with these vehicles. I took the hint, as well as the dive. I figured that I could/should start with something 'easy'. I decided to at least change the oil since I had no earthly idea when that had last been done.
I went about gathering the needed items - based on what I have read here - and chose Valvoline Max Life oil (please don't flame me on this point, it seemed like the right choice to me; give me a chance to learn a little more from y'all and THEN you can flame me when I do something stupid/questionable), and - and this is critical because I wouldn't have known to do it - I got an oil drain plug gasket from NAPA...see, I can be taught!
This morning, I went out to give an oil change my best shot...and it WORKED! I owe the success to all of you...without the advice given to others with similar issues, and the walk-throughs/tutorials posted, I would still be outside sweating and cussing (not that I wasn't sweating and cussing then, but the key point is that I would still be outside right now).
I won't say it was easy...whoever last changed the oil filter practically welded the thing on, which leads me to believe that the last oil change might have been done at a quick-lube place, so most of my time was spent trying to get the filter off. I really felt that I had no choice but to remove the skidplates, but that didn't take too long and wasn't as daunting as I thought. Of course, I tidied under there for as long as it seemed feasible, and in between wrestling bouts with the filter. I can't imagine that I would have been able to wedge my carcass under the 4Runner a couple of years back when I was much larger, but it was still a tight fit for me, and I am amazed that some of you people can crawl around under similar vehicles so easily!
Once I got everything back together, cleaned up the ENORMOUS mess I made with tools, newspapers, paper towels, at least 40 nitrile gloves and other items, I was ready to try and fire her up. And I was really nervous about it! But, with my heart pounding in my chest, and my eyes squinched shut (to ward off the explosion, of course), I turned the key. The 4Runner fired right up...and still, there was smoke. DAMN IT! Oh wait, it was just a little puff...oh, and now there isn't ANY smoke. OK, let's run it for a few moments and then rev it up some...no smoke? Um, yeah, there's a little smoke, but nothing at all like it was!
Do I think I have totally fixed my 4Runner? Not a chance...I just changed the oil/filter. Spectacular! I think it will help, maybe...and it certainly can't hurt. Will I save up any extra cash for repairs to the valve stem seals? Definitely. Even if it turns out that something else major is awry with the 4Runner, which, given its age and history, is likely, caution should dictate preparedness. But at least I changed the oil on my own, and that's a start!
So, after all of the above, I just want to express my gratitude to everyone here, from other newbies with questions I wouldn't even know how to ask, to the experts who handle every query carefully and thoroughly. I honestly feel great about having done the oil change on the 4Runner...it's a great sense of accomplishment, even though I am disgustingly filthy...I am still smiling. And I can say this sincerely: I could not have done this without you all. Thanks!
The critical info: 1997 4Runner, 3.4L engine, as far as I can tell it's pretty much stock. I'm the second owner, and the vehicle was a gift with a dubious maintenance history as the first owner was quite ill, but hey, it was a gift, right? I certainly wasn't about to complain.
Now, other pertinent facts: I'm a 47 year old woman, somewhat intelligent and curious enough to try to figure things out. I am finally getting in decent physical shape after an entire lifetime of being morbidly obese, but I am far, FAR from being as intuitive and well-versed in the machinations and abilities of vehicle repair. Given my druthers, I would just as soon drop my vehicle off at a trusted mechanic, get it done by someone else whose passion is being covered in grease and road dirt, cough up the dough and be on my way. Unfortunately, the days where I could do that are over due to my current economic status (yeah, I'm broke most of the time). And I admit, I didn't do much more to the 4Runner than put gas in and rack up the miles - my general lack of luck should have told me all I needed to know on that front....
So when I started experiencing some trouble with the 4Runner belching out bluish-white smoke on start up in the mornings, I started researching the problem on the 'net and virtually every query I googled led me to this forum and that the culprit might be anything from the questionable maintenance history I mentioned, to crudded up valve stem seals, to problems with the rings. All of which totally freaked me out.
Still, the important thing was, I had help - in the form of all of you fabulous folks, who - it seemed - collectively have experienced just about every issue that could be experienced with these vehicles. I took the hint, as well as the dive. I figured that I could/should start with something 'easy'. I decided to at least change the oil since I had no earthly idea when that had last been done.
I went about gathering the needed items - based on what I have read here - and chose Valvoline Max Life oil (please don't flame me on this point, it seemed like the right choice to me; give me a chance to learn a little more from y'all and THEN you can flame me when I do something stupid/questionable), and - and this is critical because I wouldn't have known to do it - I got an oil drain plug gasket from NAPA...see, I can be taught!
This morning, I went out to give an oil change my best shot...and it WORKED! I owe the success to all of you...without the advice given to others with similar issues, and the walk-throughs/tutorials posted, I would still be outside sweating and cussing (not that I wasn't sweating and cussing then, but the key point is that I would still be outside right now).
I won't say it was easy...whoever last changed the oil filter practically welded the thing on, which leads me to believe that the last oil change might have been done at a quick-lube place, so most of my time was spent trying to get the filter off. I really felt that I had no choice but to remove the skidplates, but that didn't take too long and wasn't as daunting as I thought. Of course, I tidied under there for as long as it seemed feasible, and in between wrestling bouts with the filter. I can't imagine that I would have been able to wedge my carcass under the 4Runner a couple of years back when I was much larger, but it was still a tight fit for me, and I am amazed that some of you people can crawl around under similar vehicles so easily!
Once I got everything back together, cleaned up the ENORMOUS mess I made with tools, newspapers, paper towels, at least 40 nitrile gloves and other items, I was ready to try and fire her up. And I was really nervous about it! But, with my heart pounding in my chest, and my eyes squinched shut (to ward off the explosion, of course), I turned the key. The 4Runner fired right up...and still, there was smoke. DAMN IT! Oh wait, it was just a little puff...oh, and now there isn't ANY smoke. OK, let's run it for a few moments and then rev it up some...no smoke? Um, yeah, there's a little smoke, but nothing at all like it was!
Do I think I have totally fixed my 4Runner? Not a chance...I just changed the oil/filter. Spectacular! I think it will help, maybe...and it certainly can't hurt. Will I save up any extra cash for repairs to the valve stem seals? Definitely. Even if it turns out that something else major is awry with the 4Runner, which, given its age and history, is likely, caution should dictate preparedness. But at least I changed the oil on my own, and that's a start!
So, after all of the above, I just want to express my gratitude to everyone here, from other newbies with questions I wouldn't even know how to ask, to the experts who handle every query carefully and thoroughly. I honestly feel great about having done the oil change on the 4Runner...it's a great sense of accomplishment, even though I am disgustingly filthy...I am still smiling. And I can say this sincerely: I could not have done this without you all. Thanks!
