Is it worth buying?

[secondary-system]

so a guy is selling a 1988 sr5 pickup v6 manual for 500$. i know this is a 4runner forum but i can't find any good forums out there but with this truck the guy says it won't start because it rolled into a lake when it was off and was submerged all the way up to half of the cab. so he took it to a mechanic and the mechanic took the oil out got the water out and put fresh oil in it. the guy tried to start it but no luck. then he put in a new battery and still no luck. he told me it would turn over but no spark. so I'm thinking it would be one of the two ether the distributer or the computer. every thing else on the truck looks great even the frame. so i was wondering what do you guys thing the problem is.

 

[KidVermicious]

If the truck is otherwise in decent shape, it's worth $500 without a motor at all. If you're reasonably handy with a wrench, it could be worth taking a flyer on. Worst case scenario you'll end up parting it out and getting your money back that way.

 

[MStudt]

Buy it for $500. Trouble shoot it. Then part it out and make money if it still won't turn over. I'd be all over it for $500 though.

 

[Hyde802]

Sounds like a good deal to me? Got pics? Hows the interior?

Rolled into a lake huh... Thats a bummer haha.

 

[secondary-system]

ok so talking to that guy some more after i told him ill buy it he said it was his daly driver for 5 years then the incident happened the said that the day after it went for a swim he took it to a tech to looked it over. ''the tech was vary anal about doing things right but wasn't vary strong on electrical. the tech said there was water in the fuel tank he draind the tank then flushed it. and there was raw fuel in the cylinders and oil he changed the oil because of the fuel smell but there was no water in the engine''. so i can use all the help i can get.

 

[91'4bee]

For $500 dollars I would get it. Then Make sure there is fuel getting to the motor and that the fuel pump works. If no spark then pull a plug with the wire still connected and crank it to see if there is an arcing spark. If not/cant fix it then part out or...let the imagination run wild and build it :guitar2:

 

[thegray1]

I sunk my 4Runner...twice...ECU got wet the first time. I drained fluids, pulled the plugs, everything but it still would not start. Got a new ECU from another member on here and fired right up. I would definitely buy it for that price and see if you can find another ECU to test first.

 

[secondary-system]

yeah so I'm going to buy it. is there a way to find out if its the ecu. the first thing I'm going to check out is the distributer and if its not that and its the ecu is there any one selling both?

 

[KidVermicious]

I have a pair of ECUs for sale. Link in my sig.

 

[secondary-system]

I have a pair of ECUs for sale. Link in my sig.

Yeah ecu I might need would be for a for a 3vz-e

 

[KidVermicious]

Can't help you there.

 

[secondary-system]

How can I check if the ecu Is bad

 

[KidVermicious]

How can I check if the ecu Is bad

Only by ruling out everything else. The troubleshooting section in the FSM always goes down a list of possible causes for a particular problem, and it always ends with "replace ECU" as the last step.

If you're good with a wiring diagram and a multimeter, you could theoretically have a look at exactly what signal is coming into and out of the ECU when and compare that to what's required, but that's beyond me and probably beyond you.