Drove this morning for 10 minutes with no problems, parked and went fishing (3 hours). When I came back and started my 2000 v6 4runner the water pump was growling. Drove for 1 minute shut the engine and opened the radiator.. luke warm fluid comes out under pressure (nothing strange so far). Drive another 9 minutes temp gauge is fine. Park for 30 minutes then take off for 5 minutes watching temp gauge. It's fine then suddenly goes to red and engine shuts down by itself. When I say suddenly I mean 10 seconds from fine to red and then shut down. I check radiator and it is now bone dry and engine now will not start. No water in oil or tranny fluids. What happened to the radiator fluid so fast is a mystery. Maybe water pump cracked??? Is there some kind of electronic safety that shut engine off and needs to be re-set to get engine to fire? Maybe it powers fuel pump or other needed electronics. Any other ideas?
Mystery problem
- Thread starter popsmoto
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Baja Runner
Member
Well, unlike Jesus it won't just disappear into the heavens...
Oh wait, it will if it gets hot enough...
Umm... lets start over.
Wait what was the question?
NO but seriously, the most common issue is the heat exchanger inside the radiator. When it fails, the coolant goes into the transmission. Your sure it didn't happen?
Did you notice any white smoke? Check all your heater hoses for leaks? There are heater hoses that go back into the center console for the rear seat as well so check those.
Oh wait, it will if it gets hot enough...
Umm... lets start over.
Wait what was the question?
NO but seriously, the most common issue is the heat exchanger inside the radiator. When it fails, the coolant goes into the transmission. Your sure it didn't happen?
Did you notice any white smoke? Check all your heater hoses for leaks? There are heater hoses that go back into the center console for the rear seat as well so check those.
PitbullRescuer
New member
It's obviously leaking somewhere. Pull the tranny fluid stick and pray you don't have the milkshake. If you're good there, fill it up with water (for now) and run it and look for the leak. It really could be anywhere: Bad hose, cracked WP, bad radiator, rear heater line, bad heater core. Just fill it up, run it and look for the leak. Just don't let it over heat. probably a good idea to pull the skid plates off too before you fill it up, might make it easier to track down if you see it dripping underneath.
No water in oil or strawberry milkshake in transmission "WHEW". Turns out to be (will know tomorrow when she is opened up) a perfect grouping of events. Live in Alaska. Pulled someone out of snow 2 months ago and while revving engine I began a leak at bottom hose radiator connection. Put new clamp and tightened down. Leak stopped but I would smell radiator fluid every so often and level would go down just a little bit. Started hearing faint grumbling noises from the front of the engine and assumed it was the water pump (might also be from the timing belt tensioners too...will explain later). Yesterday I suddenly had lots of noise from front of engine and was positive the pump was taking a dump. Stopped, checked fluid, lots there, and drove a little more watching temp gauge the whole time. As soon as it hit red, engine died. I thought it was an electronic safety shut down but no, the timing belt had broken. So here is my train of thought....water pump died causing water temp and pressure to rise causing lower hose to really leak which raised friction in engine causing old ratty (that's the way it looked when I removed cover this morning) timing belt to break. Now back to the timing belt tensioner theory. For a while the front of engine made a little noise. Took it to a shop and we determined it was coming from behind the timing cover which is also where the water pump is. Could still be pump, but, what if it was the tensioner all the time, causing belt to burn up and break? And, before that happen's the tensioner breaks allowing play in timing between crank and cam resulting in heating engine and causing radiator fluid to blow out bottom hose. Maybe the belt just slipped a tooth. Not enough to make ignition timing off that much but enough to over heat engine. Is it possible pump was OK all along? Must dive deeper into this one. Of course this happens just before finals week and that I have to move out by end of month. I rent a fishing cabin and come May (start of season) they get nightly what I have been paying monthly. Always in threes. I would like to hear any theories on this one.
TheDurk
Elite Member
No way to be sure without seeing the evidence, but--applying the rule of 'simplest explanation is usually right" (good old Occam's razor)--I'd vote a water pump in the process of dying/seizing as responsible for the noise, stress on TB, and failure to circulate causing overheat, belt slip, and eventual compression loss and engine crap out. Since all has been neglected, I presume, I'd change TB, idlers, tensioner, WP, and pray I didn't overheat the poor thing to death.
If the reason for asking the question is a desire to NOT change the WP to save a few bucks, I would put that in the category of a really bad idea.
If the reason for asking the question is a desire to NOT change the WP to save a few bucks, I would put that in the category of a really bad idea.
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Baja Runner
Member
Bummer!
But luckily for us, 3.4L are non-interference ! No valve/piston damage for you my friend!
But luckily for us, 3.4L are non-interference ! No valve/piston damage for you my friend!
