Need the help of the experts here regarding a CEL...

[Jeff T]

Some of you may have been following my problem. CEL & the VSC lights came on in June. Turned out to be "missfire cylinder 4". I moved the coils around and about 3 weeks later the CEL came on again.

This time I replaced all 6 plugs. Within a couple days the sluggishness at start was back.

Took it to the dealer, they ran a compression test and all 6 cylinders were within a few pounds.

Started it today,still sluggish, and for the first time added about a quart of antifreeze.

I still think it's the head gasket but can one be gone/going and still have good compression???

I fly out in the AM on a business trip so there is little I can do today, just trying to get my ducks in a row for next weekend.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks...

 

[ChaosStarter]

Search for 'headgasket' for the 4.0L V6. Apparently, becoming a little more known around here.

Forgot to add, they need to perform a leak down test. You can have good compression with a blown headgasket. But a leakdown would show otherwise.

 

[TRDCal]

Took it to the dealer, they ran a compression test and all 6 cylinders were within a few pounds.

Started it today,still sluggish, and for the first time added about a quart of antifreeze.

Hate to be bearer of bad news but if your loosing coolant and there's no puddles in your driveway, then your looking at a head gasket issue. I know the "compression test" came out positive but who's know they could have had the tire tech doing it and he made a mistake.

 

[Jeff T]

Hate to be bearer of bad news but if your loosing coolant and there's no puddles in your driveway, then your looking at a head gasket issue. I know the "compression test" came out positive but who's know they could have had the tire tech doing it and he made a mistake.

I guess a leak down test is in order them. I agree I think it'd the HG, I just want something to confirm it is before I spend all the $$$.

The coolant missing probably is the real test though...

 

[TRDCal]

Have you looked into whether its more cost effective to replace HG or entire motor.

It may seem like a bit overkill but I'm currently going to through this issue with my mothers 2005 Corolla with 400k kms. While driving the water pump let go and she didn't realize and continue on until the motor quit. Now her #2 and #3 cyl. are taking on coolant. Sure we could take the head off, have it machined, replace the head gasket, put a new water pump on etc. But after she spends all that money she'll still have a motor with 250,000miles, so for a couple more buck we're going to get a used motor and put it in.

I realize that case is alittle more extreme than yours and to you'd have to do all the work yourself to stay on budget plus be a without a vehicle for a bit but just something to think about.

 

[progress4m]

Hate to be bearer of bad news but if your loosing coolant and there's no puddles in your driveway, then your looking at a head gasket issue. I know the "compression test" came out positive but who's know they could have had the tire tech doing it and he made a mistake.

I agree with that, especially considering your bad experience (as you have described in another post) when you took your truck in…
I would not trust their work (test) at all…

On the issue itself… and I hate to say it, but it does sounds like HG issue…

Good Luck!

 

[jimithing]

My opinion is that if you took it to the dealer because of the CEL's they need to determine the cause of the CEL's. If a compression test showed negative then they need to keep digging for another cause.

The coolant could certainly be going into the engine and burning off. That should show irregularities in an exhaust fumes analysis. The same one they do when you get your car inspected. At least around here it is.

It could also be ending up in your oil. Have you changed your oil recently? I would get some oil in a cup by putting a cup under the oil filter drain and loosen the oil filter. Some should spill out into the drain. Smell it and see if it smells like coolant. I think it would also look more like chocolate milk if there's a lot of coolant in there.

If you think your dealer is incompetent then go to a different one. But you've already started with this one and I'd be asking for some more testing on the house since they had your car for a week and couldn't find anything wrong with it. Or call Toyota and tell them the same thing - the dealer had the car for a week and couldn't find anything but you still have a problem. Maybe they'd offer you a different dealer free of charge.

 

[run4estrunner]

Just do a block leak test, different than a leak down test. Its simple and cheap.

 

[earthrealm]

so how did this all end?

 

[TRDCal]

[MENTION=78511]earthrealm[/MENTION] http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/120804-my-truck-has-been-dealer-2-weeks-head-gasket.html. I may have missed a thread or 2 inbetween, but that should answer your question