New to me 2006, v6, 140k, head gasket leaking

[inglysh]

I bought a 4runner at the beginning of this month. I noticed the coolant was low in day 4 and filled. Same day, CEL came on,... but for whatever reason, thought it was the gas cap.

Went for two more weeks w/o issue and hit a CEL again. Abundance of caution, got my codes read and found the prndl and a o2 code. 0705 and 0240 iirc... & took it into a shop.

On the lift, they didn't take more than 10 min to determine that the hg was leaking onto both cats, each needs to be replaced.

Shop says better that 5k to do all the work. I called around for another opinion and was met with a lot of groans.

I'm not sure what my next move is. I'm pretty handy, but a hg replacement seems beyond category for what my skillset is.

If I do nothing, mechanic thought that I could get 10's of thousands of miles before the motor shit the bed, or got bad enough to force me to take action.

Um...

They also said that problem pre-existed me purchasing the vehicle and should have been disclosed. On the vehicle disclosure, there is nothing noted, but mechanic indicated that it was super obvious and didn't require any special skill or effort (which pissed me off because I thought I checked all the right places myself).

Now what? Take auto repair at the tech?

 

[lord rigatoni]

i have never heard of any shop charging 5 grand to replace a head gasket...don’t go back to that shop first of all. second of all, whenever you buy a car from a third party/private seller, ALWAYS have a skilled mechanic you trust inspect the car front to back. they will lay out whatever problems or imminent problems the car may have, such as your leaking head gasket. if you bought it from a dealer, you can press charges against them since it is illegal for a dealer to sell a vehicle without disclosing any issues to the buyer. third, i would try to get that head gasket replaced as soon as possible. leaks tend to not get better and you don’t want coolant entering your cylinders and mixing with the oil...thats a recipe for a “fun” day cleaning out your cylinder bank, not to mention it could hydrolock your engine and then you’re really screwed. i know you said that it is out of your skillset, but who knows ya know, maybe you’re mechanically inclined research the forums and get some info on the demands of the job, look for a write-up so you can see the steps and what you need to do. yes its a demanding task, but i genuinely believe almost anyone can do it with a bit of determination.

 

[gaber6]

STEP 1 - If Dealer purchase, return the vehicle.

STEP 2 - HG sealer to temporarily slow the leak if you are going to keep it. Many on here will say don't, but read the directions on all the different types and try a simple one. There are many ways that they can be done. My family had a 1994 4.0 Aerostar with 260k miles that was probably 50/50 mix of sealant and radiator fluid lol. I used some on my 2005 v6 that held for about 3 months until I could get the parts together to fix correctly.

STEP 3 - Bust out YouTube and fix it! Take your time and put the parts you take off in labeled bags. AutoZone has free online diagrams that I used and are accurate enough.

 

[inglysh]

Follow up in dealer feedback

I bought a used 2006 4runner from a dealer w/ 140,000 otc, 1 month ago. After 300 mi, I was down a 1qt and replaced another 2pt. of coolant. Hit a number of CELs in the process.

Today the dealer finally admitted there was a problem and has offered to repair both gaskets and replace (a) cat, not both. They have also accepted liability for any other issues that they encounter while addressing this issue.

I have documented every issue I encountered and corresponded with the dealer almost entirely electronically. I have also contacted a lawyer who is general counsel for several larger dealers and specializes in consumer protection. Together with the feedback that I have gotten from (3) 3rd party mechanics, I have a good case against the dealer for not fully disclosing issues.

In the state of Wisconsin there is an obligation to remedy undisclosed problems. It is not warranty, but it is "an unfair practice for a dealer to remedy any problem that should have been disclosed on the buyers guide if the problem existed at the time of sale, could have been found using reasonable care, was not disclosed and is reported to the dealer AND the vehicle is made available to the dealership."

They have offered to do this for $1400.

I could pursue this through the state, but may not get all of the value that is being provided. It would also take (perhaps much) longer and this is already a big job. It is my second/recreational vehicle so its not a problem to "not have it".

Their value = lots replaced, limited liability on my part, quicker time to repair, 1400 known cost.

Legal alternative/state DOT engagement = long (unknown) time to repair, unknown liability/uncontrolled costs, unknown if I would be able to replace all that is bad or requires attention.

I hate the idea of spending money on something that should have been disclosed, and I feel "all kinds of took", but... just paying them seems like the best possible outcome.

Thoughts?

 

[newton22]

What's your use case for the vehicle? I used BlueDevil head gasket sealer on mine in August and it's doing great. Granted, I work from home and don't drive it everyday. Just follow the directions closely.

 

[inglysh]

What's your use case for the vehicle? I used BlueDevil head gasket sealer on mine in August and it's doing great. Granted, I work from home and don't drive it everyday. Just follow the directions closely.

It is my 2nd vehicle. All i use it for is hunt, fish, camp.
Cabin is 4hr, 225 miles (each direction) away. 4x month in the fall, through Dec.

Summer is fishing, camping, mountain biking, about 200 miles a weekend...

So about 12-13k / year.

Jesus. Thats a pile more than I thought it would see.

I use a prius for motoring around town so all it sees is highway. I work from home too... maybe I should recreate from home as well.

 

[newton22]

It is my 2nd vehicle. All i use it for is hunt, fish, camp.
Cabin is 4hr, 225 miles (each direction) away. 4x month in the fall, through Dec.

Summer is fishing, camping, mountain biking, about 200 miles a weekend...

So about 12-13k / year.

Jesus. Thats a pile more than I thought it would see.

I use a prius for motoring around town so all it sees is highway. I work from home too... maybe I should recreate from home as well.

I'd say give BlueDevil a shot. I followed the directions to a T (even got BlueDevil radiator flush which I feel is more expensive than other radiator flushes) and it helped. I don't feel my HG is sealed completely but it made the leak a lot smaller (based off heater core gurgling sounds).

 

[Captsolo]

Dealer ripped you off. They knew HG was bad. Get a lawyer.:rofl::rofl::eyebrows:

Dealer surely erased all the CELs.

The engine is probably full of blue devil.

I got a 2005 4runner V6 with 150,000 miles and no HG issues .. ... yet!
My 4runner is in the Bahamas and never sees over 60 mph - except rarely.
Island has no Superhighways!

Gaber6 has good advice IMO.

BTW... I just checked my overflow canister and I check it often after reading about the HG issues here.

Coolant level has held steady - right at the same line on the overflow canister for the last three months. Hasn't dropped even a 1/4 inch.

Just wondering Inglysh, how many miles you gots on your 4runner?

In the meantime, I'd try those HG sealers (don't ask me which one - BD looks like the best) and watch the coolant level twice weekly.

Good luck!