P0305 code....ugg! Need help!
- Thread starter Border411
- Start date
Border411
New member
Alrighty folks...so here is an update. My guy started it up this morning with a scanner attached. No codes other than the old one. He did a hydrocarbon test and also checked the compression....NO ISSUES! He believes, since nothing is showing up in the diagnostics that the coil I bought from Advance Auto Parts is a POS, so he is going to order an OEM one and put it in. He will keep it until tomorrow to make sure it is good to go.
SO---it is NOT a head gasket!
SO---it is NOT a head gasket!
Jeff4runner
New member
Dang, I wish I saw this earlier. DONT buy any ignition/fuel related components from any shop other than OEM dealer stuff. I hate to ever have to say anything like this (dealerships=stealerships, and I've had plenty of experience in that respect...), but places like Adv auto/Autozone stock the cheap chinese sh*t. OEM for fuel, engine, ignition or computer related. Advance auto and autozone is only good for things like brakes/suspension/fluids/maybe O2 sensors. Aka: cheap stuff that is meant to wear down.
Also, just as an extra (cheap) fix, throw in a full can of seafoam ($7 at wal-mart) and fill up a full tank with the highest octane gas you can find (93 if possible). It cleans out all the crap in the tank and your fuel system. Run that engine harder than normal and it'll clean itself out. When I say harder, don't break any laws or drive like an idiot, but give it half to 3/4 throttle from a stop light, and get it up to speed fast. This will make the cylinder run hotter, fuel lines run gas faster, and it keeps the engine moving. I have an 04 with 180,000 miles, and the only thing Ive ever had to do was bearings and valve cover gaskets at 100,000. I drive her hard, but I take care of her too. Thats all you should ever have to do.
Also, just as an extra (cheap) fix, throw in a full can of seafoam ($7 at wal-mart) and fill up a full tank with the highest octane gas you can find (93 if possible). It cleans out all the crap in the tank and your fuel system. Run that engine harder than normal and it'll clean itself out. When I say harder, don't break any laws or drive like an idiot, but give it half to 3/4 throttle from a stop light, and get it up to speed fast. This will make the cylinder run hotter, fuel lines run gas faster, and it keeps the engine moving. I have an 04 with 180,000 miles, and the only thing Ive ever had to do was bearings and valve cover gaskets at 100,000. I drive her hard, but I take care of her too. Thats all you should ever have to do.
Border411
New member
It was your positive vibs that did it! :lol:
Yeah....it just sucks that I now had to pay labor fees for something so simple, but I dont mind it as this guy worked on my wifes old accord all day (literally 10 hours) trying to diagnose something and didnt charge me a dime.
However, I am glad he tested everything out and ran diagnostics and that everything is ok.
[MENTION=128]jeff[/MENTION]: I put in the Lucas Top End Lube which I have heard great things about. If that doesnt smooth everything out, then I will try the seafoam. I also put in some Marvel Mystery Oil in the tank prior, and I think that helped out as well.
Border411
New member
You and me both brother.
Border411
New member
So update on my update. The coil was replaced with an OEM part. My guy started it up today and it started running rough. He immediately shut off the engine, did a compression check, and said I was down 20-ish psi. He said he looked into the bore and noticed a ton of carbon buildup, which is something I had noticed too when I worked on the engine. He was going to put back the coil I had purchased, so I didnt have to pay for the $170 coil, and do a chemical induction cleaning. He actually said if need be he would do it twice, not charging for the labor for the second treatment. He is going to keep it until tomorrow just to start it up again when it is cold and to check the compression. So....the saga continues, however he still insists the HG is not the issue.
I am NOT an expert so I'd be curious to hear more about this. The carbon in the cylinder bore may or may not be the ultimate cause of your rough running engine, but wouldn't the carbon itself be a symptom of something else? It couldn't be normal for one cylinder to get gunked up and all of the others be OK. I mean what's different about that one cylinder that makes it prone to this sort of thing?
Which cylinder was it?
Which cylinder was it?
Border411
New member
I am not an expert either. Like someone mentioned above, my guy said seafoam in the gas and revving it every once in a while will keep the deposits down. He did 2 induction cleanings and let me tell you, the car feels brand new! Appears as though it is fixed. Total bill with all the diagnostics, the compression checks, and induction services was under $300.
Should also point out that I do not know how dirty the other cylinders were. It could have been that particular cylinder hit a "threshold" causing valves/rings/etc to stick (????). All I know is, that coming home I might or might not have driven it like I stole it, and it is hella fast and has a ton more power.
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NuclearN8
New member
What is exactly is an "induction cleaning"? Did you ask him how he performed it?..
I only ask because it sounds like you paid a lot of money for voodoo cleaning of your MAF sensor, intake air track and throttle body. It sounds like your guy simply seafoamed your 4Runner https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFOZTfrF_Mw . I hope not for your wallete's sake but if so, you got ripped off.
If you want to limit top end buildup in your engine, you can isntall one of these on your pcv discharge now that you have had the cleaning performed
http://www.amazon.com/Moroso-85481-Air-Separator-Truck/dp/B004K964KM
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Border411
New member
It is a BG product that is put through the engine. I have had it done on past vehicles, and it works. It is not seafoam that he put in, although he does recommend it as a gas treatment from time to time. Either way, it seems to have worked for now, and he did not charge new for the labor of putting in and switching out the coils twice. Started up this morning fine. Hopefully it will last me for a few more months. If the problem comes back, three next drive will be to a dealership to trade it in....either on a current year Tacoma or the new Colorado.
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NuclearN8
New member
It's good to hear you have a plan for when, I mean if, it acts up again.
Border411
New member
Damn man....what is up with all those negative waves?! =)
NuclearN8
New member
I'm just a realist...
From all the reading I've done on this topic (it's a lot because I'm paranoid about it owning an 05 V6), the 1GR-FE head gaskets do not fail often, but when they do, the failure sequence always starts with a cylinder misfire code, usually P0306 or P0304.
Take that for what it's worth... Long term I would be positiong yourself financially to either replace your head gasket or to trade it in on a new vehicle.
How's this... a friendly wager. I'll bet you a $25 gift card (of the winners choosing) your head gasket fails in the next year assuming you continue to keep it as your daily driver. If it doesn't fail, you win, If it fails, I win.
Border411
New member
Considering i will trade it in in the next few months negates that bet. I will either be purchasing a current year Tacoma, or a 2016 when it comes out around August. Need a pickup for my general contracting business.
