Requesting assistance with diagnosis

[dpistole]

hey there :/

I have a 95 4runner and am having some problems with it overheating and leaking oil from engine head (I think). I don't have a lot of mechanical experience, took motorcycle cards apart once and got them back together successfully, but nothing with cars.

Anyway, I've borrowed my parents 95 4runner for awhile just to have for work when it rains, and I've driven it maybe 6 times and now its overheating and one time there was white smoke coming from an oil leak on the engine. The coolant level has been OK when I checked, and the oil level seems fine, and I've stopped driving it since I noticed the overheating. Wondering if anyone has seen similar issues?

- overheated maybe 10 minutes of driving (almost to the red zone), one time it cooled back down after maybe another 6 minutes but I just parked it after I got home. Started it up a couple times since and drove it around the complex and seems to overheat pretty quick.

- there was white smoke coming from the engine once, and a hissing noise. This is on the top of the engine, right side, near the rear.

- I can see oil near where I saw the smoke and heard the hissing noise, image here: imgur: the simple image sharer

- a couple times it almost stalled out on the way home, and I just let it run in the parking lot for a minute and when I put it into reverse it idled so low that it shut off

Google has lead me to believe maybe a head gaskey leak, which sounds like it might be affordable and something I could do myself... or a blown head that could be $1500+... anyway to tell from the information above or do I just need to get it to a mechanic?

 

[fourwd1]

Overheating and white exhaust are typical symptoms of a blown HG.
You might want to do a little troubleshooting, like a pressure test of the cooling system, leak down test of each cylinder.

 

[dpistole]

So feeling pretty smart right about now. Spoke with my brother who had the 4runner before me and told him I had checked the coolant levels in the resivor and they were full and he suggested I check the radiator as well. It took almost a whole gallon of water to fill. No more overheating.

Spoke with my father who said he doesn't know where the waters going, so maybe still worth getting the tests mentioned above done before it turns into a more serious issue. But at least for now the temp is staying normal and I can drive it to a mechanic when I get paid.

 

[mikekfr]

For it to have overheated, then later not overheat, in the same day, WITHOUT you adding water, you may wanna check to see if the fan is working properly also.

As far as the leak, ( if you have a 3.0 ) look on the back of the engine, there's a very small U shaped hose that could likely be leaking and you not be seeing it.