4Runner4evah
New member
hi y'all. my first post here - I did a search but it didn't yield much (or rather, it yielded too much) so I'm going to ask for your advice!
I have a '95 4Runner, 4x4 ,V6. I am the original owner and have taken good care of it over the years, getting it regularly maintenanced and having things fixed/replaced when needed. It's needed new brakes a couple of times, a new clutch, the usual things, but I've never really had any trouble with it until a month ago. it was running hot and while I was driving, started generating a burning smell and making a really loud humming sound. when I shut off the engine, smoke poured out from under the hood. I had it towed to a dealership and they told me the engine temperature sensor was bad and needed replacing, and that the induction system needed to be decarbed (I had noticed the engine seemed to be straining whenever I put on the a/c). anyhow, I have a deep distrust of dealership service depts., but I had just moved to a new city/state and didn't know where else to go (I had an amazing mechanic back home who took great care of my 4Runner over the years). so I had the repairs made and when they brought the car around front to me, I noticed that it was LOUD - like, the engine was getting up into outboard motor decibel range (ok, not that bad but it was unusually loud). the employee assured me that the mechanic had said everything was now fine.
fast-forward about four weeks: the truck has been running seemingly ok, but still loud. I am driving two days ago and while stopped at a light, notice the engine is revving. then I notice that the temp. gauge is in the red zone. so I drove to a mechanic that happened to be right nearby. he checked it out and told me the head gaskets both are leaking quite badly. I had the truck towed back to the dealership because I believe they are at least partly at fault (the gaskets could have blown because the truck has been running hot, which it should not have been given that they checked it out for me just a month ago). I'm going to try to get them to pay for at least part of the repair (stop laughing!) but I'm curious at what point you stop paying for expensive repairs and just get a new car? I've never actually bought a car and I would like to not do it now if I can avoid it (I'm a student).
oh, the mileage is 105k and all mechanics who've seen the truck recently have commented on what good shape it is in (except for the most recent troubles, that is). also, I had the gaskets replaced back in 1998 pursuant to the recall. oh, and the city I now live in is notoriously hard on cars (terrible roads, humid weather...I don't specifically know that humidity is hard on cars but it seems to be bad for everything else)
wow, this got really long. if you are still reading, many thanks! and thanks in advance for any advice you might have to offer. I love my 4Runner but I don't want to keep throwing money into it if it's not the best course of action
I have a '95 4Runner, 4x4 ,V6. I am the original owner and have taken good care of it over the years, getting it regularly maintenanced and having things fixed/replaced when needed. It's needed new brakes a couple of times, a new clutch, the usual things, but I've never really had any trouble with it until a month ago. it was running hot and while I was driving, started generating a burning smell and making a really loud humming sound. when I shut off the engine, smoke poured out from under the hood. I had it towed to a dealership and they told me the engine temperature sensor was bad and needed replacing, and that the induction system needed to be decarbed (I had noticed the engine seemed to be straining whenever I put on the a/c). anyhow, I have a deep distrust of dealership service depts., but I had just moved to a new city/state and didn't know where else to go (I had an amazing mechanic back home who took great care of my 4Runner over the years). so I had the repairs made and when they brought the car around front to me, I noticed that it was LOUD - like, the engine was getting up into outboard motor decibel range (ok, not that bad but it was unusually loud). the employee assured me that the mechanic had said everything was now fine.
fast-forward about four weeks: the truck has been running seemingly ok, but still loud. I am driving two days ago and while stopped at a light, notice the engine is revving. then I notice that the temp. gauge is in the red zone. so I drove to a mechanic that happened to be right nearby. he checked it out and told me the head gaskets both are leaking quite badly. I had the truck towed back to the dealership because I believe they are at least partly at fault (the gaskets could have blown because the truck has been running hot, which it should not have been given that they checked it out for me just a month ago). I'm going to try to get them to pay for at least part of the repair (stop laughing!) but I'm curious at what point you stop paying for expensive repairs and just get a new car? I've never actually bought a car and I would like to not do it now if I can avoid it (I'm a student).
oh, the mileage is 105k and all mechanics who've seen the truck recently have commented on what good shape it is in (except for the most recent troubles, that is). also, I had the gaskets replaced back in 1998 pursuant to the recall. oh, and the city I now live in is notoriously hard on cars (terrible roads, humid weather...I don't specifically know that humidity is hard on cars but it seems to be bad for everything else)
wow, this got really long. if you are still reading, many thanks! and thanks in advance for any advice you might have to offer. I love my 4Runner but I don't want to keep throwing money into it if it's not the best course of action
