Overheating

[Briles]

My 3.0 V6 4runner is overheating, and the oil cap has the dreaded white coloured emulsified oil in it. Looks like head gasket problem to me. Is it best to take it to Toyota main dealer for repair work ?

[Guest]

My 3.0 V6 4runner is overheating, and the oil cap has the dreaded white coloured emulsified oil in it. Looks like head gasket problem to me. Is it best to take it to Toyota main dealer for repair work ?

There was a head gasket recall on v6 4runners, you may find yours wasn't done and you may be able to get the work done for free. Other than that if you can get the parts for it I'd take it to any reputable garage, or do it yourself, relatively easy job as long as the head or block don't need a skim.

Try Toyota first and see if it possible to get it for free.

Only other things you should check.

Rad Cap, Thermostat, Viscous Fan, sludge build up in the coolant.

Also do you do a lot of short mileage work - if so the emusified sludge in the oil may just be normal, if the car never gets a run it therfore never gets hot enough to burn off the condensation that builds up in engines and that then turns to that horrible white / yellow sludge. It may just be a red herring in this case.

Cheers

[Briles]

Andy

Thanks for your reply, have booked it in the dealer who is only 150yds from home for diagnosis, but not till next weds, so I've no car for a week. They'll then tell me the cost or if it can be done free. I need a bit of luck !!

Since I bought the 4runner in December, the heater has been next to useless. I've been shivering to work - a 10 mile run, so it should be burning condensation off, not just stop/start journeys.

Cheers
Dave

[Guest]

Andy

Thanks for your reply, have booked it in the dealer who is only 150yds from home for diagnosis, but not till next weds, so I've no car for a week. They'll then tell me the cost or if it can be done free. I need a bit of luck !!

Since I bought the 4runner in December, the heater has been next to useless. I've been shivering to work - a 10 mile run, so it should be burning condensation off, not just stop/start journeys.

Cheers
Dave

That may be the problem, if the heater doesn't work it sound like there is an airlock or blockage in the system. The heaters on these motors are amazingly efficient when working properly.

Another possible problem may be the water pump not pumping properly.

Cheers and good luck.

[Hilux]

Over heating V6

Hi if its over heating and you have to do the head gaskets get the heads pressure checked and skimmed and dont go for cheap nasty replacement head gaskets. Thats what happened to mine with the last owner he tried to cut corners by not getting the heads skimmed and used cheap head gaskets, l have just spent just under £800 getting the job done again. BUT dont go to the "Toyota" agent find a good garage to do the work.

[TonyN]

Hi if its over heating and you have to do the head gaskets get the heads pressure checked and skimmed and dont go for cheap nasty replacement head gaskets. Thats what happened to mine with the last owner he tried to cut corners by not getting the heads skimmed and used cheap head gaskets, l have just spent just under £800 getting the job done again. BUT dont go to the "Toyota" agent find a good garage to do the work.

Bob, the V6 head gaskets is a known service issue, if he goes to a dealer, theres a good chance he'll get it sorted cheaper or free. Plus they'll have the updated gaskets.

:wishfull thinking...:

[bundubasher]

Might be as simple as a blown head gasket or then again it might be a "porous" head. If Toyota fails you, I can recomend UK Cylinder Heads in Par, Cornwall. They replaced my head and fitted a reconditioned radiator for me about 2 years ago. A clogged radiator is one of the usual causes of overheating in the 4runner/surf so that's why I changed mine at the same time.

Anyroad, I off to Morocco and beyond next month, so to be doubly sure I don't overheat in the Sahara I've had my rad re-built: 3 core to 5 core. It's a mother! Nearly double the depth - which has caused me a few fitting problems - so we are having to remove the viscous fan coupling, and fab up a new plate for the fan, just to get the bugger in!

So I've nearly doubled the volume of coolant passing through the rad plus the fan will be working full time - if it overheats now I'll take it out into the middle of the desert and shoot it!

[Hilux]

Bob, the V6 head gaskets is a known service issue, if he goes to a dealer, theres a good chance he'll get it sorted cheaper or free. Plus they'll have the updated gaskets.

:wishfull thinking...:

AH but that was only in the "U S" do you know any one here in the UK who has had it done, plus mine was the 2nd time it had been done but they never skimmed the heads the 1st time which made it go the 2nd time.

[Briles]

Thanx for all replies and good advice

Just been infomed by the Toyota dealer it is the head gasket. Have also found a local garage who will take on the job, plus get the heads faced and pressure tested. You reckon I defo must go for the genuine Toyota gasket set ?
Cheers
Briles.

[TonyN]

AH but that was only in the "U S" do you know any one here in the UK who has had it done, plus mine was the 2nd time it had been done but they never skimmed the heads the 1st time which made it go the 2nd time.

Yeah, me! My Ex's, Shelleys 93' 4Runner had the HG's placed under warrenty at 50,000miles after coolant was found running out the exhaust pipe.

Its on 106,000 now and still going strong.

[Briles]

I phoned Toyota uk and asked whether it was possible to get it done free. They said it was up to 6 years or 60,000 miles - which ever came sooner. My 4runner is 10 years old and has covered 95k, so I've taken it to a local garage who are now doing the job. I've asked him to fit a genuine toyota gasket set, and look into the radiator problems.
Hope to get it back in the next day or 2.
Thanks for all the good advice on the matter, much appreciated.
Dave.

[Briles]

Have had the 4 runner back for a month now, running good as new. The Garage did have it for 5 weeks, fitted genuine Toyota gaskets and a new radiator. Total cost was about 780 quid. Thanks again for everyones help.
Dave.

[J5C]

Is there any way of finding out if this has been done, dont want mine blowing on me.

[Briles]

J5C
Don't know if you could get Toyota dealer to check if their database had record of work done, worth a phone call if it is a UK vehicle.
I forgot to say that when the garage stripped the heads off mine, they noticed that one of the heads had been taken off and the gasket replaced, done on the cheap with an inferior gasket.
It's easy to tell recent work's been done on mine, becasuse the heat shields over the exhaust manifolds (both sides) look/are new.
It may not be a bad idea to get your radiator checked out, because there is obviously a fault there.
Good luck m8.
Briles.