Head gasket blown? (1 Viewer)

[ILefty]

Hoping someone here can help steer me. The only shop around here that seems particularly willing to work on my rig is the dealer, and they have done me wrong on one of my other vehicles, so I don’t particularly trust going back to them.

Just picked up a 99 LC100 seeming to be in great shape with just shy of 170,000 miles on it. First time I drove it after sitting overnight, it blew plenty of white smoke out of the exhaust. Aaargh!

Smoke seems to go away after a minute but is back again on startup if it sits for a couple hours. Did a block test on it, and no exhaust was detected. No issues at all as far as I can tell, including overheating (although the first time I drove it, I commented that it seemed to have less power than my LX 470). I have not done a compression test.

Oil was at least a quart overfilled when I bought it. Changed the oil and drove it a few times, and it was still producing white smoke on start up.

Took it to a local reputable shop, and they basically just told me they are 75% sure it’s a head gasket based on the white smoke, but did not do many (if any) diagnostics on it and said they don’t feel comfortable working on it if it’s a head gasket problem. Had it towed to another local mechanic today who was recommended to me, but wanted to check in here first for any additional ideas before he gets back to me.

 

[FrankieJoe14]

See if you can do a compression test on your own. Its not hard and that's really the best way to tell unfortunately.

Its normal for the exhaust to be a little white upon startup as the condensation burns off, but you can usually tell if its condensation or if its coolant.

Are you loosing coolant?

 

[Mike NXP]

Hoping someone here can help steer me. The only shop around here that seems particularly willing to work on my rig is the dealer, and they have done me wrong on one of my other vehicles, so I don’t particularly trust going back to them.

Just picked up a 99 LC100 seeming to be in great shape with just shy of 170,000 miles on it. First time I drove it after sitting overnight, it blew plenty of white smoke out of the exhaust. Aaargh!

Smoke seems to go away after a minute but is back again on startup if it sits for a couple hours. Did a block test on it, and no exhaust was detected. No issues at all as far as I can tell, including overheating (although the first time I drove it, I commented that it seemed to have less power than my LX 470). I have not done a compression test.

Oil was at least a quart overfilled when I bought it. Changed the oil and drove it a few times, and it was still producing white smoke on start up.

Took it to a local reputable shop, and they basically just told me they are 75% sure it’s a head gasket based on the white smoke, but did not do many (if any) diagnostics on it and said they don’t feel comfortable working on it if it’s a head gasket problem. Had it towed to another local mechanic today who was recommended to me, but wanted to check in here first for any additional ideas before he gets back to me.

My truck dumps smoke and doesn't burn a drop of coolant or oil. The shop who told you they are 75% sure it's a blown head gasket without doing any testing is just making s*** up. Especially after sitting for a week or two I blow a bunch of condensation smoke out of the exhaust.
>> Does your white smoke smell bad? Does it linger in the air or dissipate quickly?

Head gaskets don't fail too often on the 2uz and when it does it's because it got overheated.


- Check your coolant level with the engine cold. How does it look. Clean? Pink? Filled to the full line in res and topped off in radiator?
- Does the level slowly drop in relation to the smoke burning?
- How about power steering fluid, sometimes the little thing on the back of our pumps fail and power steering fluid pushes back into intake and burns up.
- Any \known vehicle history? Failed water pumps or over heating issues?


You could take time to compression / leak down test and see if your head gasket is blown. Otherwise it's just a guessing game.

Do you have poor performance?

 

[ILefty]

See if you can do a compression test on your own. Its not hard and that's really the best way to tell unfortunately.

Its normal for the exhaust to be a little white upon startup as the condensation burns off, but you can usually tell if its condensation or if its coolant.

Are you loosing coolant?if

See if you can do a compression test on your own. Its not hard and that's really the best way to tell unfortunately.

Its normal for the exhaust to be a little white upon startup as the condensation burns off, but you can usually tell if its condensation or if its coolant.

Are you loosing coolant?

If it’s the head gasket, will there definitely be loss of compression somewhere?

 

[Mike NXP]

If it’s the head gasket, will there definitely be loss of compression somewhere?

Either a loss of compression or a loss / mixing of fluids.

It's not out of the question but there is a lot of other checking to be done before you condemn the head gasket.


Start with the basics.
- Check oil for coolant mixing
- Check coolant for oil mixing
- Do you have loss of power?
- Are you loosing coolant?


Top off all fluids and monitor it a bit more before throwing money at the mechanic.

 

[FrankieJoe14]

If it’s the head gasket, will there definitely be loss of compression somewhere?

A compression test will show a few things. Bad head gasket, burnt valve, cracked head, etc.

In almost all of the results though, if negative, will mean taking the head off to fix.

So yes?

 

[nissanh]

try this on COLD engine:

Open the radiator cap and start and look for continuous bubbling: You can also see with the cap on and inspect the inside the reserve tank. If the rubber hose going into the reservoir bubbles continuously, the compression is escaping into the coolant lines.

 

[ILefty]

Hoping someone here can help steer me. The only shop around here that seems particularly willing to work on my rig is the dealer, and they have done me wrong on one of my other vehicles, so I don’t particularly trust going back to them.

Just picked up a 99 LC100 seeming to be in great shape with just shy of 170,000 miles on it. First time I drove it after sitting overnight, it blew plenty of white smoke out of the exhaust. Aaargh!

Smoke seems to go away after a minute but is back again on startup if it sits for a couple hours. Did a block test on it, and no exhaust was detected. No issues at all as far as I can tell, including overheating (although the first time I drove it, I commented that it seemed to have less power than my LX 470). I have not done a compression test.

Oil was at least a quart overfilled when I bought it. Changed the oil and drove it a few times, and it was still producing white smoke on start up.

Took it to a local reputable shop, and they basically just told me they are 75% sure it’s a head gasket based on the white smoke, but did not do many (if any) diagnostics on it and said they don’t feel comfortable working on it if it’s a head gasket problem. Had it towed to another local mechanic today who was recommended to me, but wanted to check in here first for any additional ideas before he gets back to me.

 

[ILefty]

Thanks for the replies. I will try a bit more on my own. Was afraid to keep driving in case it is the head gasket. Seems in early stages now and didn’t want to cause any more damage to the engine by driving.

 

[FrankieJoe14]

When mine went it eventually made the check engine light flash, but you would never know there was a problem it was still so smooth.

I had two cylinders at half compression.

 

[Mike NXP]

Thanks for the replies. I will try a bit more on my own. Was afraid to keep driving in case it is the head gasket. Seems in early stages now and didn’t want to cause any more damage to the engine by driving.

So have you checked coolant levels yet ?

 

[ILefty]

So have you checked coolant levels yet ?

It did seem to have dropped. But the oil doesn’t seem to be milky. It’s throwing me for a loop.

 

[Bisho]

If you pull your spark plugs, I would expect one or two would be steam cleaned if your head gasket is blown.

 

[super90]

Check the power steering vacuum control valve at the p/s pump. That valve will fail and pull p/s fluid into the intake manifold and you will have white smoke out the exhaust. As me how I know. I thought the same as you and discovered this. PN 17630-16040

Also discussed here: Power Steering Vacuum Lines Location - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/power-steering-vacuum-lines-location.968805/

 

[Mike NXP]

Check the power steering vacuum control valve at the p/s pump. That valve will fail and pull p/s fluid into the intake manifold and you will have white smoke out the exhaust. As me how I know. I thought the same as you and discovered this. PN 17630-16040

Also discussed here: Power Steering Vacuum Lines Location - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/power-steering-vacuum-lines-location.968805/

This was mentioned earlier

OP needs to top off and monitor all fluids before blaming a bad head gasket. Start simple

 

[ILefty]

Check the power steering vacuum control valve at the p/s pump. That valve will fail and pull p/s fluid into the intake manifold and you will have white smoke out the exhaust. As me how I know. I thought the same as you and discovered this. PN 17630-16040

Also discussed here: Power Steering Vacuum Lines Location - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/power-steering-vacuum-lines-location.968805/

Winner winner. I didn’t want to mess with it and do all of the diagnostics myself and took it to a shop. Just picked it up and it seems this was exactly what had happened. I noticed it was losing the power steering fluid, but thought it was two totally separate issues. Just took it for a good drive and let it sit for a couple hours and no smoke!

 

[ILefty]

This was mentioned earlier

OP needs to top off and monitor all fluids before blaming a bad head gasket. Start simple

I somehow missed your earlier message. You two hit it on the head.

I’m usually good trying to spend a good while troubleshooting, but with two sick toddlers at home and trying to get my boat lift ready for summertime I’ve had my hands full. Glad I found this one-man shop because he truly saved me dumping a bunch of unnecessary cash.

In addition to the first shop telling me I needed a new head gasket/engine, for the ps leak they recommended a new pump and all new lines. This is a really reputable local shop.

Thanks again for the input!

 

[super90]

While the guys that told you you needed a head gasket are a "reputable" local shop, they don't know these vehicles. This is a common Toyota/Lexus issue. If you are a Toyota/Lexus shop, you have seen it before and will nail it within minutes. This is a reason why I always recommend going to a shop that focuses on a specific manufacturer and not even a "Japanese" car shop, or in the case of other cars, a "Euro" cars shop.

I hate folks having to pay someone else's tuition. That's what being an "expert" is all about.

 

[super90]

This was mentioned earlier

OP needs to top off and monitor all fluids before blaming a bad head gasket. Start simple

Mike NXP was definitely on the right track. It was just in with lots of other info and got lost.

Here is his specific note "- How about power steering fluid, sometimes the little thing on the back of our pumps fail and power steering fluid pushes back into intake and burns up." It was bullet number four in his first post.

 

[Mike NXP]

100% of my knowledge comes from these forums so thanks to everyone for contributing.

Now is a good time to just poke around under your hood and see if anything else needs attention. Our vehicles are reliable but they are getting old and parts get brittle.