Blown head gasket ? (1 Viewer)

[onedaatmc]

So I picked up my 2010 GX460 at the long term airport parking lot last nite in the rain, fog and darkness. I drove the 55 miles back to my house and the last 12 or so miles and noticed what I thought was mud and water coming out from my rear wheels . As I got to lights of my small town I saw that it was smoke ! I made it to my culdesac and it died. It wouldn't restart , until I turn it off on the start button, then it kept trying to restart itself ? I look at the dash lights and the check engine, 4low, and traction lights were lit and the coolant temp read cold , it was smoking there in the middle of the culdesac. , so I went in to my garage and got my 80 series and my row strap and with my wife steering it , I pulled it over to my yard out of the street .

My question though does that sound like a blown head gasket , water all over the engine bay and some oil ! It has 155k on it and Im wondering if it's worth having someone do a head gasket on it or should just sell it to the junk guys for as I found out 5805 dollars and call it done ? There are also some other things not related to this that need fixing too , so just want an opinion from you guys that know ! Thanks in advance !

 

[MrTorgue]

It's worth fixing. I'd fix it. First have a either a certified Toyota mechanic look at it or a mechanic you trust with vast amounts of Toyota experience. Get a proper diagnosis.

 

[Rednexus]

You may have lost a coolant hose (radiator or heater) or had a leak elsewhere (radiator/water pump) that would have caused it to overheat. It's pretty unusual for a head gasket to randomly blow on one of these, but a severe overheat can cause lots of issues and likely render the engine unrepairable short of a full rebuild. It does seem like a number of GXs (though more 470s) have succumbed to this fate, so please let us know what the culprit was so the rest of us can be proactive and replace whatever ultimately killed yours.

In terms of fix/keep, depends on the cost of the repairs (I'm betting this repair will easily cost $5-6K+, being that used 1URs appear to be $3-4K and they'll be a lot of labor), the value of the vehicle as salvage with a bad engine, and the overall condition. If the rest of the vehicles is in good shape (transmission/drivetrain/suspension etc), it's probably worth it. If the transmission is questionable, suspension is worn, leather is torn, etc, it may not be worth it, and I'd sell it as a "mechanic's special" for someone else to buy and fix/drive or flip.

 

[onedaatmc]

You may have lost a coolant hose (radiator or heater) or had a leak elsewhere (radiator/water pump) that would have caused it to overheat. It's pretty unusual for a head gasket to randomly blow on one of these, but a severe overheat can cause lots of issues and likely render the engine unrepairable short of a full rebuild. It does seem like a number of GXs (though more 470s) have succumbed to this fate, so please let us know what the culprit was so the rest of us can be proactive and replace whatever ultimately killed yours.

In terms of fix/keep, depends on the cost of the repairs (I'm betting this repair will easily cost $5-6K+, being that used 1URs appear to be $3-4K and they'll be a lot of labor), the value of the vehicle as salvage with a bad engine, and the overall condition. If the rest of the vehicles is in good shape (transmission/drivetrain/suspension etc), it's probably worth it. If the transmission is questionable, suspension is worn, leather is torn, etc, it may not be worth it, and I'd sell it as a "mechanic's special" for someone else to buy and fix/drive or flip.

I'm opting to sell this to a car buyer for 5 grand , and buy a Tesla ... I still have my 80 series for wheeling , etc

 

[HVLA]

I'm opting to sell this to a car buyer for 5 grand , and buy a Tesla ... I still have my 80 series for wheeling , etc

Where are you located?

 

[r2m]

If it was white smoke, they yes you need to pull the heads.
At least you didn't seize the engine, that's a huge point in whether or not you keep it.
To answer your other question on keeping it, do this simple check:
A)

• How much in repairs does it need to get it running.
• If it needs cosmetic touches, e.g. seats, carpet, minor dents, etc., how much to bring it to your level of satisfaction or other mechanical.
• Service needs, e.g. brakes, tires, and ??

B)

• Now add the cost of all that and compare it to what it would cost to replace with a comparable GX or whatever your fancy is to replace it with.

That should give you a clear and defined objective decision.
But that doesn't account for personal input, you hate/love the: color, style, ergonomics, gas mileage, etc. This always weighs in if it's a close call between the top two.

For me and our family, we love Toyota/Lexus products and consistently run them over a quarter million miles before we trade them in. And usually the only reason re trade them in is not for mechanical issues, it's usually for cosmetic things like the paint is all burnt out and peeling, interior is looking shabby, old tech, and so, but the drive train is still strong.

In short, you have many more miles/years left on that thing if you want to do do the head gasket and other minor issues.
Good luck either way!

 

[jonshonda]

Not nearly enough info for anyone to make an accurate judgement on the issue. Best of luck moving forward.