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Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'94 Toyota Pick-up 4x4, BIG problems??
Q:
I am having trouble
with my ‘94 Toyota pickup with a 22RE engine. It first started when
I tried to start it one day and it would not turn over; it acted as if
it was locked up. I tried again a few times and it finally turned over
and started right up. But when it did, I noticed a huge cloud of WHITE
smoke out of the tailpipe! The white smoke stopped after a few miles down
the road. This happened two months ago, and I had a few episodes of white
smoke here and there but not as bad. Yesterday, the same thing.... difficulty
turning over followed by a puff of white smoke. Also, my temperature went
up and the coolant reserve tank was empty (after being filled less than
7 weeks ago). It took a full gallon of coolant (mixed) to refill the radiator.
Temp went up again today, and it took another half gallon to fill back
up (even though the reserve tank was full). Leak? Could these problems
be related?
- Bryce
A:
Bryce, it is likely
that when you correct the coolant loss problem you’ll also fix the
white cloud affect and the binding starter problem. You’ve done a
good job of describing a failing head gasket. The next thing to do is
to stop driving the vehicle. A head gasket could be explained as a seal.
The job of the head gasket is to keep the compression gases of the engine’s
cylinders in one area, allow coolant and engine oil to pass through to
other areas. All the while, never allowing any of the three to cross paths.
In your case the coolant is being allowed to enter the cylinder. As a
simple rule liquids cannot be compressed like air. When a liquid enters
the cylinder of an engine it can create a condition called hydrostatic
lock. When this condition occurs the engine will lock-up, not turn or
crank over.. The starter will act like it has a problem or you’ll
think that the battery is going dead. The white cloud you see out the
exhaust is coolant/liquid that has become a vapor from the heat of the
engine combustion once the engine starts. If coolant is entering the cylinder
of the engine it can also leak into the engine oil past the piston rings.
A drop of coolant at the right place at the right time can destroy the
engine bearings. This will take a costly repair up to a new level of indebtedness
to the checking account.
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