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1993 Toyota Camry LE V6

I just bought a 1993 Toyota Camry LE V6 with 130,000 miles on it two weeks ago. Prior to buying the car I took it to a Toyota dealership and paid about $100 for a through diagnostic and assesment to make sure the car was in good shape and worth my buying. The Toyota dealership indicated a series of maintenance flushes etc that would be a good idea, but indicated that it was a good car for me to buy, solid and well cared for.

Fast forward two weeks. The car stops this past Saturday on my way to work. Radiator hose has busted and sprayed radiator fluid everywhere. Ok it's really cold in my state right now. Below zero. These types of car system problems show up in extreme weather temps and I realize this. The radiator shop informs me that yes my radiator needs to be replaced but that there is a problem with my head gasket seal. I try to clarify how they know this and got what seemed to be mumbo jumbo about an additive that turns from yellow to green if something is leaking from the gasket. Now this shop only did radiator type work, so I do not believe they were trying to get xtra work because they do not do engine work and did not try to pawn me off to a friends shop or anything like that.

The mechanic at the radiator shop suggested that when I take the car to the shop have them do a monoxide test as a pressure test won't show the problem. By this last conversation I was confused if he meant the head gasket seal was no good or if the head itself was no good.

Can someone please help me understand differance between the head gasket seal and the head gasket and if this is bad on the car why didn't the Toyota dealership that did the diagnostic and assesement see this. Also, if anyone else has had to have this work done on their early 90's Camry V6 give me an idea of how much money this is going to cost.

By the way I had the radiator replaced and the car is seemingly running fine but if there is a problem with the head or the gasket I'd like to address it, I just don't want to proceed in ignorance.

Thanks in advance for any help

Reply to
ESLUVDETROIT
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The test the shop is refering to involves checking for the presence of exhaust gasses in the coolant system. It's real easy when you hae the right equipment. If the cylinder head seal is bad coolant can get into the combustion chambers and gas from the chamber can get into the cooling system. Whether or not the head or the gasket is to blame can't really be determined until the thing is apart. Once the head is off it is checked with a straight edge for warping (usually a consequence of overheating). If it is enough out of tolerance it means that gas pressure will leak between the head and the block. If it is within tolerance, a new gasket should get you down the road. Start with the gas leakage test, go from there.

Reply to
qslim

You said the car stopped when the hose broke, did you stop it, or did it stop by itself, did it overheat bad, or not at all. You are now driving it, if fluid levels change or if oil looks milky or coolant oily, exuast is steam or smoking you have a problem, you could pay for a test or drive and monitor it closely. In real cold all exuasts put out water vapor so dont let just that panick you. Head gasket = seal, It has nothing to do with Toyotas checkup its the heat and pressure that built up from low coolant overheating an uncooled motor to a critical level warping the head or blowing the head hasket. But it might be ok if you caught it on time

Reply to
m Ransley

In general any compression or exhaust gases which get into the closed cooling system which includes the water-jacket around the cylinders in the engine block and the combustion chambers in the head, will cause a problem. In most cases its due to either a failed block to head gasket or "headgasket", or the head itself is warped or corroded which amounts to a failed seal as well.

Unless an engine has a predeliction to head problems, and, as long as it wasnt overheated or run with plain water as a coolant for years, the fault will be the gasket itself. They wont be able to tell exactly whats going on till they remove the head in question. Instead of taking both heads off, they should be able to isolate the fault to the head causing the problem by pressurising the cooling system and checking for the prescence of coolant in each cylinder, via the spark-plug holes.

If its the rear head, the cost maybe higher due more difficult access. Get a repiutable mechanic who has a good name to assess the vehicle.

Jason

Reply to
Jason James

Indeed,..if the car was stopped fairly quickly, and this varies with how fast the engine was losing coolant, ambient temp to some degree, driving conditions etc etc, the head which is alloy, may have survived. If The car started to slow, then that can mean its a little late to avoid engine damage. A bad overheat, where the engine stopped on its own accord and had little coolant left in it except super-heated steam,.may as well be junked, cause the cylinders. pistons, rings and the head wil be knackered.

Jason

Reply to
Jason James

James a few times ive been behind people and tried to warn them when ive seen steam out their exuast, one time though a Cadilac went by with black steam, he soon pulled over to a melted motor, I wonder if my car has a buzzer or something that comes on, they should, and my hoses are old and its 0 out.

Reply to
m Ransley

An audible alarm is an excelent idea. I have no idea why they haven't installed such an alarm in all cars.

Jason

Reply to
Jason James

You do have some sort of used car warranty on this car do you?

Ealier V6s like yours have problems with blowing head gaskets as Toyota learned how to build V6 engines. An overheated motor will ruin the head gaskets (which seal off cylinders and coolant passages) and warp the cylinder heads. That's $$$$$.

A 93's transmission (Aisin A540 series) has problems with sluggish line pressure, which results in a lot of wear and tear on the clutch and brake band materials and valve bodies. Then you'll have to worry about the tranny. I wouldn't flush a tranny that's never had a strainer replaced and pan cleaned recently. Aisin trannys are diiiiirty.

Swap for another car if you can under warranty.

ESLUVDETROIT wrote:

Reply to
johngdole

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