1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

I think I’m screwed?

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by fholl29, Oct 4, 2017.

  1. Oct 4, 2017 at 8:38 PM
    #1
    fholl29

    fholl29 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2017
    Member:
    #230323
    Messages:
    66
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Forrest
    Lake Tahoe, Ca
    Vehicle:
    97 T-100 3.4L
    so it looks like I’ve been dealt a crap hand. I just bought a 97 Toyota t100 for $5900 with 100k on it. I’ve had my truck at Toyota for maintenance for the last few days and get a call this morning with an update. Looks like the 3rd cylinder isn’t firing strong, could be compression. Changed the spark plugs and swapped the ignition coil and same result. They think it could be a bad cylinder head.

    They quoted me $1800 Just for labor. In addition I’m looking at all new belts and a new radiator (current one has a leak). With the cylinder head ($1k) and labor plus everything else I’m estimating $4-4500 for everything. NOW WHAT THE HELL DO I DO?!? Is it worth it, do I sell it. Am I better off swapping out the entire engine. I’m stuck!

    Thanks everyone
     
  2. Oct 4, 2017 at 8:42 PM
    #2
    Key-Rei

    Key-Rei Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2017
    Member:
    #221942
    Messages:
    7,863
    First Name:
    Key
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 TRD Off-Road 6Spd 4x4 209BSM
    Locker anytime Fog Lights anytime Full LED light conversion TRD cat back Rear cat delete Exaust Y reroute away from actuator Alloy Clutch master 2000 4Runner "Dog Leg" shift leaver Marlin shift seats and bushing Rear seat delete Rear diff breather extension Chrome grille swap Debadge Rear seat delete Honda blower motor beefy plug and wire mod Anytime 12v and USB with volt gauge in bed Blue Sea fuse box Hella AND 70's Caddy horns Low profile recessed hex drain plug swaps Alluminum battery strap 7pin relocated Backup cam on anytime Various other creature comfort and personal taste mods.
    Swap the entire engine if it really is that bad, I had issues with cyl6 not firing ended up being a simple injector. Where about are you located? I have a solid 3.4l with new pretty much everything for sale right now. Engine swap can be done in a day, a long day but a day. Time for a Taco meet and wrench weekend?
     
    Daveyray23, Steven G and hoverlover like this.
  3. Oct 4, 2017 at 8:44 PM
    #3
    Wallbright

    Wallbright Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Member:
    #188669
    Messages:
    1,996
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2017 MGM DCSB SR5
    Take it to a trusted independent shop for another opinion and quote. If it's at the dealership they are going to charge you an arm and a leg compared to an independent shop.
     
  4. Oct 4, 2017 at 9:06 PM
    #4
    slander

    slander Honorary Crawl Boi

    Joined:
    May 10, 2013
    Member:
    #103909
    Messages:
    8,964
    Gender:
    Male
    Hickory, NC
    Vehicle:
    02 Tacoma, fixed with curse words.
    Dealerships tend to know the least about the vehicles they service. Take it you another shop or a gearhead friend for a second opinion.
     
  5. Oct 4, 2017 at 9:11 PM
    #5
    Steves104x4

    Steves104x4 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2010
    Member:
    #35468
    Messages:
    17,260
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Steve
    Buffalo NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 RC 2.7 4x4
    BUCKLE UP! It makes it harder for Aliens to pull you out of your Truck.
    Get another opinion and if the motor is shot buy a wrecking yard engine
     
    Gunshot-6A and fholl29[OP] like this.
  6. Oct 4, 2017 at 9:26 PM
    #6
    drr

    drr Primary Prognosticator

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2013
    Member:
    #114681
    Messages:
    2,749
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Dan
    Seattle-ish
    Vehicle:
    02 4WD Tacoma
    Did they do a compression test? They're telling you it could be a bad head and want you to throw $1800 at it to find out? I'd yank that thing out of there and take it to an independent shop.

    I would hope for $5900 you would get a hell of a T100, those things are 3500 around here all day long.
     
    syswalla, TacoTim15 and 98tacoma27 like this.
  7. Oct 5, 2017 at 12:31 AM
    #7
    fholl29

    fholl29 [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2017
    Member:
    #230323
    Messages:
    66
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Forrest
    Lake Tahoe, Ca
    Vehicle:
    97 T-100 3.4L
    The starter went bad while in the shop (which I believe as it wouldn’t turn over sometimes) they’re doing a compression test tomorrow upon replacement. I’m wondering if it’s even worth spending the $250 on a damn starter at this point.
     
  8. Oct 5, 2017 at 1:27 AM
    #8
    Dalandser

    Dalandser ¡Me Gustan Las Tacos-mas!

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2015
    Member:
    #149090
    Messages:
    17,644
    First Name:
    Anthony
    Downey
    Vehicle:
    08 PreRunner Regular Cab / 98 4x4 Extra Cab
    Empty Wallet Mod


    Find a reputable machine shop and have at it. This 6 part video series will guide you almost the whole way - anything it shows is top notch quality work.
     
    ScottyR likes this.
  9. Oct 5, 2017 at 5:37 AM
    #9
    Steves104x4

    Steves104x4 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2010
    Member:
    #35468
    Messages:
    17,260
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Steve
    Buffalo NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 RC 2.7 4x4
    BUCKLE UP! It makes it harder for Aliens to pull you out of your Truck.
    Ask your local Fire Chief who does his auto repair
     
  10. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:17 AM
    #10
    2002Tacoma4x4

    2002Tacoma4x4 TRD 4x4 double cab

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2014
    Member:
    #144634
    Messages:
    1,052
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    C K
    Vehicle:
    Limited Edition Double Cab TRD off road 4WD
    Like all said, find a friend of a friend recommended HONEST mechanic, honesty is hard to find but still some out there.

    Do not panic, same happened to me with a real axle seal leak , Toyota of Plano quote me 3,400 plus tax, basically they wanna to replace the whole deal because with the scare tactic they showed me oil inside the rear brakes , so the brake job and the axle seal , etc etc I almost pass out I felt screwed too since the truck was 17,500 with Subaru Dealer, oh well ... I asked a NEW owner shop around the corner and they just replace the seals, the rear shoes and whatever need to be done for 580.00.
     
  11. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:35 AM
    #11
    Timmah!

    Timmah! Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2016
    Member:
    #179385
    Messages:
    1,224
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    TIM
    If it were me, I'd go back to the person who sold me the truck and have a nice conversation with them. This is just too convenient. I would bet big money that they knew the truck had this issue and unloaded it. I would just want to see how they react when I told them the engine has a major, very expensive issue going on with it. At the very least they should offer you some money back. If they don't, you have at least called them on their dishonesty and let them know they are a piece of shit.

    Even an honest shop is going to charge big money for this job. It's a lot of labor. The video series @Dalandser provided a link to is excellent. I watched the whole series and the guy does a very comprehensive job covering everything you need to do. If you know someone that's good at wrenching, maybe they could help you out and you could fix the truck yourself. There is a good chance the head is cracked and it's not just the head gasket, so you might have that extra expense, but most of the cost of this repair is labor.

    But, before you choose any repair route, figure out exactly why cylinder 3 has low compression. Did they do a leak down test and determine it's a possible bad head gasket or cracked head?
     
    Currygoat, Frito, boostedka and 2 others like this.
  12. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:40 AM
    #12
    98tacoma27

    98tacoma27 is going full "SANDWICH" Moderator

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2008
    Member:
    #11714
    Messages:
    67,858
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Not Beech Creek
    Vehicle:
    05 Tundra SR5 (+295k AND COUNTING), 2006 F350 King Ranch 6.0L
    Some stuff. Not a lot, just some.
    There is no way they can determine it's the head without taking it off and having it tested. For them to come out and say they think it's the head is stupid on their part. It could just as easily be the head gasket or valves. With 100k on it, it's probably just the head gasket. That's the bad thing about dealerships, they like to just swap out parts when it is not necessary.

    Enter your VIN here to see if there is a recall for your truck. I know there were issues with the steering and cruise control. There were also issues with head gaskets in the 96 and early 97 3.4L motors. They didn't do a recall on that but did a "Special Service Campaign".
    https://www.toyota.com/recall
     
    2002Tacoma4x4 likes this.
  13. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:41 AM
    #13
    dexterdog

    dexterdog My pee parts itch

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2009
    Member:
    #19571
    Messages:
    4,917
    Gender:
    Male
    Oly WA
    Vehicle:
    2012 F150
    There are many people that sell used cars private party and have no clue what is all wrong with them when they sell it. That is why it is up to the buyer to have an inspection done before buying. The seller doesn't owe him anything. Most people wouldn't be able to tell if compression was down on a cylinder unless it was really bad.
     
  14. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:46 AM
    #14
    Skrain

    Skrain Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2013
    Member:
    #115406
    Messages:
    4,695
    Gender:
    Male
    Monticello, Ky
    Vehicle:
    2009 F.J. Cruiser
    Westin 9 LED Driving Lights.
    I would try a head gasket before replacing the entire head.
     
    Ritchie and 98tacoma27 like this.
  15. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:48 AM
    #15
    Skrain

    Skrain Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2013
    Member:
    #115406
    Messages:
    4,695
    Gender:
    Male
    Monticello, Ky
    Vehicle:
    2009 F.J. Cruiser
    Westin 9 LED Driving Lights.
    I'd put a starter in it, sure. That truck should be good for 300K once the issues are sorted out.
     
  16. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:52 AM
    #16
    Timmah!

    Timmah! Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2016
    Member:
    #179385
    Messages:
    1,224
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    TIM
    I disagree. Like I said, finding a very expensive problem right after a sale is just too convenient and speaks dishonesty to me. If you're good at reading people, you'll know when you confront the seller if they knew or not unless they are a very good actor.
     
    Ritchie likes this.
  17. Oct 5, 2017 at 6:54 AM
    #17
    Timmah!

    Timmah! Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2016
    Member:
    #179385
    Messages:
    1,224
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    TIM
    Well, once you get the head off, an inspection of the head is in order. In the video @Dalandser posted a link to, the guy sent his head to a shop for resurfacing and they found a small crack so he was forced to buy a replacement.
     
  18. Oct 5, 2017 at 7:02 AM
    #18
    Clearwater Bill

    Clearwater Bill Never answer an anonymous letter

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2014
    Member:
    #140097
    Messages:
    24,827
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Billy
    Largo Florida
    Vehicle:
    '13 5 lug AC w/convenience package
    A few OE parts from fancy trucks
    Great chance to point out the value of a pre purchase mechanical inspection, which should include a compression and leakdown test.

    On older vehicles where you have no prior knowledge of it's care it's worth every dime for the average buyer.

    Good luck sorting it out OP. Agree with others, an independent shop of experience and integrity is in order here.
     
  19. Oct 5, 2017 at 7:07 AM
    #19
    JayRolla

    JayRolla Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2017
    Member:
    #214833
    Messages:
    2,887
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jason
    Colorado Springs
    Vehicle:
    Wife's 2012 DCSB Tacoma Sr5
    Trd stickers for 10whp 32s on MK6 17s
    A compression check and leak down check will tell you if you have a bad piston/ring and or if a valve has failed. You can tell if head gasket failed by looking at the oil. With these tests you can verify if pulling head is the next step.
     
    Currygoat likes this.
  20. Oct 5, 2017 at 8:05 AM
    #20
    Glamisman

    Glamisman Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2016
    Member:
    #200436
    Messages:
    4,992
    Gender:
    Male
    JDMCalifornia.com has a 3.4 for $1100.
     
    fholl29[OP] likes this.

Products Discussed in

To Top