P0300 2001 toyota tacoma

You can feel the truck misfire when starting cold but stops after idle for a minute or two. Ive replaced the pcv valve, maf sensor, sparkplugs, a coulple of vacuum hoses and 02 sensor. All fixes fixed the problem but after a couple days misfiring returns. Anyone where to look next?

 

I had this exact issue last year. Ended up being a leaking head gasket/or cracked head. I was losing coolant. A little would leak into the cylinders and I would misfire for like 30-60 seconds until it smoothed out and burned up the coolant that leaked in. Check your coolant resivor and radiator levels. It might not be a whole lot but it’s probably leaking a little at a time whenever the truck is off for awhile.

 

If it is in fact the coolant leaking in the cylinders then a timer has started until it fails completely and catastrophically. You’ll be due for a head gasket replacement along with head inspection (both of them). If a head is cracked you’ll have to replace that too (got mine for $400 each). I personally was able to keep driving for a good 5-6 months or so but that’s just my experience. Get the head gasket done as soon as you can, and monitor your coolant levels every few days in the mean time. If you’re mechanically inclined and/or willing you can do the job yourself like I did.

 

Watch your coolant level like a hawk.....

If its a gasket leak it would start off slow and steady....
and then gradually grow worse...hot starts will become harder and harder...
eventually you'll have to pull a wet plug or two and dry em before the truck will start...

If its a crack head.....then it can leak weird......
.....little or nothin for a long while...
.....and then bam when the right conditions happen, you'll lose a bunch at one time....

on rare conditions....you can hydro lock and ruin the engine....


IF you run barr's stop leak....you run the risk of clogging up your radiator and heat core....

 

Its unlikely leaky injectors are it....on a cold engine that should all be evaporated by then....

 

You can get a decent borescope off ebay/amozon for about $60....

and check for steam cleaning in any of the cylinders....

 

Good point above about using stuff like Barrs stop leak or BlueDevil ^^^^

I used BlueDevil head gasket sealer. Basically a liquid you poor into your radiator and it finds the leak and seals it. It does not work for everyone!!!!!!!! Look what it did to my radiator.. I followed the instructions to a T and it clogged the radiator and caused the motor to overheat. I was able to fix everything but definitely scared the shit outta me.
Be weary of that stuff.

 

Thank you everyone. Checked my coolant this morning and sure enough it was low. Since i added coolant does feel like it has not been misfiring.

 

Well after driving for a couple days the check engine light went off. Not sure what to.think now

 

The correct way to check for a headgasket leak is to heat the engine up to temp install a coolant pressure tester and let it sit for 3+ hours. If it loses pressure stick a horoscope in each cylinder and inspect for coolant.

 

Well took it to a mechanic and confirmed head gasket needs to be replaced but also said piston rings are damaged and is recommending a rebuild. Not sure what to do.

 

Swap in a junkyard engine.

Car-part.com searches junkyards nationally. Usually $1000-1500 will get you a ~150k mile engine. Certainly risky, but some will offer warranties (like 90-days or something).

Or you can try the JDM route. There's importers who bring in low-mileage JDM motors, and they can usually be had for around ~$2k.

A head gasket job is probably going to cost more than either of those options, and that doesn't address your piston ring damage. Rebuilding your existing motor will take far more time and cost far more money than a swap.

 

I've personally witness some that have nursed one of those for a couple of years until they found a replacement engine plan....

It's not ideal......and I would bypass the heater core.....and count on a new radiator, eventually.....

All kinds of products to do that.........the original barr's is only one I can a test to.....

what a pain, ......good way form a bond with your truck.............................................


I went with a reman short block, and new head.


and oh yeah, a new radiator.....



Hard hot restarts along with coolant loss.......is a bad sign.....

 

Getting a quote from a shop in Mexico. I wish i had the time and a place to rebuild myself or find one at a junkyard.

 

You in SoCal? I bet that thing will run fine until you are able to find the time and place to rebuild it yourself. Mine did for 6 months easy.
Jdm shops will claim the motor is low miles but I’ve heard otherwise too. I called one jdm shop in San Diego that was gonna sell one to me for around 1800-2200? I forgot. But he also said he had a guy who would install it for like 600. They come with warranty too. I think a year? I’ll try to find the thread where I talked about it.

 

I would save my money for these guys....

Rebuilt Toyota Engines for Sale | Yota Shop

Rebuilt Engines Archives - Yota1 Performance, Inc. (209yota1.com)


Here's timmy when he got his free yota1.....dirty rat $#*$

(23) Toyota 22RE Engine Replacement (Part 1) - YouTube

 

Yea that looks pretty sweet, but OP would have to be pretty sold on keeping his truck for the long haul to sink that kinda coin into it.

If he ain't keeping the truck long term, he'd be way better off cheaping out on a JDM or junkyard engine.

If I were in his shoes with my truck I'd go the Yotashop or Yota1Performance route myself, because I'm keeping my truck forever and I've replaced nearly everything with new-OEM (outside of the major drivetrain components).

 

Yeah I'm 62 and my engine is 15K,,

so its a race.....to the DEATH....




Hopefully my new 80v mower will hold out just as long.....

 

And yeah that use to be a lot of money....

But now a days that's just the upfront money down payment needed on a modern lease.....