Water Leak....

I have a 96 tacoma 2.7L. I tried to go somewhere the other day and the truck would not turn over. It was very cold and has not been driven in about 3 days so i figured the battery was completely dead (the battery is 7 years old). I bought a new battery, put it in, and it did the same thing. I pushed the clutch and let the truck roll back and just tried to turn it over again and it started. The truck has NEVER overheated but it is losing water. I got the truck towed to a Toyota dealership and they said it is more than a blown head gasket. He said he put water in the radiator and took out the plugs and turned the truck over and said it was spewing an excessive amount of water from the plugs. The mechanic said in his opinion the engine wall could be cracked and that i would have to get an entire new engine. He also said that it would cost $600 for them just to take apart the engine to see if it is cracked and if it isnt it was a blown head gasket and would be around $1200. Another mechanic i spoke to at a different dealership said it could be leaking that much water based on how blown the head gasket is. All in all it would be around $5500 for a new engine and labor according to this dealership. I am wondering if this price is a little ridiculous or should i just get a new vehicle all together.

 

I would try to find a low mileage engine and get a local mechanic to put it in for you. A dealership is far too expensive for this kind of thing. How many miles are on the truck?

 

Lazy dealership is trying to extort you. 1-2hrs labor to diagnose an engine. Leakdown check will find leaks in the head and cylinder.
Leakdown tester is under $50 from harbor freight. Directions are online. You will need an air compressor, mechanical ability, and a breaker bar to turn the engine by hand.

 

its has about 185k on it. i bought the truck because a friend of mine has a 99 tacoma with the same engine and his has 300k and he still runs the hell out of it.

and also this isnt a project that i would be able to do myself i do not have the right stuff or the time to do it. i think the dealership is just being lazy and taking the easy way out for them which would be to replace the engine block. i find it hard to believe that the engine wall would be cracked. i take very good care of my truck and i dont even offroad with it so it is never abused.

 

An exhaust gas test of the coolant will tell you if you have a compression leak into the coolant: crack or head gasket leak.

I forgot to ask if your water pump shaft seal leaks, or if you inspected the radiator, hoses, etc for leaks. Heck, a pressure test will find those too.

No external leaks? Odds are, it's the head gasket. Take it to another dealership that's not trying to bend you over!

 

How do they look? They will be shiny and clean if a blown head gasket exists.