1997 3.4l v6 auto 140k miles

Hi everyone,

I am going to test drive and hopefully buy a Tacoma in the next week or so.
I posted a picture below of the engine. And it looks like there might be some oil leaks new but hard to tell without looking at it. Anyone have advice on what parts could be causing the leaks? I was thinking maybe the caps themselves, or a valve cover. Thanks!

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
Frame rust is the big issue to be concerned about.
Hammer test the frame all over for rust through. Better yet pay a professional mechanic to do a thorough inspection before purchasing.
The areas you circled are usually damp since they are fill caps and drips are to be expected. Look for leaks underneath the Tacoma.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have read about frame rot around the leaf springs. Luckily it has spent its entire life in the desert but I will check for rust.

 

Welcome to TW!

 

The weeping around the power steering cap is normal, mine does it and so does most every 1st gen I've seen.

The oil around the engine fill cap seems normal too, probably just spillage from past oil changes.

Kind of hard to tell if it has any real leak issues from a pic of the engine bay like that, you'll need to see it in person. Valve covers are a common leak area on these engines around 150k miles, pretty easy job to fix

 

Welcome to TW!