3.4 overheating HELP

Fab and Toyota repair shop in my town that I've used a lot has a new mechanic so I'm not sure who checked it out for me but he said he thinks its cylinder head gasket

 

ANY OTHER OPINIONS???

 

My 1999 has an indication issue, after about 10 minutes the temp gauge pegs. I have replaced everything in the system to be sure and I installed a scan gauge and it is running normal temps. Some say it is a ground under the dash. I have not since tried to troubleshoot it since I leave the scan gauge plugged in.

 

Plenty

 

You said you checked the oil recently?

White smoke paired with milky oil would definitely cause me to look towards replacing the head gasket. However, if you're not experiencing the two things I mentioned, then that mechanic is quick to try and take you for a fool. Replacing the head gasket can be labor intensive.

Go back and read everyone's suggestions to monitor your temperatures and monitor any symptoms. You can begin diagnosing your vehicle by hand to see if you have cold spots on your radiator, cold hoses, etc. These things will not only help you better understand how your vehicle works, but also save you money by not trusting a stranger to diagnose your vehicle and cause you to throw money at your vehicle unnecessarily.

 

*looks for clutch fan on his manual trans*

hey wait a minute....

 

take the radiator off and really, really clean it out. Back wash, front wash, look inside, watch how fast water flows one end to the other.

A clogged one will usually even feel heavy. A new one is freakishly light.

 

Replaced my [radiator] last week. Was having intermittent issues with running hot. Likely the thermostat was the culprit (replaced); did 5 flushes of distilled, paired with a new radiator, Toyota Red and silicone hoses, and I feel good about my typical/expected operating temps now.

Certainly smart to give the radiator a good going over; or, just replace it. They are pretty cheap (less than $100).