Check Your 3.5l Coolant Pipe!

I know that was sarcasm LOL. But I don't need a bigger motor just to prove whats in my pants between my legs.....

 

has there been any documented failures of this part? sorry i didn't go through all the other links in this one.

 

This is the guy who it seems has the experience with this. Where have you seen this on other 3.5s (outside of the forum) if I may ask? Seems to be a potential problem regardless but in terms of documented failure?

 

The engine in my 2017 is 12 years ahead of that one. I have a feeling it came with the updated steel pipe even if it didn’t, still not concerned. Yet.

 

Sorry brotha. I feel bad for those who have to deal with this shit, all jokes aside. But the 2.7 is the updated metal.

 

Nice of Toyota to implement a solution to a shit design. 2.7s must truly be easier to work on.

 

The plastic pipe is such a bad call, I can’t even believe we’re talking about a Toyota here.

 

I'm not a green tool fan but today i bought a Ryobi wireless inspection camera https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-P...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-205489754-_-302738352-_-N and connected it to my iPhone and it worked pretty good. Smelling coolant from day 1 has really bothered me. No leak back there that I could see but driving one of those cameras is harder than you'd think. Especially with all the obstacles in the way no matter which way you try to take a peek at things...

 

I love to buy things made in the USA (although mine was a Mexican build), but a big part of me wishes these trucks were designed and built in Japan like the damn 4Runners... Seems the American engineers were probably hired from GM from the sounds of it

I really do love my truck's capability but sheesh, I hate the feeling of wondering "what's next" on the "most reliable, best resale" consumer vehicle.

 

Chrysler...

 

True, bought my 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 new and have had ZERO problems... which is fucking amazing because I feared the worse from Dodge. The only issue in 14 years was some plastic falling off in the rear wheel wells. I just barely replaced the brakes and shocks. The damn stock battery lasted over 6 years (in the desert). But I digress...

Still, I imagine it's still generally worse (in most cases) for the non-Toyotas. It's one thing for vehicles to have a few of their "known issues," but for a lot of vehicles it's also a continuous stream of random failures and issues. That said I'm still checking for this potential leak.

 

I've seen it on one 16 Tacoma and a 17 Sienna. Have also talked to others in the industry and it seems to becoming a developing problem.

 

And the race is on , it looks like were tied on this. more than a inch now that i checked .
and crap how the hell do you check for a leak, i had my GoPro wifi linked to my phone to recored what i could see, and what a pain , need to check better this weekend, didn't find anything ,

Thats to low, need to find if it is going somewhere else. my 97 Dodge intrepid didn't start to drink like that for 10 years.

16 TRD Sport DCSB 22500 miles just under 2 years

 

I honestly think a slight hint of coolant every once in a while is normal with most vehicles.

I want to say almost all of my previous vehicles had a coolant smell occasionally. Now, if it's super obvious, smack you in the nostrils strong and you are topping it off every few weeks, then you have a problem. But I think most have a pressure valve that actually releases pressure from the system which would basically push coolant smelling air out--under normal operation.

It's a good thing to pay attention for, and I know at least one other guy got bit by this, but I doubt it's a big deal or widespread

 

Any new updates on this? From when I first started watching this thread, my coolant level has barely dropped.

Edit: From the last checked lowest point

 

Just keep an eye on the pipe. If you look from the passenger side wheel well over the top of the tire after you remove the rubber splash shield you can see the pipe. It's not a huge problem. A slight drop in coolant is normal.

 

100 series Land Cruisers have plastic Ts on the heater hoses. They last a good while, but are a potential failure point. That's on one of the most reliable vehicles ever made.

 

It's a little silly to blame Toyota for using plastic. Every manufacture uses plastics for oil pans, valve covers, intakes and coolant pipes. It's not a bad thing. The vehicle becomes lighter because of plastic use