Smoking While on a Incline

Had one but its on pause for a couple years till the baby phase gets sorted lol, then its gonna be back on track. Ill have to dig it put of hybridZ.org forums but i have one their.

 

Looks like Alabama lemon law requires 3 more trips to the dealer within 2 years or 24,000 miles.
Just sayin'...

 

the within 24k miles park might be an issue for him...

 

See you in 18+ years

 

So when you're going downhill at the same angle does it still smoke? How about under load backing up a steep angle? Sounds like oil starvation.

 

I have never had it do it going down hill, and I’ve never really backed up at a steep angle.

 

Sorry to be so late to the party. I JUST had the same thing happen to my truck in Moab last weekend. Hopefully I can add some pertinent info so we can figure this out.

Similarities:
- Approximately 41% of incline (just completed a 39% incline without stopping).
- 4 Low, not locked
- After the second time my tires spun on the climb the truck started spewing smoke.
- Pulled the same spark plug and it had oil on it.

Differences:
- No knocking noise before the smoke started.
- I sent the truck in reverse, got to level ground and killed the engine as quick as possible.
- While on level ground and idling again, there was a slight chirping noise coming from the back of the engine.

What I did:
- Got the truck towed and taken to Toyota.
- Toyota took the engine apart and inspected it. The engine passed all compression tests. The piston heads and cylinders did not have any damage.
- Dealership put the engine back together and ran a road test. No more smoking and everything is fine.

Question:
- When you say the engine was running rough, was it misfiring?
- Did any warning lights go off? (engine, oil, etc.) <-- None of my lights went off

I am going to pick up my truck on Saturday. I will ask the mechanic if the steep angle could have caused an issue.

 

How did you do that blacked out spark plug mod?

 

Got my truck back from the dealer last Saturday. Doesn't look like we are gonna get a fix from Toyota for this. Apparently more than 35 degrees isn't intended use. Who knew? Jokes aside, the technician who worked on my truck didn't think it had anything to do with the PCV valve and just had to do with the way the circulation in the engine works. So, either too much oil gets into the engine at the incline or not enough oil gets out of the engine on the incline. Piston heads were a little dirty and so were spark plugs, but no real damage. I'm going to get some engine cleaner and replace the spark plugs.

 

The problem is so obvious. I posted it earlier in the thread . I had an early Toyota 4x4 that had the exact same problem. It’s an oil drain back problem when you’re on the incline the oil continues to pump to the head it all goes to the back of the cylinder head and collects between the valve cover and the cylinder head the oil eventually gets so deep that it gets past the valve guide seals and because the valves are now submerged under oil it leaks past the valve guide causing smoke and fauled plugs. Upon inspection no damage will be found, they’ll be no traces of any problems and everything looked normal to the naked eye. The solution Toyota came up with was enlarging the oil return passage it was a simple casting fix.

 

"Apparently more than 35 degrees isn't intended use."

 

Is this a DIY fix? Can I request the dealership or some other mechanic shop do this?

 

I believe it was misfiring a little bit.
No lights what so ever.

 

This also just happened to me - just switched from a rock solid Land Rover LR3 to a new 2018 Tacoma. Not the best introduction to the brand :/

It happened while off-roading on what I’d estimate was a 40 deg 200 yard hill climb. Truck bogged down in deep rut so I turned it off and got out to assess.

After turning it back on I got the low engine oil light but I couldn’t back down without risk of rollover. I eventually got the truck out of the rut with maxxtracks and a pull from my Land Rover. White smoke billowed out (smelled like antifreeze but I could be wrong) for about 30 minutes afterwards. No knocking at least.

Pretty disappointing design flaw. I’m considering selling the truck and going back to the LR3. I guess at least the Tacoma has “TRD” and “off road” printed on the side so I look cool on the highway.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-new-2016-tacoma.427850/page-32#post-17934056

@BigMike might have a solution. He mentions it about halfway through the post I linked.

 

@BigMike says he thinks he has a solution but doesn’t share what it is. So close!

Would love to get this figured out.

 

There was a similar problem with very early plane engines if I recall... maybe it's time for the Tacoma to get a rotary engine?

I still want a 4 banger with a stick.

 

Any updates on this? This hasn't happened to me in a while but it did happen once while I was messing around in Cougar Buttes a year ago on a steep rocky climb. I should mention that I drive a supercharged Tundra (2014) and had the same issue.