Head Gasket Starting To Go

[Andrewsreef]

I have a water leak at the back of the motor where the block and head meet. My mechanic did a pressure test on it and all came back ok. After talking to the Lexus dealer, it sounds like the early stages of a head gasket going out.

Anyone know what is a reasonable price for this repair from a good non-dealer mechanic? The dealer told me it would counted as an "overhall" and would be about $3,500. Steep price for a truck that looks flawless and has only 77k on it.

I have had a lot of problems with this truck and I will proably not keep it if it is going to cost this much to repair :( . I will proably cut my loses and give up on it (if you can not tell, I am very, very frustrated with this thing) even though I really like the truck. The repairs on this thing have been outrageous and I must admit this is the most trouble I have ever had with any car ever.

If you have done a head gasket recently, please let me know what it cost.

Thanks

Andrew

[Thi]

Andrew,

Sorry to hear about the problem that you have with your truck.

Here's some information that I read about cylinder head gasket:

. Gasket cost $127.88

. Standard labor 9.8 hours. If the labor is $60/hour then it would cost you $588 for labor

You should call around, even Lexus dealer. Ask them how many hours does it take and how much for one hour.

Thi

[Andrewsreef]

$1000 total for the repair would be reasonable if I can get it done by a quality mechanic for that. I am just concerned that this will be the begining of more troubles. For example, is it normal for this truck to use 2 quarts of oil in 3k? I am using synthetic blend and will switch back to straight Castrol next. Not sure if this is because of the head gasket or what. Seems very odd for just 77k. No smoke or leak I can find anywhere. No water in the oil but I guess I could have oil in the water and not know it yet?

Thanks

[dougjohn]

Loss of that much oil is not common, but it could be due to the head gasket.

[Thi]

Beside the pressure test, I heard that there are some devices for testing gasket leak. The device will sniff the coolant vapor, or exhaust gas. I also heard that you can open the radiator cap when the engine is COLD, turn on the engine, and check to see if there are any bubles. That's unsual amount of oil for the truck to consume.

Thi

[scoba]

I have a water leak at the back of the motor where the block and head meet. My mechanic did a pressure test on it and all came back ok. After talking to the Lexus dealer, it sounds like the early stages of a head gasket going out.

Anyone know what is a reasonable price for this repair from a good non-dealer mechanic? The dealer told me it would counted as an "overhall" and would be about $3,500. Steep price for a truck that looks flawless and has only 77k on it.

I have had a lot of problems with this truck and I will proably not keep it if it is going to cost this much to repair :( . I will proably cut my loses and give up on it (if you can not tell, I am very, very frustrated with this thing) even though I really like the truck. The repairs on this thing have been outrageous and I must admit this is the most trouble I have ever had with any car ever.

If you have done a head gasket recently, please let me know what it cost.

Thanks

Andrew

Hello to everyone. I am new to the club. This summer bought a 97 LX450 from Toyota dealership. Was in a spotless condition, not a drip of oil, very clean inside with a 213 km(Canada). But I constantly had to add a coolant. I thought it was just evaporation. Recently I had a Check Engine light coming on twice, but it was gone by itself after a trip. Meanwhile I was reading different stories from the club members about head gasket failure. I checked myself the engine leaks – found nothing. There is no evidence of oil presence in the coolant. Oil level and color is normal except a little foamy deposit on the oil cap. I have no concerns about vehicle performance. There is no vibration or malfunctioning at all while starting or driving. I booked an appointment with Lexus within a week. But to make sure I do not ruin the engine I went to mechanic I know. He did the pressure test for the cooling system, also chemical test for coolant, checked spark plugs, found no leak in cooling system. He had a little concern about engine oil, it was too bright for him but not milky?

So I am waiting for a Lexus appointment.

I would appreciate any advice if you have.

Thanks

Roman

[Rookie]

But I constantly had to add a coolant. I thought it was just evaporation. There is no evidence of oil presence in the coolant. Oil level and color is normal except a little foamy deposit on the oil cap. I have no concerns about vehicle performance.

Not sure why you would check coolant for presence of oil. If you're losing coolant, it be the other way around.... check oil for presence of coolant. The coolant side is the side under high pressure.

Sometimes you can have a very fine (basically invisible to the eye), hole in one of you're hoses and loose coolant that way. I'd get one of those die kits and add it to the coolant. Then check to see where it's going. If you don't see it anywhere on the motor, then I'd send the oil out for an oil analysis.

Rookie