Head Gasket Died Today

Andytanes · September 10, 2005

I bought a Lexus es 300 three weeks ago :chairshot: and thought I got a good deal except for a few dings and a leaky valve cover everything in the car worked perfectly. I got the car checked by several shops that ensured me that the car had no water or oil leaks. Well that did not hold true; I have blue and white smoke billowing from my tailpipe and engine compartment :ph34r: . I took it to a Pep boys in Miami,Florida and I was promptly shown the door they said their computer was not able to read the codes and I should take it to a dealer. I did get the valve cover done;could the tech who did my valve cover cause this :angry: ? Anyways before I got the valve cover done I went to a another place and they did get the codes out and said the code related to the knock sensor hearing something. That place fixed my control arms and cvs joints said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my engine any ideals? My car will not idle over 1000 rpms and shuts down after a few minutes No oil is present in my oil, Thank God, however what should I do from here a Master mechanic who once work for toyota is asking me 1500.00 to fix the problem; is it worth it? Help!!!! I do not want to waste any more money unless this will be the end of my problems. People are saying the engine is burning oil and I should get a replacement and other are telling replacing my engine will not solve my problems. After I fill it up with fluid the car works fine for five minutes then boom :ph34r: smoke and a heavy gas smell.

Toysrme · September 10, 2005

·$1,500 is a couple hundred to high, but a common price to pay.

·I wouldn't worry about oil damage yet. The minimum spec is 3, or 4 psi at idle. They don't use much oil when there isn't many rpm.

·Any oil leak on the rear bank of the engine will dump oil striaght to the y-pipe where it will burn & cause tons of smoke.

Unless he took a hammer & beat the hell out of your head to un-seal it - No the tech didn't screw it up. You have to pull out the valvetrain itself to evneg et to the head bolts. What I'm saying, is you've got *BLEEP*ty luck.

Anywho ya, sounds like a head gasket is gone.

Fill it back up with oil, warm the engine up & do a compression check. That's the only way to accurately tell if a head gasket is blown. I would check ignition timing too.

If it is a head gasket problem, go ahead & buy a high-flow cat convertor off Ebay & have it welded in. Your cat's probably dead if not clogging from the petrolium goodies running through it.

Do you mean the car won't run at all over 1000rpm? 750rpm +/-100rpm is an idle.

Keep in mind many v6's from the Toyota family will get a free headgasket replacement. When you do a compression check & confirm it is a blown HG, you need to call a few Lexus & Toyota dealers to ask if it is eligeable for a HG replacement.