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Message
I urgently need help from the car mechanic gurus. Its very long but there is a reason why
Posted on 5/27/24 at 1:52 pm
Posted on 5/27/24 at 1:52 pm
Before anyone says I'm a dumbass let me explain. My wife passed away unexpectedly on Monday a week ago. Her funeral was Saturday morning. On the way there my 2008 Highlander started running hot. I had a coolant leak a month ago. I never could pinpoint it so I changed the water pump, thermostat, and both hoses. Well evidently that didn't fix my problem but I stayed on top of making sure that I kept the coolant system full until I could replace the radiator. Like I said I removed every cover from underneath the car and could never pinpoint the exact problem. I pulled off and parked the car in a safe location and called my son to come get me. Fast forward to later that day after the funeral and all I wanted to do was get home. I didn't want to be around anyone. I just wanted to get home. I live about 35 miles from where I had parked my car at. I bought a few gallons of distilled water and filled the radiator back up and started heading back home. I had to pull over a couple of times to add water. It was also very late in the evening now I was about five miles from my house when I had to pull over because the temperature gauge pegged out hot. I knew there was a chance I could be destroying the engine at that time but I had to get home. It had been a very bad day for me because I had to bury my wife. I ended up having it towed to the house. The next day I didn't feel like messing with it but I knew I had to. The first thing I did was check the dipstick to see if I had water mixed with the oil. That looks okay for now. I tried to start it and the starter spins but does not turn the engine over. I checked the battery and it showed 12.8 volts but I put the charger on it over night and when I checked it the next day it showed that it was bad so I went today and got a new one. Same result with the starter. Spins but engine is not turning over. I read a few threads on theTototaNation forums that it still could be a starter problem. I replaced the starter a few months back. There were seven codes when I checked it the next day. Like a dummy I didn't write them down but the majority of them were in the P0170’s and some were around P2168 I think. I remember looking them up and the majority of them dealt with lean fuel mixture. On a side note I also noticed that there is a small oil spot on the ground. I can't see where it is coming from because all the covers are still on underneath the car. I do my own work on my vehicles but this is something I have never experienced. I'm sorry this is so long but I'm trying to explain everything that has happened. First thing I would like to know is if the engine is destroyed or should I start trying to figure out why the starter is not engaging. Any advice would be greatly appreciated
ETA. Thanks for the replies but I believe the motor is destroyed and I'm going to get rid of it
ETA. Thanks for the replies but I believe the motor is destroyed and I'm going to get rid of it
This post was edited on 5/27/24 at 6:30 pm
Posted on 5/27/24 at 2:02 pm to Miketheseventh
Sorry for your loss. RIP
Posted on 5/27/24 at 3:20 pm to Miketheseventh
Sorry for your loss.
Im in no way shape or form a mechanic but I had a tundra that developed a head gasket leak that took time to diagnose and got worse. This could be your issue
Im in no way shape or form a mechanic but I had a tundra that developed a head gasket leak that took time to diagnose and got worse. This could be your issue
Posted on 5/27/24 at 4:18 pm to Miketheseventh
Sorry for your loss
Could it be an alternator issue? Even if your engine got hot, you probably would've heard something break in the middle of your drive. If oil is leaking, add more oil? Sounds like you still have a coolant leak somewhere.
Worst case scenario, have it towed to a Firestone and see what they can do. Just having another set of eyes can pinpoint where your problems are.
Could it be an alternator issue? Even if your engine got hot, you probably would've heard something break in the middle of your drive. If oil is leaking, add more oil? Sounds like you still have a coolant leak somewhere.
Worst case scenario, have it towed to a Firestone and see what they can do. Just having another set of eyes can pinpoint where your problems are.
Posted on 5/27/24 at 6:44 pm to Miketheseventh
Kept losing coolant in my Toyota due to radiator cap. Never would have guessed that was issue but it was so easy to change I tried it first. $10 on Amazon and problem fixed. Might wanna give it a shot.
Posted on 5/27/24 at 7:18 pm to Miketheseventh
Sounds like you have more than one problem.
I’d suggest taking it to a mechanic you trust. No one is going to be able to diagnose the problem(s) 100% without putting their hands on it.
I’d suggest taking it to a mechanic you trust. No one is going to be able to diagnose the problem(s) 100% without putting their hands on it.
This post was edited on 5/27/24 at 8:23 pm
Posted on 5/27/24 at 7:51 pm to Miketheseventh
Man that sucks.
I lost my wife 10 years ago. Keep your head up and watch out for the next few months. I know it’s hard to imagine but those will be the worst. Lean on your people. I always thought I had to be strong and so I didn’t reach out that much. I regret that now.
I’ve been remarried for 6 years now and have 3 kids with my second wife. Life is good. I still miss my first wife but her memories are more nostalgic and seldom painful anymore.
As for the car, before you get rid of it make sure it’s not just the starter solenoid
I lost my wife 10 years ago. Keep your head up and watch out for the next few months. I know it’s hard to imagine but those will be the worst. Lean on your people. I always thought I had to be strong and so I didn’t reach out that much. I regret that now.
I’ve been remarried for 6 years now and have 3 kids with my second wife. Life is good. I still miss my first wife but her memories are more nostalgic and seldom painful anymore.
As for the car, before you get rid of it make sure it’s not just the starter solenoid
This post was edited on 5/27/24 at 7:53 pm
Posted on 5/27/24 at 8:27 pm to Miketheseventh
Post on the OT. You’ll likely get a lot more mechanics visibility there.
Sorry for your loss, friend. Can’t imagine what your going through.
Sorry for your loss, friend. Can’t imagine what your going through.
Posted on 5/28/24 at 5:07 pm to Miketheseventh
quote:
Thanks for the replies but I believe the motor is destroyed and I'm going to get rid of it
Late to the party but are you able to turn the engine manually to see if it is locked up? Like someone else said, you could have several issues that cause this. I'm not familiar with the Highlander, but have you asked a mechanic to take a look?
I know times are tough, but it may be easier to drop it off for a couple days before you get rid of it. Sometimes the fix is easier than you think. I drove around for two years with a sensor malfunction that made my life hell because I didn't realize that the "discontinued part" was interchangeable with a different model of Toyota. Fixed it for $25.
ETA: Also, depending on the mileage it may be time to look at a "new" vehicle instead of putting band aids on it.
This post was edited on 5/28/24 at 5:09 pm
Posted on 5/28/24 at 5:24 pm to Miketheseventh
quote:
Before anyone says I'm a dumbass let me explain. My wife passed away unexpectedly on Monday a week ago. Her funeral was Saturday morning
If anyone calls you a dumbass, they need to be banned. I'm not a mechanic so I didn't read the rest because I know I can't help but just want to say sorry for your loss.
Posted on 5/28/24 at 7:05 pm to Miketheseventh
Sorry for your loss.
Your motor is toast.
Your motor is toast.
Posted on 5/28/24 at 9:20 pm to Miketheseventh
Man that’s a tough week I am sorry for your loss.
It could be a blown head gasket without seeing water in the oil depending on where the head gasket blew, you may just need a head job before your get rid of it see if you can get a mechanic YOU TRUST ck it out when engines get hot and the first thing goes is the head gasket then head so pulling the heads maybe replacing them. The starter was spinning could you tell if it was engaging into the flywheel & turning over.
Let us know what you find out don’t be a stranger, there are a lot of amazing people on this board that have been there and we will all try to help you through this unfortunate event.
It could be a blown head gasket without seeing water in the oil depending on where the head gasket blew, you may just need a head job before your get rid of it see if you can get a mechanic YOU TRUST ck it out when engines get hot and the first thing goes is the head gasket then head so pulling the heads maybe replacing them. The starter was spinning could you tell if it was engaging into the flywheel & turning over.
Let us know what you find out don’t be a stranger, there are a lot of amazing people on this board that have been there and we will all try to help you through this unfortunate event.
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