OK, so this is a long shot... I took my 1995 Toyota 4runner with 224,000 miles to the dealer for a new alternator and they told me that they needed to replace the distributor cap because it was cracked. When I picked it up it was running horribly. They told me that sometimes fixing one thing leads to other things going wrong 😶 . Since then, I've had a couple of spark plugs replaced and taken it to 4 different places that each told me it was on it's last leg and needs a new engine now. 😭. Is there any hope or should I take it to the salvage yard. I guess I would get about $300 but I just can't believe there is no hope.
I took my 1995 Toyota 4runner with 224,000 miles to the dealer for a new alternator
Big mistake. Dealers are the most expensive option and don't necessarily have the most experienced mechanics. In fact many of their techs would not have even been born when that vehicle was manufactured.
they told me that they needed to replace the distributor cap because it was cracked. When I picked it up it was running horribly. They told me that sometimes fixing one thing leads to other things going wrong
Usually when fixing one thing leads to other things going wrong it's because they screwed something up. It's hard to see how even Bozo the Clown could have done much damage replacing a distributor cap but who knows what they actually did.
Since then, I've had a couple of spark plugs replaced and taken it to 4 different places that each told me it was on it's last leg and needs a new engine now.
Why replace just a couple of plugs? How was it determined that the engine is shot? Did they do compression and/or leakdown tests?
@chucktobias I don’t know but I will find out!
@chucktobias Ok, so evidently it has "low compression on cylinder #1". Does that tell you anything? Does that mean I need a new engine?
Ok, so evidently it has "low compression on cylinder #1". Does that tell you anything? Does that mean I need a new engine?
Possibly, it depends on why there is low compression. If it's a burned valve conceivably that could be repaired. (I've done that kind of repair myself on an engine that had low compression in one cylinder.) A wet vs. dry compression test or leakdown test would reveal the source.
However for a vehicle that age and mileage unless you're doing the work yourself it doesn't make financial sense. We're talking thousands of dollars even if the issue is just a bad valve. For something this serious I would get a second opinion from a good independent mechanic.
@chucktobias Ok, thank you. I took it up to a mechanic today and he is going to take a look at it.