The 3 Most Common Toyota 5VZ-FE 3.4 Liter V6 Engine Problems

Since its launch back in the 90s, the Toyota 3.4 V6 engine has become a household name among car owners, users, and drivers. With its incredible metrics and features, ranging from a reasonable 220 feet-pounds of torque to 190 horsepower, the engine is truly the go-to guy.

But then, you’ve got to pay closer attention to some of the issues raised about this engine by its users in the last few years.

The three most common Toyota 3.4 engine problems are:

1. Head Gasket Issues
2. Valve Seal Gasket Oil Leaks
3. Slack Timing Belt

Some users have complained that the Toyota 3.4L has an engine knocking problem and a higher fuel consumption level, but these have been discovered to be signs of lack of maintenance and use of low-quality oil.

What Are The Most Common Toyota 5VZ-FE 3.4L V6 Engine Issues?

1. Head Gasket Issues

It will be safe and fair to say that defective head gaskets are not design-based problems. In fact, what I have found out is that the head gasket problem linked to Toyota 3.4L engine is a pretty rare one.

Especially if this car has not reached a 200,000-mile mark, you may not experience defective head gaskets. This won’t happen provided you maintain regular oil changes and routine maintenance.

The head gasket is an engine part sandwiched between the cylinder block and the cylinder head, with the former housing the cylinders and pistons while the latter is home to the camshaft, spark plugs, and valves.

The head gasket, as the name suggests, serves as a cover for the cylinder firing pressure. This sealing function is aimed at preventing both engine oil and coolant from leaking into and outside the cylinder.

The head gasket is under serious pressure coming from the cylinder block and cylinder head. These two parts warp, shrink, expand, and rub. Additionally, it also ensures oil from the casting ports doesn’t get outside. To do this successfully, the head gasket must be made to withstand the pressure.

Typically, with age and higher mileage come recurrent car issues, and damage to the head gaskets is one of the common problems that plague older engines. When this problem comes up, some signs accompany it, and you need to be on the lookout for these signs.

What To Look Out For

• Oil And Coolant Leak: Once the head gasket, which is primarily responsible for preventing oil and coolant leaks, is blown, the fluids become unsealed and unguarded. So, they start to leak into and outside the cylinder. Loss in fluid causes a drop in oil levels and this signals danger to your engine.
• Coolant-Oil Mix: Another natural symptom of a brown head gasket is the mixture of the coolant with the oil. This is unhealthy for the car. Once the coolant mixes with the oil, it’ll cause serious damage to the overall performance of the engine.
• White Smoke: You’ll also notice that some white smoke from the tailpipe is beginning to come out. The defect of the head gasket is the surest way to make your car engine’s tailpipe bring out white smoke.
• Overheating: Of course, it is a no-brainer that your car engine will start to overheat once the head gasket burns. Don’t forget that a drop in the coolant and oil level resulting from loss of fluid will cause the engine to generate heat. This is a result of an increase in the temperature of the car.

Other important symptoms that may come up if the head gasket is suspected to have blown include bubbling in the coolant reservoir and radiator, milky white coloration in the oil,

How To Fix Blown Head Gasket

Trust me, a blown head gasket is one of the last things you would ever want to experience as a car owner or driver. So, prevention may be the right thing to do.

Keeping the coolant at the proper level is a way to discourage blown head gaskets. Although the gaskets may come cheap, the labor cost and the intensity of the work required to complete the entire process is pretty high.

Specifically, replacing the blown gasket of the Toyota 3.4L engine can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Besides, it may be reasonable to move on once your engine has hit the 200,000-mile mark at which stage the engine may require complete replacement.

If the mileage is lower, fixing the problem is final and the best thing to do as you cannot allow it to damage the entire engine system.

The gaskets and the valve cover gasket plus the labor cost can cause you to spend as much as $2000. Unless you want to take the risk of intense labor, hiring a professional will be the best decision.

2. Valve Seal Gasket Oil Leaks

Let me make it very clear from the outset: oil leaks are not due to any flaws in design in the Toyota 3.4L engine but are part of the common issues generally associated with engines.

However, because the engine gaskets are made of rubber material, they can crack and degrade over time due to mileage. Age can also take a toll on the longevity and lifespan of the gaskets, thus making it cause oil leaks.

Usually, the valve seal gaskets of any engine often go through a lot of stress and pressure as you drive your Toyota 3.4L around. The large amount of heat generated by the engine also causes the valve cover gaskets to wear out over a long period.

So, this is a component you should focus attention on because once it cracks and the cracked points continue to expand, the oil will start to leak away gradually, starting from a small amount before the engine finally runs out of oil.

If you have to suspect any other parts that may leak oil away in your newly acquired Toyota 5VZ-FE, it has to be the mail seals and oil pan gaskets.

These areas may not be common but I don’t take anything for granted. Trust me, an oil leak can ruin your car engine and shorten its lifespan. You wouldn’t want that, would you?

What To Look out For

When your car oil starts to leak away, what signs should you be looking out for? How should you handle the crisis?

• Visible Leak: It is a no-brainer if we make an oil leak atop the list of the symptoms of valve gasket oil leak? Once the valve cover gasket cracks, it creates different spots where the oil can leak into or outside the cylinder.
  The more the cracks expand, the more oil will leak away, and the more deteriorating the condition of the engine will become.
• Burning Smell: Although a burning smell can be due to several things, including worn-out brake pads, overheating compressor, burnt electrical fuse, worn-out you should suspect a cracked valve seal gasket oil leak as a major suspect.
• Burning Oil Smell: You’ll also notice a burning oil smell if the engine or gear oil is leaking. When oil leaks, it escapes outside the gasket, causing them to drop into any part of the engine.
  This will cause some acrid smell. As you drive, the surface where the oil drops will get hotter and the heat generated causes the oil to burn and smell.
• Oil Loss: Another symptom of a valve seal gasket leak is visible oil loss. The loss is a result of an oil leak. The level of the oil will drop and the oil gauge on the dashboard will start to display shortage, indicating a shortage in oil.

How To Fix Oil Leak

Unlike other Toyota 3.4L engine issues, the valve cover gaskets leak comes on cheap. You won’t have to break the bank to replace the valve cover gaskets. With the labor cost, replacing the gaskets can cost you something in the region of $300-$600, with the gasket being between $40 and $50.

However, if you have to opt for a DIY procedure, you’ll have to choose an experienced DIYer, because replacing the gaskets requires some time, skill, and effort.

3. Slack Timing Belt

The Toyota 3.4L engine also comes with a slack timing belt. As we all know, the timing belt essentially connects the camshaft to the engine’s crankshaft. It helps in regulating the valves and pistons.

Made of a steel-clad rubber band, the timing belt features in its inner edge some notches which help to coordinate the opening and closing of the valves.

Like the oil leak, a loose timing belt may not be a problem restricted to the Toyota 3.4L engine. It’s a general issue all car owners should pay attention to.

The issue of loose timing belts can be traced to several reasons, with the most common being age. The older the timing belt gets, the more it slackens, weakens, and deteriorates in function.

Another main cause of a bad timing belt is a defective belt tensioner. Once the tensioner, three things are likely to happen in succession: the lever can clutch; the belt can come loose, and the belt can eventually come off.

Typically, newer engines are victims of failing timing belts and a lack of standard maintenance culture is usually the ultimate cause of a failing engine’s timing belt.

What To Look Out For

• Engine Misfire: You may have to inspect the engine properly to know if the cause of the engine misfire is a bad timing belt. There is a wide range of causes of an engine misfire.
• Check Engine Light Illuminates: This is a common symptom that accompanies any failure in the vital parts of your vehicle engine. The light usually comes on when timing has failed.
• Ticking Sound: The ticking sound shows up when the timing belt is giving way. Don’t wait until this time before you check the timing belt, tensioner, and idler.
• Rough Idle: The engine won’t run smoothly during idling and the revolution per minute will run at an inconsistent rate. Rough idling can also be a result of defective spark plugs.

How To Fix Loose Timing Belt

To prevent the belt of your Toyota 3.4L engine from going bad, the right and recommended thing to do is to maintain a service interval of 90,000 miles for the timing belt. Meanwhile, this engine is built with a longer lifespan; you should allow the system to start cracking before you fix any issue.

The interesting thing is that the Toyota 3.4L engine is popular for being a non-interference engine in which case the path of the piston and the valves do not overlap when traveling. You may not experience any serious damage to your engine even if the timing belt fails.

While fixing the timing belt issue, you may also inspect the water pump if it needs replacement. The recommended thing to do, however, is to replace both parts at the same time. The service lifespan of a water pump ranges between 100,000 and 120,000 miles.

With the labor cost, you can spend something around $500 to $800. The labor cost may range from $300 and $500 with the timing belt and idlers going for something between $100 and$250.

If you add the cost of replacing the water pump to it, you may have to budget an extra $200. To save labor costs, a DIY procedure is not time-consuming, so you may opt for that.

FAQs

1. How Reliable Is The 3.4 V6 Toyota Engine?

It is absolutely one of the most reliable engines from the Toyota manufacturing plant! With a strong and reliable design coupled with a then reasonable 220 feet-pounds of torque and 190 horsepower, the Toyota 3.4 V6 engine can confidently make its way to the top of the list of the best Toyota engines in the industry.

No doubt, this reliable and strong engine boasts a standout status among its peers and competitors.

But the second to the latest generation of the engine has seen a greater upgrade in both torque and horsepower, making it compete favorably with some of the engines that boast modern performance standards.

Also, the engine is V-shaped configured with the cylinders located at a favorable 60-degree angle. This feature, coupled with the engine’s amazing bore size of 3.4 liters, a cast-iron cylinder block, and an aluminium-made cylinder head, makes it suitable for a wide range of Toyota models to use the engine.

Some of the Toyota car models that use the Toyota 3.4 V6 engine include Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Granvia 2004 GAZ-3111, Toyota T-100, and more.

Overall, to get the most out of this engine, make sure you carry out regular inspections, take it for scheduled servicing and maintenance.

To extend the engine’s lifespan, do not neglect oil change. Make sure you change the oil every 10,000 km or upon every 12 months of using the engine. Use premium and recommended oil, coolant, and antifreeze.

2. What Are The Toyota 3.4 V6 Engine Specs?

3. Will Installing A Supercharger Stall My Toyota 3.4L Engine?

No; on the contrary, it is recommended that you install a supercharger in your Toyota 3.4L engine. However, buying and installing a supercharger kit can cost something in the region of $2500 to $8000, depending on the standard you want to use.

Contrary to some insinuations, installing a supercharger in this engine will neither shorten its lifespan nor reduce its performance level. As a matter of fact, if you supercharge your Toyota 3.4 engine, you’ll be increasing its power and torque.

However, make sure you follow the right installation procedure, tune the system properly, and conduct regular engine servicing and maintenance.

Another point I would like to make is that you should not compromise regular oil changes and make use of recommended oil. Finally, when you install a supercharger, maintain a consistent driving pattern.

Final Thoughts

Most of the design-related Toyota 3.4 engine problems have been resolved by the manufacturer over the years. The super upgrade the recent generations of the engine have undergone makes the engine come down with fewer flaws.

But then, some of the recent reviews from users have suggested that head gaskets, timing belts, and oil leak issues are still pretty much common with the engine.

Even if your car is not powered by the Toyota 3.4L engine, you can take a cue from my in-depth analysis of the problems. This is because most cars suffer from all the identified issues here a few times in their lifetime.

Here’s a brutal truth you cannot shy away from machines will always come down with problems, whether used or unused, regularly serviced or not. However, you can minimize the risk if you go on regular servicing and routine maintenance.