Blown head gasket? Need new engine?

If you are not going to fix it and immediately sell (which is not a bad idea) then get a rebuilt engine. A rebuilt engine is new pistons and rings along with a machine shop inspected and rebuilt head. A good rebuild will clean up all parts as well.

Don't get a used junkyard engine. A JDM engine is a better option than a used engine but not as good as rebuilt. Be clear about what your "replacement" engine will be in reality.

Just be sure the rebuilt has a one year parts and labor warranty. If it lasts that long you can get 5-10 more years out of the engine.

The reasons to fix it cheap and then sell include netting more than at a salvage yard as is, eliminate the potential $2500 brake booster and the equally expensive hybrid battery (both pre-tariff prices).

As Grit says it costs lots of money to save a little gas on a gen3.

If you have already replaced the brake booster and hybrid battery then a rebuilt is a financially viable option. If you can't buy anything better for a while, take a risk on the other 5 grand and rebuild.

Finally egr cleaning would not have prevented it. Dealer and pro shops agree.

 

No telling on the brake booster or hv battery unless already replaced.

Selling it to a salvage yard as is is junking it for $500 to $1000.

I would buy a new car and get rid of the gen3. But not everyone has the same resources. I have changed the booster and battery along with the inverter.

If I were you I would take it to Gasketmasters and get some options.

 

It may give you some needed time to make other arrangements but if the job is not done properly it could give you very little time like a couple of weeks tops or maybe not get out of the shop if the shop is really questionable deck height of the Pistons and all of that has to be well checked by somebody that knows what they're looking at a lot of these young ones today and people that don't know what they're doing as owners which is generally how it should be owners shouldn't be car mechanics I don't guess and this can get really expensive very quickly and everybody's holding their hands up pointing at somebody else so this is how this works in the real world it's just like kids playing on the kindergarten playground so be careful if your money's important to you and you need your car to be able to be gainfully employed well what happens when you don't have it and everybody standing around with their hands up pointing fingers at somebody else exactly I wish you very good luck with these kinds of vehicles generally it's needed in the game this is why I had to give up on this particular model I can't afford to be fooling around like this just looking at a pretty car sitting in the yard on ramps every time something decides to be at whatever point we're at now the car was great to 200k don't get me wrong like all Toyotas shoot your right to 151 70 no problem and then the fun begins unlike other Toyotas we've driven most of our lives the fun didn't begin until 270 Plus or better. So for the fancy gas mileage and the lightweightness and the pretty looking stuff we've lost a hundred grand somewhere no thank you that's for y'all or whoever not me

 

The Arab guys around here the guys from the Middle East will come and pay $12.15-1600 for him real fast I've noticed that in the last few months kind of interesting I don't know what they're doing with them and don't care I didn't even hardly ask any questions saw all my generation twos here and started asking questions and I told him you don't really want to mess with these these are old he says yeah these are always battery problems I said yeah that's exactly right like these aren't the generation 3s thinking to myself they're all going to have battery problems

 

I am saying Gasketmasters will do any of the options in post 21. Let them diagnose and guide you. To me a hg job is risky which is why I would do it only to and recover some value. Gasketmasters used to do mobile hg jobs for $1500. I am sure they had enough early failures that they started offering options.

Most dealers and pro shops that know this engine would rather risk a no warranty used engine than simply swap a head gasket.

Take it to Gasketmasters and let them guide your decision which will be influenced by your resources.

 

The best diagnostic technique for a Prius if the rattling and shaking is not convincing enough. Hybrids shake on small drops of coolant into the cylinder which often quickly seals up after a few seconds. This behavior is usually hidden in conventional car. This is another Toyota engine with head gasket symptoms.
Car Care Nut HG Borescope at 660s

Wait long enough and you can have a hole in the side of the engine and broken parts inside.

Shudder video
“Hey Walt… they want to wait and see if it gets worse…”

 

Yes, you can sell a car that doesn't pass smog. The "bill of sale' MUST state that it's a 'parts car; No warranty expressed or implied'. Have the buyer sign that document and write down their ID number on the document. It's a good idea to take a picture of their ID; for your records. You can use that information to fill out the DMV bill of sale documents. Make sure you file all the correct paperwork with DMV; so you won't get tickets and bridge toll citations sent to you. File that document away for a couple of years, in case there's some blow-back.

Hope this helps......

FWIW; I had someone wanting to buy one of my cars, but didn't want to show me his ID - Told him to get lost. An honest person wouldn't hesitate, unless they were planning to do something illegal or not file the change of ownership paperwork. I don't need that kind of drama in my life.

 

Risk reward seems worth it to me on the gasket masters gasket replacement option. These engines are fantastic in my option except for the head gasket issue, so if you get that done you should be good to go for a while. Yes there are a few other soul crushing issues that could arise, but the gas savings does mitigate those a little and if you do manage not to get bit then you could make out quite well vs another used car (which is it's own risk). This is assuming the car was decently well taken care of (never over-heated) and that you drive a fair amount.

 

The temperature light would come on. If you never ran super low on coolant it probably never happened. If you ran it too long how it is (assuming the diagnosis is correct) eventually the coolant would get low and it'd overheat.

 

Does Gasket Masters replace the engine water pump when they replace the head gasket?