1993 Lexus ES 300 Possible Blown Head Gasket/ What to do?

BLACK LEXIE

MEMBER
1993 LEXUS ES 300
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
140,000 MILES

I am in need of help in deciding the best decision to a make about my car.

My car is a 1993 Lexus ES 300 and I’ve owned it now since Dec. 2008.
Here’s some history on what’s been going with the car. I began to notice problems with the car in May. The car would run hot maybe once a week or every-other week. Also the car would shake after it was driven for an extended amount of time. Then I notice that there was a crack in the tank of the radiator, so I knew it needed to be replaced. In the meantime I was filling the radiator with water until I could get a replacement.
During that time I began to notice a very heavy exhaust that would come out of the tailpipe when the car would be started up. The exhaust was grayish-white in color. The exhaust would decrease and then disappear after the car was driven for a little while. The car would also shake during that time before the exhaust had settled and act as if was going to turn off.
So I thought all these problems would end once I replaced the radiator. But before that could happen, I had a new problem: white smoke coming out around my engine. The car would and still will start up but will not stay running long before going off.
I was able to get the car to one mechanic and he said that the car seems to have a blown head gasket. He suggested that it would be cheaper and easier for me to just get a replacement engine instead of replacing the head gasket because there may be other problems with the head or block, ect. Once you open the engine. Others have suggested that I should keep the engine I have and replace whatever parts it needs because that’s the engine I know and it shouldn’t be much wrong with the engine.

So I now need to know what maybe the best move to make. The mechanic’s shop that the car is at now wants to charge $650 to replace the engine that doesn’t cover the cost of the engine, only labor. I want to spend the money to fix my car efficiently and hopefully one time only. I’m asking for help in making an informed decision. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your timeJ

P.S. Most replacement engines I’ve seen online range from $550-$1500 + shipping.

1 Reply

MMPRINCE4000

MECHANIC
8,549 POSTS

First step is to have a compression test performed to verify the head gasket is the problem, it could be an intake manifold gasket for example.

If headgasket is bad, it can be replaced, but like all auto repairs, once you get the head(s) off, they may be warped, or a headbolt in block is broke or possibly stripped threads in block.

Used engines are a good alternative, only problem is that if you have problems with the used one, the warranty only covers the engine, not installation.

Perform compression test and verify the headgasket is bad. I would probably seriously look at a used engine, since as mentioned, you may wind up spending more money to fix (new heads for example), than the cost of the used engine and installation.