It Started With A Little Drip...

[speedyts49]

Today I think I may have ended my saga of the little drip.

I found a small bit of liquid under my Taco one day and after talking

to a few people decided it was the water pump. I shopped and ended up

buying a new one at the dealer, $114 spent. I replaced it and the 3

belts while I had it all apart. A few days later I saw the liquid

again making me think i had not torqued the bolts correctly or had a

gasket leak. I searched and asked more people about this and then

proceeded to find thelocation of the leak once again. I got under

the Taco and saw little droplets on the bottom of the tranny and

looked up and saw them on the head gasket which sent chills through

me. Looking further up(I'm still under the truck) I saw a drip

coming from a connection. Ahh thats it! When I bought the truck I

used one of those Prestone radiator flush kits which required me to

cut the heater hose and put a 'T' in between to attach a garden hose.

I replaced the heater hose,$28 spent. Ok no more leak!

I recently had my alarm professionally removed ,$35 spent, after an

episode I had at the hardware store where somehow it was armed even

though i never use it and I could not start my truck. I got it

started somehow.

So anyway, I am driving down the road and my 'check engine' light

comes on and I'm thinking now what. Was an electrical thing related

to the alarm or what. I talked myself, with a little help into

buying a OBD 2 scanner, $139 spent. Finally using the internet I was

able to locate the truck connection for the scanner. The Haynes

manual was useless! I run the test and get P0171 fault which is 'lean

condition'. Let me think, I just had put a OEM air filter back in and

replaced the K&N but that should of made it richer, right? I also

over filled my window wash and fluid spilled on several sensors, ahh

could that be it? I cleaned all sensors with contact cleaner and

reset the taco computer by disconnecting the Battery. Now my idle is

way off but with the help of the internet I found out that the

computer needed to reset itself which it did and then the truck idled

fine. The light came on again after a short drive! I go to the

internet and see a list a mile long of things it might be. I found

out a fuel filter is $35 so I would look a little more before

purchasing one. I start the taco and pop the hood and hear a whoosh

sound, ahh a leak perhaps. I had knocked a vaccum hose off the

canister and the engine must of been SUCKING air. Air leak was on the

mile long list by the way.

Now time will tell if this ends the saga but I truely think I have it

fixed this time.

I now kind of know how that little dutch boy must of felt when he saw

that little drip.

tom

'96 taco 2wd 2.4L

:P

[tooyoung]

I admire you for doing most of the work yourself. I'd have taken it to the garage half way through and let them rip me off.

I do ask how much something is going to cost and then say 'Fine, do it'