Hey guys, I'm lookin at buyin an 87 NA Supra. There is an orange light on the dash that indicates something to do with the real wheels--? What does that mean?
Also, it was 105 degrees when I test drove it, and as I returned it to the dealership and parked it, it began to spew orange fluid, and began to steam. The temperture gauge read normal. The engine runs strong and hard, only having 112k miles (not bad for an all origional 87).

Any advice at all would be appreciated.

Thanks!

blown head gasket

orange is close to red

toyota uses red coolant stock

run . do not walk away from this car


unless it's a steal and you have no issues tearing down the engine to block
i know this is not what you want to hear but ..the truth hurts sometimes
and this car needs work with out a doubt

the red warning light about the rearend is the least of this car's problems

A friend of mine says it may be a blown hose or radiator, or even just coolant overflow. How common is the bad HG in these things?

If the dealer replaces the HG, am I in the clear, or is it likely to happen again?

Also, what does the orange light indicate?

it's very common
if the dealer does the head gasket it might be ok depending on how well they do the job ..
since it's not a turbo you have a better chance of winning the gasket game on this one

i wouldn't trust a part time mechanic department of a mom and pop sales place to repair the head gasket

the light could be a dead taillight .. i dunno what the light is for sure but it's the least of your worries

are you in a contract on this car already ?

you might want to get more opinions from users on this board

Yea, it's a little buy here pay here shop, but Supras are very hard to find up here, so when I see one, I gotta look...

The only reason I question the head gasket diagnosis is the way the car acted. Lots of power, engine, tranny clutch and gearbox felt good and strong. It ran fine, then on the way back the the dealership began bucking in 2nd and third gear. Got her back, and the dealer was backin her into the space, parked it then turned it off. That's when it began steaming and spurtin.

That week, we had record highs (it was 105 the day I drove it) and lots of vehicals overheated.

But from what you've told me and what I read, the HG is a common and expensive problem. If it ain't the HG, and I buy the car, is there any way to AVOID an blown HG in this model?

Also, if I take this car to Firestone for a used car pre-buy check up, would they find a blown HG, or would they have to take the engine apart?

it is blown period

power and all that is normal if the outside temp was lower and you kept adding radiator fluid you could go for miles on a mildly blown gasket ..this gasket is a goner .. just the steam and leaking fluid alone tells me that plus add in the miss firing and that tells me it's not only leaking out but leaking in coolant and missing firing .
IBM says " you make the call "

Yeah, if you don't believe us, there is a test that a shop can do that tests your coolant for contamination from exhaust gas, if it comes back positive = blown headgasket for sure.

I would walk away unless the car is in great condition other than the head gasket, and make them get it done by a good dealer/mechanic and warranty it.

If they did it, they might just pull the head, throw a new HG in and call it a day, and if the head is warped (if it overheated the head, more than likely it is), the head MUST be machined for the seal to hold properly, hence why I say get a warranty.

if you really really really want the car it's up to you to buy it

1. its very likely it does have a blown head gasket
2. once fixed properly with correct torque settings it shouldn't blow again
3. its quite a costly job
4. get a full mechanical warranty... when it blows properly get it done under warranty
5. as soon as you get back from them take it to a mechanic and get it retorqed to 72ft lbs (engine cold of course)
6. hope the dealer did the job properly
7. enjoy owning a supra ;)

Thanx for all the great advice. Sounds like yall ('specially Supra Grrl) know your stuff. I've decided to take the car and get her checked. If the HG is blown, I'll offer the guy $500 bucks for 'er, if not, I'll buy it