Toyota Starlet: 4E-FTE turbo cars: neglected cooling ends in a head gasket or a cooked turbo
4E-FTE turbo cars: neglected cooling ends in a head gasket or a cooked turbo is a common cooling fault on the Toyota Starlet on the 1989–1999 cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 6 documented faults on the Toyota Starlet.
- Vehicle
- Toyota Starlet
- Engine
- 4E-FTE
- Years
- 1989–1999
- Fuel
- petrol
- System
- Cooling
What you are looking at
Example of the part — not this vehicleA used multi-layer head gasket. Discolouration between a cylinder and a water gallery is the tell.
What goes wrong
On the turbocharged Starlet GT and Glanza the cooling system is what kills the engine, not the turbo itself. A stuck thermostat, a tired radiator cap, a leaking plastic radiator tank or a coked-up turbo oil feed all end at the same place — an overheated head, a blown head gasket, or a turbo that has seized. Owner communities describe head gasket failure as the single most common reason a Glanza gets broken up. Boost added without attention to the cooling and fuelling brings it on much faster. Any turbo Starlet with a history of running hot should be treated as needing a head off, and priced accordingly.
What you would notice
- Temperature gauge climbing above its normal position in traffic
- White smoke or a sweet smell from the exhaust
- Mayonnaise-coloured sludge under the oil filler cap
- Bubbles in the coolant header tank with the engine running
- Whining or blue smoke from the turbo on start-up
How to check it
Where to look. Radiator and header tank at the front, thermostat housing and head gasket at the engine, turbo on the exhaust side
With the engine stone cold, take the radiator cap off and look at the coolant — clean and coloured is good, brown, oily or rusty is not. Undo the oil filler cap and look at the underside for creamy sludge. Start it and let it idle up to temperature with the cap off, and watch for a stream of bubbles rising in the filler neck. Drive it long enough to sit in traffic and keep an eye on the temperature gauge. On the way back, get out and smell the exhaust — a sweet coolant smell is a bad sign. Ask whether it is running more boost than standard and what was done to the cooling and fuel system to suit. If a workshop inspection is possible: ask for a cylinder leak-down test and a combustion-gas test of the coolant.
What it costs to put right
$1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.
Ask the seller
- “Has it ever overheated or lost coolant?”
- “Has the head gasket, head or radiator ever been replaced?”
- “Is the boost standard, and if not, what was changed to support it?”
Now check the Toyota Starlet you are actually looking at
Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.
Where this comes from
- UK Starlet Owners forum — '4EFTE Head Gasket Failure/Blown Engine Prevention' thread
- JDMBUYSELL Toyota Starlet P90 (EP91) buyer's guide
Toyota Starlet buyer questions
Is 4e-fte turbo cars: neglected cooling ends in a head gasket or a cooked turbo serious on a Toyota Starlet?
We rate it critical and common on the Toyota Starlet. On the turbocharged Starlet GT and Glanza the cooling system is what kills the engine, not the turbo itself. A stuck thermostat, a tired radiator cap, a leaking plastic radiator tank or a coked-up turbo oil feed all end at the same place — an overheated head, a blown head gasket, or a turbo that has seized. Owner communities describe head gasket failure as the single most common reason a Glanza gets broken up. Boost added without attention to the cooling and fuelling brings it on much faster. Any turbo Starlet with a history of running hot should be treated as needing a head off, and priced accordingly.
How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Starlet?
$1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.
Which Toyota Starlet years are affected?
Our research records this fault on the 1989–1999 Toyota Starlet. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.
How do I check for it before I buy?
With the engine stone cold, take the radiator cap off and look at the coolant — clean and coloured is good, brown, oily or rusty is not. Undo the oil filler cap and look at the underside for creamy sludge. Start it and let it idle up to temperature with the cap off, and watch for a stream of bubbles rising in the filler neck. Drive it long enough to sit in traffic and keep an eye on the temperature gauge. On the way back, get out and smell the exhaust — a sweet coolant smell is a bad sign. Ask whether it is running more boost than standard and what was done to the cooling and fuel system to suit. If a workshop inspection is possible: ask for a cylinder leak-down test and a combustion-gas test of the coolant. Look here: Radiator and header tank at the front, thermostat housing and head gasket at the engine, turbo on the exhaust side