overheating, looking for input

[User1]

OK so I thought I might have had abit of the lady luck happening when I flushed my cooling system and put in some new coolant, but that wasn't the case. I'm still overheating. I'm not even 100% positive I did the flushing correct. When I did do the flushing, I was abit surprised at how little coolant and water went back in. You can kinda follow my path on this at this thread, http://www.toyotavanpeople.com/forum...hilit=radiator I'm thinking I should have the radiator recored. I've never had this done on any cars I've had. Being that I'm in SoCal the only really close wilderness is the dessert. Also looking at eventually hitting the road. Would be a dream for me to head as far north as the road would take me. Hmmmmmm...... Deadhorse, AL?

So anyways, I need to start looking at making this thing bullet-proof. Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.

[timsrv]

Have you replaced your thermostat yet? If you're overheating replacing that with a genuine Toyota t-stat is the 1st thing you should do. There are other possibilities, but the t-stat is the most common and easiest to remedy issue (arguably).

How long does it take to overheat? If it's slow and gradual it could be an efficiency issue with one or more components. If within the 1st 5-10 minutes it could be something like a trapped air bubble in the system. Are there any leaks? Here's a thread that goes into more detail on troubleshooting: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...gasket-failure.

Sorry about the title of that thread, I'm not suggesting it's your HG, but most of the info within may be helpful to your situation. Tim

[User1]

Have you replaced your thermostat yet? If you're overheating replacing that with a genuine Toyota t-stat is the 1st thing you should do. There are other possibilities, but the t-stat is the most common and easiest to remedy issue (arguably).

How long does it take to overheat? If it's slow and gradual it could be an efficiency issue with one or more components. If within the 1st 5-10 minutes it could be something like a trapped air bubble in the system. Are there any leaks? Here's a thread that goes into more detail on troubleshooting: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...gasket-failure.

Sorry about the title of that thread, I'm not suggesting it's your HG, but most of the info within may be helpful to your situation. Tim

Haven't replaced the thermostat yet. I'll start looking into getting one. Seems like it's working fine but it will be replaced eventually and is needed to eliminate the possibly.

The van takes about 10 miles or less to overheat at 60 mph on the freeway.* It overheated yesterday and the outdoor temp was about 75 degrees. The gauge temp showed that it was climbing slowly through the whole 10 miles. Started getting nervous when it went over the 1/2 mark. No coolant leaks noted. I had to stop several times limping home and each time I looked for evidence of coolant on the ground. The only time it started to boil over was when I got home. It was doing it just a little.

I read the whole thread and can look at the suggested spots. Can do the pressure test if recommended too. One thing nice about where I live is that Napa is right across the street and Autozone is one block down the street and O'Reilly less than a mile away.

*Been meaning to ask about this. It doesn't seem like the van gets to OD. I can hear it shifting from 1 to 2 to 3, but no 4. At the cruising speed of 60 mph, my rpms is over 3500. At 3500 rpm my cruising speed is about 57-58 mph. I never reached OD right? And my OD button is working. When pressed, it shows that OD is turned off. Also the tires are 205/75/14.

[timsrv]

Okay, that doesn't sound like an air bubble or a leak. Probably not a t-stat either, but I'd still change it as "routine maintenance"..........who knows, maybe you'll get lucky. This sounds more like a problem with the radiator or fan clutch. Make sure your fan shroud is installed correctly and the lower piece is there. While you're underneath, check the front of the radiator to make sure it's clear of debris. Radiators can also get plugged up on the inside and flushing doesn't always help. Does your fan clutch roar when it's cold? A working fan clutch will roar for the 1st 3 or 4 revs when cold, but will then quiet down when it starts slipping. Sometimes they will pass the "cold roar test" but have a stuck thermostat. There is a bimetal coil on the front of the fan clutch and it's job is to activate the fan clutch when it gets hot. Sometimes that fails and/or the shaft it turns gets stuck. If you take the shroud off you can test it like I show in this thread: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...the-clutch-fan . Have fun . Tim

PS: If it's starting to overheat, you can turn on the heat inside the van to help your engine dissipate heat. If that keeps it under control that's a good indication it's a plugged radiator or an air-flow problem. Could still be a t'stat though. Keep in mind that the engine thermostat does not affect flow through the heater cores (heater system bypasses the engine thermostat).

[User1]

I forgot to mention the fan. I've read a few threads that mention how the fan is suppose to act. I'm pretty sure it is working correctly while parked. I'll take a look at the shroud and do the fan test tomorrow. I just got out of the shower and no way am I getting out there now.

Next time I'm driving it and it overheats, I'll try the inside heater trick. I have yet to find the heater core(s). I just learned that one is behind the passenger wheel.

What's the word on the OD issue? Can start another thread if wanted.

Thanks Tim.

[timsrv]

Before starting new threads please search and post in one that deals with the subject . If none exist, then by all means start a new one. Here's a good one. Hope this helps: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...erdrive-issues

[User1]

Okay, that doesn't sound like an air bubble or a leak. Probably not a t-stat either, but I'd still change it as "routine maintenance"..........who knows, maybe you'll get lucky. This sounds more like a problem with the radiator or fan clutch. Make sure your fan shroud is installed correctly and the lower piece is there. While you're underneath, check the front of the radiator to make sure it's clear of debris. Radiators can also get plugged up on the inside and flushing doesn't always help. Does your fan clutch roar when it's cold? A working fan clutch will roar for the 1st 3 or 4 revs when cold, but will then quiet down when it starts slipping. Sometimes they will pass the "cold roar test" but have a stuck thermostat. There is a bimetal coil on the front of the fan clutch and it's job is to activate the fan clutch when it gets hot. Sometimes that fails and/or the shaft it turns gets stuck. If you take the shroud off you can test it like I show in this thread: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...the-clutch-fan . Have fun . Tim

PS: If it's starting to overheat, you can turn on the heat inside the van to help your engine dissipate heat. If that keeps it under control that's a good indication it's a plugged radiator or an air-flow problem. Could still be a t'stat though. Keep in mind that the engine thermostat does not affect flow through the heater cores (heater system bypasses the engine thermostat).

OK so I bought a thermostat from my local Toyota Dealers. Will be installing it in the next few days. I took you up on the suggestion of turning on the heater and it seems to have had an effect. My van never got up to operating temp, but I wasn't really driving anywhere either. My trips were short cause of overheating. Will drive it for 10-20 miles and see what happens.

My fan never come roaring like a lion when it starts. The RPMs are low and it seems like it comes to life like an old beat up caged lion that has been there forever. There's no problem with the radiator being blocked with junk on the outside and all of the shroud is there and functioning.

[skibum]

I just want to re-emphasize what Tim said about replacing the thermostat with a TOYOTA thermostat. I had always gone to Napa, or whatever auto parts store and get a $5 thermostat, but that was GM, Ford, Buick, etc. I did the same with my TV, but last year, I replaced with the $30 dealer thermostat and my cooling is MUCH better. I wish I'd known that years ago when I replaced the stat in my first van.

The statement, "boiling over when I got home", makes me wonder about the head gasket. I'll be getting back to my latest van, that I got in TX last spring. That one is being re-assembled after a head job, but I was having issues with the coolant boiling back in to the overflow reservoir. Hopefully, that's just a worst case scenario, but I mentioned it.

[User1]

The statement, "boiling over when I got home", makes me wonder about the head gasket. I'll be getting back to my latest van, that I got in TX last spring. That one is being re-assembled after a head job, but I was having issues with the coolant boiling back in to the overflow reservoir. Hopefully, that's just a worst case scenario, but I mentioned it.

Man I hope this isn't gona be an engine related fix. I did replace the thermostat with a Toyota one. The one that was in there before was completely gutted out. Looked like the mechanic must have had a temp problem to deal with and did that to alleviate the best he could of the problem. Seemed like after I replaced the thermostat I started getting this thing to leak like a sieve. I don't remember it ever being as bad as the video shows.

[skibum]

That doesn't look like a head gasket issue, but what I can see from the video, I'd be looking at replacing the water pump. That is a pretty manageable repair. The water pump is mounted on the front of the engine and doesn't require anything technical, to install. It's a remove and replace type repair.

[User1]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Replace the water pump. I just don't want to be taking thinks apart more than once if possible. If I do have to take the radiator out, I want to have it checked out to see how the condition of it is. Anyone if all water pumps are created equal?

[skibum]

I can't say from the perspective of comparison, but I got one from Napa and it's been serving me well. It was new, not rebuilt, didn't need a core, for about $130 if I remember right.

OEM has advantages, sometimes, so someone might direct you that way, although unlike the thermostat (which I've seen in several of these threads where the recommendation is to get the Toyota thermostat and proved out myself), I haven't seen anyone specify OEM for the water pump.

[timsrv]

One of the problems with aftermarket is consistency. You could order one and get a new OEM or you could get a rebuilt POS......it's a roll of the dice. That being said, I purchased 5 or 6 Beck Arnley water pumps for $12 each during one of those www.rockauto.com "close-out" sales. Every one of them was a new OEM pump. Other times I haven't been so lucky. Sometimes Toyota or their OEM manufacturer will dump a bunch of extra stock and Beck Arnley or other aftermarket competitors will snatch them up. Sometimes when I order larger volumes of aftermarket parts I'll get several variations on the exact same part number (all in the same order). These variations have included new, rebuilt, painted, unpainted, gaskets/extra hardware, no gaskets/extra hardware, good quality, poor quality, etc. Often times they will be packed in boxes of different shapes and colors. As a general rule I've had better luck with Beck Arnley than many of the others. Tim

[User1]

There's an incredible 12 different water pumps to choose from at rockauto.com The prices start at $12.07. Any idea on the shipping? Is there studs coming with some?

At Autozone which is local and close to me is $32 and is a new one. The warranty on it is lifetime.

[timsrv]

IMO what you get is a roll of the dice, but whatever it is it should still be usable. They have a screwy way to calculate shipping on rockauto. I've had them ship something heavy for a very reasonable price, then I've had them try to charge me $10 for a gasket they could ship in an envelope for a postage stamp. I watch the shipping with them and will often delete small items from my cart to make it reasonable.

[User1]

IMO what you get is a roll of the dice,

OK I went ahead and got the water pump from my local auto parts retailer and it arrived about 4 hours later. It's a Duralast new pump made in Japan. It was $36 with tax, but it does come with a life time warranty. I still haven't a clue what the studs(4) are for!

[timsrv]

If you're talking about the 4 small ones, they are for holding your fan clutch and front pulley on.

[User1]

Yes they're four fairly small studs that came with the water pump. Looks like I should replace the fan clutch if I'm taking that off. If you have a tip on the clutch or water pump, do feel free to enlighten me on it. I read some at TVP by finding every thread heading I could find with "water pump" in it. Looks like I should give good attention to the gasket too. Bit leery on the clutch. I read where some didn't think the thing was coming on at the correct time, if at all.

[timsrv]

Did you try the "torch test" (link in my 2nd post in this thread)? That test is a bit unorthodox and potentially dangerous, but IMO it's the best way to determine if the fan clutch functions. Tim

[User1]

I recall the video and it looked like a good way to check the fan clutch, but I went ahead and just replaced the clutch. The life expectancy of the clutch is 60,00 miles or 5 years and I'm going on the premise that I've gotten this van with no history and with 100,000 miles. So whatever is suppose to have been replaced does get replaced. Looks like this might have been the original on this one. So it was ready.



I have a feeling I'm finally getting a handle on this cooling problem. The clutch, water pump and T-stat has been replaced. The clutch and water pump was a piece of cake btw. So gota feeling thing are coming together on this. Looks like the radiator was replaced 9-13-07, or something happened that day. It states "9-13-07JC" on the radiator below,



I'm running just water for right now and will flush the system tomorrow and put coolant in it.