OVERHEATING 1987 toyota camry LE manual 4 cylinder

[hansenlegacy]

Hello team toyota.

This is the only place I could find to make a new post so forgive me and direct me please if this is wrong area.

I am having overheating problems in my 1987 toyota camry LE manual 4 cylinder and wanted to explain what is and when it is happening.

-when I drive under 60miles/hr (100km) everything seems fine.
-when I drive over 100km/hr consistantly for 10-15 mins, then come to stop, engine over heats.
-I try to turn heater on until I can pull over, which does some help, but no heat comes out when on high (but does on low).
-both intake and outake hoses for rad are hot.
-no antifreez leaks under car
-it seems the No.2 coolant fan (facing engine) will not come on until I pull over and wait/idle for 5-10 seconds.
-temp gage in car seems normal (until engine overheats of course)
-I can hear fluid circulating through the engine at times while driving so not sure if thermo is stuck closed.

Now I have heard possibilities of blown head gasket but wanted to make my own post 1st to hear everyones opinions because this seems to only happen when I drive at high RPM''s and over 100km/hr''s

Your help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.



_____________________________

T Hansen
HansenLegacy
www.shopthenow.com
FREE Shipping!

[Mike Gerber]

First of all, welcome to the forum. It would be helpful in future threads to know how many miles are on the car and what if any maintainance the car has had and when. Since you say the fan is coming on and also that the car doesn't overheat in slow speed driving, I would suspect the radiator is somewhat restricked and simply can't handle the heat of extended highway driving. You can take the radiator out of the car and take it to a radiator shop that can flow test it. My guess, and it's just a guess here from the limited information given, is that you will find it partially restricted. Also, check the coolant level to see if it is down, since you said "I can hear fluid circulating through the engine at times while driving". I would also change the thermostat while the radiator is out of the car and the coolant has been drained, even though I don't think a stuck (closed) thermostat is your problem. It's cheap enough and easy enough then to just change it as added insurance.

One other additional bit of advice I can offer is to stop driving the car until you have this problem resolved. Today's engines with aluminum cylinder heads do not take kindly to overheating. Aluminum melts and warps at a much lower temperature than the cast iron cylinder heads of years ago. You could wind up with a blown head gasket, a warped cylinder head or even a cracked engine block.

Mike

[Doctor J]

Make sure that correct thermostat is installed- must be 2 valve type.
With engine off, unplug the wire from cooling fan switch and turn ignition on- both fans must spin at the high speed
The engine damage by the overheating in most cases manifests itself as exhaust gases leaking into the cooling system, pushing the coolant out of the expansion tank.

[nuron]

Guys, I unplugged the radiator fan switch (on the thermostat housing) and the driver's side didn't come on. When I turn on the A/C, the fan doesn't turn on either. Which relays should I start testing first? Anybody know the readings I should get with the radiator switch?

I'll try disconnecting the temperature switch on the bottom of the radiator tomorrow to see what happens.

[Mike Gerber]

To start testing I would apply 12 volts directly to the fan that is not running and see if the fan itself is the problem.

Mike