1990 camry 4 cylinder overheating help asap - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

1990camry4cyl · 03-04-2009, 05:36 PM

i have just received this car it is a1990 camry with the 4 cylinder engine. the problem i have is the the colant is flowing out of the reservior after i drlive it or just let it sit there and idle for a while. The odd thing is the temp gauge does not rise at all it stays in the middle but it does not go above that at all. why would it be doing this. the fan also does not seem to switch on but if i put ac on both fans spin. i would like to fix this all tonight if possilbly please help me fix it asap.

Mike Gerber · 03-04-2009, 07:12 PM

The first thing to do would be to replace the thermostat, refill the coolant with the proper 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water and then bleed the cooling system.

It is a good idea when asking for advice to list the mileage on the car and what if anything has recently been done to the car. I know this is difficult on a car you just recieved, but at least list the current mileage.

Mike

1990camry4cyl · 03-04-2009, 07:22 PM

thanks mike for the help. the current mileage is right around 155,000 and i do know that the water pump was just replaced. could this have anything to do with the over heating problem. I can get alot of the vehicle history it was my grandmothers car. I really appreciate the help i do not know anything about this car.

aussie_gen1 · 03-04-2009, 09:33 PM

Check that you have not overfilled the reservior> I know on my '84 Camry it has a hard to see mark on the side of the reservoir about half way up that you should not fill past. The reservoir should NOT be full when the engine is cold, for example.

1990camry4cyl · 03-05-2009, 08:14 AM

hello thankyou for the advice. i have checked my overflow an it is not over flow when it is cold so i am not sure what is going on i think i am going to pick up a new cap today to see if that helps solve the problem. is there anything else this could be.

Doctor J · 03-05-2009, 12:01 PM

Coolant boil over can be due to the bad radiator cap or bad head gasket [major mechanical repair]
Inspect radiator cap using radiator tester if possible or try known good one.

Justin727 · 03-05-2009, 03:11 PM

I agree with the doctor. Napa sells one that is good. I'm willing to bet if you have already checked or replaced the thermostat that it could be the head gasket.

If you're comfortable around the engine bay and a decent at home mechanic you can tackle a head gasket job yourself between 200-800$$

If not be prepared to either A: pay a shop a good bit or B: sell the car cheap.