87 camry le heating up ???? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jaduncan · 05-13-2009, 11:14 AM

Replaced the alternator and the car tends to heat up, previously it held at about 11:00 on the gauge,now will slowly rise to about 2:00. (haven't had the nerve to run it longer to see if it'll boil over)
1: Should I be able to see a good flow from the radiator cap when revving the throttle? I see some movement, but not a lot. (thinking water pump)
2: Is it possible I've got an air bubble working here? (the gauge don't drop when I gear down,or the needle 'pump' as I've saw in other cases,and the system's not closed.)
So far I've...
Reverse flushed the radiator.
Replaced the belt. (maybe a bit tight)
Replaced the thermostat.
No leaks visible.
Hoses good.
No noise or leaks from the WP.
It bubbles through the catch can after shutting it off, never noticed that before.
Anything else I've missed,before I just go ahead and replace the WP?

270,000 miles, maybe it's just old. ya think?

Just remembered I forgot to replace a heat shield on the curve of the down pipe when I replaced it. (don't think that would actually cause a major heat rise but you never know.)

UPDATE: just clipped on the shield and that didn't help.

Allen

white90dx · 05-13-2009, 01:15 PM

It sounds funny, but have you replaced the radiator cap yet? I have had overheating problems on two Camrys due to a leaky radiator cap.

-Charlie

jaduncan · 05-13-2009, 04:17 PM

Good idea.
cheaper than a wp too!

thanks

Allen

UPDATE:

Wasn't the cap.
Bought a Stant #11127 13lb cap that was listed on the NAPA's computer as the replacement. Car ran HOTTER! Old cap (the one with the Japanese lettering on it) has a 0.9 stamped into one wing and a interlinked ND(nippon denso ?)on the other, dunno how that translates into 13# so it may be the wrong pressure. Anyway the old cap's back on it and I'm gonna try flushing the engine this weekend.

Allen

jaduncan · 05-15-2009, 09:15 AM

Ok. Gonna add a bit more. Had the cap off to see if the water was still moving and stuck my finger in it... it was cold! Gauge was at operating temp. (water moves... but sloooowly)
So... I'm thinking either the new thermostat is stuck closed,or WP isn't operating, and I've never had a WP problem that didn't involve noise or leaking from the weep hole or a gasket that didn't seal. Or there's a blockage in the engine somewhere,as the radiator drains fast when hooked up to a water hose.
(Guess the impeller could be frozen on the shaft and not moving at all,but if it is. it sure didn't give any warning.)

Car will NOT overheat while idling! Starts to creep up about 20 minutes into driving,and rises quickly until I pull off and let it cool down,have had to add about a pint of water after it gets cool enough to remove the radiator cap. (think that's lost to steam from the reservoir)
Guess I should add that both fans are working. (main when the temp gauge gets past the 12:00 position and the aux with the AC)

Since this didn't start until I changed the alternator I'm beginning to wonder if I got the belt too tight,I don't have a tension gauge and just tightened the adjusting bolt till it covered the clean threads (where it was before) It seems pretty tight to me, but I'm used to the old chevy 1/4" of play.
Could that cause engine overheating? (or just burn out an alternator bearing?)

Guess you can tell I'm trying for an easy fix and hoping not have to get into changing out the WP. It looks complicated,and it's in the low 90's here.

but it's looking more and more like that's the problem.
Guess I should change the timing belt too while I'm in there.

Thanks.

Allen

white90dx · 05-15-2009, 12:26 PM

Sounds like it is thermostat time again... It may not be opening up all the way, if at all.

Does turning the heater on high with the fan on high bring the temp down or slow the rise?

-Charlie

jaduncan · 05-15-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by white90dx

Sounds like it is thermostat time again... It may not be opening up all the way, if at all.

Does turning the heater on high with the fan on high bring the temp down or slow the rise?

-Charlie

Dunno I'll try that and see, it's been too hot to think of that. I know that turning on the AC will slow it a bit, but I attributed that to the aux fan.
I'm planning on flushing out the engine this weekend, and I'll start it up while the waters running and see if the WP increases the outflow any. Probably pull the thermostat and run it without one too.

Have to drop SWMBO off at work and pick her up M-F. About a 20 min drive one way,depending on stop lights. Thats about what it takes to start heating up,so I've been giveing it a 'cooling off' period at each end of the run. I need to stop buying the cheap stuff at Advance.

Thanks

Allen

Mike Gerber · 05-15-2009, 01:28 PM

Is the radiator original? If it is, at 270,000 miles, it just may be partially clogged and can no longer dissipate the heat created properly. If the car is getting hotter on the highway, especially with the A/C on, that could be a sign of a partially clogged radiator. You could take the radiator out and take it to a radiator shop to have it flow tested. Call around to radiator shops in your area and ask how much they would charge to flow test the radiator.

Mike

white90dx · 05-15-2009, 01:30 PM

Luckily, when a similar thing happened to me, it was cool in the evenings when I do most of my driving. Roll down those windows and crank the heat.

When the A/C is on, both fans run in series slowly. When the water temp gets high, both fans run in parallel fast. They never run alone unless there is a problem. You can pull the plug from the thermostat housing to keep the fans on constantly high to possibly help the problem until you can fix it.

-Charlie

jaduncan · 05-25-2009, 02:13 AM

And the answer! (At least until I figgure out whats screwed up)

"When the A/C is on, both fans run in series slowly. When the water temp gets high, both fans run in parallel fast. They never run alone unless there is a problem. You can pull the plug from! the thermostat housing to keep the fans on constantly high to possibly help the problem until you can fix it."

I was assuming the fans worked independently, I knew the left fan was only coming on with the AC,and happened to catch the other one not running either. After watching them they are operating intermittently and both shut off and let it overheat without restarting. Disconnected the sensor and no more overheating!
Wonder how long I can do this before it burns out a fan motor? lol

Oh well It needed flushed out anyway,and the first new thermostat wasn't opening all the way.

THANKS Charlie and Mike!

Allen

white90dx · 05-26-2009, 08:03 PM

You may also need to replace the water temp switch if high water temp never turns on any of the fans (while unplugging it turns on the working fan).

-Charlie

jaduncan · 05-29-2009, 01:08 AM

Thanks. That's an easy job.
Both fans work 'sometimes' The left side only came on when the AC was switched on, The right side would run all the time except when it decided it didn't need to... then it wouldn't restart,usually while I was driving. It wasn't obvious, I just happened to lift the hood to see if I might see or hear a pinhole leak while it was overheating and caught it loafing on the job. Reached in and unplugged it and watched the needle drop.

Also found out why that manifold shroud has a big HOT written on it! lol

jeeez.

.

Allen