Ahhh help, i'm at school and my car just boiled - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

EvoFire · 10-10-2007, 04:04 PM

School campus is on top of a mountain. Just now I parked the car and saw that there was smoke coming from the engine bay again. but this time the smoke was like spewing out from one corner and its making noises after I turned the car off.

Popped the hood and lo and behold, the coolant overflow tank was boiling and coolant was leaking from there all on to the ground. Temperature needle was way up there. Left the hood open for like 5 mins and turned the car again. Needle has dropped a bit but the fan went on full tilt and the temperature started rising again.

Help me, what just happened to my car?

***eyeball96*** · 10-10-2007, 04:26 PM

Radiator crack or bad thermostat!...That would be my guess!

EvoFire · 10-10-2007, 04:29 PM

The radiator is fine, all the coolant is boiling out from the overflow/resevoir tank thingy from the side.

I called my mechanic and he said fill the radiator back up when the car cools down and drive it home. Bring it in the next day or something.

nuchieboy · 10-10-2007, 04:31 PM

the plastic part on the top of the radiator was stress cracked on mine...smoked a lil bit...had to replace it

EvoFire · 10-10-2007, 04:55 PM

My radiator is near new and not OEM, replaced it 2 years ago and its all metal.

***ASG14*** · 10-10-2007, 05:31 PM

Radiator fill cap maybe.

***ASG14*** · 10-10-2007, 05:34 PM

***Eye8Pussies*** · 10-10-2007, 07:22 PM

just because a rad looks fine, it may not be....check it for fin leaks or at the bottom...

as well, look for steam coming from any fins...you'd be surprised what can happen- i.e. something hitting it somehow

otherwise, also check your thermostat

ghettosled · 10-10-2007, 07:54 PM

sounds like there could also be a blockage somewhere.

Luckynumber5 · 10-10-2007, 08:52 PM

If the radiator caps have never been replaced there is a good chance they are no longer holding pressure, this will cause the car to gradually loose coolant until it overheats under stress like driving up a mountain. This is how I blew my head gasket years ago, never could figure out what was wrong until someone finally mentioned replacing the caps.

EvoFire · 10-11-2007, 01:52 AM

Radiator is new-ish, hence cap is new too. The second cap beside the engine cover is OE, seems fine.... Can't see any steam coming from the fins either.

I filled the car up like 4 times already and the car idles funny. Sometimes it feels like one of the cylinders isn't firing. Its fine when I step on the gas though.

I drove the car down to my mechanic, my dad was following me. There was an abnormal amount of exhaust smoke coming out when we were stopped at the light, I'm guessing that's where all the water went?

So far filled around 4L of water into the rad and resevoir... how much coolant does our car hold normally anyways?

PS: checked the engine oil, its a little dark, but none of that milky stuff that usually occurs when water gets in it.

***ASG14*** · 10-11-2007, 01:57 AM

Ok, you have a Blown Head Gasket for sure.

/End guessing

EvoFire · 10-11-2007, 01:59 AM

The head gasket? Is that a pain to change out?

***ASG14*** · 10-11-2007, 02:10 AM

Imaging changing the valve cover gaskets, and multiplying the hardness my 10.

feliks · 10-11-2007, 08:58 AM

If it's your head gasket, you'll have a LOT of smoke coming out of your exhaust....

If it's boiling out 4l of coolant it could be that your rad fan isn't engaging...thermostat isn't allowing enough coolant to flow making it get too hot....water pump is fucked and not working anymore??

Hope it's not your head gasket anyway...it is a pita...