3rd & 4th Generation (1992–1996 & 1997–2001)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 1992-1996 & 1997-2001
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
Whats up, everyone. Lately I've been having a problem with my car, because I seem to be losing engine coolant somehow, resulting in the engine temp needle getting uncomfortably close to that red zone...
Every 3-4 weeks or so, in the past maybe 4 months or so, I've noticed unusually high engine temperatures at idle and every now and then while driving, and eventually narrowed it down to the coolant. Every 3-4 weeks or so, I've had to refill the radiator with coolant, and somehow I'm losing it. Any idea where I might find the source of the problem, and how I can fix it?
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Click image for vehicle info (UPDATED 12.01.09)
The Camry is a car that I can rip out someone's pride, stab it, beat it, and completely bash their egos, and it's so ridiculous that the person comes back with a hysterical laugh... ROFL They got trainlengthed by a Camry that in their mind, was a 18 sec car.
hey dude,my 93 camry v6 is behaving like that too,it just started today,i jacked it up on the driver's side(left hand),just under the drivers door.i turned the engine on and left it idling while i was checking my exhaust underneath because it's leaking and giving out an annoying sound.while i was under the car,i noticed a spray of coolant coming from that overspill horse(is it the correct name?) to the ground.i then getout from under the car to see what was happening,i noticed the engine was overheating,the temperature gauge was in the red.
i thought it overheated because it was idling while it was tilted,the coolant couldn't go all around the engine bcoz of gravity.thats what i thought.i took off the jack,i left it to cool down and then added more coolant. but the problem is still there,if i idle for like 7-8 minutes it overheats even on flat straight surface.if im driving its alright
You will have to test the fan coolant temperature sender. There are three in the engine bay, one for the dash thermostat, one for the ECU, and one for the fan high speed relay. all you need to do is find the one for the fan and unplug it while the car is running, the fan should stay on as long as the sensor is unplugged. If not your fan is probably about dead or your power steering system is so under powered it cannot power the fan.
If the fan turns out to be bad replace it with an electric, it will be cheaper and better.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony the Tiger
I mod my Camry because I am too cheap to go out and buy a real sports car
1992 Camry XLE v6: p&p + 3angle, CAI, y pipe, K-Sport coilovers, 5-speed swap
1996 Eagle Talon TSI AWD: IPT 3700 restall, DSMlink v3, HKS exhaust, ETS street fmic kit
You will have to test the fan coolant temperature sender. There are three in the engine bay, one for the dash thermostat, one for the ECU, and one for the fan high speed relay. all you need to do is find the one for the fan and unplug it while the car is running, the fan should stay on as long as the sensor is unplugged. If not your fan is probably about dead or your power steering system is so under powered it cannot power the fan.
If the fan turns out to be bad replace it with an electric, it will be cheaper and better.
i think u nailed it man,my power steering system isn't working properly,its leaking but i did replaced the power steering pump the same time i replaced my waterpump and thermostat.
To the original poster. If you can't visually see the leak yourself, then I woudl take the car to a professioanl. There are generally 2 ways a professional tech will check for the source of a coolant leak. One way to to replace the radiator cap with a pressure testing device. It's a cap with an air pump attached to it. The tech will pump up the pressure in the cooling system and then visually look for leaks. The other way is to add a dye to the cooling system and then let the car idle. The dye is visible under ultraviolet light. The tech will then take a special ultraviolet test light and shine it on all possible leak areas. When the leak is located the dye will glow under the light.
I would take your car to a professional and have them check for the leak. Constantly overheating the car could result in a blown head gasket or even a cracked cylinder head or engine block. These things will make finding and repairing the source of the original leak seem cheap.
...while i was under the car,i noticed a spray of coolant coming from that overspill horse(is it the correct name?) to the ground.i then getout from under the car to see what was happening,i noticed the engine was overheating,the temperature gauge was in the red.
i thought it overheated because it was idling while it was tilted,the coolant couldn't go all around the engine bcoz of gravity.thats what i thought.i took off the jack,i left it to cool down and then added more coolant. but the problem is still there,if i idle for like 7-8 minutes it overheats even on flat straight surface.if im driving its alright
If it only overheats at idle, I'd look at fans,thermostat, radiator, fan senser, etc.
If you are constantly getting coolant out of the puke tank (overflow tank) then it's bad news, a leaky head gasket is pressurizing your cooling system with exhaust gas. If that's the case, sucks to be you. Sorry.
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1994 Camry, 5SFE, automatic trans., 233k (it's a beater)
the fan isnt kicking in,i changed the thermostat and waterpump like 7 months ago.
doesnt it have anything to do with the sensors?
You said that it was OK while driving (the air flow is enough to cool the radiator) and that your fan was not on. Since it's OK while your driving it must be your fan is the problem. You could either fix the fan (and / or the hydraulics that run it) or replace it with an electric fan (in which case you may still need to fix the power steering hydraulics but it wouldn't be overheating).
Kep
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Often, it's the loose screw between the steering wheel and the driver's seat that needs to be fixed first!
N35Q!K, What Mike said would be the most efficient and best for your car. You don't want to keep maxing it out like that. If you're not going to do the repairs take it in soon.
Things I can speculate: Bad radiator cap, cracked or broken reservoir (that was my problem), broken hose to the reservoir, leaking radiator, internal engine leak (check for oil in coolant, coolant in oil or white steam out the tail pipe, especially right at the first start of the day).
Which engine do you have? How many miles?
Kep
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Often, it's the loose screw between the steering wheel and the driver's seat that needs to be fixed first!
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