leaking a lot of coolant from....this - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

94cylcamry · 12-02-2008, 03:49 PM

Hey all. First off, that's just a picture I found on google up there, that's not my engine bay. But anyway. You can see what I have circled. I'm wondering what the heck that is.

The story:
I pop the hood today to check the oil and I see that the transmission and everything under the distributor in that area is wet. What the heck. I start the engine to see where it's coming from, and it's leaking pretty quickly from the little place I circled. It seems like a sensor of some sort, but I couldn't find it in the Hayne's manual. Any idea what this is or how to fix it?

The closest thing I can find in that area is the coolant temperature sensor, which would make sense because it's leaking coolant, not oil, but I'm not sure if that's what it is.

Help?

Thanks!

***new echo owner*** · 12-02-2008, 04:20 PM

The one you had circled is the oil pressure switch. The coolant temp sensor is on the coolant outlet housing by the distributor.

N.E.O.

94cylcamry · 12-02-2008, 04:35 PM

Hmm...it didn't seem like it was oil leaking out, but it could be. Any idea how to stop the leak? Is there some sort of O-ring or something? Thanks!

***new echo owner*** · 12-02-2008, 05:17 PM

Replacement is the only option when it starts leaking.

N.E.O.

94cylcamry · 12-02-2008, 05:18 PM

Ok, it's definitely oil. But that's a lot of oil, like one drip every second is how fast it's leaking. I wonder how long it's been that way...

What can I do? It's not in the Hayne's manual at all, and I don't know how to get the thing off?

Any idea? Thanks!

EDIT: Ok, replacement...how do I get the thing off in the first place? And I would have to rewire the entire thing? It goes into this long wrap of wires....gah..

***new echo owner*** · 12-02-2008, 05:21 PM

When the engine is running, pressure is used to turn off the light, so oil pressure will be pushing against it all the time as long as the engine is running. A Cresent wrench will work just fine for removal and installation. Just go to the dealer and ask for a oil pressure switch. They migh ask you if you have gauge or like, the one you have is for the light.

N.E.O.

94cylcamry · 12-02-2008, 05:25 PM

Ok, so ask for a oil pressure switch, the one that turns the light off.

Hmm. I can't seem to get the wire out of the sensor though. If I get this, you just unhook the wire, unscrew the switch with the wrench, screw the new one in, then reattach the wire, but I don't see how to get it off...

***new echo owner*** · 12-02-2008, 05:31 PM

Some of the connector has a lock tab on it, you might have to squeeze the lock tab to remove the connector.

BTW, put some thread sealer on the thread before putting on the new one, however, some of them already have sealer on the new part.

N.E.O.

94cylcamry · 12-02-2008, 05:39 PM

K thanks, I'll head over to the stealership tomorrow and see what the damage is

Just to clarify though, I'm assuming lefty-loosey still applies? This sounds like something I really don't want to strip.

Venom_5 · 12-02-2008, 05:44 PM

you sure its not the corner where the headgasket would be? (where the head/block meet) .... common place for an hg to have a poor seal and leak coolant

hopefully its just the sensor or whatever tho

94cylcamry · 12-02-2008, 06:18 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, but yeah, seems to be the switch.

I went and looked again...there actually is a small plastic tab, and the cord popped right off...I didn't see it at first because it was covered in oil. But yeah, the oil isn't leaking from where the switch screws into the block, it's leaking from where the plastic meets the metal on the switch itself. So I guess that dashes any hopes of just unscrewing, applying thread sealer, and rescrewing.

The piece is 26 bucks on the Internet, but with how bad it's leaking, I'm sort of forced to go to the dealership and pick one up. Hopefully it's not much more.

Thanks for all the help in the diagnosis

***new echo owner*** · 12-02-2008, 07:01 PM

They usually leak right in the middle where the contact is riveted in place.

N.E.O.

94cylcamry · 12-02-2008, 08:51 PM

Yep, that's exactly where mine is leaking. I just had AutoZone order one for 18 bucks, hopefully it's the right piece. I was planning on just driving it tomorrow until I saw the puddle on the garage floor. I'll just wait to drive it until I get the switch tomorrow. I'll post back with how it goes.

Thanks for all the help!

Honestly, it's about time something's gone wrong with this car

***new echo owner*** · 12-02-2008, 09:10 PM

Keep us posted on how it turn out!

N.E.O.

94cylcamry · 12-03-2008, 06:18 PM

Hey all,

Got the piece from Autozone today, unscrewed the old switch, put some thread sealer on the new one, screwed it in until it was pretty tight, started it up, voila, no oil leak, no CEL.

So I guess that's that.

The other side of this is, according to the dipstick, I lost a whole quart of oil. I'm glad I decided not to drive it today. I guess you have a degree of variance from what it's rated for, but eh. Rather not stress the engine if I don't have to.

So the only downsides of this are...the smell while all that oil on the engine burns off...and I'm negative 18 dollars. Not so bad! Haha.

Thanks for all the help everyone!