Bad Radiator - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Judd sandage · 01-16-2010, 12:08 AM

I was heading down to school last night driving along the 210 to the 15 interchange, when the check engine light came on, I didn't notice much right then but after I passed the 10 I did notice the temp gauge getting in to the red, I thought CRAP!!! I just got this car in more or less working order, now whats wrong. well I managed to get off the freeway (the shoulders were all closed) and pull in to an Arco Station and pop the hood, the rad had cracked on the top and steam was rushing out of it. having to leave the car there as it wasent in any condtion to drive any longer I returned today at noon to replace the rad, get to my dads work and it almost over heats a few times getting there, he preforms a block test and it turns out I blew the head-gasket... DANG IT!!! now I have to tear the engine apart to fix that. well the next week or so will be fun.

haux · 01-16-2010, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judd sandage

I was heading down to school last night driving along the 210 to the 15 interchange, when the check engine light came on, I didn't notice much right then but after I passed the 10 I did notice the temp gauge getting in to the red, I thought CRAP!!! I just got this car in more or less working order, now whats wrong. well I managed to get off the freeway (the shoulders were all closed) and pull in to an Arco Station and pop the hood, the rad had cracked on the top and steam was rushing out of it. having to leave the car there as it wasent in any condtion to drive any longer I returned today at noon to replace the rad, get to my dads work and it almost over heats a few times getting there, he preforms a block test and it turns out I blew the head-gasket... DANG IT!!! now I have to tear the engine apart to fix that. well the next week or so will be fun.

That single incident blew the head gasket? Bummer. Is there any smoke coming from the exhaust?

I drove my car for a few months a few years ago on dead radiator fans... blasting the heat. Then a couple years ago my radiator cracked too. Head gasket is still fine.

Was the top of the radiator showing any signs of getting brittle before this happened? I wonder if maybe something else may have caused the overheating, which lead to the radiator cracking.

ricamryman · 01-16-2010, 02:46 AM

My original radiator cracked on the top, a while back! I just had to replace with a new one for $300.00, however I did NOT blow a head gasket.....You must have been driving it on the freeway in the red for a while without noticeing it being in the red......

***96paseo*** · 01-16-2010, 03:11 AM

Damn that sucks!

Good luck with the repair. Hopefully, nothing is wrong with the head. Did you have coolant in the oil?

Judd sandage · 01-16-2010, 02:01 PM

not sure on coolant in the oil, but there was exhaust gases in the coolant, and yeah it must have been in the red for awhile, problem is that that stretch of freeway they are widening and have the shoulders closed for like 5 miles, on both sides, there was nothing I could do but continue driving till an off ramp. once we start working on the car I will let you guys know whats up and how much damage there is. I still need to do a fluid flush anyways so this is as good a time as any to do it. new oil, new trans fluid that kind of thing.

ricamryman · 01-16-2010, 02:54 PM

It sounds like you drove with it overheating for quite a while! That engine is toast & will need a rebuild along with a new radiator!.......Good luck & keep us updated!

Jimnist · 01-16-2010, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judd sandage

not sure on coolant in the oil, but there was exhaust gases in the coolant, and yeah it must have been in the red for awhile, problem is that that stretch of freeway they are widening and have the shoulders closed for like 5 miles, on both sides, there was nothing I could do but continue driving till an off ramp. once we start working on the car I will let you guys know whats up and how much damage there is. I still need to do a fluid flush anyways so this is as good a time as any to do it. new oil, new trans fluid that kind of thing.

Do a compression or leak town test at the minimum. Or did you test the coolant for traces of exhaust gases? I thought i had a BHG after finding out my radiator was pissing out coolant, saw bubbles in the coolant and drove while the engine was around 110-120*C(have a/m temp gauge, was towing crap and was losing coolant on a separate drive after towing). Tuns out it was the system just bleeding itself from all the coolant it lost.

Judd sandage · 01-17-2010, 12:06 AM

My father works for a car repair shop and has all the cool tools, he has a block tester you dump some fluid in the rad and then using a suction bulb you suck it up in to some clear plastic thingy, if its fine it stays dark blue, if there are exhaust gases it will go pale green. and it went pale green, also for some reason the fan wasn't kicking on and that would also cause issues. I will be working on it monday (in the pouring rain, Forcast says all this week rain), would you guys be interested in me doing a step by step guide on how to get to the head gasket and replace it?

While I'm at it I will also check the condition of the spark plugs and other things.

Chris Crash · 01-17-2010, 12:19 AM

Look it up in the toyota service manual at camrystuff.

Look in the engine_mechanical_I4 file and type head gasket in the search bar.

It's about 35-40 pages long.

Fortified Souls · 01-17-2010, 04:16 PM

Have fun with the headgasket. Overall it isn't to bad. Hopefully you don't have to do a full rebuild like me.
The throttle body has some bolts that are real tight places, the head needs inverted stars to get off, and i think thats what it as far as difficulty and going out to get tools. Don't forget about having tons of sandwich bags and a sharpie you'll be happy to have them makes organizing 10 times easier. If you look in my thread I have a link to the Toyota manual also. I think it's on page 1 or 2.

Judd sandage · 01-22-2010, 06:41 PM

well I got the head off, damn rain.. its been raining all week long made it a bit more difficult and the temps have been dipping below 50 as well, come on this is sunny southern California 80 degrees and blue skys all the time!!! the head has been shipped off for pressure testing and resurfacing, while we are at it all the belts will be replaced, it has the original alternator and PS belts. and the timing belt was replaced at 88k but its now at 187k and starting to shred so thats getting replaced as well, new thermostat is going in, new Iridium plugs and wires, fuel rail has been given a through cleaning as well as the intake manifold which out of everything was the hardest bit to remove, new gaskets for intake and exhaust and hell with it, new air filter too.

aoe_mp · 01-23-2010, 07:50 AM

i had the same thing. i remember i was driving my 94 camry on the first day of 2009 (01/01/2009) to somewhere. after a couple hours on highway, i started to see the temp ran way way up. so i had to stay in a place near the highway for an over night, and then took the car to some repair place near by the highway to have it fix. they put in new rad, new hose and charge me $700 with the labor.

Judd sandage · 01-25-2010, 11:49 PM

GAH!!!! 454 bucks to repair the head, the oil passages are all fried out, to much heat problems with it, so my dad is going to look for a good used motor instead probably something off of an '01, oh well its going to be down for a bit longer then.