Over heat!!!!

[kydude7]

My heat wasnt working so i replaced the thermostat in it today.. I also flushed system real good cause there was alot of sealer in it. So i drove car for about 15 to 20 miles with no problem, shut it off for about 15 mins and drove about another 20 miles and it started getting Hot. At first i thought i didnt put enough anti-freeze back in it so i tryed to add some but it barley held any. After about 4 hours i tryed to drive home and it got hot agin causing me to pull over twice... I realized the fan wasnt working so i jumped the realy and made it quite a bit further like that but had to stop agin. And to top it all off my heat still not working. Just dont understand why it never over heated before i replaced thermostat.... just make no sense to me...I'm 99% sure i put the it in the right way but thats the first thing i will check in the morning....Any ideas would be appreciated, thank you!

[fenixus]

your water pump may be missing some fins ... when was it changed last time? just an idea ...

though make sure there is circulation between engine and radiator by touching both rad hoses and confirming they are about the same temperature. if one is hot while other stays cold then the thermostat is closed not allowing circulation.

have you bled all the air out by squeezing upper rad hose? keep the car running with heater at full blast (watch the dash gauge), does it solve the problem? if yes then you have air in system.

check the fusible blocks, one is for Heater, it may be a reason why your heater doesn't work.

[kydude7]

Iv'e only owned car for maybe 2 months so not sure if the water pump has ever been replaced, but it circulates well when i hit throttle and look in the radiator..... But it wasn't overheating at all untill i did what i did today... I had an idea to check my old thermostat by putting it in boiling water and it opens and closes all the way with no problem. i did this twice to be sure! So is it possible i got a bad brand new thermostat?? And if thats the case why wasnt my heat working?? Not real sure what a fusible block is but im guessing it's located where relays are??.. Is there a certin way to bleed the air out?? I squeezed the upper hose with car running and radiator cap off...result was it push coolant out the top..

[fenixus]

check the fuses/blocks in Main Engine Room fuse box under hood on driver side. there should be one for heater circuit.

if you used aftermarket thermostat then it may be opening at wrong temperature, nothing uncommon. I would try either OEM toyota thermostat or STANT OE fit thermostat. maybe that's the problem.

I think you can also see (with a flashlight) fins of water pump through the thermostat opening (after removal of course).
also try leaving it as is (with overflow tank filled up to FULL/HOT mark) over night and check in morning. it may actually suck all the fluid back to radiator (also open it when cools down and top off up to neck).

[doozergreengrass]

f you used aftermarket thermostat then it may be opening at wrong temperature, nothing uncommon. I would try either OEM toyota thermostat or STANT OE fit thermostat. maybe that's the problem.

+ 1 ^ I don't have an oem thermo in mine, but after the staggering number of heating issues i'm seeing here in TN, and experiencing heating issues on both our 5sfe's, I wouldn't get anything else except the oem with the jiggle valve (and the toyota red/TLLC) at next coolant change.

[Champagne96Carmy5sfe]

Did you remember to bleed the air out on the upper radiator hose housing? That would cause all kinds of problems....

[kydude7]

I took the thermostat back out and checked it. It opens and closes fine, It's a 180 thermostat just like the one i took out.I also flushed the heater core by itself and put it back together. filled it up and let it idle for at least 30 mins. **And bled the air out**

The heat got hot and i never over heated. the temp gage only went up to about 1/3 which doesn't seem normal but it never got hotter than than untill yesterday. I havent drove it yet but gotta get out later so we'll see how it does.

Now that the colling system is free of sealer the radiator is leaking! Not alot but i fear it will when i drive it. It's steaming pretty steady in the front in between the radiator and the tranny cooler i think it is..

Is this reason for my troubles???

[Frodo65]

Originally Posted by kydude7

I took the thermostat back out and checked it. It opens and closes fine, It's a 180 thermostat just like the one i took out.I also flushed the heater core by itself and put it back together. filled it up and let it idle for at least 30 mins. **And bled the air out**

The heat got hot and i never over heated. the temp gage only went up to about 1/3 which doesn't seem normal but it never got hotter than than untill yesterday. I havent drove it yet but gotta get out later so we'll see how it does.

Now that the colling system is free of sealer the radiator is leaking! Not alot but i fear it will when i drive it. It's steaming pretty steady in the front in between the radiator and the tranny cooler i think it is..

Is this reason for my troubles???

What exactly do you mean 'steaming pretty steady'? If it's a leak under pressure, then you have a bad, holey radiator - and the only cost-effective cure is replacement.

And if it's a leak, that explains why there was so much sealer in the system.

[Mister_Perkins]

Replace your radiator and your problem will be solved.

[fenixus]

if cooling system cannot get pressurized (leak), then it will start boiling coolant eventually.

as above, replace the radiator.

[kydude7]

Originally Posted by Frodo65

What exactly do you mean 'steaming pretty steady'? If it's a leak under pressure, then you have a bad, holey radiator - and the only cost-effective cure is replacement.

And if it's a leak, that explains why there was so much sealer in the system.

Yes very small leak under pressure. and whats weird is i just drove it 20 miles or so and the heat was hot after about 15 miles it went ice cold out of nowhere

Thank you everyone for your help i guess im getting a new radiator but i wonder if that will fix my heat issue also

[Frodo65]

Originally Posted by kydude7

Yes very small leak under pressure. and whats weird is i just drove it 20 miles or so and the heat was hot after about 15 miles it went ice cold out of nowhere

Thank you everyone for your help i guess im getting a new radiator but i wonder if that will fix my heat issue also

Expected behavior when coolant level drops.

Be careful - none of the Toyota engines react all that well to being overheated. You may end up with head gasket problems, head warpage.

[JohnGD]

Air in the system can mess things up a bit. I wouldn't drive the car right away after a coolant fill but allow enough time for at least one heating cycle. It's better for the engine. You can turn the cap loose to the detent stop (helps prevent complete accidental removal when hot). But if the coolant keeps flowing out as it warms, then leave the cap closed. Run at 1500 rpm until the rad fan comes on. It's a good time to get a new cap too. The sealant may interfere with the vacuum return valve.

Some recent discussions here are about TYC radiators and that they rebox a good Koyo aftermarket radiator. Check the shipping cost from rockauto (use the TN 5% discount code) or see if Autozone can get you one on the spot at comparable prices. Autozone's lifetime warranty is no nonsense.

Don't delay it. Get it done soon. Also use a new radiator cap and new radiator hoses. And Toyota Red coolant (TLLC) with distilled water.

Originally Posted by kydude7

Yes very small leak under pressure. and whats weird is i just drove it 20 miles or so and the heat was hot after about 15 miles it went ice cold out of nowhere

Thank you everyone for your help i guess im getting a new radiator but i wonder if that will fix my heat issue also

[fenixus]

Originally Posted by JohnGD

Some recent discussions here are about TYC radiators and that they rebox a good Koyo aftermarket radiator. Check the shipping cost from rockauto (use the TN 5% discount code) or see if Autozone can get you one on the spot at comparable prices. Autozone's lifetime warranty is no nonsense.

confused. so Koyo makes radiators too and not the other (similar name) company Koyorad?

If so then that TYC (reboxed Koyo) would be a sweet option on rockauto.com

TYC is becoming my favorite OEM replacement, first headlights and corner lights, now would be a radiator option too hehe

[JohnGD]

Koyo Seiki is the company that makes the OEM bearings.

KoyoRad I guess is their URL. They make only "aftermarket" radiators (no OEM). Their full name is Koyo Cooling systems Inc. I don't think the two Koyos are related. I guess that's why many of us, including myself, just call these "koyo radiators".

That's what some people say about TYC rads. However, if they outsource these, then the Koyo rads in there may change at any time. (Caveat emptor - buyer beware).

Originally Posted by fenixus

confused. so Koyo makes radiators too and not the other (similar name) company Koyorad?

If so then that TYC (reboxed Koyo) would be a sweet option on rockauto.com

TYC is becoming my favorite OEM replacement, first headlights and corner lights, now would be a radiator option too hehe