5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
Noticed the engine overheating on my friends camry. Checked and there was no coolant in the reservoir. I poured new fluid in the reservoir but it doesn't seem to be sucking it in?
The reservoir was completely empty, im pretty sure there is little to no coolant in the system. I filled up the reservoir, but the system doesn't seem to be taking it in. Maybe i didn't leave it running long enough for it to open up? Im going to try to add it directly into the radiator.
Would it been noticable if it was a slow coolant leak? Because we didn't notice anything until today. when we put the heater on it was blowing cold air. Then all of a sudden the temp gauge went almost instantly to red and then instantly back to normal operating temp. Then the air started blowing hot...
The symptoms i noticed were that the car was not blowing hot air when i turned the heater on, then suddenly the coolant temp gauge instantly went to red, and then back down to normal temp. Then the heater started blowing hot air like it was suppose to. After 20 minutes driving, noticed smoke coming from engine bay after parking the car.
the lack of heat was probly due to air being in the heater core, then having a big burp; when filling the coolant its best to fill the radiator then the overflow tank and burp the system with the radiator cap off
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Black 2006 Camry SE 2azfe automagic - daily driver
White 1987 VW Fox 2-door wagon 2.0 3A 8V 5 speed - because reliability is boring
i would 1st check the water pump for leaks.... they are common to fail on the 2azfe..... just search water pump on the threads and it will show you the location; if theres no obvious leaks i would remove the lower radiator hose (pass side hose) and remove the thermostat located in the water outlet housing and replace it
of this doesnt work there is a possibilty that the headgasket is blown.... they are somewhat common to go on earlier 2azfe engines
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Black 2006 Camry SE 2azfe automagic - daily driver
White 1987 VW Fox 2-door wagon 2.0 3A 8V 5 speed - because reliability is boring
If the low coolant situation was ignored for long enough, there is likely air in the system. This would not allow a draw from the reservoir. Do it from the cap, then add at the reservoir. Top it up with Toyota red concentrate mixed 50/50 with distilled water. DO NOT rush to the store and slap in $5 green coolant! Check the oil dipstick and filler cap for a tan foamy looking substance. Sign of a catastrophic head gasket failure. If all looks good visually with oil also perform a Used Oil Analysis from a company like Blackstone. That will tell you if its a slow leak head gasket problem. Check for coolant leaks as recommended above. Also get a mirror and try to have a look under the intake. Hopefully there is no coolant loss near the foam insulator. Maybe its just a simple evaporation issue ignored for a long time. Most quick lubes say they top off coolant, but most don't carry Toyota red, so it doesn't happen.
Last edited by leakyseals; 12-22-2011 at 07:12 AM.
The Following User Says Thank You to leakyseals For This Useful Post:
Examine the oil for coolant. These engines have a bad habit of blowing head bolts which in turn allows coolant to leak into the oil and contaminate it. The coolant went somewhere, so if there is no obvious external leak, then it went inside and the engine has a serious issue.
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2007 V6 Camry LE, Built TMMK 27 September 06
"People who think they know it all are particularly irritating to those of us who do."
took it to the mechanic today. said it was a gasket and its a common problem on this model. You can clearly see the coolant leaking from where the foam pad is. He also said something about the bolts on the block is likely stripped and would need to be drilled and rethreaded. The total cost is 1200 for everything. Is this a reasonable price? is there a cheaper alternative? the other option is a new block, which would cost more than that.
Thats about avg. You could do better, but it would appear the mechanic knows what he is doing. Its mostly labor. Find out how he intends to replace the bolts, materials, etc. Search eBay for NS300L Kit for that engine. Maybe you can buy and give to the mechanic to cut costs. Its the preferred way. There is a thread on TN HERE
Last edited by leakyseals; 12-22-2011 at 01:34 PM.
Thats about avg. You could do better, but it would appear the mechanic knows what he is doing. Its mostly labor. Find out how he intends to replace the bolts, materials, etc. Search eBay for NS300L Kit for that engine. Maybe you can buy and give to the mechanic to cut costs. Its the preferred way. There is a thread on TN HERE
whoa, the kit is $300+. The mechanic said he's getting a third party guy to come and do the drilling and threading. Apparently hes seen many of these and it even happend to his own camry before.
whoa, the kit is $300+. The mechanic said he's getting a third party guy to come and do the drilling and threading. Apparently hes seen many of these and it even happend to his own camry before.
Yeah, not cheap. why I think your quote was reasonable. If you don't mind can you document as best as possible what happened? sounds like he may take a different approach
Yeah, not cheap. why I think your quote was reasonable. If you don't mind can you document as best as possible what happened? sounds like he may take a different approach
Ok i noticed the issue yesterday while my friend was driving. I turned the heater on and there was no heat. Then when we got on the highway, the thermostat just suddenly went straight to red, then straight back down to normal. I think the thermostat was acting funny cause there was no coolant in the system. We pulled over shortly and noticed smoke coming out. I noticed the coolant reservoir was completely empty, so we topped up the radiator and the reservoir and drove it for about 30 minutes. Then after we pull in the driveway, i notice the smoke again. Also when we were driving there was this water gushing sound everytime we accelerate. Turns out the water gushing sound was already been happening for about 2 weeks according to my friend. So it was already leaking coolant for a couple weeks. I believe it went from a slow leak to a fast leak now. After filling half a gallon of coolant, it was gone the next day.
Yup, that water sound is the common sound for the HG failure. air in the system, heating core, etc. Lets us know how it was repaired, what was used. Thanks for the info. Lucky it was resolved in time, any longer could have been death, friend owes you big time....Have an 02 I4 XLE, run to check my coolant in a panic every time I hear this...
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