Car running hot?

[Ranger X]

I think my car is running hotter than it should be. See, when you get out of the car after you've been driving it, it literally smells like something burning. I think the temp gauge/sensor might be broken though, because it takes a long time for it to come up to a normal level, and it never goes above halfway. Also it idles really high (like 1200-1500 rpm) when you first start the car and then you have to wait five minutes or so for it to start coming down. Maybe this is normal, I don't know. My car also has the CEL on, coming up with code P0171. It's also come up with codes P0446 and P0125 before, but they've since gone away, without having any repairs done. I don't think it's dangerous, but what should I do?

[MrSo0h0o]

u said it smells like something burning.. is there any smoke or steam coming from under your hood? might be fluid/oil leaking onto a hot engine part and thats what you smell?

[Ranger X]

No, no steam. The exhaust smells kinda funny though, like sewage or something. It sometimes smells like burning oil, too...but I think that's because it's time for an oil change, and I put seafoam in my crankcase right after I had my last change done.

[nodrogkam]

you drive ur car hard? Sometimes it'll just smell like its burning, but it shouldnt be real bad. Uhm typically when you start a car the idle is a bit higher until your engine warms up. If you notice it doesnt even use the overdrive gear before the engine is 1/3 ways heated. In cold mornings you can have initial idles in neutral or park of 2000 rpms. Find out what those codes are and decide if its serious or not. So far everything else u've described sounds pretty normal to me. You just may have a minor oil leak.

[Gary_602Z]

http://www.troublecodes.net/Toyota/ Is your thermostat stuck open? Also check for vacum leaks.

Gary

Also I would not recomend putting SeaFoam in your crankcase after an oil change as you run the risk of it loosening up crud/sludge/dirt and plugging your oil filter plus you would be running that thru your engine. Do it shortly before an oil change.

Gary

[nodrogkam]

^correct.