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'95 Camry four cylinder (5s-fe) 216000 miles, overheating problems, replaced (at least once) the radiator, thermostat,water pump/housing, radiator cap, temp. sender, and lower radiator hose. The parts are mostly OEM.
The car no longer overheats, but puts about two and a half cups of coolant into the recovery tank after a ten ( or 75) mile freeway drive. The car can sit overnight and will pull only about a cup back into the radiator. This happens consistently. You can pour the extra cup and a half from the recovery tank back into the radiator and it will just fill it to the top, so it doesn't appear to be loosing any coolant. Isn't it supposed to pull all the coolant back into the recovery tank? It must be sucking air somewhere, how would you best locate the leak?
It's had a hydro carbon and a block test, both with negative results. any help would be greatly appreciated.
No I think hes talking about the expansion/overflow tank level increasing and decreasing? Mate I think you dont have a problem, more coolant is MEANT to be in that tank when the car is running while when its off, the level goes down. This occurs because as the car heats up, the block expands (so coolant passageways get smaller) and the surplus coolant goes into the expansion tank. Once the car is off, the blocks goes back to its original state, sucking up the coolant again.
Lol yep... although being able to fill the radiator up after is concerning, if its all running correctly the level should be at the top. Instead of putting the extra coolant from the overflow tank into the radiator (leave it because its meant to go up and down) just fill the radiator up with distilled water to the top. Although the fact that the level in the overflow is going up and down would suggest everything is running as it should...
Have you checked the radiator and overflow tank in/outlet and hose going between it? Might be partially plugged (or hose collapsed), the result being coolant can flow in under higher pressure but cannot be drawn back.
Thanks for the help on this 'problem'. You may be right that I don't actually have a problem at this point. Lets see, the temp in Benicia has been mild: lows 50s highs 60s. as I said, the car isn't overheating. It's just that when the radiator's full, and the expansion tank has about a cup of coolant in it, starting from cold, within a few miles about two and a half cups will be added to the tank. After cooling down, the radiator will only reclaim a cup of coolant.
Now I can drive the car the next day without adding the missing cup and a half of coolant to the radiator and every thing will be fine, the engine/radiator will add a cup to the revovery tank and later, after cooling the radiator will reclaim just that one cup. the radiator when cold will still be a cup and a half low. When you look in the radiator you see the cooling fins but no coolant. In other words the rad is always short a cup and a half of fluid when cold.
I've tried putting a 5/16 I.D. hose straight from the rad to the bottom of the recovery tank but it didn't help.
I have Tacoma with a V-6, it trades back and forth about a cup of coolant but the radiator is always full when cold.
Any thoughts?
When you did all this work on the cooling system, did you properly bleed all the air out of the system? You may still have some air trapped somewhere. It takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour of idling the engine with the radiator cap off and the front of the car slightly elevated, to really bleed all the air out of the system.
Mike, the work on the cooling system has taken place over the last couple of months, we did bleed the system as recommended, and were careful the mount the thermostat jiggle pin in the highest position. However, if you think air trapped in the system would cause this problem, I'll go out and bleed it again. I may not have let it run as long as you've suggested. Thanks for the tip.
Dave
Mike, the work on the cooling system has taken place over the last couple of months, we did bleed the system as recommended, and were careful the mount the thermostat jiggle pin in the highest position. However, if you think air trapped in the system would cause this problem, I'll go out and bleed it again. I may not have let it run as long as you've suggested. Thanks for the tip.
Dave
It certainly can't hurt. It's something that can be done for next to nothing in fuel costs and a bit of your time. It will be interesting to see how much airs bleeds out of the system.
Yeah I was thinking maybe the air wasnt bleeded as well... but if you've been filling it up when its down by now the air should all be out of it. When I did mine, I had to top it up after a week or so... but after that all air was gone (Still bleed it again though... its free). Defintely not normal though for the radiator level to be low enough to see the fins but no coolant becuase its not sucking the coolant back up... what about the cap on the overflow tank that connects the hoses etc to it? Im assuming to put water into the overflow it wouldnt matter if thats sealed, but to suck it up again it would need to or else theres a loss of pressure.... lol dunno if this is even correct.
Last edited by Aussie_Camry; 02-23-2007 at 06:34 PM.
Okay guys, I hope the problem's resolved. I did a second pressure test of the system and found a leak where the oil cooler line attatches to the bypass tube. Why this leak didn't show up during operation or the first test I do not know, maybe whatever leaked, evaporated before hitting the ground. There actually didn't seem to be any coolant loss. Anyway I reclamped the connection and afterwards the system held pressure for an hour (about 16 pounds) without any loss, so I think we'll be okay. We'll check that out tomorrow and keep our fingers crossed. Thanks for your thoughts on this matter.
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If thats the case, all is well and fine. 
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