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where's the coolant drain plug on the block?
The haynes manual says it's on the rear of the block, but the only thing I could find on the rear that resembles a drain plug has something obstructing it, and seems like the coolant would just run down the back side of the block before even hitting a pan.
Also, the toyota manual seems to say nothing about it being on the back, and shows it being on the same side as the radiator... maybe I'm missing something here.
lastly, if what I think it is on the back is it, then how do I get to it with the hose in the way?
Just to clarify. I'm not sure if the thing in front of the plug is actually a hose or if it's a motor mount. It's on the backside, a little bit up when you're laying under it, looking straight up.
Also, if this is it, what kind of tool do you guys use? I can't fit my socket in there, and I was using a tiny socket. It seems very difficult to actually loosen it with a regular wrench too.
do that, then throw a gardenhose in, fill it up, and then run it a little, then empty it out, do that one more time, then fill it up with coolant/water mix
Don't worry about the residual coolant in block. I do it the same as those above accept I usually use a commercial cleaner that you can get at any autoparts store. The secret here is to get out the majority of the coolant as it becomes corrosive.
Originally posted by fj40supraman Don't worry about the residual coolant in block. I do it the same as those above accept I usually use a commercial cleaner that you can get at any autoparts store. The secret here is to get out the majority of the coolant as it becomes corrosive.
Well, the reason I wanted to do the complete flush including a drain and refill was because I've been having overheating trouble and I don't believe the previous owner changed coolant very frequently.
I have flush in now. When I'm done, I wanted to drain it out of the block and the rad, then garden house it a bit, then put the coolant in.
Originally posted by Zoni_Camry if you are overheating and you have FULL coolant... your waterpump and thermostat should be changed.
it doesnt matter how old it is, it shouldnt be overheating with full coolant any day.
The coolant was low and the thermostat was bad. But I figured I'd give it a full flush as well, just to ensure that nothing down the line will be problematic. If you think that it's sufficient just to drain it out of the radiator, dump some more water in, run it for a bit, then drain that and just rinse and repeat the process, then I'll stick with that.
The water pump was recently replaced (by the previous owner), so I know that's not an issue.
Yes the coolant drain plug for the 5S-FE block is a pain in the butt to get to. I managed with just basic hand tools and jacks. It will run all over everything (even went into my eyes) so be careful and wear glasses of some sort. I can probably get a more specific photo from my Haynes manual if you'd like.
Originally posted by gcs118 Yes the coolant drain plug for the 5S-FE block is a pain in the butt to get to. I managed with just basic hand tools and jacks. It will run all over everything (even went into my eyes) so be careful and wear glasses of some sort. I can probably get a more specific photo from my Haynes manual if you'd like.
I have the haynes, I was just hoping it wasn't where I think/thought it was.
I went to sears and bought a small (and thin) wratchet, hopefully I'll be able to get that in there without much of an issue. The difficult thing about it is not only getting in there, but being able to get in there with something that's long enough to get the torque needed to loosen it.
On the '97(and hopefully on the '93) 5S-FE the block drain PLUG is indeed on the back of the block, towards the top on the passenger side.
you can reach it from under the car with a long extension and a 14mm socket snaked in past the exhust pipe. loosen it from under the car, then remove it by reaching in from the top. that way you'll avoid getting the coolant all over you.
Hope this helps
JerryR
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Had the same problem with my Corolla overheating. First thing to to is flush/refill and change out thermostat, as it is cheap, and won't hurt. Next if it still overheats, I'd check to make sure the fan switch is working, its a temperature switch that turns the fans on (and off) when maximum temp is reached. You should be able to hear or see if fans run. Its a little more money, but like the thermostat can be checked (for continuity) in a water boil. If that don't work, remove the bottom hose of the radiator, stick your hose in the top and see if flow out bottom equals flow into the top. If not it's the culprit, and you can probably get a new one for $100. Just make sure you take out the radiator in the right order, sometimes you have to remove the fans first. I learned this the hard way, by ruining a few bad ones when I removed them. You said you already ruled out water pump, so that is the plan I would take. Let me know what was causing it, I'm kinda curious?
well, the fans are kicking on, so unless the fan switches aren't kicking on in the right order, they should be ok, along with the fans.
My only suspect, if this doesn't cure it is possibly the pump belt.
A couple months ago I was getting a squealing at start-up, it's possible that that's what it could've been.
Either way, a new thermostat and a coolant flush can't be a bad idea with this car, we'll see how things go though.
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