2001 Avalon overheating

[avalonsteve01]

newbe here, Have a 2001 avalon 135,000 miles mostly highway.. overheated and has a recurrent issue there.. Had water pump / timing belt replaced 2 months ago / overheated about a month later.. then week ago had the thermostat replaced due to overheating.. Oil is clean.. fans work .. coolant is ok.. no white smoke to speak of.. any help would be appreciated..

Thanks
Steve

[kegunder]

Hmmm. So it still overheats?

What mileage are you getting?

[Nad1370]

When does it overheat?
On the highway or stop and go?
Was the coolant level low after overheating?

[avalonsteve01]

Thanks guy's for the reply's

The coolant level has been the same over the past few days since i marked it on the coolant tank. My mileage has stayed the same .. about 400-425 I actually got 450 2 tanks ago but that was a lot of HWY miles.

I drive 30 miles one way to work, it does not over heat (meaning above 1/2 level) when i go home it stayes the same on the hwy when i get off and tool thru town and climb up our hill i have to get on it it climbs to the 1/2 to 3/4 level on the temp guage. When i slow down and just do around 35 it cools down to the 1/2 and slightly below level.

Just getting frustrated with this.. I have 135,000 on the car so far

Steve

[avalonsteve01]

Originally Posted by Nad1370

When does it overheat?
On the highway or stop and go?
Was the coolant level low after overheating?

On the hwy it stays the same after 30 mins driving, after 45 mins to 1 hr it starts to climb above 1/2 to 3/4. The stop and go traffic at slow speeds brings it down the 1/2 level.

The coolant level has stayed the same since i have marked it a few days ago. When i say over heating i mean the temp guage goes over a 1/2 to the 3/4 level. When it hits the 3/4 level i start looking for a place to stop shut it down and just key it on for the accessory power to run the fans.

Speaking of the fans, i swear i remember hearing a louder fan noise in the summer when i would go on vacation and have been driving for hours at 70 mph (ok maybe 80 mph on long hwy I-95 or I-26) it was a distinctive roar of a fan. I don't hear that strong fan noise, i might just be imagining that. My fans come on but it seems like they should have a high speed and normal speed on the fans.. Just thought i would throw that out there for any experts on fan issues.

Steve

[csaxon]

Radiator cap might not be holding pressure.

[avalonsteve01]

Thanks, I will try that... I haven't noticed it leaking around the cap..

[Nad1370]

It could possibly your fan temperature switch is acting up.
This switch cotrols when your fans turn on .
It seems to me it's an intermittent problem and I wouldn't rule out the fan temp switch.

[Nad1370]

Neighbor with a 2000 Sienna had a similar problem.
Replaced the fan temp switch and all is good.

Easy to replace. Located on the T-stat housing itself, single wire.

[avalonsteve01]

I will check that out as well.. I appreciate the info.. I do kick the fan on by turning the A/C or defrost on and run it constantly when out on the road lately to see if by keeping the fans on if it heats up.. It does..

I had my car serviced at a reputable service ctr when i had the H2O pump / timing belt replaced. It was in the winter so any over heating issues are of late when the temps have been in the high 70's. I wouldn't have had an issue when the temps were in the 30-40's. I would hate to think #1 that they moved something, lifted something, torqued something getting the H2O pump replaced... makes me wonder.. i do see a small oil deposit on my garage floor directly below where the H2O pump is....hmmmm.. my old 94 camry had leaked from the same area when it's pump was replaced.. What the heck do they do jack up the head? to do it.? I will be paying a visit monday or tuesday and ask them to put it up on the rack to look at it.. see what line of BS they throw me..

So far i am keeping a close watch on my fluid levels before i move it and when it's hot when i get home. As well as noteing speed, length of time driving and when it moved above 1/2 to 3/4.

Steve

[avalonsteve01]

Originally Posted by csaxon

Radiator cap might not be holding pressure.

Tried the radiator cap. no go.. still climbs up to 3/4 if i go up hills after 30 mins of driving. it still come down to half range when i just putz on flat roads... I have noticed some minor leaking up front on the floor where the H2O pump is.. hmmm even if that... that shouldn't make my temp climb..i have been losing about a cup of fluid every other day.

Looking more and more like the head gasket. On that note i had a buddy start it up for me and i saw what amounts of a puff of white smoke then just regular clear exhust.. another reason i think the head gasket... Dammmmm just whe you think things can't get worse....

Oh well BOGMA at the Repair shop...

[ChiTDI]

Your radiator might not be holding pressure, like csaxon suggested about the cap. Check that leak very carefully before you do a head gasket! $$ Original radiator?
BTW - did you check visually that both auxiliary fans are kicking on? Don't trust the sound.

[avalonsteve01]

Originally Posted by ChiTDI

Your radiator might not be holding pressure, like csaxon suggested about the cap. Check that leak very carefully before you do a head gasket! $$ Original radiator?
BTW - did you check visually that both auxiliary fans are kicking on? Don't trust the sound.

I appreciate the feedback.. Here is what i have done so far.. along with the stuff replaced (stated above) i put a new rad cap on .. no improvement, Today i replaced the radiator temp sensor located on the bottom of the radiator passenger side.... the fan kicks on now like i said before i remember hearing a distinctive sound of the fan roar.. Well it is doing that now i just got home and it was up there 1/2 to 3/4 hot per temp guage..

Both fans are kicking on at the 1/4 to 1/2 range.. normal and now when it gets hot the drivers side fan kicks into a higher speed.. ?? is the other fan suppose to kick up as well?? I don't recall it doing or suppose to do that./

Well i have sunk enough $$ into this so i guess the other (last resort) is to take it to a Shop or dealer and BOGMA.. i can't think of any other issue it could be.. it's pissin me off i know that..

Well any other suggestions i am open for..
Thanks again.

Steve

[TMack409]

Have your tailpipe "sniffed" for the presence of coolant in the exhaust. Or pressurize the coolant system with 15 psi (static) and see if the pressure holds.

[shortrun]

Not sure if someone allready suggested this or not.
When it is overheating, try turning the heat up to maximum and the fan up to high. I mean the cabin heater and fan. Not the one in the engine.
open your window or it's going to get hot inside.

If this brings the temperature gauge down, then to me that means the radiator is not doing it's job, partially blocked or not enough antifreeze flowing through it. for whatever reason.