question about heating up - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

YsGuy · 12-07-2003, 02:40 PM

I think my car is taking a bit longer to warm up than normal. Takes a good 10-15 minutes before the car reaches it's <1000rpm idle on cold days and sometimes even longer before heat starts to blow from the heater.

I'm gonna give it an oil change soon, couple of questions before I do. Would an engine flush help? Or maybe replacing the thermostat? Any other suggestions would be nice.

boroEF · 12-07-2003, 02:44 PM

ya it's most likely the thermo stat.
try flushing the system: 50/50 water/coolant.

i have that prob with my ef too....it's the thermo for me

YsGuy · 12-07-2003, 02:55 PM

Thanks for the quick response!! Gonna give that a try when I actually get a break from studying for all my finals :o .

OEMonkey · 12-07-2003, 03:48 PM

I agree, it might be the tstat. or check if maybe your radiator fan is always on.

project trueno · 12-07-2003, 04:28 PM

^86s use a belt driven fan

before buying a new t-stat, check your old one and see if its still good (refer to shop manual), otherwise if it wasn't the t-stat, and you replaced it with a new one then you won't find out what the problem is

..otherwise the car will take long to warm up, since it is winter

Punisher · 12-07-2003, 08:28 PM

Well yea being winter the coolant system is much much colder than it is during the summer.. so it takes longer to heat up.. Maybe you don't have enough A/F in the system so you are getting ice chunks in the piping as well.. If you need to replace the Tstat they are only like 4 bux for an aftermarket one...

I have the problem where my radiator fans won't turn on..

I checked the wiring.. the relay.. all good.. they just won't turn on though.. The temp gauge just rises and rises till coolant is spewing out of the coolant over-flow

... Gonna replace the Tstat tomorrow..

project trueno · 12-07-2003, 10:00 PM

^the t-stat shouldn't have anything to do with the radiator fan circuit...hows the fan motor? And check the thermostatic fan switch i guess

Punisher · 12-08-2003, 12:30 AM

yes yes it does Mr. Trueno.. you see if the Tstat isn't working correctly it won't close the circuit or open the circuit to make the fans come on... everything else for me works fine.. I will replace the Tstat tomorrow and see if that fixes things if it doesn't i'm gonna shoot my self... hehe .. kinda drunk so yea if nothin makes sense u know why!

project trueno · 12-08-2003, 03:46 PM

hmmm..

but you said the temperature gauge just keeps on rising right? meaning the t-stat is probably stuck closed (assuming its the t-stat)

so if the radiator fan circuitry is working correctly, the circuit should close (connect) because your thermoswitch senses the high engine temperature, and then turn on the fan

if the t-stat is stuck open, then it may take longer or never reach normal op. temperature

project trueno · 12-08-2003, 03:51 PM

btw just to make sure we're on the same page, when you say t-stat you are talking about the thermostat right? not the thermostatic SWITCH which controls the fan?

because the thermostat is the device with the spring inside it (like a rad cap) and it doesn't connect to your radiator fan circuit at all. Its not an electrical component

the thermoswitch however is a sensor, or thermo-resister that opens or closes the fan circuit

Punisher · 12-08-2003, 03:59 PM

The thermostat sits in the water and the thermoswitch sits over top of the thermostat which is what the 1-wire connector connects to.. right?

Nick · 12-08-2003, 04:01 PM

if the thermostat is stuck open it'll take forever to warm up the engine

you can also put a peice of cardboard in front of your rad to reduce airflow

project trueno · 12-08-2003, 04:07 PM

^yeah the thermoSTAT should be inbetween the water housing, and the block (the input one, or bottom hose). The thermoSWITCH is a sensor with wire(s) going to it (i think on the TOP housing, the output), BOTH are submerged in coolant

Punisher · 12-09-2003, 12:28 AM

Welp, I just gotta go get the new seal for the thermostat tomorrow .. I already got the old one out.. so we'll see i'll post right after I do it with the results..

Hook · 12-09-2003, 02:27 AM

^ to have saved urself the trouble, u should've jumped the fan directly to the battery first to make sure that wasn't the real prob all along.

*shrugs* but I suppose if it still doesn't work, when u do get it, you won't have to worry about the t'stat dying on u.