hi im new to this and need help

[stevelobello]

hello there my name is steve and i live in chicago. i just purchased a 1996 toyota camry 4cyl 2.2 and it has a new radiator, new thermostat, new coolant temperature swith. the problem is that the pemp gauge goes all the way to full hot then suddenly drops back to normal. this happens frequently!. while the temp gauge is going up and down the heat in the car goes cold. someone told me it could be the water pump, and someone else said it was the head gasket. im so confused right now can anyone help?

[MR2Jedi]

If the car is not actually overheating, your temp sending unit needs to be replaced. When they go bad, they send all kinds of crazy readings. Easy fix, they run about $14.00 from O'Reilly's or $21.00 from the stealership.
Oh and welcome to Toyota Nation

[new echo owner]

Have you check you coolant level lately? Low coolant level would cause the conditions that you had described. Both water pump and head gasket could cause coolant lost.

N.E.O.

[stevelobello]

for some reason i dont see aleak but i had to add a gallon, its definitly overheating, just dont know where the antifreeze could be going

[new echo owner]

Look around at the front of the engine, below the alternator, that is where the water pump is located at, see if there is any coolant tracks there. Pressure test the cooling system. Sometimes, small leaks will evaporate without leaving any sign of coolant on the ground.

How many miles on the vehicle? How is the coolant, dirty and old? What type of coolant do you use?

N.E.O.

[Chris Tacoma]

Hi Steve , welcome to the forum

[forever 2 wheels]

Hello Steve, welcome to TN. N.E.O. knows his stuff! I also had issues with my 1996 Camry. He has some great advice and is very helpful. Good luck.

[stevelobello]

well its offical the head gasket is blown! because ther is white smoke coming out the tailpipe and the radiator hoses are pressurizing. not to mention the smell of exhaust fumes coming out of the radiator when cap is off. my question before i take it to a shop to be fixed is what does anyone have to say about using steel seal to fix the gasket leak. would it hurt to try?

[new echo owner]

I have never use that stuff, so I can't really commend on that, but if you want to keep the car for long term, it would be best to do it the correct way by replacing the gasket and check the head and the block. Often times sealer type repair may cause restriction in other parts of the cooling system, which may cause other unforeseen problems down the road.

N.E.O.