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Overheating issue without a clue

Discussion in '4 Cylinder' started by Clover, Jul 27, 2012.

  1. Jul 27, 2012 at 8:23 PM
    #1
    Clover

    Clover [OP] Member

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    My2.4 is still overheating after the first issue of a blown upper radiator hose. After replacing the busted hose and refilling the radiator i cranked her up and she initially ran a little rough but idled down initiallyThe lower hose is cool and that means to me that the radiator isn't moving fluid. Or could it be that the water pump has failed?
     
  2. Jul 28, 2012 at 10:26 AM
    #2
    azreb

    azreb Geezer

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    Faulty thermostat?
     
  3. Jul 28, 2012 at 10:34 AM
    #3
    newertoy

    newertoy Well-Known Member

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    Did you fill with RECOMMENDED fluid??????
    Correct ratio?
    First thought-Thermostat--then pump. I believe you can remove the thermo temporarily to see if fluid is moving---CAREFUL--WARNING of HOT RADIATOR FLUID.
    BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL with the radiator CAP..
     
  4. Jul 28, 2012 at 10:37 AM
    #4
    joes06tacoma

    joes06tacoma Well-Known Member

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    Upper hose should be hot, lower should be cool. That means the radiator is removing heat.

    When are you experiencing the overheating? On the freeway? At idle in traffic?

    Sometimes thermostats will become sticky after being exposed to air, like when draining and filling coolant.

    I'm a little concerned that it's a 95 and you BLEW a hose. That makes me think excessive pressure in the radiator.....maybe a pressure leak from the headgasket. If you start it up cold with the radiator cap off, can you see bubbles? Or does it push coolant out the top of the radiator?
     
  5. Jul 28, 2012 at 1:48 PM
    #5
    Clover

    Clover [OP] Member

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    joes06 you are prob right. i blew the hose while cruising the back roads with the radio up and the windows down, so i cant say exactly how far i went between the hose bust and the time i noticed. i really thought she was finished. since then i havent been driving it, only running in the driveway. changed the thermostat out, also the rad cap. no bubbles in radiator when i start cold but coolant isnt coming out...only puffs of white smoke/steam. It doesnt really look like its flowing through there though. my thoughts are maybe the radiator is shot and not moving enough fluid through it. my buddy, a mechanic, wants to do a compression test...perhaps head gasket, but hasnt done it yet. top rad hose is hot, lower hose is cool...before i changed the thermostat i did a radiator flush, idled for 10 mins, took her around the block really slowly and she overheated quick, like less than a 1/4 mile. just changed the thermostat and filled up with water only... it got warmer than i wanted it to at an idle, over half way on the temp guage, so i shut it down and now i am thinking perhaps the water pump, and maybe the fan clutch...any ideas? I am new to tacoworld, so i was reallly impressed about the speed and number of responses...thanks a bunch, all of your help is really appreciated!
     
  6. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:10 PM
    #6
    Clover

    Clover [OP] Member

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    thermostat was an easy job, but honestly, i am no mechanic, so is a water pump replacement something i need to let a pro handle, or should i consider doing it myself with some supervision?
     
  7. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:27 PM
    #7
    joes06tacoma

    joes06tacoma Well-Known Member

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    Where are you seeing steam coming from? The tailpipe? A fair amount of steam as the engine warms up is normal, but after you've gone a few miles that should all be over with.

    When you fill a cooling system, you need to get all the air out of it. If you don't, the themostat won't open because there isn't water in contact with it, just air. I usually pull off the highest hose that I can get to, usually a heater hose. Then I fill till coolant comes out of that connection, reinstall the hose and top off the radiator. Then I start the engine and wait with the radiator cap removed and the heater turned on to circulate coolant through the heater core. There is usually a tense moment when the temp goes up higher than normal, then the thermostat opens up. After that, the coolant level usually needs topped up again. Then I will drive it around some and shut if off overnight. In the morning I top it off one last time and expect it to stay full.

    There is what's called a "block check" that you can get at NAPA. It's a chemical test that will detect combustion gasses in the radiator. That will rule out a combustion/head gasket leak into the cooling system.

    I don't have a 2.4 here to look at. The old pre-Tacoma truck engine was very easy to replace the water pump on. I doubt this one is much more complicated.
     
  8. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:38 PM
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    Clover

    Clover [OP] Member

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    steam is coming from the radiator when the cap is off. possibly i need to give the block check a shot, but there is also a very good chance that i havent got all the air out of the system so the thermostat can open and kick in. i posted in another area of taco world and a member asked me if the heater was blowing hot air when the truck was up to temp. the answer is no... any thoughts on that. by the way you have been very helpful in this troubleshooting nightmare for me.
     
  9. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:41 PM
    #9
    joes06tacoma

    joes06tacoma Well-Known Member

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    No hot air from the heater is sounding like you have air in the system to me. I suppose it could be lack of coolant flow as well, from a stuck thermostat or water pump that isn't working. Pretty rare to have a water pump fail that way though, they usually just leak. There are factory service manuals here. ^^ Might check and see what the filling procedure is for your engine. Sometimes there's a specific method to use to avoid an air pocket in the system.
     
  10. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:43 PM
    #10
    truckerman49

    truckerman49 New Member

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    hey guys i just replaced the motor in my 96 tacoma its a 2.7 3rz im having problems with the t stat not opening im not sure whats wrong i have went threw two t stats temp gadge dose not show to be hot but top hose is hot bottum is cold
     
  11. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:46 PM
    #11
    Clover

    Clover [OP] Member

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    steam is coming from the radiator when the cap is off. i will give the highest hose pull a shot and see if that gets me where i need to be. also i guess the block check would be in order. i was chatting with another taco world member and he posed the question: is the heater blowing hot air when the truck is up to temp? the answer is no...which would probably mean that you are 100% correct about air in the system. any thoughts on that? by the way thanks a bunch for assistance in this troubleshooting nightmare.
     
  12. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:47 PM
    #12
    babytruck

    babytruck Babytruck, babytruck...I've got a babytruck :)

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    Overheating and no hot air blowing ended up being the thermostat for us.
     
  13. Jul 28, 2012 at 2:48 PM
    #13
    Clover

    Clover [OP] Member

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    thanks joes06 i will do some research and see where it takes me
    much appreciation!
     
  14. Jul 28, 2012 at 3:00 PM
    #14
    92dlxman

    92dlxman drinking whats on sale

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    air in system and i would guess a major blockage somewhere. that hose blowing up should not happen without blockage. on my old truck i would leave the cap off after filling and you can watch coolant flow after the t-stat opens. if you never see flow and your truck overheats, you got problems.

    remove t-stat and replace the cover. you can then run a garden hose from top radiator hose through the block and verify it comes out the bottom or visa versa. do the same to your radiator. good luck
     
  15. Jul 28, 2012 at 3:06 PM
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    babytruck

    babytruck Babytruck, babytruck...I've got a babytruck :)

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    Did it actually blow or was it weakened (soft, squishy hose) due to age and it cracked or tore and produced a high pressure leak/spray? Or was there an explosion in there....
     
  16. Jul 28, 2012 at 3:10 PM
    #16
    ppham444

    ppham444 Well-Known Member

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    I had a 2.4 with an overheating problem. It ended up being a clogged radiator. If it's clogged, it's not removing the heat fast enough. Check it out.
     
  17. Jul 29, 2012 at 11:02 AM
    #17
    Clover

    Clover [OP] Member

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    hose had a 2 inch split at the radiator coupling. I am beginning to think that the rad is clogged and not pulling enough heat from the system...bottom rad hose is cool to the touch though, so it may be a combination of several things...thanks to all for the advice.
     
  18. Aug 27, 2012 at 6:59 AM
    #18
    LDurchy

    LDurchy Well-Known Member

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    I have changed thermostats a few times on various vehicles I owned. Before calling the job done, leave cap off then squeeze and release the lower radiator hose several times to burp out any trapped air. Top off with water and do it again. When no more air burps up into the top of radiator consider the air out. Top off as needed and raplace the cap. If that doesn't cure it suspect other items. Was thermostat installed upside down? Broken shaft on water pump. Laurel and Hardy dumped raw oatmeal into the radiator whan you slept??
     
  19. Aug 27, 2012 at 10:54 AM
    #19
    BamaToy1997

    BamaToy1997 Wheel Bearing Master

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    It can be pretty easy to test flow through the radiator. Remove the upper and lower hoses, and using a water hose on a low pressure, let fluid flow into the radiator. Does the lower outlet let out the water almost as fast as you put it in, or does it trickle out?
    From your description, it could be, as mentioned, a water pump or a radiator. History of these 2.7l engines lean towards a water pump. Not too difficult of a job actually. You could tackle it in your driveway with basic hand tools and about 2 hours or less of your time.
     

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