2009 overheating

I just noticed my trucks temp guage was super hot sitting in traffic when I started moving again it started to cool down. But back in traffic it instantly shot up. I thought it may be the coolant level because when I put the heater on to try and cool the engine it was blowing cool air. The too tube by the radiator is hot haven't checked the bottom yet and the coolant seems fine. Any other ideas??

 

Sounds like a failing fan clutch

 

Check that your water pump isn't leaking. Toyota has become notorious for bad water pumps in the last 6 years or so.

 

It doesn't look like the water pump is leaking that I can see

The fan is still running, does that have anything to do with the fan clutch?

 

Well I must have a leak somewhere. I put a gallon of coolant in. I didn't think it needed any coolant because I filled the overflow up and it was still overheating. Once the truck cooked I filled the radiator and so far so good.

I thought the overflow and the radiator were all connected and if the radiator was empty you could fill it through the overflow

 

A leaking 4.0 water pump is hard to see from the top. May be better to remove the skid plate and double check for leaks from the bottom. Gravity has a way of helping to find stuff like that. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Might want to take it in and have it tested for blown head gasket. You have any white smoke comming out of the tail pipe? Take a quick whiff of the fumes and see if it smells like coolant. How hot did it get? Was the guage in the red?

 

No shit.
The pump started throwing coolant on my '08 probably around 80k.
Replaced the pump, belt, and both hoses at about 100k.

Wife has an '04 Rav4... I noticed some staining when I replaced her serp belt at 100k... she has 145 on it now and the coolant level is stable, and the dealer that replaced her alternator did not mention replacing the water pump.

 

Not if it is empty.
The radiator will draw from the overflow if it is low, but once you get to the point that you're sucking air from the overflow, it could take a dozen hot-cold cycles, refilling the overflow every time.

No matter what the overflow looks like, always check the radiator itself (when cold of course).
After being that low, you may have to "burp" the system... recheck it every few days to make sure it is remaining full.

And hopefully you didn't warp a head.

 

it didnt get to to hot when i was driving. i was about a mile from my house when i noticed it going up and i was only in traffic for a bit. so it didnt actually overheat. just the temp guage went up, after filling the radiator everything seems to be in good working order.

seems to be good so far, i obviously have a leak somewhere though. will have to do a bit of digging this weekend.

cant really smell coolant anywhere and there is not white smoke coming from the coolant.

will take the skid off this weekend to see where, if its leaking near the water pump.

 

Check your oil for a chocolate milkshake too.

 

When you shut the truck off do you hear it boiling in the overflow bottle? Do you see any white crusty looking matter in the area around the overflow bottle? Those are good signs of a head gasket. That's what my 2005 did.

 

My 06 started leaking from the water pump at 18k miles. On mine, you couldnt see the leak unless you took the skid plate off and used a flashlight to see the front underside of the engine block. Replaced under drivetrain warranty in 2012 just 1 month before it expired.