Coolant spray from overflow

Just did Mojave road in ca last week. Checking on some things today I noticed the overflow tank is empty and coolant has sprayed over the engine. The radiator is full and the truck did not overheat on the 3 day trip.

Could this be from the washboard roads just shaking the coolant out the overflow?

 

Sounnds lke your coolant cap is defective and allowed the system to over pressurize or possibly lifted earlier than expected.

 

You might loose some but not all unless your overflow line is lower than the bottom of the tank and the tube inside reaches near the bottom. Then it could overflow and start a syphon.

But the first thing I’d check is for crack in the tank.

 

When you shake very hot liquids the pressure goes ballistic. It can easily tip it past boil over even if temps do not indicate it.

 

Moral of the story be very careful if you buy a used Tacoma with any type of off-road modifications.

 

Filled the tank and ill look for leaks in the morning.

Replaced the radiator cap 2 years ago but ill pressure test it tomorrow and see. Good point about the shaking, if thats the case maybe a higher rated cap in the near future. Mojave road has some parts that are 20min of washboard.

I bought this truck new 15 years ago, but mods or not buying any used car should be checked out so I don't get your point. Even if the car wasn't abused you don't know if they installed the parts correctly. Most trucks around here don't see dirt even with mods buyer beware

 

What thermostat do you have in the truck, how do you know it didn't overheat? Reason I ask, the temp gauge on the instrument cluster is a joke. I've seen my coolant temp range fro 185 to 210 without any deflection in the coolant gauge. I can't imagine what temp it would take to say "hot" on that gauge LOL

 

Factory thermostat, replaced last year when I did the water pump, pullys and belt.

I know the temp gage is more an idiot light than a true analog gauge but it never moved also the truck never showed any signs never smelled coolant at any of the stops.

I do have a deo electric fan kit still waiting to be installed maybe this is my hint to get off my ass.

 

Be careful with higher pressure caps. Going that route cost me both a radiator and heater core on my last truck as the plastic tanks couldn’t hold the extra pressure. Hopefully it is just the overflow tank or one of the cap seals. My taco lost fluid at the overflow hose until I upgraded that clamp.

 

I'd keep an eye on the actual coolant temp, that will tell you what's going on. No coolant smell is a good sign you are safe, maybe just a loose clamp or something? I dealt with overheating issues for a long time (minor I'd say, coolant never got above 212) until I blew the radiator out with a comb cleaner and flushed the system and put in a 170* URD thermostat.

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The radiator is new also. I damaged it 2 years ago running over a beach chair and replaced the radiator cap at the same time. I also try to flush the coolant yearly. No hose clamps on the tank lines that I can see, that might be the issue.

 

I don’t know if it’s a good idea to change the thermostat to the 170. The computer tells the engine to do things at different temps so if you do that it’s going to continue to think it’s not up to normal operating temperature. I’m fighting with a coolant circulation problem so I’ve been studying all week. Maybe invest in a an obd2 device with a Bluetooth option so you keep an eye on that as well. You gotta be careful I had just changed the coolant so I was watching everything but nothing came on in the instrument cluster so if I had been going by the temperature gauge in the truck I would have never known anything was wrong until it created another problem.

 

You have to remember where the temp sensor is. vs the thermostat opening profile. In my case a 170* thermostat fixed all my issues. In other vehicles, it may not. For example, my international 7.3 likes to run with a 203* thermostat compared to the lower ford style that comes from the factory.

 

If you are going to "put yourself out there" you really should pick up an ultra gauge or scan gauge to understand what is really going on under the hood. It's a cheap $100 bucks that can save your ass in oh so many ways....

 

Good point. I finally get a day off tomorrow so Hopefully I’ll get it solved.