radiator leak 2000 tacoma

Hello everyone,



I have a 2000 Tacoma with about 228,000 miles on it. Recently it has started to over heat on going to and from work, which is about 20 mi. 1 way. A few months ago this started happening and a friend of mine, who is a pretty good mechanic, said it was probably the thermostat. He put in a new one for me and I didn't have any problems until this last week. The first time it overheated I check coolant and it was low. Added coolant it was good for a day or so. Next time it overheated, checked coolant, almost bone dry. Added coolant checked to try to find a leak with no luck. The next day it over heated enough the coolant was boiling out. Let it cool added water and I could see dripping coming from the bottom right side of radiator just above the drain plug. It's in a spot that I can't exactly pin point the location but it's obvious coolant with the green liquid coming out. My question is, is it worth doing a pressure test on the radiator system first or should I just get a new one. Also I am by no means a mechanic, is it easy enough to do myself. I'm no dumby, I work construction and am fairly mechanical just don't know much about automobiles. I've watched some videos and it looks fairly simple. Last question is how do I tell what size core radiator I need, there appears to be 3 different sizes for this year of tacoma. Sorry for the long story but I figure it helps to know more of what's happening. Thanks in advance to anyone who responds.

 

If it were me, I would get a new radiator. I had a work truck that overheated and destroyed the engine because of this issue. The issue is that the sensor measures the temp of the liquid, so if the coolant is gone or low, you will not be getting accurate reading and running your engine too hot. Boom!

I'm not a mechanic so keep searching for advice, but that's my $0.02 based on my experiences.

Welcome to TW!

 

That's what I'm leaning towards. I have a loaner car for the next week so the Tacoma is parked. The last thing I need to do is blow the motor up. Thanks for the advice