When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Im having trouble figuring out what's wrong with my 94 4Runner...the radiator is always needing more coolant/water and the engine doesn't over heat, the other day I drove about 40 miles and when i got home the water in the radiator was literally boiling inside. I'm not sure if the engine it self was just running really hot or over heating because my temp gauge doesn't work..I know there isn't any leaking because I replaced all the hoses that go to it...the only things I can think off that are wrong with it is. 1-the radiator cooling fan 2- the radiator itself 3- the water pump or 4- possibly my head gasket needs to be replaced, I'm just not sure so please if you are reading this and familiar with the 3vze engine help me out please! Thank you!!
Eating coolant and bubbling.. Sounds like a blown head gasket to me. check your compression on each cylinder, Also when you start the truck does it start bubbling back through the reservoir?
I'm with Obmi. At idle, do you have a bit of white smoke in the exhaust? If you put your hand in the exhaust, does it get damp (as contrasted with oily)? That's where your coolant is going.
Eating coolant and bubbling.. Sounds like a blown head gasket to me. check your compression on each cylinder, Also when you start the truck does it start bubbling back through the reservoir?
Well that's the first time it ever did that, it was a hot day and i did mostly drive on the free way, I hope it's not the head gasket
I'm with Obmi. At idle, do you have a bit of white smoke in the exhaust? If you put your hand in the exhaust, does it get damp (as contrasted with oily)? That's where your coolant is going.
unlikely. somehow water is getting from where water is supposed to be into the combustion stream (intake-cylinder-exhaust). The water pump isn't near that, but the head gasket is.
unlikely. somehow water is getting from where water is supposed to be into the combustion stream (intake-cylinder-exhaust). The water pump isn't near that, but the head gasket is.
What am I looking at as of price to have that fixed?
What am I looking at as of price to have that fixed?
If its the head gasket you will not know until you pull the head. For me It what the cylinder head that was leaking. ( It should be here today.)
If you do it yourself its parts + time. If you have it done... well I was quoted 1800. I said screw that and bought a gasket set for 53 bucks. But like i said my head was cracked so i had to buy one of them too. and that was about 300.
On the bright side that only have about 10 bolts holding the cylinder head on. and a lot more just to get to the 10 bolts.
This is where mine was leaking into the water jacket.
i would not jump strait to head gasket. pull all the plugs and don't mix them up. look for coolant ash on them. the white smoke would be the biggest indicator. however, you could have a bad radiator cap, fan, or plugged/folded fins on the radiator from off-roading or pressure washing, or water pump fins rusted away. since you say it's most predominant after a period on the highway, i would be more inclined to it being a flow problem, either the pump, or radiator. although, simple faulty radiator cap will greatly lower the boiling temp into the operating range @212 degrees f.... that is the whole point of pressurizing the system... and if you didn't know, this is the reason it will always blow out coolant if you open it hot. to test the water pump flow, leave the cap off and warm it up until it starts to flow. once it gets hot enough, you will suddenly see it flowing across the fins almost as much as a garden hose laying on the ground. don't worry that it will flow and stop several times and take a bit to get to full flow as that's just the thermostat blending the temp of the radiator and engine coolant to equal out, but it should eventually get to this flow at idle. as for the fan: when it's cold, it should sound like an oversized leaf blower or whatever and noticeably rob some power when it's on, which is when it's cold, when it has been sitting and idling for a while, and when it's real hot and in higher rpms. i hope it is not a head gasket, and remember to let the engine (head)cool off prior to removing the spark plugs.
i would not jump strait to head gasket. pull all the plugs and don't mix them up. look for coolant ash on them. the white smoke would be the biggest indicator. however, you could have a bad radiator cap, fan, or plugged/folded fins on the radiator from off-roading or pressure washing, or water pump fins rusted away. since you say it's most predominant after a period on the highway, i would be more inclined to it being a flow problem, either the pump, or radiator. although, simple faulty radiator cap will greatly lower the boiling temp into the operating range @212 degrees f.... that is the whole point of pressurizing the system... and if you didn't know, this is the reason it will always blow out coolant if you open it hot. to test the water pump flow, leave the cap off and warm it up until it starts to flow. once it gets hot enough, you will suddenly see it flowing across the fins almost as much as a garden hose laying on the ground. don't worry that it will flow and stop several times and take a bit to get to full flow as that's just the thermostat blending the temp of the radiator and engine coolant to equal out, but it should eventually get to this flow at idle. as for the fan: when it's cold, it should sound like an oversized leaf blower or whatever and noticeably rob some power when it's on, which is when it's cold, when it has been sitting and idling for a while, and when it's real hot and in higher rpms. i hope it is not a head gasket, and remember to let the engine (head)cool off prior to removing the spark plugs.
Thankyou so much for the help, I really hope it's not the head gasket either, I'm really low on money at the moment, but I'm gonna replace all of what you said and check all of that too, hopefully it all works out so I can get my pride and joy back to where it should be!
09-24-2015, 06:27 PM
