mattk

Ok guys i pull a 3000lb trailer with my '95 4Runner 3.0 . Believe it or not it pulls great with no mods done to my motor. Anyways it runs nice and cool when im moving but when i get into slow traffic it starts to get really really hot until i turn on the heater......which by the way is not s good thing for summer driving.......my question is on the front of the radiator is a factory electric fan which comes on when you turn on the air.....but is this supposed to come on during stops and when it starts to warm up?
should i get rid of my fan and install the Taurus electric fan and will this run cooler and come on more often when im stopped or do i have another problem with something else? Any info would be great Thanks in advance! BTW when i am not pulling the trailer the truck runs nice and cool stopped or moving and i can let it sit there at idle in 90 degree weather and it doesnt hard come off of normal temp. Hopefully that will help maybe pinpoint the problem

rimpainter.com

1. It may be time for a new thermostat.

2. Make sure the stock clutch driven fan is engaging properly also. You can check that by trying to turn it after shutting off the motor. It should not turn when the motor is hot.

3. Check the radiator cap for gunk

For towing, I would not recommend going electric. That definitely wont solve your cooling problem.

Puddle Jumper

That eletric fan should be comming on at a certain temp, if it's not you could need a new fan motor. I had one go out and it was doing that same thing, it was ok while I was moving, but at stop and go it was overheating.

mattk

Thanks guys for the replies............i just installed a thermostat about 2 weeks ago and did not change anything......it was a Toyota thermostat also....no gunk in the cap. Thanks for the advice on not installing an electric fan for pulling. The a/c condenser fan will work but on when you kick on the a/c. So the fan works but maybe not properly? I was wondering if i should get the Hayden Thermostat kit 3652 i believe it is because it has a a/c override so it kicks the fan on like around 185 and off at 160 but has an override so that when you kick on the a/c it still will work. Do you think this might help during stop and go driving?

Puddle Jumper

Sounds like a bad sending unit or a disconnected wire if the fan works on A/C and not when hot. I'm don't know anything about the Hayden unit, so can't help you there.

mtnfreak

I'm not sure I understand your fan issues, Matt. For your main cooling fan, do you have an electric or belt driven fan? Is the A/C fan separate? If you've got electric(s), a fan should be running whenever the coolant reaches a certain temperature. If not, the fan's thermostat may be bad or there may be a bad connection in the circuitry. If you have a belt driven fan, then it's just not moving enough air. This could be caused by low engine rpm's, a bad fan clutch or slipping belt. If you frequently tow at low speeds in hot weather, I'd recommend an electric fan.

seafarinman

I don't tow, but my truck was overheating really badly. I went to an electric fan (16" Hayden) about 3 years ago, and it worked okay for about a year and a half~and then I started to wheel my rig. The fan died and I almost popped the head gasket so I replaced it with another 16" Hayden and a new radiator. I went wheeling out in the hills here on a hot day (It was over 90* at sea level, and it just got hotter the further in land I went) and I was running hot just on the freeway! It just got worse that day, and I had to drive with the heater on and the windows rolled down, but it would still bury the needle in the red, so I knew I had to do something. I read about the Taurus Fan conversion. I did just that, including replacing the stock thermostat with a 180* one and and I can now wheel on a hot summer day with the A/C cranked up crawling along or just idling (I idled it for over 30 minutes with no overheating! So a search for Taurus Fan on this message board or just under my handle Seafarinman and you will find my write up as well as the experiences of the others who have done the mod. Good luck.

mattk

Ok i have a belt driven fan but then in front of the radiator i have an electric fan that comes off and on with the a/c. I m not sure if it is supposed to come off and on at certain temp also or just for the a/c only. I have replaced the thermostat with a Toyota 180 degree. I have also replaced the radiator because my other had a big crack in the top of it. So........im not really sure where to start now and if the Taurus fan will be sufficient while im pulling or not? My other question is the electric that is on there for the a/c is......can i put the Hayden thermmostat kit on it so that it will kick off and on also at a certain temp and it has a a/c override so it will still work when i kick on the a/c. This fan pushed air through the radiator so dont know if it will help or not.

rimpainter.com

Ignore the electric fan you have. Focus on the belt driven fan.

Does it turn when the engine is off (and the temp of the engine is hot)?

I want to see if the clutch is engaging properly.

Firefyter-Emt

The electric fan is for your A/C and not linked to your engine cooling.. It is to cool the condencer. I personaly don't like electric fans.. I have trouble trusting them. I would bet your radiator needs to be flushed or replaced.. My pop-up loaded weighs about 22oolbs and I run 32" tires.. While towing or stopped even at 75ish my gauge never reads higher than the normal temp.

PS, I also carry a good 300+ in weight in the back of the truck at all times and when I tow the camper I normaly have my wife and 3 boys in the truck to boot..

Check the radiator, a heat gun to measure the temp of the core works the best.. Your fan in good working order (ie, a good clutch) will cool the 3.0 just fine all day long..

cruizin01

Yeah you could setup the electric fan with the Hayden unit. Im not saying that that fix your overheating problem, but Im sure it wouldn't hurt it any.

PhxTRDRunner

Yup, exactly what I was thinking! My '91 did the same thing before I replaced the radiator ($150ish if I remember right) and it was perfect ever since.

mattk

Ok i have replaced the radiator just a couple of weeks ago and the thermostat at the same time also flushed the system according to thread on this site. I will check the fan clutch tommorow when i get a chance. The one thing i dont get is this only does this after i pull the trailer for about a half hour then it does it. I can let the truck sit after i unhitch for a while get in and start i up and let it idle for 30 minutes with no problems at all. Temp stays nice and cool and with the air on so im really stumped on this one and i camp alot. I guess i could go back to the Tacoma to pull my trailer but thats why i bought the Runner because i has a lot more torque. My Tacoma 2.7 is just a little rough to get going from a dead stop, so i wannna keep the Runner for pulling. HELP!!!!

Firefyter-Emt

Gee.. I just stand in awe that you think the 4Runner tows so good.. I think it sucks all in all.. I mean it tows ok, bit I have to keep it at 3k+ all the time which means a lot of gear jammin and I have to keep about 70 / 75 on the highway while towing to keep up the 3k+ RPM range.. Of course, this long towing I do is on the east coast and along some good hills and such..