I have a new (to me) '94 2wd 22re all stock. The temp never goes hotter than about 1 needle width above the bottom line--maybe two at best. My buddy who has a 4 runner says it should sit in the middle of the guage. The heater seems to work fine (I don't know how hot its SUPPOSED to be, but it keeps me warm) and everything else seems fine. Is the termostat stuck?
Thanks!

 

Anyone?

 

Yep a good starting place would be to replace the stat.

 

Hey man is your timing "retarted" a tooth or two I'd check to see if where the rotor button is pointing when it is at top dead center

 

It sounds like it is either the thermostat or the guage. Put in the thermostat and if it still does not get warm then it is the guage, the sending unit, or a wiring problem.

Take out the thermostat and see if it is stuck or has holes drilled in it. If you do not know the history of the thermostat then it is a good idea to put a new one in. If it ever gets stuck shut then the engine will overheat. A genuine Toyota thermostat has a rubber seal on the valve and they work better. Flush the coolant while it is out if it has not been flushed recently.

Since the thermostat will be out, put a garden hose in the thermostat hole and take off the lower radiator hose and flush until the water coming out is clear. I would recommend Toyota red antifreeze when you refill it, but it is not necessary.

 

Read the section on tstats before you buy a new one. The flush is a great idea.
Jim

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...tml#Thermostat

 

He didnt say he had no power!The temp is reading low. So it's either a bad temp guage or no/stuck open thermostat. Replacing the thermostat would be a good starting point

 

Thanks all. I appreciate the advice and I don't know anything about the service history so I assume it could use a flush anyway. It seems to run well so is there any negative consequence to having it run cool? Is it affecting my air/fuel mixture (running too rich)? The rad hoses are warm... If it isn't hurting anything, it seems like it would be better to keep it cool....? Any thoughts?

 

my motor use to do that in my 82 and then while it was in my 86 but in this 86 it stays in the middle

 

MIne is doing the same thing, put in new Tstat and needle went more to the left? I guess I'll take the sending unit out and see how it works maybe you could put it in a pot of hot water that has a cooking temp guage ? I'll let you know if I find out anything

 

yes it could be bad not to fix. what if the t-stat is stuck open now, then it gets stuck closed an over heats. You should find the prob now before it cost $$$ a new t-stat is cheap under $10 at most an several hundred $$$ if she ever over heats.

 

Thanks again for the replies. Keep em coming? Any other negatives besides the possibility of it getting stuck shut?

 

Your engine is designed to operate at a specific temperature. Some of the smog controls will not operate at lower temperatures and the fuel/air mixture is going to be off. The engine needs to be at the normal temperature for everything to work best.

 

Replaced the t-stat. I asked for the dual stage and the dealer gave me the normal stock one. I tested them both (old and new) in a pot of water and the old one opened earlier and then didn't close all the way when cooling. Put the new one in in 10 minutes and the temp. seems perfect now. Haven't had a chance to get a flush yet but I need to. I was thinking I might improve my MPG with a new t-stat but the first tank didn't show any improvement (I drove to Tahoe though, so I'm sure that affected things).
Thanks for the help.