Ok starting off it's a 94 4Runner V6 3.0.

So I needed to get a new radiator and swapped out with the old in with the new. All good new hoses radiator and filled it up with the cap off let it run till it started burping and let some more in. Along with this I had the heater going at the same time. So now it runs hot and my heater doesn't kick out anything worth a crap. I'm not 100% sure but is there a few bubbles blocking the heater valve to open up... How do I bleed that if so... If anyone can give advice i'd really appreciate it. I have to drive 220 miles tomorrow night and would much rather do it in the 4Runner than the FJ40 and get 10MPG


Thanks everyone,

-Joe

 

Is the top coolant hose getting hot? Check for that. My guess is the air is trapped at the thermostat. Did you let the engine continue to burp until the thermo opened?

 

Yes the top hose was getting hot and I was letting it burp after the T stat had opened. What would explain no hot air in either the front or rear heaters?

Thanks,

-Joe

 

If it was working fine before, air would be the likely culprit. You could try jacking the front of the vehicle up a bit...allow the air to escape better. I wouldn't imagine air in the valve, though. More likely the core. However, are sure the valve is opening when you hit the heater knob?

 

That's the thing i'm not sure about now. Everything was working fine prior to this. How do I check if the valve is working or not the 3.0 is so crammed in there I don't know where to look and it got dark on me with a dead flashlight too. Pretty much


Thanks for your help I really appreciate it.

-Joe

 

Another thing I forgot!!! When I have the cap back on and everything gets up to temp the overflow tank starts bubbling up and just shooting hot air. Which is a sign that it's missing a whole lot of water I would imagine......


-Joe

 

Have you tried letting it run with the cap off and squeezing the squishy hoses to squeeze out the air?

 

Lol...new hoses aren't that squishy, but it's worth a try.

Is your radiator cap in good shape?

Oh, the valve...it's on the fire wall left of the brake booster as your facing the engine bay. You have a heater hose running to it and one from it back into the firewall. There will be a lever that has a cable to it coming from the inside of the cab and out through the firewall to it. Look for that lever and push it towards the firewall. I know that you have new coolant and all, but if you must, pull the heater hose (the one going to it) and look to see if the valve inside is mobile. Rust and scale can cause it to stick. This would prevent the heater from working....that, and/or a broken cable...which happens, just inspect it. However, this wouldn't be why you're overheating. I'd look at the cap.

 

Responding to both of you. Yes.


Ugh i'm going to try and look into the heater valve early morning.

 

So, your cap is good...okay. But, the valve isn't why you're overheating.

 

I don't have a clue what is up with it then. This sucks pretty bad right now. What are the reasons a car will over heat.


Water Pump MINE IS GOOD
T Stat MINE IS GOOD
Not enough fluid MINE IS GOOD
Bad Cap MINE IS GOOD
Clogged Hoses MINE ARE FINE
BUBBLES INSIDE SOMEWHERE AND SOMETHING IS UP MOST LIKELY AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF THEM..... Most likely....

Should I park it on a hill area and then add more to it?

I'm pretty lost right now.


-Joe

 

Oh, I know I've run across a thread about this before, but I don't remember. Sorry.

Look, if nothing else, you can bypass the heater core by connecting the heater hoses to eliminate that part of the equation. Thing is, the engine will overheat...if it is going to...with the heater on or off.

I just found a thread I believe the one I was thinking of.

Excerpt....

But, if your cap is new and thermo is new (or are they?), then it still has to be air trapped causing the coolant not to flow. Park it on a hill....nose end up....and try burping some more. It just may take a bit....provided you have no leaks.

 

The T stat and cap are not new but they were fine 6 hours ago....

 

The lower section is the weird thing I found out about the radiator I got everything else seemed normal. I took the two lower pieces and got some 5/16 hose and clamped them together. Is this maybe making something a hell of a lot wrong?

-Joe

 

Right, I know what you're saying. It's just that sometimes someone says,"Oh, that "part" is fine", but found out it's way overdue to change. Like a cap...for all purposes it looks fine, but the spring valve is not holding correct pressure somehow and so on...

Anyway, yours are good....so

 

I don't want to jump any conclusions, but I believe those would be for the transmission cooler lines. So, unless you have an auto....and that's what those are for (the drawing is good, but..)...then I wouldn't worry about that.

I'm poking around in searches, but the other only other thing I can think of is to listen for air "gurgling" from behind the dash in the cab with the heater on, engine running, and blipping the accelerater. That would tell you atleast if coolant is flowing through the core and if air is in there. You may not hear it, but you might.

 

Ok well i'm going to disconnect the lines and see if anything happens tomorrow. I'm taking a good guess now that my previous radiator was the original considering the fluid wasn't the nicest color either. ughhh I just want to get this thing dialed in right and go home.

Thanks for your help man I really appreciate it.

-Joe

 

Those two ports at the bottom are for the auto tranny cooler. There is a separate coil in the bottom of the rad. It's a straight through pass between the two ports that you plugged. Coolant does not flow inside that coil, so what you did to connect both ports is OK, but not necessary (you could have just plugged them to keep dirt out instead.) This is not the cause of your overheating.

If all your components are OK, which you think they are, then your problem is surely air in your system. Was the front of the truck jacked up at all when you refilled and burped the system? If not, get it up really high (Don't just lift it up 6 inches... I normally lift the front up as much as I can with my jack when I refill and burp my system. I've never had a problem.

 

I'm going to go out to the house after class and try to burp it best I can.



Thanks everyone,

-Joe

 

i would recommednd putting electric fans on than the radiator wont overheat If not you might have a defective rad and did oyu change the thermostat when you cahnged out the radiator