Hello,
I have an '88 SR5 with a new radiator/new 195 thermostat/and relatively new heater box. When it is cold out it takes my truck a long time to heat up and throw out good warm air.
I have checked the temp control switch and that seems to be working ok.
I would appreciate any insight(s) you might offer on why it takes a long time for my truck to get hot. Or...is this just the way 88 Toyota pickup trucks are.
Thanks!

 

thermostat may be stuck open, did you test it before you installed it?

 

I do not really remember if I tested it, out of the box, or not. After truck runs for a while it has good heat.

 

195 seems to be a little high though i don't know what it calls for factory. i would find that out first. you have a couple options you can pull the 195 and test it or replace it with a lower one and see what happens.

 

What is a long time?

 

my 88 is blowing warm in 10 mins on a 40* day. takes about 5 mins driving for gauge to "wake up" (you know how it jumps from bottom straight to middle) and 5 more mins before i switch on, and it's warm then. i keep it on recirc and heat. check your cable op at the heater valve, make sure its opening all the way and your not just pushing cable that's bending at the valve end.

of course, make sure you have the right temp t-stat, and make sure you got yer back windows closed.

 

Coasting downhill, it take 5 min + heat up, going uphill, less than 2 minutes. Warm air comes out of mine in ~3min. Maybe you can use this for comparison.

 

our motors use a 195F T-stat with a nipple. If the nipples to big, it'll take longer for the motor to warm up.

might need to flush your heatercore too.

 

I have tried various aftermarket thermostats and have universally bad luck. The OEM thermostat from Toyota will last about 5 years and I have never had any trouble from the OEM. My '89 extended cab p/u heats up very quickly, even when it's pretty cold outside (16 deg F. last week in Edmonton on my drive to Anchorage). With temps well below freezing I have to turn down the temp lever after about 5 minutes.

 

i think you guys answered my question..
my 86 4runners motor takes about a half hour on a chilly day and about 2o mins on a regular day to get up to operating temp (a quarter of the way on the temp gauge)
what would be the best thermo to get...an OEM, 195? help me out here ive never delt with thermostats before

 

check the cable that controls the temp. it opens and closes a vent to let more or less heat from the heater core. also check if your AC is on. (that's if you have AC)

 

my heater is always on

takes about 1 minute for it to start blowing heat out of the vents (if i have them open)

i win

 

So you're saying big nipples are bad then?

 

So you're saying big nipples make you cold? Cause I could have sworn it was the other way around.

 

Thanks for your time.