Hi - I have a 95 camry 4cyl 5 speed manual with 291K miles.
I was in stop and go traffic and my temp gauge went up to the red line.
when I was able to drive a bit before stopping again it would come down as the air went over the radiator. I turned on the heater to draw some heat off the engine, it seemed to help a bit. It continued to do this the entire time but never really overheated to the point where I would have to shut off the car. Once I got out of stop and go it was fine so I parked at a store and let it idle. The temp gauge did go up and I couldnt tell if the fans came on or not.
This morning I looked at the radiator and found my coolant level to be low. Overflow was empty and radiator down at least 1 quart for sure maybe more.
This is my third radiator. The last one got blocked up and never turned the fans on because the hot water wasnt circulating by the fan switch anymore due to the blockage.
Any suggestions of what to look for or test would be appreciated. I didnt see any antifreeze dripping anywhere. How could it get low?
Thanks
Kevin

 

Check radiator fan operation.

Turn on AC. Fans should cycle on and off with AC compressor operation.

Disconnect the electrical plug from the coolant temp switch for the fans, the fans should then run. Switch is located on the lower radiator tank facing the engine.

 

turned AC on - fans came on, disconnected fan switch - fans came on.
I did add almost 2 qts of 50/50 antifreeze to radiator and overflow.
I drove the car to get it up to temp, then I drove back home and let it idle in the driveway - fans kicked on when temp triggered fan switch. Temp stayed right in middle or slightly above. Low antifreeze must have caused my near overheat so now I assume I must have a small leak somewhere.
I have no evidence of any leak on the ground where I park it.
When the radiator is full I can hear the antifreeze gurgling through the engine on intial
warmup, then its quiet after its warm. Is that normal?
I think my passenger side transmission seal might be starting to leak. Could this have anything to do with it? Is the passenger side considered the right side?
Thanks
Kev

 

Fan system appears to work OK. Assume the low coolant level caused the overheating issues.

For gurgling issues set the heater control to max heat to get the air out of the heater core. Some gurgling is normal after adding a lot of coolant as the air is working itself out of the system. The engine has no bleed valve for manual bleeding of air.

For lea checks, if you have the tools do a pressure test of the coolant system.

If not when engine cold run your hands over ever all coolant hose, fitting and pipe large and small feeling for coolant which has a slippery feel.

Check the coolant system bypass hose which is hidden under a lot of other items and hard to get out. Had one that was starting to split but until it burst had only a very small leak.

Check small coolant hoses going to the IAC valve on the intake manifold, the coolant hoses going to the oil cooler (if the engine has one) located behind the oil filter and connections at the firewall to the heater coil.

Check for coolant coming out from under the timing belt cover from the water pump.

Check for hairline cracks and very slight leaks from the upper and lower radiator tanks which are plastic. The upper tank tends to crack with age. Look for accumulation of coolant on the plastic shroud under the chassis on the front portion of the chassis. If coolant is leaking from the radiator it may accumulate here before dripping on the ground.

Check coolant overflow tank for cracks (common) and leakage plus small hose between tank and radiator.

Make sure the radiator cap is not leaking.

Feel the dash carpet under the passengers side interior area where the heater core would be for dampness, a sign the core may be leaking.

Check the connections of the metal bypass pipes at the water pump housing for leaks. These pipe run along the side of the engine the oil filter is on.

Basically check all hoses, connections, etc for leaks.

The passengers side could be called the right side but Toyota may have their own ideas of what is left and right. A leaking trans seal will not cause coolant loss.

If an automatic trans the differential the axle installs into has is own fluid chamber. This chamber is not connected to the main trans fluid system. Thus checking the trans fluid level is not checking the differential fluid.

If the axle seal is leaking then the differential fluid chamber will sooner or later run out of fluid and result in damage. Best to check the differential fluid level and keepingit full until you can fix the axle seal.

 

Thanks for all the time and effort with the detailed response Joey. Checked it all out, for the life of me I cant find the leak.
I did fix my coolant overflow at the beginning of the year because it did have a leak. I was adding coolant before that because of that leak and once I fixed it I stopped adding coolant. I also cleaned my IAC valve earlier in the year so I looked there real good in case I screwed something up there. I also pulled my distributor earlier in the year to replace the ignition module - I did put a new O-ring on the shaft - this would be engine oil anyway not coolant I think. I know the car has 291K and I do have to add a quart of oil if I try and stretch a 3000 mile oil change. Is it possible that older cars can consume coolant as well or will this eventually lead to a blowout somewhere along the line?
Thanks
Kev

 

The distributor is not tied into the cooling system, changing it would have no impact.

The coolant system is self contained. Unless a leak, coolant boil over from radiator or overflow tank, etc. the level should stay the same.

If coolant is leaking from a hose, fitting, etc you should have been able to feel it. One other place to check is the block which has core plugs (freeze plugs). These plugs are exposed to the coolant and over time can corrode causing a leak. They are also located on the back of the block thus check here.

There is also a block drain plug on the back of the block toward the drivers side, check this for leakage also.

The coolant is either leaking out of the engine or passing out the exhaust pipe via a head gasket problem.

You can try the following:

Pressure test the coolant system to check for leaks.

Dye test. Dye is available that can be added to the coolant and will glow under black (UV) light. You can purchase a black light blub at most hardware or department stores.

Test coolant for exhaust gases. There is a test called block test that tests the coolant for exhaust gases. If present the chemical fluid used in the test will change color. A kit available at autoparts stores costs around $50.

You might start by obtaining the dye (check auto parts stores) and a black light. Add the dye, top off the coolant system and drive. When the coolant has dropped and time to add more use the light to check for leaks. Also check tail pipe.

For best result conduct do the examination is is in a darkened location or at night.

Caution: When using a UV bulb, don't look at the illuminated bulb for any length of time as this may be healthy for your eyes.

 

of course, you can simply have head gasket that is leaking coolant into the combustion chambers/cylinders. Does it smoke grey, especially on cold startups?

 

Thanks guys - I will get a dye test as this would be the easiest test for me. I do have grey smoke on cold startup - this has been going on for years and I just assumed it was from the quart of oil I lose every 3000 miles. Head gasket would be worse than valve cover gasket I assume. Would it even be worth trying to fix a head gasket at this point?
Thanks

 

Coolant out the exhaust tends to be white, as in steam.

The valve guide stem seals can wear out resulting in smoke at cold start up, typically also white.

As to the head gasket depends on who does the work ($$). Given the high miles if you can do the job yourself it might be worth it, if a shop then too much $$.

If it is the head gasket and you decide to fix it yourself, do the minimum work. This being resurfacing the head and perhaps replacing valve stem seals, skip the valve job. Shop for parts on the internet to find decent brands at reasonable prices.

A blown head gasket typically result in overheating issues, does not appear you had this. Just don't let the temp get into the red to many times or if the engine does not have a blown head gasket the odds are it will now.