Please Help with Cooling system Questions
 

OK I am a new one on here. I have a problem with my fathers 92 Camry 3.0. We bought it in August so we really didn't try the Heater. Well here in Chicago Area its getting cooler out. Some insight on the car. Bought used in the middle of the hot summer. AC works fine. Gets really cold. Fan works when idle and when engine gets hotter. Temp gauge would ALWAYS stay at dead in the middle of the temp. When driving and AC is on. My dad was wondering why he didn't have heat. Well I changed the thermostat and here is when the problems started.

upper radiator was hot, lower was cold.
Changed thermostat.
NO change.
changed thermostat again.
No change.
flushed heater core.
Flushed Radiator with garden hose. Good flow coming out of radiator but possible blockage.
Car runs fine for 30 mins temp fluctuates when thermostat opens.
After driving it temp goes up then down up then down.
when getting back home, let idle in driveway then temp will go way up almost to red then shut off and you can hear
bubbling in the coolant resovoir.

Please any help would be greatly appreciated or if anyone is in the area that is also appreciated.
Brian

Did you install the thermostat correctly having the giggle pin aligned with the upper stud?

Are the radiator coolant fans turning on?

Yea thermostat was installed correctly. The giggle pin was align with the upper stud. Should I get a new thermostat gasket and new radiator cap. Please some insight?

did you bleed the air out the system. anytime you open the coolant system you have to bleed the air out. sounds like you might have a big air pocket . theres a tool to remove the air out the system. it looks like a funnel that you screw on top the radiator where the cap goes. try that

Air in the system could cause this strange behavior. What happens when the engine cools down and you add more coolant, does the engine still overheat?

When adding coolant try squeezing the large radiator coolant hoses to get out the air.

These engine does not appear to have a coolant bleed valve. Should be self bleeding.

Do the fans still work OK?

If the upper hose is hot and lower hose is cold coolant is not flowing through the radiator. Sometimes you can remove the radiator cap (engine cold) and let the engine idle. After a time you might be able to actually see if the coolant is circulating. The engine should be able to idle constantly (fans turning on and off) and not overheat. If it overheats at idle there most likely is an issue with the water/coolant not circulating.

When your working this issue you can use distilled water instead of coolant. This will help with the mess of draining the coolant system.

How is the radiator cap?

Did you use any engine coolant system flush additives?

If you place a garden hose in the upper radiator pipe, the water should all flow at the bottom pipe without backing up.