Toyota Camry Cooling System Questions

21 messages, Last post on Nov 10, 2008 at 6:34 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Camry, Auto Repair, Sedan

This forum is for discussing any issue related to a car engine cooling system (NOT air conditioning!), including radiator, recommended coolant types, cooling fan, thermostat, overflow tank, air bleeding, belts and hoses, and even head gasket questions.

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#17 of 21 Re: Coolant level is going down slowly [210delray] by matt15 Jan 28, 2008 (1:43 pm)
Replying to: 210delray (Jan 27, 2008 5:18 pm) I'm in Maryland, so not the heat all year like in Phoenix. I do check the coolant when the engine is cold. The 2005 is driven more, around 9000 per year. The coolant level will get close to the low mark on the overflow tank and that is when I refill to the full mark. I check the level weekly. The '07 has dropped about to just above midway on the overflow tank and the car has 7,800 miles, purchased in April 2006, so this car is less used and the coolant loss from the tank is less than the '05. I'm beginning to believe this is just normal for these vehicles as the coolant loss is not dramatic and happens over an extended period of time.
#18 of 21 Re: Coolant level is going down slowly [igr] by igr Feb 10, 2008 (8:27 am)
Replying to: igr (Jan 27, 2008 7:24 pm) I've been driving with an empty overflow tank for a week now (I have ready coolant in my trunk just in case). Every morning when engine is cold, I check under the radiator cap and see that coolant is there, engine doesn't overheat during driving, so radiator seems not to be leaking. There are no leaks under the overflow tank either. So, it seems, that I'm loosing full overflow tank in 2 months due to evaporation only I've checked the cap of the overflow tank for resin insert and it looks good to me (no crack, no deformations).
#19 of 21 Re: Coolant level is going down slowly [igr] by igr Jun 17, 2008 (5:06 pm)
Replying to: igr (Nov 19, 2007 6:00 pm) I finally found signs of a coolant leak, besides slow level drop in the overflow coolant tank. Lot's of pink crystals in the area of a water pump, on the left side of engine, right under the belt. After visual inspection at Toyota dealership, service adviser told me that water pump has to be replaced. But when mechanic got to the the leak, it was found that some plastic plug on the left side of the engine block was leaking and not the water pump. Adviser told me that plastic plug can't be ordered as a part(not supplied by Toyota) and he has to order the "short block" assembly. I asked for more details and it appears that the whole engine block has to be ordered and replaced, because of the leaking plastic plug It's hard to believe, but I can't blame dealership for blowing repair volume, because warranty covers all the costs. Apparently, that plastic plug was so reliable leakwise, that there was never a need to supply it as a part, therefore the only way to get it is together with the engine block. I'm worried about such significant change. I asked adviser if I have to go through break-in period, because of new engine block and he said, that engine doesn't need break-in even if new, transmission does. Sounds weird to me Anybody went through engine block replacement? Replies to this message: 210delray (Jun 22, 2008 6:24 pm) igr (Nov 10, 2008 6:34 pm)
#20 of 21 Re: Coolant level is going down slowly [igr] by 210delray Jun 22, 2008 (6:24 pm)
Replying to: igr (Jun 17, 2008 5:06 pm) I've never had an engine replaced, but you will have to repeat the break-in process with the new engine per your owner's manual.
#21 of 21 Re: Coolant level is going down slowly [igr] by igr Nov 10, 2008 (6:34 pm)
Replying to: igr (Jun 17, 2008 5:06 pm) Engine short block has been replaced sometime at the end of June 2008 and coolant level has been stable since then. So, if your coolant slowly "evaporates", start looking for the leak. If you need to top it off more than once a year, it's leaking somewhere for sure. By the way, I couldn't find any break-in instructions in my Camry 2004 manual. So, I was just taking it easy for 2,000 kilometers.