Overheating '92 Celica Gt : Help !

[Renaud Belgian Mayers]

Hi guys,

I am new on here and need some help.

I do own a '92 Celica GT. She is my pride and joy.

Recently, the engine has started over heating. I can't figure our where the problem comes from.

The radiator is less than 5 years old and I do not lose any water/coolant.

When I start the car, the engine gets to temperature really fast. Less than 2 minutes.

Then it starts overheating...

The engine never overheats on idle, only when the car is driving... At cruising speed, the needle can get right past the red. But if I rev the engine, the temperature gauge goes down straigh away.

Same goes when I stop the car but let the engine idling : The temperarure goes back down...

But as soon as I restart driving at normal speed, it overheats again.

I check the water and oil every day. I don't have any leak and there is no white gunk on the oil cap which seems to show the head gasket is still holding...

In short :

The engine gets to running temperature far too quickly, less than 2 minutes.

The engine does not overheat on idle or at high rev/high speed, but overheat severly when the car drives at normal revs/speed.

Any ideas on what is going on ?

I really need to sort this out pretty quickly.

Many thanks.

[PaulinhoT]

Hello Renaud, welcome to the TOC, maybe worth asking in the Celica section ?

[acetip]

Welcome to the TOC Renaud

[dwuellner]

My first thought was head gasket, but you said that you weren;t losing any coolant. I still suspect that anyway. I have a '91 Celica, and I had the opposite problem - it would not heat up. My problem was the thermostat. It could also be yours, and it's a cheap experiment to replace it and see.

Good luck!

[Renaud Belgian Mayers]

Many thanks.

[Racierob]

Hi got similar issues with my st185 turbo... Did you get to the bottom of the problem? 

[Raistlin]

Hi, Welcome to the club...  Enjoy