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Over-Heating/leaking Radiator Corolla 2002


kcoralla86
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Hi all,

I'm looking for recommended toyota specialists/repairists in the Coventry area (Coventry, Bedworth, Nuneaton, Leamington). Recently my 2002 Corolla T-spirit has been overheating, meaning I have to refill with water alms daily. I didn't think it was a leak because I couldn't see any leaks, but now there is definitely a leak but I can't see where from. I can only guess it is from the top of the radiator as I can see a small stream of steam coming from this part of the radiator, but can't see the actual leak itself.

I have tried K-Seal radiator sealer, which was highly recommended, but this didn't work, so it sounds like I need to replace the radiator.

Also it's a little strange, as it gets hot quite quickly, and if I get out my car and go near the bonnet, I can hear the steam, but the indicator on the Dashboard suggests it is operating at normal (expected) temperatures.

I'd appreciate any recommendations over a repairist in the local area, and any other advice anyone offer.

Thank you in advance

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Dont drive the car untill youve replaced the rad basically

Easy enough to do in an afternoon with a basic spanner set too

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Hi,

As Steven says its not such a difficult job to replace the radiator, but equally important is filling it up and avoiding air locks etc.

Also assuming its never been changed it would be sensible to change the thermostat as well.

Sounds as if you really want someone to do it for you so phone around a few places as see what prices they give.

Try the usual natioanl places like Halfords and some of your local ones, any local repair garage near you could do it.

All those parts , rad,stat and anitfreeze would set you back about £120 retail, so if you are getting a garage to do it for you I would be looking at under £200 all in.

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Hi,

As Steven says its not such a difficult job to replace the radiator, but equally important is filling it up and avoiding air locks etc.

Also assuming its never been changed it would be sensible to change the thermostat as well.

Sounds as if you really want someone to do it for you so phone around a few places as see what prices they give.

Try the usual natioanl places like Halfords and some of your local ones, any local repair garage near you could do it.

All those parts , rad,stat and anitfreeze would set you back about £120 retail, so if you are getting a garage to do it for you I would be looking at under £200 all in.

Thanks... Yes I was quoted £164 +VAT earlier today, but this didn't include the thermostat. Just the radiator, anti-freeze & labour. But as you say I'm looking at around £200 then.

Is it really simple enough to DIY? Looking at it, I can't see how you get the radiator out and the new one in without taking the front bumper off!! Do either of you know whether the front bumper will need to come out or not? Seems like a lot of work, if the bumper needs to come off, but if not, then I can do it myself. I'd appreciate it if you can point me in the direction of any instructions/tutorials for replacing the radiator.

Also having just had a quick look on Euro Car Parts... there are 2 radiators for my car... do you know how I can figure out which I would need? (see below link)

http://www.eurocarparts.com/car-radiator

Thanks again for replying

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Hi,

While it probably is the radiator leaking, are you sure is not something more simple like a loose or leaking hose ?

What about a faulty radiator cap, not the plastic one on the top-up tank, the metal one just underneath the plastic top cover ?

If you have any doubt, a good garage should be able to do a pressure test on it to show the point of leakage.

The radiator comes straight up and out, no need for bumper removal.

You will probably find £20 for a Haynes manual a good inverstment - it details all that needed to replace the radiator.

Believe they have some online manual scheme now as well as the printed books.

Not sure about the differences in the two radiators , cannot see them on that link, only the two for my 1.6 not your 1.8 tsport.

A quick call / email to ECP with your reg , vin and engine nos. should clear things up.

If you are looking into doing your own car servicing now you can save yourself some serious money longterm.

However, for the price that garage has quoted v your time and effort getting the parts, tools ,manuals it might be a good buy, though always get a couple of quotes, you might get some much better prices.

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Hi,

While it probably is the radiator leaking, are you sure is not something more simple like a loose or leaking hose ?

What about a faulty radiator cap, not the plastic one on the top-up tank, the metal one just underneath the plastic top cover ?

If you have any doubt, a good garage should be able to do a pressure test on it to show the point of leakage.

The radiator comes straight up and out, no need for bumper removal.

You will probably find £20 for a Haynes manual a good inverstment - it details all that needed to replace the radiator.

Believe they have some online manual scheme now as well as the printed books.

Not sure about the differences in the two radiators , cannot see them on that link, only the two for my 1.6 not your 1.8 tsport.

A quick call / email to ECP with your reg , vin and engine nos. should clear things up.

If you are looking into doing your own car servicing now you can save yourself some serious money longterm.

However, for the price that garage has quoted v your time and effort getting the parts, tools ,manuals it might be a good buy, though always get a couple of quotes, you might get some much better prices.

Hi

Thanks... I'll take a look at the Haynes manual. Been reading a few guides online which seem quite straightforward. I am pretty sure it is not a loose cap or hose, as I can roughly see where the steam is coming from, and the pipe of the right of engine that goes from the radiator to the engine does get hot. But it does vary... sometimes it can just feel a little warm and when it's squeezed it doesn't have much water in, other times you can feel the water... probably varies because water levels are constantly changing as I have to keep filling it up.

Glad I don't need to take the bumper off. I'll give ECP a call and see which radiator they say I need, then I might go do it myself.

Can I ask why you suggest changing the Thermostat at the same time?

Thanks again.

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Hi,

You might want to download this service info from this recent post http://www.toyotaown...howtopic=137451

Its very good though the Haynes manual does cover the standard service work a lot more detail for the diyer.

The thermostat has a wax pellet to operate it, after 10 years use they can fail anytime, and if you have had overheating problems it will only speed that process up.

If you are doing it yourself, I would suggest you first replace the radiator and fill up with plain water and test if for a day to ensure there are no leaks or air locks and everything is running normally.

Then if you want to replace the stat, do that as a separate job as it involves lifting up the alternator, according to the book.

Again after testing it leakproof with water, drain it off, which will help get rid of that radiator sealer and fill up with either Toyota Long Life Pink antifreeze or a good quality standard one.

I find the best way is to put in the correct amount of concentrate anti freeze first, then top up with plain water.

If you are in a hard water area some suggest using distilled or deionised water to avoid blocking up the cabin heater matrix, which should be set to off / cold before you drain the radiator so avoiding an air lock in the heater matrix.

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Which should be set to off / cold before you drain the radiator so avoiding an air lock in the heater matrix.

All correct bar this bit. The heater needs to be left on hot so the old coolant can drain and the new stuff can get in without airlocking.

If left on cold when refilling you get airlocks

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Which should be set to off / cold before you drain the radiator so avoiding an air lock in the heater matrix.

All correct bar this bit. The heater needs to be left on hot so the old coolant can drain and the new stuff can get in without airlocking.

If left on cold when refilling you get airlocks

Hi guys,

Thanks for your help so far. Today I had the radiator replaced with a new one at a garage (opted not to do it myself). However, the engine is still getting hot. The guy at the garage asked if the car had been used much since the overheating began, but it hadn't been used much. He thought there might be a problem with the head gasket, however the car hasn't lost any power.

I'm wondering if it is the thermostat after all, and maybe it is not opening correctly?

Symptoms at the moment are:

  • Overheating
  • When driving, there is a rattling noise (usually when in 2nd or 3rd gear) but not when the car is stationary and in neutral gear.
  • The heating system is blowing air through the fans in the car, however the air is not hot at all even when the temp is turned right up to HOT. Similarly, the A/C doesn't cool.

Just to give you a background of the car:

  • I have had the car for 4 years now, and this is the first problem I have had with it, the car has been good to me so far.
  • Petrol, 1.6, Manual with A/C - T-Spirit model
  • The car has done about 105k on the mileage.

I'd be grateful for any further advice people can give me. I really hope it is not the head gasket, but don't believe it is as the car has not lost power.

Thank you

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Hi,

Ah, thats not good !

Although you have given a lot of info, you have not metioned some key points.

First, has the new radiator stopped the water loss ? -don't know how many miles you have done today.

It may seem to loose a little as some little air locks come out of the system after the refill.

The overheating, assume your temp gauge is going to the top ? - from cold how long does that take, 5 ,10 15 mins ?

The Rattling when running is hopefully just Pinking due to the overheating - either way its a warning sign to cool down.

No heat from the heater unit and the air con - could be misleading / separate problems - so leave out for the moment.

What I would do, assuming the engine is now coolsih.

Start the engine and let it idle away for several mins and watch the temp gauge move up the dial - just below half way is the normal postion for mine.

While its below half way feel the top hose and the top edge of the radiatior they should remain coolish.

When the dial get to about half way the thermostat should open and you will feel the top of the radiator start flooding with warm then hot water.

If that does not happen but the temp gauge continues towords the top, then it probable the thermostat is faulty ./ stuck shut.

There is a chance that something is wrong with the water pump but come to that later if needed.

Try that test first and let us know what happens.

Dont test it when hot as the radiator will be too hot to touch !

Also mind your finger on the two cooling fans as they should cut in when the temp gauge goes above the half way mark - do they come on ??

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Right your car has not had its cooling system bleed correctly if you are not getting hot air through the heaters. Before doing anything else the system needs to be bleed correctly to remove the airlocks or it WILL constantly over heat even if everything is as it should be.

A quick question i have is - are the radiator fans opperating?

Once they system is bleed correctly, run the car up to temp again confirming you have hot air coming through. Leave it run untill the radiator fans start. If they do and the car still over heats, check wether the bottom radiator hose is getting hot. If it is not then the thermostat is siezed shut and needs to be changed.

If the bottom hose is hot and the fans are kicking in then i would have a compression test done on the engine along with a sniff test to see if the headgaskets gone. Is there a white mayo substance under the oil cap? Is the oil clean on the dipstick or does it look like chocolate milkshake?

Let us know how you get on

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Hi,

Ah, thats not good !

Although you have given a lot of info, you have not metioned some key points.

First, has the new radiator stopped the water loss ? -don't know how many miles you have done today.

It may seem to loose a little as some little air locks come out of the system after the refill.

The overheating, assume your temp gauge is going to the top ? - from cold how long does that take, 5 ,10 15 mins ?

The Rattling when running is hopefully just Pinking due to the overheating - either way its a warning sign to cool down.

No heat from the heater unit and the air con - could be misleading / separate problems - so leave out for the moment.

What I would do, assuming the engine is now coolsih.

Start the engine and let it idle away for several mins and watch the temp gauge move up the dial - just below half way is the normal postion for mine.

While its below half way feel the top hose and the top edge of the radiatior they should remain coolish.

When the dial get to about half way the thermostat should open and you will feel the top of the radiator start flooding with warm then hot water.

If that does not happen but the temp gauge continues towords the top, then it probable the thermostat is faulty ./ stuck shut.

There is a chance that something is wrong with the water pump but come to that later if needed.

Try that test first and let us know what happens.

Thanks for the reply, I'll try this tomorrow. To answer some of your questions above:

  1. The new radiator does seem to have stopped the water loss. I noticed some leaking but very little to before, and as you say this might be expected as airlocks come out the system after its refill
  2. Yes the temp gauge goes right up to the last white line, sometimes in the red. I would say it takes about 5 minutes to get to this stage. I can time it tomorrow

I did notice that when we switch the AC on and turn the fan on full, the temp goes down. But wasn't sure why this might be?

I'll try your steps tomorrow, and feedback with any further info.

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From that post above its suggesting that the thermostat is stuck closed. However you would still have hot air coming through the heaters (taking temperature away from the engine) so unsure why you are not

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From that post above its suggesting that the thermostat is stuck closed. However you would still have hot air coming through the heaters (taking temperature away from the engine) so unsure why you are not

Hi Steven,

I suggested he ignore the cabin heater for the moment - it could be misleading .

The car is a 2002 model and he has used a rad sealer so as other folk on the forum with 2002 models have reported there is fair chance it is now blocked.

Will be interested to hear the results of the test suggested if he can feel the hort water flowing intop the rad when the stat should be opening ?

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.

I noticed some leaking but very little to before,

Hi,

Do you mean there actually is water coming out of the new radiator ??

or that the Level in the header tank has dropped slightly ?

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If the heater was blocked then turning the fans on wouldnt make any difference to the engine temp.

Having no hot air blow through the heater is the first indication that there are airlocks in the system, so imho it is a big issue to a car thats overheating.

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Hi, Ah, thats not good ! Although you have given a lot of info, you have not metioned some key points. First, has the new radiator stopped the water loss ? -don't know how many miles you have done today. It may seem to loose a little as some little air locks come out of the system after the refill. The overheating, assume your temp gauge is going to the top ? - from cold how long does that take, 5 ,10 15 mins ? The Rattling when running is hopefully just Pinking due to the overheating - either way its a warning sign to cool down. No heat from the heater unit and the air con - could be misleading / separate problems - so leave out for the moment. What I would do, assuming the engine is now coolsih. Start the engine and let it idle away for several mins and watch the temp gauge move up the dial - just below half way is the normal postion for mine. While its below half way feel the top hose and the top edge of the radiatior they should remain coolish. When the dial get to about half way the thermostat should open and you will feel the top of the radiator start flooding with warm then hot water. If that does not happen but the temp gauge continues towords the top, then it probable the thermostat is faulty ./ stuck shut. There is a chance that something is wrong with the water pump but come to that later if needed. Try that test first and let us know what happens. Dont test it when hot as the radiator will be too hot to touch ! Also mind your finger on the two cooling fans as they should cut in when the temp gauge goes above the half way mark - do they come on ??
Right your car has not had its cooling system bleed correctly if you are not getting hot air through the heaters. Before doing anything else the system needs to be bleed correctly to remove the airlocks or it WILL constantly over heat even if everything is as it should be. A quick question i have is - are the radiator fans opperating? Once they system is bleed correctly, run the car up to temp again confirming you have hot air coming through. Leave it run untill the radiator fans start. If they do and the car still over heats, check wether the bottom radiator hose is getting hot. If it is not then the thermostat is siezed shut and needs to be changed. If the bottom hose is hot and the fans are kicking in then i would have a compression test done on the engine along with a sniff test to see if the headgaskets gone. Is there a white mayo substance under the oil cap? Is the oil clean on the dipstick or does it look like chocolate milkshake? Let us know how you get on

Hi guys,

Right so I have checked what you both have suggested. I let the engine run for a few minutes, and when the heater gauge is below half way both top and bottom pipes are cool. When the gauge reaches half way the top pipe becomes warm/hot, however the bottom pipe remains cool (not even warm).

I touched the radiator and it remained cool. I left it to run for about 10minutes to see if the gauge got any hotter, however it did not. I noticed though that while the gauge was at half way the fan came on, but only briefly for 1minute. It did this twice.

I then took it for a spin and the gauge went up to hot after about 1mile, and the fan did come on. I am pretty sure the fan is ok, as it has been coming on as expected.

When I stopped the car, and opened the bonnet, I waited to see how long it would take for the fan to switch off, which wasn't long, probably 2 minutes. At this point I then checked the pipes again, and found the same thing. The top one was hot, and the bottom was cool (again not even warm). As the fan was off, I carefully touched the radiator (touching the swiggly lines where the water would flow), and this too was cool. So the radiator itself is not getting hot/warm.

Based on this it does sound as if the stat is faulty or stuck. But I would like to take you viewpoint on this. Can I ask about the two pipes. Does the top one flow water from the engine to the radiator, and the bottom one from the radiator to the engine? - Also should both be getting hot?

Before doing all this I did check the oil cap, and didn't see any mayo like substance. Also when I saw water leak after the radiator change it didn't look to be from the radiator itself, it looked like a little water had overflowed a little from the white plastic top up tank.

What do you guys think... does it sell sound like the thermostat or something else?

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If bottom hose is cold and top is hot then the thermostat is stuck closed. This stops the coolant going from the top of the engine to go through the radiator. Effectively what that means is the water boils in the engine as it would do in a kettle.

Replace this, and refill the coolant system again with the heaters on hot to stop air locks. Do not overheat the engine anymore untill this is done as youll end up causing head gasket issues.

If it still overheats with a new thermostat then the waterpumps failed - this could be the rattling noise you are hearing.

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If bottom hose is cold and top is hot then the thermostat is stuck closed. This stops the coolant going from the top of the engine to go through the radiator. Effectively what that means is the water boils in the engine as it would do in a kettle.

Replace this, and refill the coolant system again with the heaters on hot to stop air locks. Do not overheat the engine anymore untill this is done as youll end up causing head gasket issues.

If it still overheats with a new thermostat then the waterpumps failed - this could be the rattling noise you are hearing.

OK thanks.... I thought it was worth replacing the thermostat. Can I ask what is the job of the thermostat? Is it meant to heat to water, or gauge the temperature or something else?

Also is it straightforward enough to replace myself or a big job that I need to take to the garage? I know I can get a thermostat for about £12, so if it is fairly straight forward... I may do it myself.

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The job of the thermostat is to open when the coolant gets hot to allow the water to run into the the radiator, then back through the engine as cool coolant. If its stuck closed the water can not curculate around the engine and radiator so the water simply boils and the engine overheats.

Its a simple enough job to do yourself, you have to drain the coolant back out, remove the thermostat housing, replace the thermostat and refill up with coolant. A garage shouldnt charge you alot to do this if your not confident enough to change it :)

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The job of the thermostat is to open when the coolant gets hot to allow the water to run into the the radiator, then back through the engine as cool coolant. If its stuck closed the water can not curculate around the engine and radiator so the water simply boils and the engine overheats.

Its a simple enough job to do yourself, you have to drain the coolant back out, remove the thermostat housing, replace the thermostat and refill up with coolant. A garage shouldnt charge you alot to do this if your not confident enough to change it :)

Thanks Steven. It does look very straight forward, apart from after taking the engine cover off it looks very tricky to get to. I certainly can't get my hands to even feel where the bolts on the housing gasket are. So I am going to ring a few garages tomorrow.

A quick question. I read online that when replacing the Thermostat, you should also replace the Housing Gasket, that holds it. Do you think this is really necessary or would it be fine to use the original one? From what I gather, it only holds the thermostat in place so the original should be fine.

The only reason I ask, is because after a few google searches, it seems hard to find.

Also, when refilling the Coolant. How much Coolant should you use? 1L, 5L or 20L? I also imagine the Coolant has to be filled with water?

Thanks

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Hi,

Glad you hear you are getting close to finding the fault - agree with Steven, the stat is probably faulty but it cold also be that the water pump is damaged and not circulating the water.

Have not replaced the stat on the rolla but theHaynes manual suggests lifting or removing the alternator to give better access.

Must disconnect the electrics before you do that.

The stat gasket may already be in the new stats box, if not order one from Toyota, it will only be a £1 or so, false economy not replacing after all the work to get in there.

The stat must be fitted with the right way round and with the little jiggle value at the top.

The capacity is 6.5 ltrs though even when fully drained about a litre or more still remains inside.

As mentioned before just use water for now until you are sure everythings fine, then drain and refill with antifreeze.

Suggest you get a Haynes manual - money well spent -even if you end up getting a garage to do the work.

Edit - one of the tell tale signs the water pump is going out - a lot of noise from the fan belt area if its bearings are failing - which may or may not be the rattling you here.

If your can get under the car, properly supported. engine Off ! and look at the bottom of the water pump housing there is a little drain hole, any signs of water coming from there, sometimes it may be wet or signs of a dried fuild mark / corrosion

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The job of the thermostat is to open when the coolant gets hot to allow the water to run into the the radiator, then back through the engine as cool coolant. If its stuck closed the water can not curculate around the engine and radiator so the water simply boils and the engine overheats.

Its a simple enough job to do yourself, you have to drain the coolant back out, remove the thermostat housing, replace the thermostat and refill up with coolant. A garage shouldnt charge you alot to do this if your not confident enough to change it :)

Thanks Steven. It does look very straight forward, apart from after taking the engine cover off it looks very tricky to get to. I certainly can't get my hands to even feel where the bolts on the housing gasket are. So I am going to ring a few garages tomorrow.

A quick question. I read online that when replacing the Thermostat, you should also replace the Housing Gasket, that holds it. Do you think this is really necessary or would it be fine to use the original one? From what I gather, it only holds the thermostat in place so the original should be fine.

The only reason I ask, is because after a few google searches, it seems hard to find.

Also, when refilling the Coolant. How much Coolant should you use? 1L, 5L or 20L? I also imagine the Coolant has to be filled with water?

Thanks

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Hi all,

I just 2 days ago changed the coolant on my 2003 Corolla, using this simple procedure:

1) I drained the old coolant opening the bottom tap of radiator and waited some minutes to allow the fluid to drain almost completely.

2) I closed the bottom tap and refilled the radiator with new coolant using the top tap.

3) I switched on the engine , and while the level of coolant in the radiator was going down I provided to add fluid to mantain the full level.

4) When I seen that the level of fluid was remaining constant, I switched off the engine and closed the top tap of radiator.

Then I used normally the car for 130 Km. and all seems regular (included engine temperature).

After 130 Km.,probably now will be necessary to add a little of coolant to adjust the correct level.

I used this procedure with no particular cautions to avoid the air locks, because In somewhere on the web I read that the coolant circuit of Corolla is "open" and then eventual air in circuit automatically go away.

In effect seems that its true. But honestely I not tried yet the cabin heather....

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Yes they are very fiddly to do because of the lack of space. As said above id get a haynes mannual for the car as it will explain everything in a step by step tutorial if you dont know where to start :)

I would change the gasket/seal on the thermostat housing at the same time. Generally these come with the new thermostat so check at the time of buying ;)

When filling up coolant i always put one litre of coolant in one litre of water untill topped up to make sure you keep a 50/50 ratio of coolant and water. If you live in a hard water area i would buy some de ionised water to fill it rather than the tap stuff.

The heaters need to be on hot and the system filled up preferably with the rear of the car at a lower height than the front, this avoids airlocks. Run the car with the expansion cap off for a few minutes then replace to aid bleeding the coolant system. You should get hot air through the heaters on the car once warm (tho its a comon prob on corollas to only get luke warm air) but it shouldnt be cold. This confirms the system is bled correctly.

All this is explained in the haynes mannual in great detail if you decided to purchase one :)

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