Engine almost overheated...

[Kenshin X]

Omg, I almost had a disaster today. I was driving my misses to an interview travelling on the freeway for 15 mins and through the city, when i finally made it to the building and dropped her off, i quickly looked at the dash board and found the needle a little more than 3/4 from "H"!

In a panic I pulled over and expecting the worst from the engine. There wasn't any smoke or unusual sound thank god. I left the key in the ON position and let the fan run to cool the engine down and restarted the car again.

I believe that it was because i was driving with the center console detached from the car and this somehow regulates the water passing through the engine cooling system.

I attached it on again and drove the car with it connected in and it ran normal temperature again. Lucky there wasn't any ticking/pinging or unusual engine noise/black smoke coming from the exhaust...

The only thing that i found "unusual" was the very hot air blowing on my feet as a was driving... I wondered if any damage was done to the ducts... as they are plastic and is there anyway to find out? Everything else seems OK...

So guys, almost having a terrible disaster, I learnt one thing and to share with you guys if you didn't already know...

DON'T DRIVE WITHOUT YOUR CENTER CONSOLE DETACHED FROM THE CAR!

[and1]

Centre console does not affect your coolant temps. Why the hell would it. I ran without it for a whole week.

Maybe you should look at your coolant level? Or perhaps you had something covering your radiator.

[eviltwin]

Mate , the console has nothing to do with the issue what so ever.

[Kenshin X]

Yeah u guys are prolly right... But what's the sound in the dash when u leave the keys on the ON position? It's like flaps opening/closing kind of noise.

In any case it gave me a panic attack maybe should check it out with a mechanic. I'll ask Toyota tomr if the center console has anything to do with temp cooling... Lucky I have a habit of looking atthe dash every 5 mins!

[123R-Prozak]

lol, put reds on, no engine so its all quiet....

change the air vent recirculation to feet and face and demist etc, ull prob find its the flaps changing direction of the air flow?

[Guni]

Yeah u guys are prolly right... But what's the sound in the dash when u leave the keys on the ON position? It's like flaps opening/closing kind of noise.

Its call the fuel pump.

[and1]

Yeah u guys are prolly right... But what's the sound in the dash when u leave the keys on the ON position? It's like flaps opening/closing kind of noise.

In any case it gave me a panic attack maybe should check it out with a mechanic. I'll ask Toyota tomr if the center console has anything to do with temp cooling... Lucky I have a habit of looking atthe dash every 5 mins!

Don't ask Toyota about it. There's no way that the console can control the radiator and coolant temps. That would be silly. Cars would be overheating all over the place if it were the case.

Yeah u guys are prolly right... But what's the sound in the dash when u leave the keys on the ON position? It's like flaps opening/closing kind of noise.

Its call the fuel pump.

+1

Also would be the fan kicking in to try to get those temps down.

[Kenshin X]

yes cuz as far as i know for any car, water temp is controlled by the water pump + thermostat...

i rang toyota, they couldn't give me a direct answer. said I should drive it with centre console off again for the same distance and see whether it happens again or not. then drive it again with it on and check it...

"possible with faulty temp gauge" he said.

another mechanic told me that the center console also controls the heater core and with this off, it cant regulate it and hence water does not flow.

if this is the case, the heater is controlled by the flow of water that also goes through the engine as well... and it will not blow hot air unless the water is warm/hot. this heater core will not let the water flow so hence water isn't curculating through the engine even if the thermostat and the water pump are working...

don't bet on it but its the best explaination i can give atm...

i'll try taking it off and drive it for the same distance like before and see how i go...

btw and1, did u drive it for long distances with it off? becuz i had it off for a few days, but that was travelling short distances so i didn't see anything unusual

[and1]

yes cuz as far as i know for any car, water temp is controlled by the water pump + thermostat...

i rang toyota, they couldn't give me a direct answer. said I should drive it with centre console off again for the same distance and see whether it happens again or not. then drive it again with it on and check it...

"possible with faulty temp gauge" he said.

another mechanic told me that the center console also controls the heater core and with this off, it cant regulate it and hence water does not flow.

if this is the case, the heater is controlled by the flow of water that also goes through the engine as well... and it will not blow hot air unless the water is warm/hot. this heater core will not let the water flow so hence water isn't curculating through the engine even if the thermostat and the water pump are working...

don't bet on it but its the best explaination i can give atm...

i'll try taking it off and drive it for the same distance like before and see how i go...

btw and1, did u drive it for long distances with it off? becuz i had it off for a few days, but that was travelling short distances so i didn't see anything unusual

What you are saying there sounds all wrong.

Water pump is always turning as it is connected to the acc belt. Thermostat regulates flow to radiator. So when the engine temps get high, the thermostat opens up.

Like I said before it's probably just coincidence that your temps went up with it off. Did you check that there wasn't something blocking your radiator like a plastic bag or something? Also did you end up checking your coolant levels?

Yes I drove on the freeway for about 25-30 mins each day for a few days.

[eviltwin]

http://www.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system.htm

[vvti16v]

If anyone ever found the engine to be overheating, swith on your heater to full blast this will help the engine to cool down.

[Kenshin X]

yes cuz as far as i know for any car, water temp is controlled by the water pump + thermostat...

i rang toyota, they couldn't give me a direct answer. said I should drive it with centre console off again for the same distance and see whether it happens again or not. then drive it again with it on and check it...

"possible with faulty temp gauge" he said.

another mechanic told me that the center console also controls the heater core and with this off, it cant regulate it and hence water does not flow.

if this is the case, the heater is controlled by the flow of water that also goes through the engine as well... and it will not blow hot air unless the water is warm/hot. this heater core will not let the water flow so hence water isn't curculating through the engine even if the thermostat and the water pump are working...

don't bet on it but its the best explaination i can give atm...

i'll try taking it off and drive it for the same distance like before and see how i go...

btw and1, did u drive it for long distances with it off? becuz i had it off for a few days, but that was travelling short distances so i didn't see anything unusual

What you are saying there sounds all wrong.

Water pump is always turning as it is connected to the acc belt. Thermostat regulates flow to radiator. So when the engine temps get high, the thermostat opens up.

Like I said before it's probably just coincidence that your temps went up with it off. Did you check that there wasn't something blocking your radiator like a plastic bag or something? Also did you end up checking your coolant levels?

Yes I drove on the freeway for about 25-30 mins each day for a few days.

yeah first thing i did was pop the bonnet and checked the water and oil levels, everything seemed fine and nothing was blocking the radiator...

maybe i should write this as a one off happening cuz i got NFI how it happened...

[Kenshin X]

If anyone ever found the engine to be overheating, swith on your heater to full blast this will help the engine to cool down.

really?

i guess itwould becuz its blowing on the water pipe going thru the heater ducts but it wouldn't be as quick as leaving the engine running by itself isnt it?

Edit: Sorry my bad, I meant engine fan running with engine OFF

Edited February 25, 2010 by Kenshin X

[DJKOR]

I can't believe that you asked Toyota about whether the centre console affects the car's cooling system. If I was a tech receiving that call, there would sure be a lot of laughing.

As has already been mentioned a few times, the console has stuff all effect on your cooling system when it is functioning correctly. I state "correctly" because as has already been mentioned, if your cooling system has somewhat become less efficient while driving, you can adjust your heater to full and put your fan to high to help dissipate some heat in some cases.

If you have your heater on full with the fan high, you can get quite a bit of heat exchanging there and this can help towards cooling the engine in an emergency.

You even stated this observation yourself when you said:

The only thing that i found "unusual" was the very hot air blowing on my feet as a was driving...

And I guess you learnt wrong by making assumptions:

So guys, almost having a terrible disaster, I learnt one thing and to share with you guys if you didn't already know...

DON'T DRIVE WITHOUT YOUR CENTER CONSOLE DETACHED FROM THE CAR!

So to not make a fool of yourself, don't keep trying to convince yourself that the console was the cause.

If you really wanted to be sure, I'd be checking that your thermostat is in good working order and if you want to be really sure, flush your cooling system (specifically your radiator) to ensure that there is nothing that could block the flow.

[and1]

yes cuz as far as i know for any car, water temp is controlled by the water pump + thermostat...

i rang toyota, they couldn't give me a direct answer. said I should drive it with centre console off again for the same distance and see whether it happens again or not. then drive it again with it on and check it...

"possible with faulty temp gauge" he said.

another mechanic told me that the center console also controls the heater core and with this off, it cant regulate it and hence water does not flow.

if this is the case, the heater is controlled by the flow of water that also goes through the engine as well... and it will not blow hot air unless the water is warm/hot. this heater core will not let the water flow so hence water isn't curculating through the engine even if the thermostat and the water pump are working...

don't bet on it but its the best explaination i can give atm...

i'll try taking it off and drive it for the same distance like before and see how i go...

btw and1, did u drive it for long distances with it off? becuz i had it off for a few days, but that was travelling short distances so i didn't see anything unusual

What you are saying there sounds all wrong.

Water pump is always turning as it is connected to the acc belt. Thermostat regulates flow to radiator. So when the engine temps get high, the thermostat opens up.

Like I said before it's probably just coincidence that your temps went up with it off. Did you check that there wasn't something blocking your radiator like a plastic bag or something? Also did you end up checking your coolant levels?

Yes I drove on the freeway for about 25-30 mins each day for a few days.

yeah first thing i did was pop the bonnet and checked the water and oil levels, everything seemed fine and nothing was blocking the radiator...

maybe i should write this as a one off happening cuz i got NFI how it happened...

When you say you checked water levels I sure hope you mean the one on the radiator overflow tank and not your washer fluid one

[DJKOR]

When you say you checked water levels I sure hope you mean the one on the radiator overflow tank and not your washer fluid one

Thanks for reminding me. I forgot to mention in my last post that checking your coolant reservoir is not an indication of your coolant level unless your radiator is full. If your radiator is running lower on coolant, the reservoir can still have a level between empty and full. It isn't always like this, but be aware that there are situation when that can happen. So I'd also check your radiator coolant levels (when the engine is cool obviously).

[Kenshin X]

I can't believe that you asked Toyota about whether the centre console affects the car's cooling system. If I was a tech receiving that call, there would sure be a lot of laughing.

As has already been mentioned a few times, the console has stuff all effect on your cooling system when it is functioning correctly. I state "correctly" because as has already been mentioned, if your cooling system has somewhat become less efficient while driving, you can adjust your heater to full and put your fan to high to help dissipate some heat in some cases.

If you have your heater on full with the fan high, you can get quite a bit of heat exchanging there and this can help towards cooling the engine in an emergency.

You even stated this observation yourself when you said:

The only thing that i found "unusual" was the very hot air blowing on my feet as a was driving...

And I guess you learnt wrong by making assumptions:

So guys, almost having a terrible disaster, I learnt one thing and to share with you guys if you didn't already know...

DON'T DRIVE WITHOUT YOUR CENTER CONSOLE DETACHED FROM THE CAR!

So to not make a fool of yourself, don't keep trying to convince yourself that the console was the cause.

If you really wanted to be sure, I'd be checking that your thermostat is in good working order and if you want to be really sure, flush your cooling system (specifically your radiator) to ensure that there is nothing that could block the flow.

umm u guys are right... maybe i shouldnt jump to conclusions too quickly. I told the toyota guy and that it maybe a stupid question, but i asked it anyways :P i'll get it checked on the next service and heopfully everything would be running OK.

btw, while on the coolant topic, the fluid that toyota uses for its radiator cooling... I was told that the red inhibitor isn't good for the piping in the long run and that the green coolant is the better choice. I was told at my last service that changing to green coolant isn't possible because its always better to use what toyota used from when the engine was delivered... i was also told that the red inhibitor eats through seals and the meachanic showed me the water pump seal that was beginning to leak... he also showed me part of the host that the red inhibitor was flaking from the end of the hose.

"its a common problem with toyota water pumps because of the inhibitor" he said... "u may have to change the water pump when u reach 100,000km"

your opinions and input are greatly appreciated so far guys,

cheers

[DJKOR]

... I was told that the red inhibitor isn't good for the piping in the long run and that the green coolant is the better choice.

They have REALLY got this the wrong way around. For all Toyota's (except the newer ones... will bring this up after) the red Long Life Coolant (LLC) is a good coolant that will not damage any part of your Toyota genuine cooling system on it's own.

For the newer Toyota's, these use the pink Super Long Life Coolant (SLLC). This stuff is even better and there have been people who have done a drain and fill at the recommended 160,000km service interval and have noticed the coolant was still clean and the radiator core was in excellent condition.

Using the green coolant where the Toyota Long or Super Long Life Coolant was specified will not be a good idea.

[123R-Prozak]

wait huh :S um heater on cools the motor down? i would of thought ac so your ac fan turns on which helps cool the radiator down, big deal if the coolant goes through the heater core... as for that noise in the dash why are people saying fuel pump ???

Edited February 25, 2010 by 123R-Prozak

[Kenshin X]

... I was told that the red inhibitor isn't good for the piping in the long run and that the green coolant is the better choice.

They have REALLY got this the wrong way around. For all Toyota's (except the newer ones... will bring this up after) the red Long Life Coolant (LLC) is a good coolant that will not damage any part of your Toyota genuine cooling system on it's own.

For the newer Toyota's, these use the pink Super Long Life Coolant (SLLC). This stuff is even better and there have been people who have done a drain and fill at the recommended 160,000km service interval and have noticed the coolant was still clean and the radiator core was in excellent condition.

Using the green coolant where the Toyota Long or Super Long Life Coolant was specified will not be a good idea.

nice, so i can go tell my mechanic that he is bull****ting lol

my friend has a 01 celica and he changed his to the green coolant, i never knew why though...

[DJKOR]

wait huh :S um heater on cools the motor down? i would of thought ac so your ac fan turns on which helps cool the radiator down...

Will provide no benefit or even worse, produce more heat. The A/C condenser is usually located in front of the radiator. As a result, when you turn your A/C on, the head from the compressed A/C gas needs to be disipated (through the condenser). Because the condenser is in front of the radiator, this reduces the cooling efficiency of the system and the fan is turned on to bring it back to how it was basically when the A/C was off.

big deal if the coolant goes through the heater core...

It is a big deal when your radiator is playing up as you can use this to prove that little bit of extra cooling so your car woul hopefully make it to a garage. The heater core in your car is basically another radiator... a heat exchanger. You take heat from the coolant and use it to heat the air that passes through the heater core. As a result, the air coolent loses some heat. Basic physics mate.

as for that noise in the dash why are people saying fuel pump ???

Misreading the post I would say.

[SuperDave]

as for that noise in the dash why are people saying fuel pump ???

Misreading the post I would say.

Flaps opening/closing within the dashboard, it's normal.

[Kenshin X]

When you say you checked water levels I sure hope you mean the one on the radiator overflow tank and not your washer fluid one

Thanks for reminding me. I forgot to mention in my last post that checking your coolant reservoir is not an indication of your coolant level unless your radiator is full. If your radiator is running lower on coolant, the reservoir can still have a level between empty and full. It isn't always like this, but be aware that there are situation when that can happen. So I'd also check your radiator coolant levels (when the engine is cool obviously).

When you say you checked water levels I sure hope you mean the one on the radiator overflow tank and not your washer fluid one

duuude, i'm not THAT noob to look at the washer fluid LOL

DJKOR - Ummm, come to think of it, the coolant level is a little more than half full when the engine is cold, however, when warmed up, the levels are just over full... Could this mean that its lack of water? to be honest i haven't even touched or opened the cap to refill water since the last service 3 months ago...

i even made it from melbourne to sydney in 3 to 4 hour blocks and the temp gauge didn't go past that half way mark, even when temp outside was around 45 degrees...

Should i fill it up when its cold to the top. Or will doing that just over flow the reservior when its warm?

[DJKOR]

... the coolant level is a little more than half full when the engine is cold, however, when warmed up, the levels are just over full... Could this mean that its lack of water?

That would seem to be indicating that your radiator is full and your overflow bottle is filled up like it should. There should be no need to top it up then. Doesn't hurt to check the radiator still.

[SuperDave]

i even made it from melbourne to sydney in 3 to 4 hour blocks and the temp gauge didn't go past that half way mark, even when temp outside was around 45 degrees...

The factory temp gauge is rubbish, to get the needle to move above the half way mark it needs to be about 100ºC; given that it will sit on the same mark at about 80ºC it is quiet vague.