Coolant Leak 2008 Aurion

[Jacaranda]

Hi Guys and Gals,

A week or so ago I noticed that the coolant level in the overflow tank was a little low, so I topped it up. Usually it doesn't need topping up between 15,000 km services.

Today I was driving and got a beeping and warning light on the instrument cluster. I noticed that the temperature gauge was in the hot zone.

Fortunately, I was only 100 metres from home so kept driving.

I popped the bonnet and noticed that the overflow tank was empty. The engine bay wasn't particularly hot and there wasn't any steam coming from the cooling system.

An hour later, I filled the overflow tank with the engine running. The tank quickly emptied so I filled it again. I then noticed coolant dripping onto the garage floor from the engine splash guard. Looking into the engine bay, I could see coolant on the top of the splash guard where the bottom radiator hose is clamped to the radiator. Strangely, I couldn't see coolant actually dripping onto the top of the splash guard with the engine running.

Assuming that the bottom radiator hose needs replacing, is it DIY? If not, approximately how much would I expect it to cost in a workshop?

Could the leak be coming from anywhere else? I am praying that it's not the water pump because I believe that it is a mongrel to access and replace. 😬

 

 

 

 

 

[Lebo]

Hi Garry you will need to do a pressure test on it, this will show where the leak is coming from. you can buy a pressure test kit and attach it to the radiator and put the system under pressure without starting the car. or simply go to a mechanic who can do this for you. could be cracked hose, loose hose clamps, faulty thermostat, cracked head if so check for water in the oil pull dip stick and see if oil is a whiteish colour this is a good indication of a cracked head, faulty radiator cap, a crack in the plastic reservoir shall i keep going good luck mate hope a simple fix.

Emile

[Lebo]

if a hose needs replace fairly simple fix but most importantly you will need to bleed the system after replacing the hose as air will get in when you replace the hose and you need to get it out of the system once hose is replaced. after replacing fill radiator with appropriate coolant and water, switch heater/set temperature to hot/on so the water is also flowing through your heater core allow 5 min for motor to reach its temp water will bubble out of radiator this normal as it is releasing the air fill with water as needed this may take a couple of goes to make sure all air is gone. thats how we did it in the old days

[Jacaranda]

Thank you so much for your reply.

I removed the engine splash guard but couldn't see or feel any leaks around the bottom radiator hose.

The bulk of the lost coolant appears to be directly under the pulleys and belt, so I have a horrible feeling that it is the water pump ☹️

Anyway, I will take your good advice and get a mechanic to diagnose it.

Thanks again!

[Lebo]

water pumps dont last forever i did one on my kluger 12 months ago not to hard they dont make them like they use to. could be loose nut on pump warm car up to operating temp switch off engine get a strong bright light and check for leaks if pump usually leaves water stain running down pump 

[Jacaranda]

Thanks again!

I'll try that when I get up today considering that it's Sunday and I can't get hold of a mechanic until tomorrow anyway.

[campbeam]

8 hours ago, Jacaranda said:

The bulk of the lost coolant appears to be directly under the pulleys and belt, so I have a horrible feeling that it is the water pump ☹️

That is certainly looking like the water pump.

About 2 years ago, I replaced my water pump because of a bearing noise. At the time, there was no leakage but I knew from past experience [different vehicle] that it was an indicator that the bearing would fail totally and there would be a significant coolant loss.

[Jacaranda]

Yes I believe you are correct.

I idled the engine to normal operating temperature as per Lebo's recommendation. I detected a fine mist of coolant spraying from the vicinity of the water pump.

When I turned the engine off, I could see coolant running from the vicinity of the water pump.

So tomorrow I'll phone around for quotes and hopefully I won't need a second mortgage to pay for the work 😬

[campbeam]

There are a few threads on this Forum about replacing the water pump on the Aurion / 2GR-FE engine. There is no need to remove the engine. A few bolts need to be loosened so that the water pump side of the engine can be slightly raised to provide enough wriggle room to remove the water pump.

I seem to recall a repair figure of approx. $500 which allows for the parts and 2-4 labour hours. I did the replacement myself {took me a day moving slow and steady and doing a few extras] and spent some extra $$$ to get a better quality water pump Made in Japan.

[Jacaranda]

Thanks for the information!

Clever you, I had to ask the forum about replacing a radiator hose when I first thought that was the problem 🤣

I'm in Adelaide and will post my quotes tomorrow in case they are of interest to anyone.

[Lebo]

Just to add a note they will most likely replace it with a non genuine part unless you ask for genuine and the cost will be more but water pumps don't need to be genuine so don't stress wont make the car perform any different or de value your car but it will be cheaper for you unless you know someone that works in the mechanical industry that can get for you from Toyota at trade price that's how i do it. i get my friends to order it for me on COD through there work and get it cheap only way to do genuine parts these days

Lebo

[Jacaranda]

Good to know!

Many thanks for your help 👍

[Tony Prodigy]

Here's a rough idea what a Genuine water pump costs these days. The prices have come down significantly, so I'd spend the extra few bucks and get the original component. By the way Toyota made an upgraded water pump for the 2GR-FE and you can tell the difference by the "petal" designed flange.

 

Admin: What happened to the text colour option ? Looks like it's been removed.

[Jacaranda]

Thanks Tony.

My Aurion went in for a diagnosis and repair yesterday. It wasn't easy finding a workshop which could take it so soon.

For example, my local Toyota dealership is booked solid this week and understaffed due to covid.

When you say Toyota made an upgraded water pump, would that equate to better reliability?

It appears that mine failed at 112,000 kms. I'm the second owner and the Aurion has always been serviced on time at a Toyota dealership.

I'll post the outcome and pricing later today.

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, Jacaranda said:

When you say Toyota made an upgraded water pump, would that equate to better reliability?

Yes. If I recall,  they made the bearing and seal more robust. There is a video on youtube explaining it. If I find it, i'll post it up unless someone else beats me to it.

It's from The Car care Nut channel. That's how I know.

[Tony Prodigy]

1 hour ago, Jacaranda said:

It appears that mine failed at 112,000 kms

Even though the kays are somewhat low for the age of the car,  parts can tend to fail prematurely from low usage. I know it sounds crazy, but cars like to be used and not sit for too long or do many short trips. The short cycling of the engine can be detrimental unfortunately. Carbon build up etc..

The engine performs its best at full operating temperature to be able to burn off carbon deposits and prevent build up.

In saying that, I do recall the early versions of the Aurion did suffer with premature water pump failures from that era and Toyota have been slowly but surely improving them to the point now this current incarnation of pump is by far the best and most reliable to date.

Make sure they use the Toyota SSL pink coolant or similar.

Good luck with it and look forward to the update. 

[Jacaranda]

Back on the road 🙂 and for anyone interested, these were the prices I was quoted in Adelaide to replace the water pump:

CMI Toyota which services my car quoted $1,230 using genuine parts. Serpentine belt extra subject to inspection. Unfortunately, they were not able to look at the car until next week.

Two independent workshops quoted $1,000-$1,250 using non genuine parts but were booked out until next week.

Ultra Car Care SA quoted $900 using a genuine water pump and a compatible SLL pink coolant. They were able to take the car immediately due to a covid cancellation. On inspection the serpentine belt needed replacing for an additional $140. Total job cost $1,040. They are a RAA approved repairer and road service contractor, so I was confident that they would do a top job.

A special mention goes to Lube Mobile which quoted an astonishing $1,525 using non genuine parts. Serpentine belt extra subject to inspection. 🙄

 

 

[Tony Prodigy]

14 hours ago, Jacaranda said:

A special mention goes to Lube Mobile which quoted an astonishing $1,525 using non genuine parts. Serpentine belt extra subject to inspection. 🙄

Are they still around ??? Wow. 

I remember back in the day and their cheezy commercials. "they fixed the car"

Our take was "they stuffed the car" after some of the horror stories that were doing the rounds then 🤣

Dodgy bunch they were. Not sure about now, but it seems price gouging is the flavour these days.

Looks like Ultra Car Care offered a reasonable price. If you were handy with basic tools you could've attempted it yourself with the help of a friend perhaps and save a whole bunch of money. It's not as hard as they say. Watch a few DIY videos and go for it.

Anyway, glad to hear everything is on track for you. 

[Hiro]

6 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I remember back in the day and their cheezy commercials. "they fixed the car"

Furteen furty furty too

[Jacaranda]

Replacing the water pump would have been way beyond my capabilities 😬

Plus I don't have the tools or a trolley jack to lift the engine.

I'm a DDIY - don't do it yourself - type of guy 🤣

I heard some years ago that Lube Mobile was acquired by Bridgestone but I don't know if that is still the case.

[campbeam]

6 hours ago, Jacaranda said:

Replacing the water pump would have been way beyond my capabilities 😬

Plus I don't have the tools or a trolley jack to lift the engine.

I'm a DDIY - don't do it yourself - type of guy 🤣

I heard some years ago that Lube Mobile was acquired by Bridgestone but I don't know if that is still the case.

Fair enough. There are certain jobs that are DDIY unless you really know what you are doing. Plenty of times that I have bought specialised/specific tools after doing a job ready for next time.

Anyway, watching a few YouTube videos on replacing the water pump will give you a good appreciation of the work involved and what you paid for..

Just have to remember that the videos are heavily edited to show a task taking many hours being effortlessly done in a matter of minutes.

[Tony Prodigy]

15 hours ago, Hiro said:

Furteen furty furty too

😂 Haha, yeah that little kid with missing front teeth. 🤣

[Tony Prodigy]

14 hours ago, Jacaranda said:

I'm a DDIY - don't do it yourself - type of guy 🤣

Nothing wrong with that my friend. I'm sure you excell in other ways. But at least you can laugh about it. DDIY- Funny stuff 😄

[Tony Prodigy]

8 hours ago, campbeam said:

Anyway, watching a few YouTube videos on replacing the water pump will give you a good appreciation of the work involved and what you paid for..

Just have to remember that the videos are heavily edited to show a task taking many hours being effortlessly done in a matter of minutes.

I find Youtube these days a huge blessing because back in the days of no internet, we just had to try and figure everything out for ourselves. Admittedly though, cars weren't as complicated as they are now, but you know what I mean.

The joy of watching someone physically wrenching on a particular job on an engine,  being able to watch the step by step procedure is Gold !

An excellent way to be able to plan the task ahead.ie have the right tools for the job and methodology. There's nothing worse when you have it 3/4 the way apart then realise you need a specific tool which you don't have and being a Sunday too. Put it all back together and do it another day lol...

[Hiro]

4 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

There's nothing worse when you have it 3/4 the way apart then realise you need a specific tool which you don't have and being a Sunday too. Put it all back together and do it another day lol...

There is something worse - getting 3/4 of the way apart and realising you need a special tool/part, AND you can't put it back together because something has to be replaced (as a consumable) or broken...