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Thanks BECLAZONE! I will try that tomorrow unless the mechanic diagnoses other things!
Yes, there are cats, but the coolant dries up fast!
UPDATE: The mechanic today also said Toyota Sienna's are notoriously hard to bleed! So let's hope it is that!
I took in for service today. They found no leaks at the head gasket. They spent about an hour diagnosing it. They pressure tested it, revved it, etc. They simply fixed the leak at the lower hose by putting in a new clamp. The head tech said something still felt wrong about the cooling system, an that it was probably a good time for me to get another car. He had me walk next door to buy a new radiator cap since he thought something might be wrong with the old one.
So far so good. The only thing is I still don't have heat, other than sporadically. And when the car sits while off, everyone once in a while, I hear a gurgling sound coming from the center upper dash area. The tech said the no heat issue could be caused by so many things, like a water pump with low output, so it can't completely blow the air bubble away. He said don't bother spending any more money on it; just get another car.
So the good news is no head gasket leak! This is why I love Toyotas!
The bad news is still no heat, and I am scared to drive it up the nearby mountains.
Should I be concerned the tech didn't know for a fact if the radiator cap was bad? And is his line about the water pump not pushing the coolant hard enough a valid possibility, or did he just make that up?
Last edited by mileena202; 01-03-2018 at 03:04 PM..
All that needed doing, was to fix the hose, top up, run until hot, switch off, refill while cooling, and repeat until the heater worked.
I hope there aren't any cats around your neighbourhood!
I tried doing what you recommended when I pulled in to my parking lot. The radiator cap let off steam when opened, then started spraying coolant, so I quickly closed it.
So is this what I should do:
1. Fill the radiator and overflow tank with coolant.
2. Leave cap off and start engine.
3. When the thermostat opens, turn engine off.
4. Refill the radiator while cooling.
Repeat until I get heat?
Why is it so hard to bleed a Toyota? I guess i need more patience?
I tried doing what you recommended when I pulled in to my parking lot. The radiator cap let off steam when opened, then started spraying coolant, so I quickly closed it.
So is this what I should do:
1. Fill the radiator and overflow tank with coolant.
2. Leave cap off and start engine.
3. When the thermostat opens, turn engine off.
4. Refill the radiator while cooling.
Repeat until I get heat?
Why is it so hard to bleed a Toyota? I guess i need more patience?
Yes, it needed to be cold when attempted.
You don't need to overflow the tank, the normal level will be just fine.
Yes, you're right about leaving the cap off.
You need to watch the tank, and only switch the engine off, after it's stopped bubbling and gurgling. (Though if the engine does reach boiling point, that is, loads of steam, major eruptions of coolant, you should switch it off.) You may need also to top up while it's running, if it gets low. You could rev the engine now and then, just to get things moving a bit.
Yes, refill while cooling.
Yes, repeat until you get heat. It could take about three attempts, but should work.
There are other methods, but you'd end up needing to take a whole bunch of hoses off, and still need a little bleeding afterwards.
Since you said earlier, that at one point you had heat back, I think it'll work out.
Don't get too close to the tank, it's best to be safe.
Good luck.
Last edited by BECLAZONE; 01-04-2018 at 05:10 AM..
A heat solution: Get a 400 watt continuous output (about 800 - 1000 watt peak) inverter and hook it up. Get a Conair 400 watt hair dryer and remove the hood, or one of those low wattage pet hair dryers. https://www.amazon.com/Conair-Soft-B...att+hair+dryer You will have to experiment with what setting you can run it on without shutting down the inverter. Even at cool or low settings, it will warm up your car eventually.
A 400 watt inverter will cost about $30 the Conair hair dryer is about $30. When you replace the car, the inverter will be useful in your replacement car and you can use the hair dryer to dry your hair. It is a little noisy.
Do not get a normal hair dryer. They are 1500 watts or more and you will need a $300 inverter connected directly to the alternator with welding cable to power it. The conair dryer is expensive and cheaply made, but it is not going the melt your carpeting or start a fire (as long as you make certain the air intake is not blocked).
A heat solution: Get a 400 watt continuous output (about 800 - 1000 watt peak) inverter and hook it up. Get a Conair 400 watt hair dryer and remove the hood, or one of those low wattage pet hair dryers. https://www.amazon.com/Conair-Soft-B...att+hair+dryer You will have to experiment with what setting you can run it on without shutting down the inverter. Even at cool or low settings, it will warm up your car eventually.
A 400 watt inverter will cost about $30 the Conair hair dryer is about $30. When you replace the car, the inverter will be useful in your replacement car and you can use the hair dryer to dry your hair. It is a little noisy.
Do not get a normal hair dryer. They are 1500 watts or more and you will need a $300 inverter connected directly to the alternator with welding cable to power it. The conair dryer is expensive and cheaply made, but it is not going the melt your carpeting or start a fire (as long as you make certain the air intake is not blocked).
LOL Coldjensens! I guess I would be truly redneck once I did that! ;-) It's a good idea though. Did you really say "remove the hood" above? The hood of the car?
EDIT: And the other thing is I am still terrified to drive the car a longer distance I never know if it is going to overheat with that air bubble in there, or look for any easy target to burst through, like the head gasket now. Even though the mechanic says there is no head gasket leak. We also have a lot of mountains to drive through in northern Nevada.
You don't need to overflow the tank, the normal level will be just fine.
Yes, you're right about leaving the cap off.
You need to watch the tank, and only switch the engine off, after it's stopped bubbling and gurgling. (Though if the engine does reach boiling point, that is, loads of steam, major eruptions of coolant, you should switch it off.) You may need also to top up while it's running, if it gets low. You could rev the engine now and then, just to get things moving a bit.
Yes, refill while cooling.
Yes, repeat until you get heat. It could take about three attempts, but should work.
There are other methods, but you'd end up needing to take a whole bunch of hoses off, and still need a little bleeding afterwards.
Since you said earlier, that at one point you had heat back, I think it'll work out.
Don't get too close to the tank, it's best to be safe.
Good luck.
Ok, got it!
With me though, after bubbling and gurgling while the temperature rises, the radiator level drops below the neck, so it will be sucking in more air at the point, right? That is why I add coolant while it is warming up. Of course then, since the level is always close to the neck, some spills out when it bubbles a lot.
All I know is I never can seem to get all the air out. And yesterday I had trouble making the thermostat open. Or at least the upper hose never really got hot hot, just warm. It is somewhat cold here in Nevada.
With me though, after bubbling and gurgling while the temperature rises, the radiator level drops below the neck, so it will be sucking in more air at the point, right? That is why I add coolant while it is warming up. Of course then, since the level is always close to the neck, some spills out when it bubbles a lot.
All I know is I never can seem to get all the air out. And yesterday I had trouble making the thermostat open. Or at least the upper hose never really got hot hot, just warm. It is somewhat cold here in Nevada.
It shouldn't be sucking in air, to the point of it actually reaching the heater matrix, radiator, or engine, just by getting a bit below the neck. As long as the level is higher than where both the hoses join the tank, it should be okay. I hadn't considered that it was so cold there, that the engine wouldn't heat up enough. Still though, if it's sucking in water, and no water is escaping anywhere, and you're keeping it topped up, you won't be doing any more harm the the car, than has already been done.
A thought on the top hose, and the thermostat, is that there could still be an airlock there. Does it feel like there is water in the top hose? It would feel different from air, and if there's air with water, it will make a sort of squelching noise when squeezed. Actually, squeezing the hoses a little can help with bleeding the system.
It will take a while for all the air to get out, but a small amount is nothing to worry about.
If you do want to make sure it's topped up all the way to the top, and you're comfortable with getting a little coolant spillage, then feel free to do it that way. Just remember to take excess out when you're happy all is working, and definitely before taking it out on the road, with the cap replaced.
On those vehicles, it helps if you raise the front of the vehicle to bleed air from the cooling system. Park on a hill, use ramps, or jack up the front end. Air will move to the highest point easier.
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