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From: Ace on 13 Dec 2009 21:58
Turned on my car Camry 99 4cylinder. When it was in park the engine
was reeving really high but putting it in drive seemed to fix it. I
took a short trip, when I was headed pack I noticed the temp gauge was
straight at the top. I immediately stopped and checked the coolant
tank. Empty with steam coming out of the radiator. I typically only
check the coolant every once in awhile so I don't know how long it had
been empty. I filled it with coolent and drove around. The temp gauge
was fine then shot up again then settled down and stayed that way. I
lifted the hood again and the compartment was empty again but no leaks
I could detect from the bottom, just some moisture around the radiator
pipe at the very front of the car. I refilled it again hoping it would
stay filled this time. If I can get the coolant level to remain
steady. I was wondering if it is worth the risk driving it around as
long as I stop regularly and check the coolant to refill. There
doesn't seem to be any symptoms yet aside from what I just mentioned.
From: Hachiroku ハチロク on 13 Dec 2009 22:08
On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:58:21 -0800, Ace wrote:

> Turned on my car Camry 99 4cylinder. When it was in park the engine was
> reeving really high but putting it in drive seemed to fix it. I took a
> short trip, when I was headed pack I noticed the temp gauge was straight
> at the top. I immediately stopped and checked the coolant tank. Empty with
> steam coming out of the radiator. I typically only check the coolant every
> once in awhile so I don't know how long it had been empty. I filled it
> with coolent and drove around. The temp gauge was fine then shot up again
> then settled down and stayed that way. I lifted the hood again and the
> compartment was empty again but no leaks I could detect from the bottom,
> just some moisture around the radiator pipe at the very front of the car.
> I refilled it again hoping it would stay filled this time. If I can get
> the coolant level to remain steady. I was wondering if it is worth the
> risk driving it around as long as I stop regularly and check the coolant
> to refill. There doesn't seem to be any symptoms yet aside from what I
> just mentioned.

WOW! It's draining coolant as you drive? DON'T DRIVE! Replace the hose if
that's the problem. I'm not sure what you mean by "pipe". Is it the
fitting on the radiator, or the hose?

When was the last time hoses were replaced?

I would replace the hoses and then pray I hadn't blown the head gasket or
warped the head.



From: Rastamon on 13 Dec 2009 23:20

"Ace" <nkomli(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d695f59e-cf0e-4ed3-a9c7-0a45bc96362d(a)g22g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Turned on my car Camry 99 4cylinder. When it was in park the engine
> was reeving really high but putting it in drive seemed to fix it. I
> took a short trip, when I was headed pack I noticed the temp gauge was
> straight at the top. I immediately stopped and checked the coolant
> tank. Empty with steam coming out of the radiator. I typically only
> check the coolant every once in awhile so I don't know how long it had
> been empty. I filled it with coolent and drove around. The temp gauge
> was fine then shot up again then settled down and stayed that way. I
> lifted the hood again and the compartment was empty again but no leaks
> I could detect from the bottom, just some moisture around the radiator
> pipe at the very front of the car. I refilled it again hoping it would
> stay filled this time. If I can get the coolant level to remain
> steady. I was wondering if it is worth the risk driving it around as
> long as I stop regularly and check the coolant to refill. There
> doesn't seem to be any symptoms yet aside from what I just mentioned.

I'm trying to remember if there is a cap on the radiator itself or a
reservoir on the side. If you can try to fill it while the engine is
running, or at least top it off when the engine is running, this will expose
any leaks. Look for any spray of steam from all the coolant lines,
radiator, and water pump. Check to see if the petcock (radiator drain plug)
is still there or is loose. If you notice a ploom of white smoke from the
tail pipe, then you have blown a head gasket. You can drive a very short
distance without doing too much harm to the engine without coolant, but a
VERY short distance or less than 2 or 3 mins. Check your oil too, it might
be burnt as well. If you have an Automatic transmission, that fluid my be
burnt as well too. Basically if it's pitch black and smells burnt, it's
burnt.

It's possible you have small fractures in the radiator that leak when the
system is under pressure. I forget what year Toyota switch to the plastic
cap radiators, but the older ones would develop fractures in the brass cap.
Which can easily be fixed with solder but others will appear, so it's better
to replace the whole radiator.

Good luck and keep us updated.




From: Ray O on 13 Dec 2009 23:26

"Ace" <nkomli(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d695f59e-cf0e-4ed3-a9c7-0a45bc96362d(a)g22g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Turned on my car Camry 99 4cylinder. When it was in park the engine
> was reeving really high but putting it in drive seemed to fix it. I
> took a short trip, when I was headed pack I noticed the temp gauge was
> straight at the top. I immediately stopped and checked the coolant
> tank. Empty with steam coming out of the radiator. I typically only
> check the coolant every once in awhile so I don't know how long it had
> been empty. I filled it with coolent and drove around. The temp gauge
> was fine then shot up again then settled down and stayed that way. I
> lifted the hood again and the compartment was empty again but no leaks
> I could detect from the bottom, just some moisture around the radiator
> pipe at the very front of the car. I refilled it again hoping it would
> stay filled this time. If I can get the coolant level to remain
> steady. I was wondering if it is worth the risk driving it around as
> long as I stop regularly and check the coolant to refill. There
> doesn't seem to be any symptoms yet aside from what I just mentioned.

You should visually check the coolant overflow reservoir every time you open
the hood since the reservoir is translucent and it is easy to check.

When you add coolant, it should either be the pre-mixed type or mixed 50%
coolant concentrate and 50% water, preferably distilled water.

If you added coolant to the reservoir and it emptied out, it is possible
that the coolant level in the radiator is very low. When the engine has
cooled for at least 4 hours, open the radiator cap and add coolant directly
to the radiator until it is full to the bottom of the radiator neck, add
coolant to the reservoir to the cold mark, set the heater to full hot and in
windshield defrost position, and with the radiator cap still off, start the
engine and let it warm up until the temperature gauge rises above the 1/4
level. If the coolant level stays steady when the engine starts to warm up,
replace the cap. if the coolant level starts to drop, add coolant as
necessary until the level remains steady.

While you are doing this, check for leaks, particularly from the upper and
lower radiator hose and heater hoses, check for white steam coming from the
exhaust, and check the windshield for signs of fogging.

If you see a leaking hose, replace the hose and clamp if necessary. If you
see clouds of white steam from the tailpipe, check the engine oil for a
milkshake appearance or signs of coolant in the oil. If the windshield
starts to fog up, check the heater core for leaks.

If you see moisture around the radiator cap, replace it with a cap from a
Toyota dealer.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)


From: Rastamon on 13 Dec 2009 23:28

"Rastamon" <rasta(a)dakine.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:00a18bf5$0$17125$c3e8da3(a)news.astraweb.com...
>
> You can drive a very short distance without doing too much harm to the
> engine without coolant, but a VERY short distance or less than 2 or 3
> mins.

Please replace "without coolant" with "with little coolant", but it's a good
idea to have as much coolant in the system as possible.

I've run a dry engine at my old shop just to move it, but not more than a
minute or two.


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