Overheating issues plus more...

[sj]

My 2004 has been overheating the last few weeks at stops. If we are moving it's fine, but once we stop for a drive through or what not it can go up to 220. When driving it sits around 195. About 30 thousand miles ago I had the water pump replaced with the timing belt. I need to go through my receipts to check if the thermostat was done at that time. Last weekend I pulled a small aluminum boat camping. Going up the hills the temp got to 205 but that was as high as it got. So thats problem 1.

Problem 2. At the same time it has started to get a very bad gas smell after driving. My wife just returned home and she shut the garage door. She told me it smelled bad. I went to see and couldn't even stand in the garage. I had to open it up and vent out the smell. Gas tank is only 1/2 full.

Could these two be related? I was thinking of checking on the fan clutch also.

I just went to check on the smell. Still smells bad but there was a humming sound coming from the gas cap. I opened it and relived the pressure. The sound then went away. Too much pressure in the gas tank? I replaced the cap 4 years ago after another trip.

 

[shibubba]

Could your fan hub be pooched ( issue 1 )?

Charcoal canister for issue 2 ?

Let the guru's decide!

 

[re_guderian]

Is your coolant level dropping? T stat is an easy replacement. Start easy and cheap, though. Thorough cleaning of radiator, and verification that you don't have coolant loss, and that coolant level is appropriate. Does fan clutch roar for a few seconds at startup? You could check t stat opening temp, but by the time you do that, you might as well just slap a new one in there.

 

[re_guderian]

Oh, and get another gas cap...

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

My 2004 has been overheating the last few weeks at stops. If we are moving it's fine, but once we stop for a drive through or what not it can go up to 220. When driving it sits around 195. About 30 thousand miles ago I had the water pump replaced with the timing belt. I need to go through my receipts to check if the thermostat was done at that time. Last weekend I pulled a small aluminum boat camping. Going up the hills the temp got to 205 but that was as high as it got. So thats problem 1.

Problem 2. At the same time it has started to get a very bad gas smell after driving. My wife just returned home and she shut the garage door. She told me it smelled bad. I went to see and couldn't even stand in the garage. I had to open it up and vent out the smell. Gas tank is only 1/2 full.

Could these two be related? I was thinking of checking on the fan clutch also.

I just went to check on the smell. Still smells bad but there was a humming sound coming from the gas cap. I opened it and relived the pressure. The sound then went away. Too much pressure in the gas tank? I replaced the cap 4 years ago after another trip.

I suffer from these two issues as well. The gas smell- I finally fixed it with a new fuel pump and filter that also fixed the stalling and rough idle and leaving me stranded and increased my fuel mileage. as for the overheating i am still working on that but fuel smell and coming out of cap is gone. with my new electric fans i can really remove the heat, I go wheeling with my scan tool plugged in to monitor temp in real time. I can watch the temp hit 220- i stop wheeling turn off the ac and the temp plummets back to 185. I am under the impression that the radiator is too small. or the water pump is not good? but if it wasn't good i would overheat all the time not just under load. With all the armor i weighed my 100 and it comes in at 6600lbs. this could have something to do with the overheat? with my kick ass over-sized electric fans, new t-stat, new coolant, removed and fully washed radiator tell what else it could be.

 

[nissanh]

GET RID of those electric fans. Those are useless. Get the factory fan back on.
How old is the radiator, cleaning and flushing will NOT remove any clogged channels inside the radiator.

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

you are wrong. Electric fans are the only way to go- unless you plan on submerging your rig- I do not and if you are the fans are the least of your problems. A fan clutch does nothing for slow speed wheeling I know, I just got done running all kinds and versions. The electric fans work better than i planned- but dont cheap out. The fans can remove way more heat than the traditional fan clutch set up- that is a fact.

 

[jerryb]

ten years from a radiator is better than average. Like a fuel pump, it still works. But efficiency is long gone.

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

Ya i was working off a ten year old fuel pump

 

[nissanh]

OK. Pass this information to toyota and they will install electric fans on their new 200 series. They might even hire you.

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

OK. Pass this information to toyota and they will install electric fans on their new 200 series. They might even hire you.

easy bro take it easy, i think you have been mislead. Toyota designs for daily driving on pavement not wheeling like we do. Telling someone to get rid of something based off wives tales is, well, wrong.

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

ten years from a radiator is better than average. Like a fuel pump, it still works. But efficiency is long gone.

Do you thing The radiator could die off as well and possibly the water pump? Could they be contributing to the heat issue?

 

[nissanh]

Radiator can get clogged with sediments. Since it is like $150, try replacing it.

 

[jerryb]

easier and faster to replace the radiator than the water pump. You would know if your water pump is failing. You won't know if the radiator isn't up to 100%, unless you've watched temps for a long while. Max temp 194.7 98 degrees ambient, 100% humidity stop and go, hurricane harvey like home depot traffic.

 

[ton504]

you are wrong. Electric fans are the only way to go- unless you plan on submerging your rig- I do not and if you are the fans are the least of your problems. A fan clutch does nothing for slow speed wheeling I know, I just got done running all kinds and versions. The electric fans work better than i planned- but dont cheap out. The fans can remove way more heat than the traditional fan clutch set up- that is a fact.

So you're still dealing with an overheating issue yet you are promoting electric fans that you're currently running while the rest of the 100s in the world with the stock fans with a healthy viscous coupler doesn't have an issue with overheating? Hmmm. I don't have cfm numbers on the stock setup so I can't argue which is better but I do know my supercharged LX isn't overheating with the stock raditor fan.

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

@ton504
no, I no longer am dealing with an overheating issue because of the fans. But the vehicle still gets hot, to hot for my liking; 210° I even saw a 217°. I think it is an a/c problem now. This seems to be the repeatable issue:

• Very high temps 100+ ,105ish
• 4LO
• low rpm
• one or both ac's on
• under hard load

Background- I went through 3 different viscous fan clutches oem, the blue one, different silicone weights all yielded same temps and couldn't remove the heat. I would get stranded on some of the nastiest climbs, once with the whole family, the cruiser would just shut off and would not start. That was when I started running live temp data. between fan clutches I tried an electric fan and was shocked to see how it took away the heat instantly so fast I could not believe it so I bought a thermal gun and started checking the radiator on these climbs to compare it to what the live stream data was saying. They matched. Put the oem fan clutch back on and not only was it nowhere near what the electric fans could do I overheated again car shut off. I have been out all year trying to over heat the car with the electric fans and I can not, but I do see a temp rise with the a/c which is what i am trying to hunt down

turn the ac off or stop the load on the motor and the temp drops (duh), this happens with the fan clutches just a lot slower- the electric fans can really dump heat I have watched it. now I definitely do not overheat anymore, with the fan clutch I would always see 230° on climbs that is where it shuts down must be some safety limit from Toyota. If I am not wheeling the temp never gets above 185-190°. What I am after is why the temp goes up with the ac on. could the radiator/condenser be worn out, it is old but looks good. the water pump is the same story looks good but old. Nothing leaks on this vehicle. I will tell you there is a night and day difference in heat removal.

side note for the nay-sayers: the electronics on your vehicle in some cases are less reliable than a good potted electric fan- 4 feet of water might vest a fan motor but if it can reach the fan it was inside your rig a foot ago. I don't wheel like that ever.

 

[nissanh]

I think your AC condenser fins are clogged with bugs and such. Remove the radiator and clean the AC condenser by applying pressurized water perpendicular to the AC condenser from inside of the engine bay towards front (not from a pressure gun, just use a garden hose with a nozzle). U unbolt the transmission cooler and clean the AC condenser also from the front. If there are bent fins, straighten those up.
Did you have the fan shroud with your factory mechanical fan?

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

I think your AC condenser fins are clogged with bugs and such. Remove the radiator and clean the AC condenser by applying pressurized water perpendicular to the AC condenser from inside of the engine bay towards front (not from a pressure gun, just use a garden hose with a nozzle). U unbolt the transmission cooler and clean the AC condenser also from the front. If there are bent fins, straighten those up.
Did you have the fan shroud with your factory mechanical fan?

I never cleaned the condenser. the transmission cooler is inside the radiator. I will check both, well I have had the radiator out numerous times the lower part is the transmission cooler it looks ok. Both shrouds in good shape- mechanical and electric fan shroud

Sorry SJ I did not mean to hijack your thread.

 

[blatant]

Earlier 100's have the extra fan from the factory. @LandCruiserPhil is who you want to check with. Check his site, he sells the fan/brackets/ kits or whatever needed. He has done detailed write ups/analysis, i believe, of fan vs no fan running temps, in the miserable Arizona summer heat, even while towing iirc. if you're looking for an aux fan, that's the place to start with a solid contributor to the forum.

 

[H E A V Y M E T A L]

Earlier 100's have the extra fan from the factory. @LandCruiserPhil is who you want to check with. Check his site, he sells the fan/brackets/ kits or whatever needed. He has done detailed write ups/analysis, i believe, of fan vs no fan running temps, in the miserable Arizona summer heat, even while towing iirc. if you're looking for an aux fan, that's the place to start with a solid contributor to the forum.

Your on point. I just put that fan in. I will say up front the purpose of that fan is auxiliary. It is not a primary mover. Hard wheeling and high heat is the job of the primary fan. I have not done enough trips to speak of that fan yet, but I will for sure. if I drive around town with landcruiser Phil's fan on my electric fans will not turn on for awhile. The fans kick on at 185 btw.