Mayday Mayday

[slstsang]

i changed the timing and water pump and thermostat this weekend, everything was fine, until i put everthing back together, i open the radiator cap and put coolant in while the car was running, the coolant keeps boiling over and bubling everywhere. what is going on? please help!

[Toysrme]

WRong forum for an SC.

Ofcorse it's bubbling over. You've uncapped a pressurized system. The boil temperature has probably dropped 40*f the second you uncapped it.

Add coolant cold, not hot.

[slstsang]

WRong forum for an SC.

Ofcorse it's bubbling over. You've uncapped a pressurized system. The boil temperature has probably dropped 40*f the second you uncapped it.

Add coolant cold, not hot.

I have an ES 300 AND a SC300, I 'm working on the ES300.

This is what i did.

1. car is cold

2. open radiator cap

3. pour in coolant

4. start the car

5. wait for air bubbles to escape through cap

6.i felt the radiator and the air became hot meaning collant moved

7. 15 mins later, it starts boiling.

Is this wrong? the way i'm doing it? what is the proper way of doing it?

[Toysrme]

OK, I got you now.

Fill the radiator to the brim cold & fill the block via the itnake manifold pressure cap.

Warm it up, let it cool back down & repeate.

[slstsang]

OK, I got you now.

Fill the radiator to the brim cold & fill the block via the itnake manifold pressure cap.

Warm it up, let it cool back down & repeate.

I did what you said, the fan is now cool, blowing cool. but the radiator hose are hot, nothing leaked, i ran the car for 15 mins. but the temperature is reaching H high. does that mean that i have a clogged system? like clogged radiator? since the fan is blowing cool after 15mins? the fins are cool to the touch as well.

[Toysrme]

Clogged, or the thermostat isn't opening often enough.

[slstsang]

Clogged, or the thermostat isn't opening often enough.

that is so weird, everything was fine a few days ago when i drive around, after i changed the waterpump and thermostat and now it cloggs all of a sudden? is that normal? or am i doing something wrong? none of the radiator is warm at all. so is the official diagnosis a clogged radiator? everyone agree?

[SKperformance]

You may have put too much sealent on the water pump causing a blockage.

BTW what year is your ES 92-93 ?

[slstsang]

You may have put too much sealent on the water pump causing a blockage.

BTW what year is your ES 92-93 ?

92

[John Martin]

I don't know about the Lexus, since I've never replaced a thermostat on one, but is it possible that the thermostat is in backwards? In the other cars I've worked on, the problem that you are describing is either a reversed thermostat or an airpocket, although stubborn airpockets are usually limited to cars in which the top of the block is higher than the top of the radiator.

JM

[Toysrme]

Always a possibility.

It's also possible it was damaged, or defective upon installation. Didn't we go through a time a year, or two ago where half the people putting autopart store thermostats in were doing it wrong, or getting bad t-stats? Or was that ToyotaNation???

I'd be all over that thermostat if I were you & checking the radiator after that. If that thing hasn't had good coolant changes every couple of years. You'll know it as soon as you drain it, pull the fan off & try to tug it out. Big differance in a 20lb radiator, and a 60lb mass of corrosive sludge & gell.

[slstsang]

thanks guys for the help, i changed the radiator and now it runs fine.

one tip is remember to get a lexus radiator cap . especially if you're using aftermarket radiator for 92 es300. you'll have 2 radiator cap running in the same system. i know. it's weird.

[Toysrme]

Good deal! Ready to roll!

[John Martin]

thanks guys for the help, i changed the radiator and now it runs fine.

I'm curious about this. Was the radiator, as Toysrme suggested, heavy and encrusted? Did you flush the radiator with water when you drained it? Did you flush it with a radiator flush chemical? Did you replace the hoses when you changed the waterpump?

I'm just curious about the symptoms that lead you the the radiator as the culprit, and what you tried before you got to the replacement option.

Thanks,

JM

[slstsang]

thanks guys for the help, i changed the radiator and now it runs fine.

I'm curious about this. Was the radiator, as Toysrme suggested, heavy and encrusted? Did you flush the radiator with water when you drained it? Did you flush it with a radiator flush chemical? Did you replace the hoses when you changed the waterpump?

I'm just curious about the symptoms that lead you the the radiator as the culprit, and what you tried before you got to the replacement option.

Thanks,

JM

My radiator was not heavy, near the upper hose opening had some "gel" like stuff, whitish / red. i did flush the radiator with my garden hose for a long time. water flow out fine. i didnot use a flush chemical. I did replace the hose when i changed the waterpump, i also changed the thermostat.

The only "sign" of clogging is, after i run the car for a while, i place my hand near the fan, and it was blowing cool, normally, it should be hot. and there are parts that are cool and some are hot, that means the cool area was clogged. hope this helps.

[Toysrme]

Well. Rule of thumb proven wrong. But hey... Apparantly a little blockage was all it took. I'm extremely glad you took it off the road & actually fixed it. Mad props!

[charley240sx]

I just posted a question about changing the seals in a water pump. What's your take buddy (was it difficult and do you have any advice for me being a beginner in car DIY projects)? What prompted you to change the water pump, thermostat?