92 Es300 Weird Over Heating

[TIGGA]

JUST BOUGHT A 92 ES300. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE GETS HOT, COOLANT BEGINS LEAKING FROM THE OVER FLOW TANK. AFTER THE ENGINE LOSES ENOUGH COOLANT, IT BEGINS TO OVER HEAT. THE HOSE ON THE CAP OF THE OVER FLOW TANK IS BROKEN. BEFORE THE HOSE ON THE CAP BROKE COMPLETELY, THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO OVER HEAT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROBLEM.. I THOUGHT THAT IT COULD BE THE THERMOSTAT OR RADIATOR FLUSH NEEDED. IF SO, COULD U TELL ME HOW TO GET TO THE THERMOSTAT AND WHERE THE RADIATOR DRAIN PLUG IS LOCATED.. THANKS...........

[kingjack133]

JUST BOUGHT A 92 ES300. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE GETS HOT, COOLANT BEGINS LEAKING FROM THE OVER FLOW TANK. AFTER THE ENGINE LOSES ENOUGH COOLANT, IT BEGINS TO OVER HEAT. THE HOSE ON THE CAP OF THE OVER FLOW TANK IS BROKEN. BEFORE THE HOSE ON THE CAP BROKE COMPLETELY, THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO OVER HEAT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROBLEM.. I THOUGHT THAT IT COULD BE THE THERMOSTAT OR RADIATOR FLUSH NEEDED. IF SO, COULD U TELL ME HOW TO GET TO THE THERMOSTAT AND WHERE THE RADIATOR DRAIN PLUG IS LOCATED.. THANKS...........

hi,i m not an expert but this is what i would do. First..rule out any other leaks...... get a new resovoir cap/with hose and fill the cooling system(use recommended coolant/water mix). MAKE SURE to get ALL the air out of the system as you may have had an air lock (like i did) and this could be the problem. Have someone who knows about it help you.....its not that difficult to squeeze the top hose watching air bubbles leaving while you keep topping it up. Start this with a cold engine. Watch for the thermostat to open while doing this. If it opens you may not have to replace it. Keep an eye on your temp guage and monitor to confirm it closes,opens,closes etc. The needle will go down and up to its normal position...(The thermostat is held under the fill hole. Careful not to strip any bolt. The thermostat comes with an O ring. I don t see any reason to drain the rad.) Finally get a basic mechanic guide to help you with these procedures and other basics that you may need.

good luck!!!!

[byf43]

JUST BOUGHT A 92 ES300. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE GETS HOT, COOLANT BEGINS LEAKING FROM THE OVER FLOW TANK. AFTER THE ENGINE LOSES ENOUGH COOLANT, IT BEGINS TO OVER HEAT. THE HOSE ON THE CAP OF THE OVER FLOW TANK IS BROKEN. BEFORE THE HOSE ON THE CAP BROKE COMPLETELY, THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO OVER HEAT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROBLEM.. I THOUGHT THAT IT COULD BE THE THERMOSTAT OR RADIATOR FLUSH NEEDED. IF SO, COULD U TELL ME HOW TO GET TO THE THERMOSTAT AND WHERE THE RADIATOR DRAIN PLUG IS LOCATED.. THANKS...........

First of all. . . please don't use ALL CAPS. That is considered as 'Yelling' and is actually harder to read.

Next. . . .

I had the same issues with my '93 es300 recently. It did exactly the same thing. Exactly.

Head Gaskets!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had the radiator caps replaced. Still overheated.

I had the A/C 'cycling' switch replaced. (That switch tells the control unit for the radiator fan motor solenoid to open fully.) That wasn't the problem.

Bottom line. . . .

Repair shop ran a test to see if carbon monoxide was in the coolant! BINGO!!!!!!!!!!

Bad head gasket! Both banks were bad. All three cylinders on both banks.

My old es300 runs sooooooooooooooo much better and cooler, now!

[TIGGA]

Sorry bout the all caps.... I was hoping that it wasnt the head gaskets.. how much did it cost for you to get them put on? was there an noticeable amount of coolant in your oil?

[kleancut]

JUST BOUGHT A 92 ES300. AFTER DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE GETS HOT, COOLANT BEGINS LEAKING FROM THE OVER FLOW TANK. AFTER THE ENGINE LOSES ENOUGH COOLANT, IT BEGINS TO OVER HEAT. THE HOSE ON THE CAP OF THE OVER FLOW TANK IS BROKEN. BEFORE THE HOSE ON THE CAP BROKE COMPLETELY, THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO OVER HEAT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROBLEM.. I THOUGHT THAT IT COULD BE THE THERMOSTAT OR RADIATOR FLUSH NEEDED. IF SO, COULD U TELL ME HOW TO GET TO THE THERMOSTAT AND WHERE THE RADIATOR DRAIN PLUG IS LOCATED.. THANKS...........

i jus bought a 92 es300 that did the same thing. it turned out to be a bad intake manifold gasket.

[byf43]

Sorry bout the all caps.... I was hoping that it wasnt the head gaskets.. how much did it cost for you to get them put on? was there an noticeable amount of coolant in your oil?

First, only because of luck, there was NO coolant in the oil. None. (Knock wood!)

Now, this is all inclusive in the bottom line.

O2 sensor (and installation) CEL came on. Initial reason for the car to go back to the shop! ($300 and change.)

Timing belt

Water pump

Thermostat

Gasket set (included head gaskets, intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, etc.)

Heads sent to machine shop (pressure tested) to determine IF they were cracked/damaged. (They were perfect!)

Heads planed to ensure flat/correct mounting.

Block cleaned

Sparkplugs and wires

Oil and filter change

All labor

$1991.00 and change.

Note cylinder on left, at 7 o'clock, center cylinder at approximately 5 o'clock, and cylinder on right at 4 o'clock!

Same cylinder bank after clean-up:

This car runs like a NEW one! The temp gauge has never been lower. Sitting in traffic, a/c running and hot as (ahem) the devil's house outside, the temp gauge hasn't gone above the second indicator mark.

I wouldn't hesitate to drive this car anywhere. 108,800 miles on the odometer. (And it uses no oil!)

Now, last item. . . I'm in the Washington, DC area. Repair shops charge more in this area. (Cost of Living, I suppose.)

[blk_on_blk]

I would say that wasn't that bad of a deal. I was actually surprised to see the bottom line right at $2K. I would have thought it would have been more.

I looks like you covered everything that could have been the culprit: thermostat, water pump, heads/gaskets. That's about everything (barring you had a cracked block or anything extreme and bizarre). You should be good to go for another 100K on the engine!

[byf43]

I would say that wasn't that bad of a deal. I was actually surprised to see the bottom line right at $2K. I would have thought it would have been more.

I looks like you covered everything that could have been the culprit: thermostat, water pump, heads/gaskets. That's about everything (barring you had a cracked block or anything extreme and bizarre). You should be good to go for another 100K on the engine!

I thought that it was going to be more, too.

I had taken the car to that shop a couple of times for overheating and had spent a few $$$.

The CEL came on and that's when we found out the O2 sensor (left bank - main sensor) was bad.

When the tech took the car for a test drive, it started overheating on him, so, the test for CO.

As for lasting another 100K. . . . I'd like for it to.

I do need to find two new seat heater switches and there's a place about 1" long on the back seat, where the stitching is loose.

That old car is comfortable and still gets some 'looks'. I drove it into Washington, DC, to work a couple of days ago, and a couple of people gave it a double-take and smiled and gave a thumbs up.

(Musta been the plum color. Hey, I didn't pick it!) B)

[uologan]

I would also like to say that I too was having the same problem and was dreading the implications. I was almost ready to shell out some big bucks when my nephew came over. We had a few beers and before too long he was under the car looking for possible problems. Finally after several beers I asked if he could see the power steering pump under the car. The power steering pump on this model controls the fan as it is hydraulic opposed to an electric fan. After a few moments of digging around under there he announced that there was a din cable that was unplugged...this happened to be going to the solonoid that shifted the fan to full speed. He plugged it back in and to this day it has never run hot again. Talk about a simple fix I really got lucky on this one.

[kingjack133]

yes, thats 1 smart nephew you ve got there.....imagine the cost if it went into a shop where they would have tried a slew of other things before they got to the problem.....way to go

[melindacook]

I would also like to say that I too was having the same problem and was dreading the implications. I was almost ready to shell out some big bucks when my nephew came over. We had a few beers and before too long he was under the car looking for possible problems. Finally after several beers I asked if he could see the power steering pump under the car. The power steering pump on this model controls the fan as it is hydraulic opposed to an electric fan. After a few moments of digging around under there he announced that there was a din cable that was unplugged...this happened to be going to the solonoid that shifted the fan to full speed. He plugged it back in and to this day it has never run hot again. Talk about a simple fix I really got lucky on this one.

The exact thing happened to my sons 1992 es300. That cable was unplugged/loose....a mechanic spotted it.

I'm glad you reminded me though because he mentioned today that it got hot again so I'll remember to check for a loose cable!

[LoveLearn]

Our family's 1992 ES-300 produced the same overheating symptoms, overflowing coolant,

engine smelling hot, visible fog from engine compartment, temp gauge sky-rocketing.

Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is used in these car's "power steering pump."

Honestly, that pump in these cars SHOULD be named "power-steering & radiator-fan

pump." The car had been dripping ATF from the power steering rack for months.

At some threshold ATF level within that system, the hydraulic motor driven by that

combined power steering and radiator fan motor pump failed to blow enough air from

behind the radiator to induce sufficient cooling draft. That allowed the first of an

engine-overheating series, each driving out more engine coolant and air being pulled

into the cooling system during cooling cycles. Eventually, the symptoms became

obvious to the driver who doesn't closely monitor engine behavior. I topped up the

"power steering pump" reservoir to the full mark, adding some ATF seal expander

"stop leak" additive to delay the date when power steering seal failure(s) would

require replacement.

That 3VZ-FE engine immediately cooled back down by

1) adding about a pint of ATF and

2) topping up coolant system to replace volume lost from progressive heating/cooling

cycles that progressively purged coolant replacing it with air.

One possible repair item you didn't mention was topping up your "power steering pump"

reservoir's ATF fluid level. Maybe a shop employee did that without considering the

roll it might have played in causing your engine heating.

3VZ-FE engine heads pulled after 50K mile driving increments will reveal surface

deposits. Since your partially rebuilt engine has again been run for a while, it's

combustion surfaces are again no longer shinny clean. Sorry to rupture people's

balloons, but that's good, not bad. Combustion heat loss rates into freshly-cleaned

aluminum and steel surfaces are higher than into those surfaces covered with a little

thermal-transfer protection. Thin combustion precipitate layers offend people who

have not dyno tested lots of engines. Too much surface deposit volume significantly

raises compression ratios and can even change effective combustion chamber

shapes. But the first combustion chamber surface covering increments IMPROVE

engine efficiency, lower Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), slightly raise

peak torque and increase peak power production capacity. Shinny-clean aluminum

surfaces within combustion chambers marginally lower peak pressures by natural

ideal gas law action. These are heat engines. The fuel burning function is to create

piston-pushing pressure by generating heat. Engine parts are cooled to prevent

over-heated part mechanical failures and lubrication-barrier failures.

More than a decade ago when we were comparison testing some expensive ceramic

coatings on piston tops and cylinder head bottoms and on valve heads verses freshly

cleaned metal surfaces, some of those relationships became apparent.

Then someone made what at first seemed to be an outrageous suggestion. They said

that since we had found slight power increases from normal combustion deposits

compared to freshly cleaned metal surfaces, why not spray on some "Extreme

temperature paint with thermal-insulating ceramic micro balls?" They suggested that

since combustion precipitate deposits can adhere to those surfaces, maybe some of

that exotic paint can adhere to those surfaces through combustion processes too.

Those combustion precipitate layers have lower thermal transfer rates than bare

aluminum, so they reduce combustion chamber temperature loss which translates

into slightly higher piston-pushing pressure. Clearly the insulating paint had a much

higher thermal barrier effect than combustion deposits. Why not try it. It sounded

absurdly simple. But when we tried it, it worked! For about 2% of ceramic coating

piston tops, head and valve combustion chamber surfaces, we gained about 50%

of those benefits! Having seen water boiled in a paper cup supported over a flame,

this all seems less incredible.

Just another perspective from someone who performed my first engine rebuild

about 50 years ago. I had my expectations, formerly based on book writer's

statements, violated so many times that I finally decided that I had to choose

which to believe - experience-based observations or keyboard-opinion writers.

The FIRST check I'd run to find why a 1992/1993 ES-300 engine is overheating is

"power steering" reservoir ATF fluid level.

John

[freddy_riviera]

I have recently had problems with overheating. I have a 1993 ES300. I took it in and they said it was thermostat, but I haven't driven it yet. So, I don't know if "they" are correct. Loss of ATF coincided with the overhearting, and after reading this, it seems as though it may not have been a coincidence. I am "top" the power steering reservoir immediately.

going to '

Our family's 1992 ES-300 produced the same overheating symptoms, overflowing coolant,

engine smelling hot, visible fog from engine compartment, temp gauge sky-rocketing.

Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is used in these car's "power steering pump."

Honestly, that pump in these cars SHOULD be named "power-steering & radiator-fan

pump." The car had been dripping ATF from the power steering rack for months.

At some threshold ATF level within that system, the hydraulic motor driven by that

combined power steering and radiator fan motor pump failed to blow enough air from

behind the radiator to induce sufficient cooling draft. That allowed the first of an

engine-overheating series, each driving out more engine coolant and air being pulled

into the cooling system during cooling cycles. Eventually, the symptoms became

obvious to the driver who doesn't closely monitor engine behavior. I topped up the

"power steering pump" reservoir to the full mark, adding some ATF seal expander

"stop leak" additive to delay the date when power steering seal failure(s) would

require replacement.

That 3VZ-FE engine immediately cooled back down by

1) adding about a pint of ATF and

2) topping up coolant system to replace volume lost from progressive heating/cooling

cycles that progressively purged coolant replacing it with air.

One possible repair item you didn't mention was topping up your "power steering pump"

reservoir's ATF fluid level. Maybe a shop employee did that without considering the

roll it might have played in causing your engine heating.

3VZ-FE engine heads pulled after 50K mile driving increments will reveal surface

deposits. Since your partially rebuilt engine has again been run for a while, it's

combustion surfaces are again no longer shinny clean. Sorry to rupture people's

balloons, but that's good, not bad. Combustion heat loss rates into freshly-cleaned

aluminum and steel surfaces are higher than into those surfaces covered with a little

thermal-transfer protection. Thin combustion precipitate layers offend people who

have not dyno tested lots of engines. Too much surface deposit volume significantly

raises compression ratios and can even change effective combustion chamber

shapes. But the first combustion chamber surface covering increments IMPROVE

engine efficiency, lower Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC), slightly raise

peak torque and increase peak power production capacity. Shinny-clean aluminum

surfaces within combustion chambers marginally lower peak pressures by natural

ideal gas law action. These are heat engines. The fuel burning function is to create

piston-pushing pressure by generating heat. Engine parts are cooled to prevent

over-heated part mechanical failures and lubrication-barrier failures.

More than a decade ago when we were comparison testing some expensive ceramic

coatings on piston tops and cylinder head bottoms and on valve heads verses freshly

cleaned metal surfaces, some of those relationships became apparent.

Then someone made what at first seemed to be an outrageous suggestion. They said

that since we had found slight power increases from normal combustion deposits

compared to freshly cleaned metal surfaces, why not spray on some "Extreme

temperature paint with thermal-insulating ceramic micro balls?" They suggested that

since combustion precipitate deposits can adhere to those surfaces, maybe some of

that exotic paint can adhere to those surfaces through combustion processes too.

Those combustion precipitate layers have lower thermal transfer rates than bare

aluminum, so they reduce combustion chamber temperature loss which translates

into slightly higher piston-pushing pressure. Clearly the insulating paint had a much

higher thermal barrier effect than combustion deposits. Why not try it. It sounded

absurdly simple. But when we tried it, it worked! For about 2% of ceramic coating

piston tops, head and valve combustion chamber surfaces, we gained about 50%

of those benefits! Having seen water boiled in a paper cup supported over a flame,

this all seems less incredible.

Just another perspective from someone who performed my first engine rebuild

about 50 years ago. I had my expectations, formerly based on book writer's

statements, violated so many times that I finally decided that I had to choose

which to believe - experience-based observations or keyboard-opinion writers.

The FIRST check I'd run to find why a 1992/1993 ES-300 engine is overheating is

"power steering" reservoir ATF fluid level.

John

[TIGGA]

I stopped driving the lexus and then finally took it to the shop. the mechanic and i thought that it was the intake manifold gaskets. i waited a week before i got the gaskets but that same day one of my friends told me he worked on his friends ES300 that was doing the same thing and it was just a clogged radiator. so i figured i could do that myself so went to go pick up the car. that night i decided to drive it to the store( about half a mile down the road). It ran fine there and back so i sat in the yard with it running waiting for it to start overflowing.... Nothin happened. drove it around for five minutes.........nothing happened. drove it to my friends house 15 minutes away......... nothing happened. Its been running fine since I got it back. the only thing the mechanic did was test drive it. he said that he punched it a couple times and thats it. guess it just needed blowing out cus i never took it past 3500 rpm.

but i now i have another problem...... I begins running hot whenever i its running at idle and the air conditioner is on. the rpms start jumping around a little too. it only does it at idle with the ac on. what could this be??

[byf43]

but i now i have another problem...... I begins running hot whenever i its running at idle and the air conditioner is on. the rpms start jumping around a little too. it only does it at idle with the ac on. what could this be??

Check the "A/C cycling switch".

In lay-man's terms. . .

This switch opens the solenoid to the pressure lines for the radiator cooling fan motor, and allows the radiator fan to spin at maximum speed, when the a/c is on.

[TIGGA]

Where is the A/C Cycling Switch located?q

[byf43]

Where is the A/C Cycling Switch located?q

If memory serves me, it is on the compressor for the A/C unit.

There is a test to check the switch, if you have the manual.

I do know that the technician had to 'vacuumize' the a/c system to remove and install the switch. (Total including the part was a little over $300.)

[kingjack133]

hey, me again.....just put 1700 kms on the 92 ,over some very mountainous terrain. Long.....long.....upgrades and miles of winding mtn. highway in southeastern british columbia....Gods country! Started out no problem, temp guage normal. Four adults and baggage (approx. 1000lbs) and a lot of load on the 3vz. Cooling had been normal in the city, with low expansion tank level in the a.m. and filling when hot, and guage just below 1/2way.

SEEMED fine ....but when we started in on the grades the needle started moving.....up! She was overheating!!!!. I felt sick! Out in the mtns, nowhere to stop. Drove for 40 miles like that,stopping on the shoulder with the needle at the RED!!!....Made it to a town,water spilling out the tank,and took some action. Got the rad cap off, lots of pressure, and topped up with water....really needed some. Hit the road and was fine for 400 kms and then she went berserk again.........so, topped her up again and drove her fine. Topped up in the mornings , the next 4 days and averaged 180 kms per day. Then headed back home, went 300 kms and she went again. Topped her up, now she got pretty much all water, and made it home, with ...o ya....1 more top up. Finally home in one piece!!!!!

Next day, took it to my oil change and stuff shop and did a cooling system flush(79.99) with a unit that sucks out the fluid and replaces with new. What a nice machine! It will discover any air leak, so that rules out many things. Apparently i had a MAJOR air pocket involving the heater and a/c lines. They took care to make it right. She took in way more coolant than she gave . Oil and air filter change and i was out of there for $140.

The needle is at exactly halfway and doesn t budge. I am now confident again!!! Want to hit the mtns and carve em up!!!!

So, keep it simple, i believe the airlock is the problem.....rule it out absolutely , and i think you will save a truckload of money.....kingjack133future ride

[TIGGA]

Ruled out already... Only does it wit AC on.... on my way to texas but im going to check the cycling switch when i get back.

[kingjack133]

trying not to be redundant but when i used the A/C is when the problems ALWAYS happened........not anymore, good luck on your trip!

[jstnlyrr]

COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME I HAVE A 92 ES 300 AND WHEN I TURN THE AC ON THE CAR WANTS TO OVERHEAT BUT WHEN I TURN IT OFF IT THE TEMP GOES BACK TO WHERE ITS SUPPOSED TO BE PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME WITH THIS TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM