I need help figuring this out

[kgb424]

Got a question for anybody about my Toyota Truck

I went to the store and noticed my temperature gauge after about 10 to 12 miles
Was all the way in the red, but when I stopped to it check the truck
The overflow bottle was not boiling, it should been boiling if the radiator was red hot like the temp gauge said it was and the radiator was warm
too the touch,not hot enough to burn your hand, like it should of, if was red hot, it was warm like it normally is, after its been running awhile
and driven at free way speeds and in traffic
Can a short in the temperature sensor wire, make the gauge go fully hot
I'm not sure where the sensor is, its not close to the thermostrat
I wiggled some wires around before I drove home
And it started out in the normal temperature range then went
fully red then dropped back to where it normally shows its at
operating temperature

so it the temperature sensor or the wire
could it also be the thermostat is starting to go out
I will need to look in the manual or online and see where
the temp sensor is
I'm hoping its something simple

Does what happened make sense to everybody else

Am I missing something,

 

[wings_of_fire]

It made good sense to me, but I have no answers.

Some things about you are changing, in a good way.

 

[kgb424]

Really, I thought was because, I been self medicating more

And found Captain Morgan's Coconut Rum and Smirnoff Water Melon Vodka

I got my Jack Daniels Jigger Glass for shooters

Why is the Rum also ways gone

 

[WHITE-TRASH]

Temperature senders die sometimes. My dad's old toyota reads dead cold for a minute or so then jumps to the center of the sweep and never moves. Meh, senders are cheap if you care.

 

[ADlBOO]

Check your coolant level? Sounds like you might have a leak and air in the system.

 

[kgb424]

There might be motor oil on the 2 plugs and there dirty or maybe loose

Cause I wiggled the wires around at the two plugs before I drove home

And let the truck sit a good 30 to 45 minutes before I started home

So it would need to come back to normal temperature, and the gauge acted weird and went full red, then dropped to the normal operating temp a little under middle of the temp gauge

It just started getting dark when I left my house, I didn't have a flash light in my truck

And didn't even think about buying a flashlight, I just wanted to get home with out it over heating

The truck wasn't over heating both ways, I checked again when I got home, it was warm to the touch as usual like it normally is

Got some oven cleaner and some de-greaser and there might be some electrical contact cleaner

I seen Napa sells the sensors and the wires with the connector

So I can replace them both if needed

Cause I recently changed the oil filter and I might of moved and put tension on the wires

There is a bunch of wire bundles coming off the fender wall in the same spot, that you reach your arm in to change the oil filter on the side of the block

It might be a short and need cleaned

I will have to check it out tomorrow

Need to find my volt/ohm meter

I think it said 200 ohm's at 200 degrees

So the truck has to warmed up, when the sensor is supposed to work

It kicking the switch on and then reading a false temp

So if its less than or higher than 200 ohms its bad when its warm

Correct ??

 

[wings_of_fire]

I don't think the truck has to warm up for the sensors to work. Where does the temperature dial start at? Probably 0 degree celcius

 

[kgb424]

Ok The truck was cold this morning, I check the plugs by the thermostat housing and they are tight and there was no oil on them, I sprayed oven cleaner on them and rubbed it around with my fingers

And then used a spray bottle with water to clean them off, and then dried them off,

I checked the coolant level in the radiator there was coolant almost to the top of the radiator and there is water and coolant in the over flow bottle

And it good cause I have a gauge that shows the freezing point and the boiling point of the coolant and I'm right where it needs to be

Now it seems too take forever to come up to temperature, from fully cold to the operational temperature

Then the gauge rises a little above normal then after awhile it drops back down

To me it sounds like the Thermostat is not fully opening, that causes the increase in temperature slightly

Then fully opens and then the temp decreases and it drops back to the normal temp

A Thermostat at Napa is $7.00 and the gasket is $4.00 so for $12 bucks I could fix my truck

I will take my GMC, so my Toyota cools off, cause I want it cold when I put the new thermostat in

So I can see if they gauge takes as long to come up to temp again

I took some pictures, I'm not sure which one is the temp sensor

They both green and have square connectors, one of them has tabs, you open and it comes off, the other one I could not get off and not prying on it, unless I have to

maybe the tabs are broke off, not sure

Does anybody here know which is the temperature sensor

Out of the 2 of them

 

[CM9000]

green wire I think. I remember on my older 720 Datsun it was the green wire?

 

[kgb424]

I went to Napa and bought a new thermostat and the gasket, I already had a tube of Blue RTV sealant ready to go

I showed the pictures of the sensors, too 2 different people at Napa and the sensors they got don't match the ones I have

So I would have to disconnect the connectors and take them out to match them up and Napa seems to know there shit, they helped me out a lot

The new thermostat is 190 degrees the old one was 180 degrees

I replaced the thermostat and let the Blue RTV sealant setup before I started the truck to check for leaks

It seems to run a little better, I let it warm up and drove it a little too see if the gauge went in the red it didn't

And it was only warm to the touch like it normally is

So now I'm thinking it was the thermostat starting to take a shit on me

 

[wings_of_fire]

RIP Mark's business.

 

[kgb424]

Mark still gets my business, My GMC truck is a Turbo Diesel, and I don't own a code reader or have diagnostic equipment

And have not had to do much work to the GMC, except Mark needed to add a aftermarket Inter Cooler for the turbo

The Yoter is driven the shit out of and is easy for me too work on and I save money doing it my self

I saved a shit load of money when I had problems with the Catalytic converter

Mark doesn't have a problem with me working on my own vehicles cause I save him time

By figuring out what needs replaced, and if it too big of job, cause I got to rent or buy tools or need to use a lift and need welding done

Or have to buy expensive parts like the Inter Cooler, he gets a business discount from his suppliers and does a lot of business with them

Then I will give Mark a call, especailly when the Webber carb needs worked on, he has adjusted it a few times

Mark is good people and is a competitive rock crawler and has been for years and builds his own crawlers and does custom builds

And fun to hang out with and shoot the shit with and have a few beers

Every once in awhile

 

[wings_of_fire]

Good for Mark.
It could be good for you too, if you can join him in business. I bet, a persistent and dedicated person like you would be an asset to any business (until over done).

Since you have back issues, you could do all the lite work and earn a living. Apart from that, you can bring your girlfriend to live with you and live a happy life. But make sure you do it before Trump is elected.

Hey!...and don't take free service from Mark after your girlfriend starts living with you... You know about Ralph?

 

[tda271]

I would say check your thermostat. Also would help to have more information on the truck; what year is it, how many miles, when is the last time, if ever, that you worked on the cooling system?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[BadWagon]

Sounds like the thermostat was bad. The other thing that could cause the swing in temps is if there are air pockets in the cooling system.
Normally you only get those when you've dumped the coolant and refilled a mostly empty block.

If you haven't flushed or changed the coolant recently I'd go with the T-stat or the sensors.

 

[kgb424]

Its a 87 Toyota 4x4 pickup with a 22R and 2 barrel Webber carb

The smog equipment has been removed, but I left the catalytic converter

Not sure of the milage, cause the old instrument cluster was changed out, for a SR5 instrument cluster with a tach, and it had a hundred and some thouasand miles on it a couple of years ago when I changed clusters

The coolant is good, it was flushed with in a couple years, I have a boil point/ freeze point tester and its where it needs to be

I have drove the truck, since I replaced thermostat and it runs great

The thermostat was not working properly and that caused the problem

It works fine now, and its a 190 degree thermostat, the old one was a 180 degrees, so now the heater and defroster should be warmer this winter

So for $7.00 for the thermostat and $4.00 for the gasket for the thermostat

It cost me $11 and some change I fixed my truck

I could go buy some radiator flush and new coolant

and flush it and refill it with fresh coolant

Next time I go to Wally World and if I can remember I'll get some radiator flush

 

[kgb424]

I feel sorry for Ralph, the poor Bastard

And my heart, would be broken if my girl ****ed me over, but I trust her and love her a lot

But I'm not Ralph and most of my male friends are all married and happy

Or divorced and pissed off, and fun to hang out with after a couple cocktails the fun begins, cause they realize it helps to vent

And the fact I get them fired up, asking about there divorce and what happened to their marriage, they go off and raise hell and have fun

Good times

And I'm an asshole

Its how people know me

 

[Natedog]

green wire I think. I remember on my older 720 Datsun it was the green wire?

IIRC, green wire in pic on Toyota too. "thumbsup"

I went to Napa and bought a new thermostat and the gasket, I already had a tube of Blue RTV sealant ready to go

The new thermostat is 190 degrees the old one was 180 degrees

I replaced the thermostat and let the Blue RTV sealant setup before I started the truck to check for leaks

It seems to run a little better, I let it warm up and drove it a little too see if the gauge went in the red it didn't

And it was only warm to the touch like it normally is

So now I'm thinking it was the thermostat starting to take a shit on me

Good job, most people don't realize but it will run better (more power and less emissions) with the 190'F thermostat like it came with. Good idea to change coolant every couple years depending, always buy the proper coolant for aluminum heads. IMO and IME flush kits are total waste of money, just make sure it's changed out at proper interval and do the t-stat and gasket at the same time. "thumbsup"

 

[kgb424]

Walmart and Napa both sell radiator flush products, that you run thru the radiator and block and heater core and its supposed to loosen or disolve the crap in the of the coolant system

I usually flush the radiator and block and heater core and the over flow bottle cause it gets nasty, when I change out the coolant, and change the thermostat and gasket at the same time

And use the garden hose and a rag and some towels to flush, the radiator good and use a 50/50 % ratio of water and coolant, some times its 40/60 % water to coolant

I have a boil point/freeze point tester and its good with 50/50, even better with 40% water and 60% coolant

And I recently replaced the radiator cap, so its good, no pressure leaks

 

[Natedog]

Yes, I know what the flush products are and mostly unnecessary junk. Change coolant on schedule and don't worry.