hadyn Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 Anyone else had their old rad cap failing and causing a gradual loss of coolant on their supes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 It's possible mine is doing this. There is a VERY gradual loss over time. I 've had the car just over a year, and I've topped the coolant up 2 or 3 times, which is not something that worries me too much. I can't see any obvious leakage points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tDR Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 One thing I've noticed with the Toyota rads is that the plastic end tanks turn green when they're about to let go - they start out a solid black colour. If yours is starting to turn green it's time to think about a new rad. Cheers, Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supRo Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 How much did the stock cap cost Hadyn? Is it ok for BPU? Or is 1.3 bar cap essential?? Cheers, Ro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadyn Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 11 quid ish with the VAT supro And when you say end tanks TDR are you talking about the bottom of the rad which joins to the pipe going into the rad? Or the black things either side of the rad core visible from the top of the engine bay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tDR Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 11 quid ish with the VAT supro And when you say end tanks TDR are you talking about the bottom of the rad which joins to the pipe going into the rad? Or the black things either side of the rad core visible from the top of the engine bay? The top and bottom of the rad Hadyn, one has coolant feed hose attached, the other the coolant return hose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadyn Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 Looks very black to me mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burna Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 One thing I've noticed with the Toyota rads is that the plastic end tanks turn green when they're about to let go - they start out a solid black colour. If yours is starting to turn green it's time to think about a new rad. Cheers, Brian. Yep, mine was a dark green colour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadyn Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 Right just been upto my local Toyota to pick the new rad cap up. Checked the coolant in the tank when I got back and bizzarely it has returned to the F level where I topped it up 2days ago??? Whats going on here then?? The new cap feels a lot 'stiffer' than the old one but that could be my imagination. Will fit it as soon as the supe has cooled down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannasupra Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 just a quick q, to top up the coolant do i just add it to the plastic bottle with Full and Low on it, right at the front of the engine bay? sorry really noob question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyb10supra Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 just a quick q, to top up the coolant do i just add it to the plastic bottle with Full and Low on it, right at the front of the engine bay? sorry really noob question. Let your rad cool off then fill rad right to the top......wack your rad cap on and now fill the coolant reservoir up to the max as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Haydn, I've had a similar issue for over a year now, Its never gone empty but its made me wonder No 'known' leaks here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadyn Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 New cap is now on and will check levels 2moro. Is there any visible signs you can tell if you've got a duff rad cap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burna Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 New cap is now on and will check levels 2moro. Is there any visible signs you can tell if you've got a duff rad cap? Yeah, the bottom part fell off mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter richards Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 ever thaught of evaporation , you are going to loose a bit through the heat of the engine . i keep an eye on mine each time i clean the car , if its low just top up , been advised to use the red toyota stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadyn Posted November 29, 2005 Author Share Posted November 29, 2005 Ive always kept an eye on my coolant every week minimum. Its just this loss is very sudden. Im putting it down to the sharp drop in temps hopefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignum Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 30 mins to c/w from yours,what the hells yours runnin on or has it sprouted wings,,,lol:blush: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminator Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 The MKIV cooing system will not loose any fluid if all componants are in good condition. Mine has been at the max mark, when cold, since I did a coolant change in the summer, not moved one mm. The expansion tank is exactlythat, allows for expansion. A healthy rad cap will let of some fluid in the system into the expansion bottle , which is drawn back in the the cooling system when the engine cools. A poor cap will let off cooolant at a lower pressure so the expansion bottle fills and often overflows. Evidence of overflow is very hard to find. The first evidence is usually a gradual lowering of the coolant in the expansion bottle over time. Eventually once the volume of the fluid in the expansion bottle is lost, air can be drawn into the system as it cools down. This is often not noticed as checks are carried out when the fluid is hot and the expansion bottle is full and all appears to be well. A cap is not expensive and is the first thing that should be checked/replaced. Many are probably original factory caps and are may be nearing the end of servicable life. It a good idea to keep a spare in the garage. If your cap is OK and the level fluctuates I would suspect air in the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrickTT Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 If there is air in the system you will hear it bubbling through the heater matrix as the engine warms up. If the rad cap doesn't fix it check the two hoses that run from the back of the engine into the heater matrix for leaks. A pinhole in one of them will drip onto the bellhousing and is almost impossible to see. I had to replace mine earlier this year. BTW is it just me, or does everyone hate those ridiculous spring loaded hose clips toyota use all over the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parksy Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Don't seem to have a full or empty mark on my expansion tank? Or the pipe running into it. However there is only about an inch of fluid or so in the bottom. How full should the expansion tank be exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadyn Posted January 2, 2006 Author Share Posted January 2, 2006 Half full or upto just under the neck mate ideally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parksy Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Out of interest where is the L and F markings on yours mate? On the tube or the bottle? Just wondering if mine actually has them and I'm just not looking in the right place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkey Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 When my coolant levels were dropping - I replaced my radcap & then a couple of weeks later .. my water pump failed. I don't know if the coolant level dropping was a symptom of the water pump failure or mere coincidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merckx Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Out of interest where is the L and F markings on yours mate? On the tube or the bottle? Just wondering if mine actually has them and I'm just not looking in the right place Low is about 1" from the bottom High is about 2 1/4" higher (this is about 3.5"-4" from the top) You don't need to fill it up, as always check the level when it's cold. On mine the markings are on the right side of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyb10supra Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 ever thaught of evaporation , you are going to loose a bit through the heat of the engine . i keep an eye on mine each time i clean the car , if its low just top up , been advised to use the red toyota stuff As long as its red Pete it will be ok to use! the colour just destinguishes the properties in the coolant, does'nt have to be toyota based either so long as its red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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