so I just got my supra yesterday =]... Anywho it was sitting for some years now, but it has been ran the last couple months before I gotit a couple times. So I went to get it yesterday and the guy did an oil change for me before the 3 hour drive back. He put 5w 30 in it this time to break the engine back in a little. But on the way back everyhing was going perfectly, oil pressure, temp, was all steady and out of nowhere I seen smoke billowing out from under my hood from the drivers side going down the highway, then I look and my temp spikes to hot. Of course I pulled over and looked under the hood to find that the hoses came off my radiator and had squirted anti freeze everywhere. So I was stuck on the side of the highway for an hour waiting for it to cool down, thankfully it started. Still pretty hot I took it to the nearest rest stop a mile down the road and filled the radiator with water getting all the air bubbles out. The drive after that was pretty normal, the temp stayed steady cool until I got back in town then it spiked to hot again. So I parked it at my house and filled the radiator back up with water to let it cool down. Today it seemed to run ok but it still got warm pretty quick on a short drive. I came to find a small crack in my radiator right next to the cap. So anyone know what would cause all of this? And any tips on what I should do? I don't plan on driving it until I know what I need to do. Thanks
so what went wrong here?!?!? Please help.
- Thread starter mk3_89turbo
- Start date
Well the crack in your radiator can definitely cause all this, besides losing coolant through it you'll also lose pressure, which lowers the boiling point of the coolant and make the cooling system less effective. These two things put together are very likely the cause of your overheating problems. Replace the radiator; it sounds like you still have the stock one in there and that plastic gets pretty brittle and corroded after 20+ years. When you do this make sure all the hoses are securely clamped so nothing pops off again.
may want to check the fan too. If it has electric fans check to see if they come on, if you have a mechanical fan check to make sure its working properly.
Alright thanks... I think I'll post of video up later to show you guys what it looks and sounds like... She's a beast, I'm very impressed with this car and engine. I took some of my buddys on a little drive yesterday because they were making jokes about it before I got it saying it was a ricer, blah blah. When they went one of my friends said sorry about everything he joked about it. It pulls hard as hell from 35 to 80 and I haven't floored it at all maybe like half gas or a little over. You here the spooling up and she's gone!! =D. My next step is to clean her up and take it to advance to have them diagnose it to make sure there's nothing wrong... And yeah I'm gonna replace the radiator and thermostat while I'm messing with cooling... You guys think it's ok to drive a little bit? Not hard but just cruising... Oh and another question with the oil. Do I leave the 5w 30 in there til the next oil change or what? And what oil do you guys recommmend?
Do not drive it until you fix your cooling problem!!!
My oil recommendation would be German Castrol 0-30. You can find it at Autozone and Pepboys. I'd highly recommend you read through Jdub's oil section. Spend a few days reading through that section, and I'd guarantee that 99.9% of your oil related questions will be answered.
My oil recommendation would be German Castrol 0-30. You can find it at Autozone and Pepboys. I'd highly recommend you read through Jdub's oil section. Spend a few days reading through that section, and I'd guarantee that 99.9% of your oil related questions will be answered.
^^ +1 for not driving it, especially no more boosting - you could really do some damage. It is a fun car...glad you're happy with it but you could easily warp the head or something if you keep overheating it (twice is bad enough), so if you want your engine to last don't drive it at all til this is fixed. Besides, the radiator and thermostat are easy to replace even if you've never done it before; shouldn't take more than a few hours.
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Supramania Contributor
Get a CSF dual row radiator now.
New thermostat.
Check the fan, and fan clutch. (The alloy center part that the plastic/nylon fan bolts up to.)
The fan clutch should not be easy to turn when the engine is hot. It should be slightly more easy to turn when cold, but it should not freewheel at all. (IE: If you can just spin it around and around, it's wasted, and needs to be replaced.)
Also look over your hoses while you are there. Replace any that are hard or cracked. (Especially the ones around the back and sides of the exhaust manifold, as they tend to crank and fail if they are old.) Good news is most places have a universal 90 bend that works fine, you just cut them for fit, and use new worm type clamps.
My only oil tip is to run at least 6 quarts. Seven is even better. (Slightly over full on the 7MGTE is a good way to be.) Full in my view, is when the oil is at the junction of the wire and measurement tab. It is still below the crank quite a bit there, but it gives you more security to always have oil going to the pickup, where stock, it can become uncovered, and starve the motor for a moment under braking, or when horsing around in the corners etc.)
New thermostat.
Check the fan, and fan clutch. (The alloy center part that the plastic/nylon fan bolts up to.)
The fan clutch should not be easy to turn when the engine is hot. It should be slightly more easy to turn when cold, but it should not freewheel at all. (IE: If you can just spin it around and around, it's wasted, and needs to be replaced.)
Also look over your hoses while you are there. Replace any that are hard or cracked. (Especially the ones around the back and sides of the exhaust manifold, as they tend to crank and fail if they are old.) Good news is most places have a universal 90 bend that works fine, you just cut them for fit, and use new worm type clamps.
My only oil tip is to run at least 6 quarts. Seven is even better. (Slightly over full on the 7MGTE is a good way to be.) Full in my view, is when the oil is at the junction of the wire and measurement tab. It is still below the crank quite a bit there, but it gives you more security to always have oil going to the pickup, where stock, it can become uncovered, and starve the motor for a moment under braking, or when horsing around in the corners etc.)