Gs300 ('93) Radiator/temp Issues

PastTense · November 5, 2005

Hey everyone, I'm new here, but thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

I own a 93 Lexus GS300. When I first bought the car in June, after only a few days of driving, the top radiator hose blew and I had to get it replaced. Ever since then my engine temp has been fine but occaisionally during acceleration I could hear a faint bubbling noise and the car would also sometimes leave a puddle of water on the ground when parked for a while.

A couple days ago I noticed that the engine temperature was rising a bit higher than usual and also fluctuating some. The coolant level in my resevoir seemed fine so I put it out of my mind. Today as I was driving I noticed that the temperature began to rise steadily, and after a while it was dangerously high, so I pulled over. I could hear boiling inside the engine compartment, so I let it sit for a while to cool down. A co-worker opened the radiator cap and it boiled out all over the place. We let it sit for a while, then I drove it across the street to a filling station and topped it off with cold water. After letting sit for yet another few mintues I started it up and the engine temp had returned back to normal.

I'm wondering what you guys think is wrong, whether it be a radiator issue or a thermostat issue. It should also be noted that I drive for a living, so the car is used heavily, on average around 200 miles per day of freeway and city driving.

chips229 · November 5, 2005

Welcome to the LOC :)

It would be worth checking for a airlock in the cooling system,when i replaced my radiator early this year i was getting a bubbling sound and there was air in the system.

When the engines cold

Put the heater temp on max hot and run the engine up to temperature with the radiator cap OFF and blip the throttle so the engine revs go up to say 2000rpm and let it idle and repeat afew times.Any air in the system will bubble out with the rad cap off....Just keep a eye on the temp gauge,and the radiator as the coolant will start to overflow as it all warms up.

Hope that sorts out the problem.If not then id check the thermostat is opening.

If its not any of the above then it could the start of the headgasket going.

Good luck.

Cheers chips.

tonycq · November 12, 2005

Hey everyone, I'm new here, but thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
I own a 93 Lexus GS300. When I first bought the car in June, after only a few days of driving, the top radiator hose blew and I had to get it replaced. Ever since then my engine temp has been fine but occaisionally during acceleration I could hear a faint bubbling noise and the car would also sometimes leave a puddle of water on the ground when parked for a while.

A couple days ago I noticed that the engine temperature was rising a bit higher than usual and also fluctuating some. The coolant level in my resevoir seemed fine so I put it out of my mind. Today as I was driving I noticed that the temperature began to rise steadily, and after a while it was dangerously high, so I pulled over. I could hear boiling inside the engine compartment, so I let it sit for a while to cool down. A co-worker opened the radiator cap and it boiled out all over the place. We let it sit for a while, then I drove it across the street to a filling station and topped it off with cold water. After letting sit for yet another few mintues I started it up and the engine temp had returned back to normal.

I'm wondering what you guys think is wrong, whether it be a radiator issue or a thermostat issue. It should also be noted that I drive for a living, so the car is used heavily, on average around 200 miles per day of freeway and city driving.

←

tonycq · November 12, 2005

Hi

I'm new also and saw your email and thought hey that looks familiar.

I bought a 1997 GS300 in august, within an hour it had overheated. So I had the water pump and radiator replaced (as the radiator looked passed it) then a week later the new radiator blew to pieces. I took it to a local garage who dismantled it and found the head warped (who bought a lemon then) I has the head skimmed and bought yet another radiator and it was all put back together and off I went. Next thing was an oil leak to end all oil leaks within a week I had used all the oil in the sump so back to the garage it went. to cut a very long story short the block was warped and I have had to buy another engine SO the 3 grand car I bought off of eBay from an Audi specialist garage in Newmarket has cost me around 6 grand so far.

wits end · November 21, 2005

Hi all,

i am trying to find out contact details for the guy in the uk on the south coast (worthing i think) that does used lexus parts... anybody know him?

cheers all

chips229 · November 21, 2005

Hi all,
i am trying to find out contact details for the guy in the uk on the south coast (worthing i think) that does used lexus parts... anybody know him?

cheers all

←

Swift for all your secondhand Lexus Parts :)

01903856568

Cheers chips.

Theorist · November 29, 2005

Hey everyone, I'm new here, but thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
I own a 93 Lexus GS300. When I first bought the car in June, after only a few days of driving, the top radiator hose blew and I had to get it replaced. Ever since then my engine temp has been fine but occaisionally during acceleration I could hear a faint bubbling noise and the car would also sometimes leave a puddle of water on the ground when parked for a while.

A couple days ago I noticed that the engine temperature was rising a bit higher than usual and also fluctuating some. The coolant level in my resevoir seemed fine so I put it out of my mind. Today as I was driving I noticed that the temperature began to rise steadily, and after a while it was dangerously high, so I pulled over. I could hear boiling inside the engine compartment, so I let it sit for a while to cool down. A co-worker opened the radiator cap and it boiled out all over the place. We let it sit for a while, then I drove it across the street to a filling station and topped it off with cold water. After letting sit for yet another few mintues I started it up and the engine temp had returned back to normal.

I'm wondering what you guys think is wrong, whether it be a radiator issue or a thermostat issue. It should also be noted that I drive for a living, so the car is used heavily, on average around 200 miles per day of freeway and city driving.

←