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Coolant Question/enquiry - Any Help Please


Lawsy
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Evening all

picked up my LS400 earlier this week and have been enjoying driving it, covered a few hndred miles already, but i seem to be having overheating issues...

Read up loads on here already and all sound similar, air in system/thermostat/system cap issues

quick overview of sympton, temp guage gets hot, starts going up towards the red..

coolant is dripping from the tube under the cap and onto the floor, but its throwing out too much and is then almost empty when cold...

My question i have..

by the reservoir it says use 1 of.(product code).. and 4 (another code) - ten says DO NOT USE WATER

so would i be right in thinking i should only use those part numbers or is it ok using normal coolant and mixing with water?

i also have a hilux and they seem to have issues with rad caps that release the prssure too early, so I'm thinking if i change the rad cap, drain the coolant and change the thermostat all will (hopefuly) be ok..

what i'm struggling to find is a manual etc for the LS400.. so any tips for how too or even a link to a how too would be great

final question, lots of people say burp the system, how is that done?

thanks in advance from a complete newbie to toyota/lexus worl

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Hi, my earlier J reg LS400 had an overheating problem and all it was, I had to replace the coolant reservoir presure cap.

Problem then just simply vanished. Not expensive either.

I do understand that the reservoir tank is a bugger to get filled correctly and I'm suffering this continually, but, hey ho, I just top it up from time to time, sometimes with the correct coolant mix but otherwise with water.

No problems either so far and the temp. gauge ALWAYS runs true.

Just have the system checked for antifreeze strength come the winter and you might be OK.

Malc.

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Hello and welcome to the LOC.

As Malc suggests replace the coolant tank cap 1st and have a look in the tank for oil contamination,head gasket problems are rare however.

There is a very useful site for LS maintainance www.lexls.com

Have a look on the link below for cooling.

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/cooling/

Original factory manuals are around from time to time,have a look on eBay,second hand the set of 3 is normally £100.00 + but there are some CD rom manuals also on eBay,I have the Mitchell one and it's reasonable in detail and quality for a few £££s.

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Thanks for the info, i have the same issue with on the hilux with the rad cap, seems toyota build cracking cars, but there coolant systems let them down..

fingers crossed it'll be just that, looks teh same spec as the one on the hilux so guess i'll try that in there till one arrives..

any advice on the coolant - i've read up a bit on here and it says that the red with distilled water seems best option, but just want to make sure all's ok first before doing a full system flush.. never enough in the expansion tank to see what colour coolant is currently in there, from the leaks it looks more blue/green than red/pink..

if i top up with blue and distilled till i find the issue do you think it'll be ok, or should i do a full drain and go red??

thanks again

steve

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Hi, my coolant level now and on the J reg car was pink. The J reg might be a clue as to age related pressure cap issues !

What age / mileage is your LS 400 by the way ?

My replacement pressure cap came off the shelf at a normal motor factor that stocked Toyota bits.

Malc

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Hi, my coolant level now and on the J reg car was pink. The J reg might be a clue as to age related pressure cap issues !

What age / mileage is your LS 400 by the way ?

My replacement pressure cap came off the shelf at a normal motor factor that stocked Toyota bits.

Malc

cheers Malc, yup its also 91 J plate...

I'll grab a rad cap tomorrow form the motor factors, guess I'll need a gallon of distilled water and some coolant then - will get them to look up what's recommended for the car..

is it a big job to fully flush

sorry for all the questions, I've been a VW man for the last upmteen years..

thanks again

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Thanks for the info, i have the same issue with on the hilux with the rad cap, seems toyota build cracking cars, but there coolant systems let them down..

fingers crossed it'll be just that, looks teh same spec as the one on the hilux so guess i'll try that in there till one arrives..

any advice on the coolant - i've read up a bit on here and it says that the red with distilled water seems best option, but just want to make sure all's ok first before doing a full system flush.. never enough in the expansion tank to see what colour coolant is currently in there, from the leaks it looks more blue/green than red/pink..

if i top up with blue and distilled till i find the issue do you think it'll be ok, or should i do a full drain and go red??

thanks again

steve

When it's sorted go with the Toyota red coolant, when I did the timing belt and removed hoses

all the aluminium parts were perfect with no corrosion at all.

Also just check the big cooling fan is working correctly [ fluid coupling]

the one behind the rad. not the two electric ones!

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Today I'm working, over the road is a motor factors, so wil be going over to purchase rad cap and coolant/distilled water

had a good read through of the full coolant flush thread too.. sounds good and well worded, so hope it'll go ok.

popped off the fill bolt by the thermostat and noticed the coolant was frothy, it also smelt a little more liek screenwash than antifreeze/coolant, so i'm guessing if the muppet i purchased from topped up with screenwash instead of coolant.. :tsktsk: :tsktsk:

So hoping new coolant, rad cap should sort, do you think its worth popping in a new thermostat whilst I'm at it?

Cheers again

Steve

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Today I'm working, over the road is a motor factors, so wil be going over to purchase rad cap and coolant/distilled water

had a good read through of the full coolant flush thread too.. sounds good and well worded, so hope it'll go ok.

popped off the fill bolt by the thermostat and noticed the coolant was frothy, it also smelt a little more liek screenwash than antifreeze/coolant, so i'm guessing if the muppet i purchased from topped up with screenwash instead of coolant.. :tsktsk: :tsktsk:

So hoping new coolant, rad cap should sort, do you think its worth popping in a new thermostat whilst I'm at it?

Cheers again

Steve

Hi if its been filled with screenwash that may well be your problem, should flush your system out nicely though (wouldn't reccomend this)

Good luck

Mark

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just been and fetched 2x5ltrs red coolant and 2x5lts distilled water from the local motor factors along with some coolant flush and a new rad cap...

hopefuly that'll sort it out, just need to find some time to do it all now!!

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All your water problems vanished now ?

Malc

Hopefuly Malc

my driveway is gravel so had a nightmare getting it up on the ramps.. last night managed a full coolant flush.

what suprised me tho, the previous owner must have paid a garage (or did it himself) to doa flush, but they must have forgotten to drain the flush and refill with coolant - i'm pretty certain it was running with pure water and a flush as it was very frothy and pretty much clear..

anyway, i did a flush, then another water through flush and then put int ht e correct coolant and distilled water mix..

insurance docs have arrived now so i can go and get him taxed and then take for a good run out today and see if the troubles are sorted..

new rad cap on too

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just done a 40 miel round trip, light traffic, mostly a-b roads, country twisties and she's still getting hot, temp guage was sitting fine for most of the journey, then it started creeping up, eventually peeking just shy of red, so a quick blast of the heaters on HOT and the temp guage drops within 5 mins back to just above half

any ideas???

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Best to keep an eye on that reservoir then, I understand that re-filling the system is tiresomely tedious and can take forever to achieve .... that might be it.

malc

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just done a 40 miel round trip, light traffic, mostly a-b roads, country twisties and she's still getting hot, temp guage was sitting fine for most of the journey, then it started creeping up, eventually peeking just shy of red, so a quick blast of the heaters on HOT and the temp guage drops within 5 mins back to just above half

any ideas???

Did you check that cooling fan? The big one not the electric ones...

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thermostat is fine, bis viscous fan is spinning, little eletric ones work

got to the bottom of it tho, the rad is goosed

had a good look through the plastic front fan and there is no fins left on the rad, so stripped back a bit further and its only working around the edge..

new rad ordered and will report back once fitted...

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thermostat is fine, bis viscous fan is spinning, little eletric ones workgot to the bottom of it tho, the rad is goosedhad a good look through the plastic front fan and there is no fins left on the rad, so stripped back a bit further and its only working around the edge..new rad ordered and will report back once fitted...

That will be it.

I had a similar issue with my Rover 820. At 80mph it would overheat, but ok at 60mph. When I looked at the rad, the fins were all missing or hanging out. A new rad cured it.

Good luck!

Mike

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woohoo, we seem to have a result..

new rad arrived today, £80 off the bay, fitted this evening and just been out for about 50 mile round trip, new thermostat also in, temp guage stayed just under half the whole way - looks liek its sorted now!!

old rad was in a right state, most of it crumbled up as i pulled it out..

happy days, now to have some fun

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