Is this normal?

[scruffboy]

This week we have been experiencing a heatwave here in the Northeast. Temps have hung in the mid 90's. Twice this week I had to drive into the city, 45 minute drives with lots of stop and go. When I get home I open the hood and I can hear coolant gurgling into the overflow bottle. After it cools down, the coolant level in the overflow bottle is back at the full line (where it started), and I am not losing coolant. No coolant is blowing out of the bottle, it seems to be circulating back into the system. Is this how it is supposed to work? I just had the Head Gasket replaced so I have been keeping a close eye on the coolant system. Previously, it would blow out of the overflow bottle but not anymore. Do I need to do more detective work or am I just worrying too much?

Scruffboy

[IHateHacks]

Yeah, its been very warm here also, temps in the 90's. I don't know about any "sound" coming from the overflow bottle, but as long as the fluid level is higher when hot than it is when its cold, the fluid returns to the same level every morning before you drive, and it doesn't blow out of the overflow bottle then you are good, thats how its suppost to operate.

This is what I do: I use a black sharpie and mark the level with a dot when the engine and coolant are at normal operating temperature. Then you can check it every time its stone cold or up to operating temperature. The main thing is to make sure it returns to the same level when its cold, like after it sits overnight.

[scruffboy]

O.K., you put me at ease because I remember you saying how anal you are about checking the overflow level and I have become the same. I check the level every time before I leave, and it has been returning to the same level after cooling down. So I'm good to go I assume. I also have a hole in my fan shroud, which was causing overheating problems but I patched it for now (and it worked) until I can get one from hopefully a junkyard. Would any other Toyota models from 1989 have a compatible shroud? I know I'm probably going to have to fork over some outrageous sum to a Toyota dealer, but I want to see if I can get off cheaper. Any other ideas for the shroud problem? I was thinking of cutting off the top of a similar sized shroud and riveting it to what I have in place. Money is very tight right now.

Scruff

[dannydavi]

no ideas on the shroud man, but want to comment on the sound you were hearing. i also heard the boiling water sound near the res tank. I was on my journey to LA from sacramento, apprx 400+ miles though. i stopped at a burger king or something and was walking by and heard it, touched the front left fender and it was super hot, and i could feel the vibration of that boiling noise, it really scared me. but i looked into res and was working fine, still to this day havent added to it and it is in same place. temp was fine, so just a comment, it's not only your car. let us know if you find anything substancial

[scruffboy]

This is not "substantial" but I think this is the way it is supposed to work and everything is fine. Today I went for a somewhat shorter drive but with a lot of stop and go. Also, the weather has cooled down a little. I used the sharpie like IHH suggested and when I got back, the overflow bottle was above that mark, but after a couple of hours I checked again and it was back down to the line. I think the gurggling sound we heard is from extreme heat and the coolant is evaporating at a very fast rate, kind of like boiling a pot of water.

Scruffboy

[SupraDupra]

Originally Posted by scruffboy

... kind of like boiling a pot of water.

Scruffboy

That's exactly what it is. Your engine operating temp is well above boiling and that is just a "nusance noise". Don't try opening the radiator cap when you hear that ,or big ouchies.

[scruffboy]

I know better! In high school we had a guy who's car overheated. He was dumb enough to open the radiator cap while looking straight down at it. Third degree burns over most of his face. Might as well just stick your finger in an electrical socket. The other fella on this thread said he opened his overflow when it was "gurggling". I wouldn't even trust that, and I thought about the high school incident when he said it.

BE CAREFUL FOLKS

Scruffboy

[bills1988]

I ended up buying a factory shroud from the Toyota dealer for $100.

[Busted Knuckles]

Bills1988, you do realize this post is more than 20 months old. I hope the problem was solved many moons ago.

[bills1988]

Yeah, I realized the post was an old one but no one ever replied to his question about the shroud. I was researching a cooling system problem on by 88 and was reading the threads on this issue. Since I had bought one from the dealer, I thought I would give him a response to one possible solution to his shroud problem. I realize that he could also have called the dealer for a price!