cheeryble Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Hi Missus has Toyota Corolla it's 16 or 17 yo but looks good and has always run very well used every day half to work half hour back. She tells me the engine is overheating. When she's driving normally the temp stays normal she says. But now if she's caught in a long wait the needle goes up and she has to turn off the engine. I asked her and there is no sound like steam or banging, she just just sees the temp up and turns it off because she worries about it. She just informed me this has been happening for some time. She thinks it's getting worse, but that may be because the traffic's getting worse. Difficult to get to my normal Chung near the university today. What can be the problem? If the thermostat was jammed would it be normal in easy traffic? If it was the pump would it make a noise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMHO Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 If it maintains normal temps while underway, the prime suspect would be the thermofan I guess... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solice Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Yep I would say the fan, if its coping when air is flowing across the engine but overheating when it isnt thats what my money would be on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cali4995 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 thermofan = electric fan controlled by thermostatic switch stuck in the engine coolant somewheres. when parked and temps rise should eventually turn-on. sometimes you can disconnect the plug socket and use a paperclip to bridge circuit and see if fan actually runs. or if problem is with the switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 The thermostat will fail open. They are designed to do that. Next time she is due home wait outside for her to arrive. Leave the engine running. Lift the bonnet/hood and eventually one or both of the fans should come on. If not... The switch in question is the one in the centre of the diagram Which says"Refer to..." As they have to drain some of the coolant out to change it, I would also get the radiator flushed and new coolant put in. If the fans are running then it maybe the head gasket. Bung some 80 Baht radiator sealer in first and see what happens before rushing to the have the head lifted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) Thx so much........GREAT ANSWERS and all between my early wakeup and my later wakeup! this is an example of TV at it's best! Please stay tuned just in case but the suggestions are xlnt. Oh one point My regular chung is right next to CMU and that's all jammed up today. If it goes to Toyota (CM) 1. How much (as missus must pay :-o) 2. Are they same day? If necessary I could do myself. Anyone know a motor factors on the university side of CM? Edited January 23, 2013 by cheeryble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAS21 Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) It's very likely that one of the fans is associated with the air con. If one of the fans won't run test it by connecting it directly to the battery . just dab the wires onto the battery terminals ... don't fasten on as the supply won't be fused and you could have a little problem if there is a short. Also if you have to change one of the fans ... make sure that it rotates the correct way, there are two ways to connect the wires!! Don't forget to check the fuse before doing anything else. Edited January 23, 2013 by JAS21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) It's very likely that one of the fans is associated with the air con. If one of the fans won't run test it by connecting it directly to the battery . just dab the wires onto the battery terminals ... don't fasten on as the supply won't be fused and you could have a little problem if there is a short. Also if you have to change one of the fans ... make sure that it rotates the correct way, there are two ways to connect the wires!! Don't forget to check the fuse before doing anything else. More great advice yes the fuse first (though there's usually a reason for a fuse to blow). May I ask.......for the cooling, presumably the two fans run together as a pair? i.e. you don't get one fan for mild high temp and two fans for more high temp? ....And how does a fan become used for the aircon........does it switch on for both aircon and cooling? ps: already checked price it's 1300 from Toyota worse is no stock in CM must order from BKK.....jeez you'd think this was a common object. Missus using car for work will do the check tonight. Edited January 23, 2013 by cheeryble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) ....And how does a fan become used for the aircon........does it switch on for both aircon and cooling? Missus using car for work will do the check tonight. My bad yes when testing you should have the A/C off. If you turn on the A/C one of the fans may come on. According to what I found fuse #3 is for the fuel injection system and the fan, so unlikely to be the fuse? But I have been wrong before... #12 is the A/C which should also be for the fan associated with the A/C. Might also just be low coolant level? Which is the easiest and cheapest thing to check Edited January 23, 2013 by VocalNeal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kartman Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 It's very likely that one of the fans is associated with the air con. If one of the fans won't run test it by connecting it directly to the battery . just dab the wires onto the battery terminals ... don't fasten on as the supply won't be fused and you could have a little problem if there is a short. Also if you have to change one of the fans ... make sure that it rotates the correct way, there are two ways to connect the wires!! Don't forget to check the fuse before doing anything else. More great advice yes the fuse first (though there's usually a reason for a fuse to blow). May I ask.......for the cooling, presumably the two fans run together as a pair? i.e. you don't get one fan for mild high temp and two fans for more high temp? ....And how does a fan become used for the aircon........does it switch on for both aircon and cooling? ps: already checked price it's 1300 from Toyota worse is no stock in CM must order from BKK.....jeez you'd think this was a common object. Missus using car for work will do the check tonight. They don't stock it because nobody would buy it from them at that price, they go to parts suppliers and get it for i would expect 50% less or more . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lickey Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 16/17 yo?? just blow/wash all the acumalated crap out of the radiator cooling fins and try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted January 23, 2013 Author Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) 16/17 yo?? just blow/wash all the acumalated crap out of the radiator cooling fins and try again. ......yeah but you know it's always been a reliable smooth runner used every day and long runs too no overheating so I'm favouring the solution above. Anyway missus is bringing it over tonight I shall check tomorrow. Stay tuned ps: someone above mentioned changing the "coolant". Do they add anything to the water here? Edited January 23, 2013 by cheeryble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 For a place near CMU I recommend the one shown below on the map. I've used it for overheating issues and the owner is very good at getting parts. A lot of the university staff use him also. Small soi just behind the Chiang Mai Phucome Hotel (next to the doughnut shop). Near the end. Doesn't look like much, large open area but he knows his stuff and will give you an estimate of the costs and explain what's wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 As for the place I mentioned. They definitely used coolant as most of it had drained out due to bad hose. The car I had at the time was also around 16 years old and an import (Nissan Bluebird 2.0 SSS). He was able to get parts for it and for a Corolla should be simple . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 As for the place I mentioned. They definitely used coolant as most of it had drained out due to bad hose. The car I had at the time was also around 16 years old and an import (Nissan Bluebird 2.0 SSS). He was able to get parts for it and for a Corolla should be simple . That's exactly where I shall go after a morning chore he's a good chap......but will check first myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Got the car back from Khun Ut. He had run the engine and noted the top pipe was hot and the lower not.......presumably the heat in the top one was drifting in but the water wasn't circulating at all properly......which makes me amazed the engine didn't blow up. Anyway I believe what he did was a reverse wash through and he replaced some water valve though I didn't get a chance to ask what. Repaired a power steering oil leak from the pump and washed the engine (looks great) and fixed a little electrical thing.....1880 baht. Could have been a whole load worse. Thanks again for all suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarpSpeed Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 16/17 yo?? just blow/wash all the acumalated crap out of the radiator cooling fins and try again. ......yeah but you know it's always been a reliable smooth runner used every day and long runs too no overheating so I'm favouring the solution above. Anyway missus is bringing it over tonight I shall check tomorrow. Stay tuned ps: someone above mentioned changing the "coolant". Do they add anything to the water here? Still no harm in his suggestion either way, it's just good common sense and maintenance to go along with the other suggestions to get the job right and eliminate variables..JFYI people always say "it was running perfectly" just before they had a problem and if you realize how nonsensical that reads you'd probably avoid saying or writing it in the future.. It's like saying "yeah but it rolled perfectly just before it got a flat and it never had one before?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarpSpeed Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 The thermostat will fail open. They are designed to do that. Unfortunately this isn't true or else no one would ever have to replace one when it fails and causes overheating.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarpSpeed Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 (edited) Got the car back from Khun Ut. He had run the engine and noted the top pipe was hot and the lower not.......presumably the heat in the top one was drifting in but the water wasn't circulating at all properly......which makes me amazed the engine didn't blow up. Anyway I believe what he did was a reverse wash through and he replaced some water valve though I didn't get a chance to ask what. Repaired a power steering oil leak from the pump and washed the engine (looks great) and fixed a little electrical thing.....1880 baht. Could have been a whole load worse. Thanks again for all suggestions. Like like others posted it was likely the thermostat, it failed in the closed position (which some say doesn't happen) and prevented water from flowing through the system properly, it's the only thing that can be described as a "valve" in the system as that's basically what it is and operates on temperature, opening and closing at different temps as needed to keep the water in the system at an optimum operating temp. Edited January 27, 2013 by WarpSpeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 (edited) I agree the thermostat is the only thing can be described as a "waeow". If I remember right back to my Morris Minor days it has a spring which makes the default open. Does it in fact ever cause overheating, or are they usually changed because the engine warms up too slowly if faulty? Perhaps they just "occasionally" stay closed. Edited January 27, 2013 by cheeryble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurwait Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 They just get stuck through old age, probably the problem. The only other valve I can think of is to let hot water flow to the heater if they have them on cars made for over here or possibly an air block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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