1997 3.0L V6 Toytota Camry Overheating Questions
bstuser127
12-18-2015, 06:28 PM
Hello, I hope someone can help me.
A few days ago my car started acting up. After a drive, (about 40-min reliably reproduced the event) whenever I stopped moving and let my car idle, it would begin to overheat, and I could hear radiator coolant boiling over into the Coolant Reservoir. My initial examinations revealed that the Cooling fans were starting and stopping rapidly, never running longer than 30-sec. After letting the engine cool, (about 15 min.) the engine sounded and acted like an old flooded diesel engine. I was able to start it, but the engine would sound off for a few minutes before sounding normal again.
As I am not so good with the electronic side of engines at the moment, I took the car to a mechanic. He looked it over and told me that he replaced the temperature sensor, (he was not more specific) that turns the fans on and off. I pick up the car and drove it to work the next day, a 50 mile drive. When I went to leave work that afternoon, I barely made it 5 miles before my engine began to overheat again. Inspecting the engine, I discovered two things; One, is that there is a small hose on the left (Driver) side of the engine that is spraying coolant from a small tear, and two, a white female sensor inset into the left side of the engine that is unplugged, with its male counterpart nowhere in sight.
I confronted my mechanic about this. He said that the sensor he replaced was on the right side of the engine, and that the white plug was unplugged when he got it the other day. I brought the car back to him (probably a mistake) and he told me that the Water Pump had failed, and it and the hose needed replaced.
The problem I am having is this. After multiple searches on the internet and the Hayne's manual, I cannot find whatever sensor he is talking about that he "supposedly" replaced. My searches also lead me to believe that the plug I found unplugged is the Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor. I double checked with him about the sides, and he says he did nothing the Left side of the engine, where the unplugged plug is at.
My questions are this;
-What sensor exactly did he supposedly replace? (If I missed it.)
- Is the plug that I am looking at indeed the Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor?
- If that is the ECT sensor, would that being unplugged cause my problems, and if so, would they happen in the amount of time after I got it back from him the first time?
My suspicion is that he F'ed something up and is trying to cover his butt by exploiting my limited knowledge of engines. Any help in the matter is appreciated.
Note: I will include pictures of the engine, plug and hose shortly, as the computer I am currently on blocks image sharing.
A few days ago my car started acting up. After a drive, (about 40-min reliably reproduced the event) whenever I stopped moving and let my car idle, it would begin to overheat, and I could hear radiator coolant boiling over into the Coolant Reservoir. My initial examinations revealed that the Cooling fans were starting and stopping rapidly, never running longer than 30-sec. After letting the engine cool, (about 15 min.) the engine sounded and acted like an old flooded diesel engine. I was able to start it, but the engine would sound off for a few minutes before sounding normal again.
As I am not so good with the electronic side of engines at the moment, I took the car to a mechanic. He looked it over and told me that he replaced the temperature sensor, (he was not more specific) that turns the fans on and off. I pick up the car and drove it to work the next day, a 50 mile drive. When I went to leave work that afternoon, I barely made it 5 miles before my engine began to overheat again. Inspecting the engine, I discovered two things; One, is that there is a small hose on the left (Driver) side of the engine that is spraying coolant from a small tear, and two, a white female sensor inset into the left side of the engine that is unplugged, with its male counterpart nowhere in sight.
I confronted my mechanic about this. He said that the sensor he replaced was on the right side of the engine, and that the white plug was unplugged when he got it the other day. I brought the car back to him (probably a mistake) and he told me that the Water Pump had failed, and it and the hose needed replaced.
The problem I am having is this. After multiple searches on the internet and the Hayne's manual, I cannot find whatever sensor he is talking about that he "supposedly" replaced. My searches also lead me to believe that the plug I found unplugged is the Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor. I double checked with him about the sides, and he says he did nothing the Left side of the engine, where the unplugged plug is at.
My questions are this;
-What sensor exactly did he supposedly replace? (If I missed it.)
- Is the plug that I am looking at indeed the Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor?
- If that is the ECT sensor, would that being unplugged cause my problems, and if so, would they happen in the amount of time after I got it back from him the first time?
My suspicion is that he F'ed something up and is trying to cover his butt by exploiting my limited knowledge of engines. Any help in the matter is appreciated.
Note: I will include pictures of the engine, plug and hose shortly, as the computer I am currently on blocks image sharing.
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