Overheating problem on 3sgte,need help PICS

[BrianRA23]

That reading came from the Wolf3d handset, the stock temperature guage sat on its normal halfway level though. The radiator was hot, both upper and lower hoses. Unless it's possible that the wolf's temperature reading is incorrect? I have to check again today, still don't understand why the heater wasn't hot tho

With a difference in readings I would be sitting the sensor in a pot of water with a thermometer (hot then cold since it should be a two point calibration) and getting the Wold3D calibration right. As well as knowing if the car is actually running hot it will change all your ECU mapping - see if you can confirm the readings were right when the system was tuned.

You may not have a problem, but remember hot is a realtive term as is "too hot" so some more definitive number would be useful to help in the diagnosis.

I am not sure where the heater input is on your car but if it is too high then you might need to tip some coolant directly into the heater hose to remove an airlock. Someone suggested an upsidedown Coke bottle in the radiator so increase the water level height at the front when filling. If there is an airlock in the heater core you might need to loosen the hose off where is goes in through the firewall and make sure coolant is there and not just air.

[millsi]

hey guys. had a small drama with my 3sgte today. didnt think it warranted a new thread though.
driving through town and the temp gauge starts to creep up (26 outside). gets a bit close to the 'H' for my liking so i pulled over and wouldnt you know i the overflow bottle is overflowing (temp has been a bit up and down latley). got some water and topped it up once cold (took 2 litres). drove to the nearest radiator place (biggest one in town). after pulling off the cap and telling me it was fucked i was happy but though i might get them to do the blown hg test. any way old mate hooks up a dual clear plastic cylinder thingo to where the rad cap usually goes and fills one side with a blue liquid. he starts the motor and after 5 mins or so of blipping the throttle (sorry, bike term), he watches as the bubbles slowly give the liquid a slight yellow color. he says that the hg has a slight leak but is not technically blown.
anyway so i get back to work and call the mechanics. they told me that the rad place i went to has diagnosed several supposed probs with hg's and have been wrong. the mech then said that they do their own test by removing the plugs and putting compressed air into the cylinders and checking coolant for bubbles or pressure i cant remember now.
so i say its prolly better to be safe than sorry and how much would it cost to replace the hg. hes says between 1500 to 2000!! i almost fell off my seat! surely it cant be that much?
anyway i drove the car around for the rest of today and the temp is spot on. but i dont want to risk doing more damage if the is some already?
what do you guys think?
cheers

[Aust162]

Sorry, i havnt updated this thread. I'm still driving my car as it is.It seems to be running fine though. I also dont have the money to do anything else with it . its still getting up to around 95-102d going by the wolf3d handset (same as tooch).

The ecu calibration idea is an interesting point. now i have even more things to look into.

Atm i'm trying to get my hands on a TRD thermostat. they open at 71degrees. this is my next step. I've had a quote of $120 for one delivered from japan with a 2week min wait. So i'm just saving my money.

Does anyone know of a place or contact to try to get a TRD thermostat at a decent price?

[Vios-GT_07]

millsi -

bubbles in the radiator, engine oil turning cappucino, misfiring.. etc etc. .there's heaps of ways to check HG.. better get it checked and pay for the second opinion..

worse thing that could happen is a BHG.. and even then it doesn't cost 1500 to 2000 is a bit much.. shop around more and u'll definitely find one under 1 grand easily.. that or DIY and it's probably a fraction of the cost..

hope this helps.. cheers~

[Aust162]

Millsi - changing the H/G is not a cheap exercise. If your paying a workshop to do it. 1500-2000 probably would be the going price. there is alot of time involved.also you will need a VRS gasket kit,which is a few hundred and possibly some machining work (if the head's not flat).

[BrianRA23]

I am probably the only one, but a 71 degC thermostat sounds really cold, since it becomes apparent the engine can't keep the head cool when operating at load.

I have heard the 3SGTE Gen1 heads warp and considered the reason for this to be inconsistent temperatures across the head, caused by isolated pockets of steam building up. It is the temperature not the pressure causing the buckling of the head.

To me, the introduction of a colder thermostat is parallel to running less oil in the engine to stop it burning oil. It only provides an apparent fix to the problem on the gauge, but the problem is now worse. Under normal driving the engine will never reach operating temp and the temperature difference across the head becomes larger.

I will have to pay extra attention to the cooling system when I get around to setting my 3S up in addition to the modified water pump and housing.

Does anyone in WA have a head of the gen1 3SGTE I can cut up? (ie cheap)

[allencr]

TRD thermostat. they open at 71degrees. this is my next step. I've had a quote of $120

Replacing a properly working thermo. with one that opens sooner/lower(many can be adjusted if you take a look) is a complete waste of time!
It will not make an over-heating problem go away if it was not the cause of the problem. It is as simple as that.
It controls the LOWEST TEMPERATURE and has little to no affect on any higher temperature once it opens & flows.

Also, the TRD repackaged stuff should be a criminal offense.

[Aust162]

Ok, well i understand how a thermostat works, and i've had my car running with both; a thermostat and; without a thermostat. without the thermostat the car runs fine (despite the obviously slow warm up).fans come on consistantly at 94d and it keeps the temperature up in the 70-80s.(this is w/o a thermostat). with a thermostat in there,say a 71d, it will keep the temperature from dropping too low by providing a restriction in the water path. I've also been told that without a restiction in the waterpath (thermostat),over a LONG drive it can actually make the car overheat, due to the fact that the water is passing through the core so quickly,it doesnt get a chance to cool properly.

I'm definately not looking for a bandaid fix. i want to figure out exactly whats causing this. i've tried almost everything you can think of. the thermostat is my next idea.

Also the motor being in a different vehicle not fitted with any type of bonnet ventilation makes a difference. My motor is a gen2 3sgte. both gt4's and mr2's have good bonnet ventilation.

The new thermostat has been the idea i've been running with for the last month or so, but after recently bringing up the idea of the wolf3d calibration, and the fact that someone else is getting simular temp readings off the same ecu and motor,makes me think again..

Either the readings on the controller arent correct. Or 3sgte's DO run this hot. If they do run this hot normally, then i think it would be an good idea to make it run cooler, but at the same time still keep it running in its operating temperature,which is very important.

My dash guage reads half way all the time while running, but sometimes when i've turned my car off (for example stopping for petrol)and gone back to it. i turn the key and my dash gauge shows 3/4 hot. As soon as i start the car, it drops back down to half or a little bit under.

[Jorrs]

if u need a headgasket, i have a spare GTE headgasket here.

[Jorrs]

also my GTE runs very very hot, though never leaves healfway, ive already had the HG done.

[Aust162]

lol. thanks Jorrs. was that to me? or Millsi..

[kingmick]

all sounds prett normal AUST! right on all counts and change the thermostat to a bit high flow one which are around $30 dollars and you will be fine! even with a new standard one it sounds fine. an engine that runs hot is usually a fast engine

[Jorrs]

haha you man. i have a headgasket outta a VRS kit for GTE, just lying in room, 20 bucks and its yours if want it, do u have fmic on your car yet ? i think this will make my car run cooler when i put mine on.

[Aust162]

all sounds prett normal AUST! right on all counts and change the thermostat to a bit high flow one which are around $30 dollars and you will be fine! even with a new standard one it sounds fine. an engine that runs hot is usually a fast engine

thanks mick so do you think i should maybe look into a highflow one?i dont know of any that are made for these engines. i have a spare toyota one. would drilling holes around the outside of it give the same results as a highflow? i've thought of doing this, but i think it will take the motor longer to get to operating temperature.

Jorrs - i've got a cometic h/g, so if that went, i'd change it with a metal one again. also i have a fmic, and my intake temps are sweet

[kingmick]

yep they run hotter than most people realise becuase most people dont have an aftermarket temp gauge, but you prob find is pretty normal! yes the will have a highflow one to suit if you want it, any speed shop should have them or be able to get them in a day or two!
you can drill bleed holes in the thermostat to quicken its response but it will not high flow it as such unless you go to town on it.