Coolant Resevoir Empty!

[Volley]

So I was sitting in my truck with the AC running when I suddenly here my Ultra Gauge warning chime go off. Took a look and it said coolant temp warning. Hadn't even notice while I was sitting there that the gauge on the truck rose to nearly H!

Shut the truck off immediately popped the hood and check my coolant and the reservoir is nearly empty! Now the temps have been crazy high all week around 100 so I have been doing a lot of sitting and running the AC. I check often and have not noticed any leaks or anything on the ground. Could I have just used up all the coolant with it being so hot and the truck having to work overtime? I have the tranny cooler bypass so no pink milkshake. Going to grab some coolant when I leave work. Anything else I should be worried about/look for?

Thanks!
Volley

 

[rjaudi]

Coolant does get used up like that. Check the lines under the car to the rear heater.

 

[Volley]

Oh and I also just came back from a road trip (8hrs+ each way) in pretty warm temps. Gauge stayed constant the whole trip but didn't think to check the level when I got back. Will fill it them check for leaks anywhere, to include the rear lines.

 

[4runsport]

When was the last time you had your waterpump and thermastat replaced? Maybe the thermastat is not opening all the way or getting stuck closed?

 

[LittleCaesar]

Bad thermostat, fan clutch are possible symptoms. I would start with the possibility that if the radiator cap is original, it is not holding pressure as well as it used to.

When was the last time the H20 pump was replaced?

 

[rjaudi]

I made an error in my first post. Coolant is never supposed to be used up. You need to find out where you are leaking fluid. I had a leaking clamp recently cause fluid lose.

 

[Volley]

Both were just replaced last month with the timing belt.

 

[IanB]

I made an error in my first post. Coolant is never supposed to be used up. You need to find out where you are leaking fluid. I had a leaking clamp recently cause fluid lose.

I was going to say, coolant does not just disappear, lol.

I would watch for drips, it's possible if you don't look till morning it could have dried up and disappeared, so maybe check an hour after shutting it off. You could do a compression test to see if the headgasket is gone. Does it smoke (white smoke) at all? Is there any scuzzy buildup on the bottom of the oil cap, and does the oil/coolant look clean and uncontaminated?

 

[TheDurk]

Both were just replaced last month with the timing belt.

Have you checked the coolant level since this was done?? I'd first verify all hose connections between rad and motor plus that little hose off the O2 pump. Tell us how much coolant it takes to refill. Be sure to burp the system. Maybe the guys who did the TB left air in the system and it got burped out as you drove leaving the level low. Look at the engine carefully for leaks as it is running. Some hose leaks only lose coolant while the engine runs. The hose that goes back to the reservoir is an example.

You might want to pull the upper TB cover and try to get a look at the WP. Maybe it leaks out of the box or was improperly installed. Was it OEM--Toyota or Aisin?

 

[Volley]

Have you checked the coolant level since this was done?? I'd first verify all hose connections between rad and motor plus that little hose off the O2 pump. Tell us how much coolant it takes to refill. Be sure to burp the system. Maybe the guys who did the TB left air in the system and it got burped out as you drove leaving the level low. Look at the engine carefully for leaks as it is running. Some hose leaks only lose coolant while the engine runs. The hose that goes back to the reservoir is an example.

You might want to pull the upper TB cover and try to get a look at the WP. Maybe it leaks out of the box or was improperly installed. Was it OEM--Toyota or Aisin?

You know, I was just thinking this on my way home. I actually don't recall checking the level after having it done and since the shop had left some connectors loose I'm now second guessing that maybe they left something else loose...

It may be completly unrelated I don't know but my air conditioner seems to be running much cooler since topping off...

 

[TheDurk]

You know, I was just thinking this on my way home. I actually don't recall checking the level after having it done and since the shop had left some connectors loose I'm now second guessing that maybe they left something else loose...

It may be completly unrelated I don't know but my air conditioner seems to be running much cooler since topping off...

Oh yeah! These were the bozos that didn't plug in the crank sensor! I'd go over everything.

 

[Volley]

Well I filled the reservoir and a short while later the level went down an inch or two which made me freak out about head gasket (although I have none of those symptoms). Then I remembered I forgot to burp the system. Added the couple of inches, burped sysytem and added a small mark to help me keep a better eye on the level. Been a couple of days and so far haven't loss any additional fluid or any overheating issues. Even took the grill and skid plate off, ran it, checked for leaks and so far so good. I honestly don't know if there was any fluid in it when I picked it up from the TB service (didn't think to look) so I don't know. I'll continue keeping an eye on it though and see what happens.

By the way, am I the only one that thinks the skid plate is kind of a PITA to take off/on?

 

[quicksilvr]

By the way, am I the only one that thinks the skid plate is kind of a PITA to take off/on?

Probably not. But take a Budbuilt off a couple times, and you'll think the stock one is a piece of cake. I look forward to taking a stock one off.....lol

 

[Volley]

Lol true enough!

 

[Satter]

About 8+ months ago fluid in the radiator reservoir was topped over. Over time it has lost a couple of inches. It varies from day to day. Should I be concerned? My commute is only a couple of miles a day. I am very anal when it comes to leaks. I look for them almost everyday. There's only a small drop of oil cumilating under my truck. I never see oil on the ground. The only other leak is the condensation from the AC. I have my vent set to open. Almost everytime I see a puddle of it I get some on my hands to see if it's coolant. It's always clear and tastes like water. Yes, I put just a tab on my tounge to see what it taste like.

 

[Volley]

Doesn't sound like much to be concerned about. I know the level will be different based on a child truck or if it is warmed up. So try checking it at the same conditions. Also I assume you have no other symptoms of anything?

 

[TheDurk]

About 8+ months ago fluid in the radiator reservoir was topped over. Over time it has lost a couple of inches. It varies from day to day. Should I be concerned? My commute is only a couple of miles a day. I am very anal when it comes to leaks. I look for them almost everyday. There's only a small drop of oil cumilating under my truck. I never see oil on the ground. The only other leak is the condensation from the AC. I have my vent set to open. Almost everytime I see a puddle of it I get some on my hands to see if it's coolant. It's always clear and tastes like water. Yes, I put just a tab on my tounge to see what it taste like.

First off, you are not supposed to 'top over' your coolant reservoir. The second thing is you should always check your coolant when the engine is cold. So, although you probably don't have a problem (the excess coolant is just getting expelled through the waste tube when the engine is hot), you might as well start doing it right. Check the coolant after the truck has been sitting all night, and fill it to the max line on the reservoir. The mark is below halfway down to allow for expansion--look for it. If it's hard to see, clean off the bottle and highlight with a permanent marker. Then keep checking to see if the level--when cold--is between the MAX and MIN marks. If you need to keep adding fluid to keep above the MIN mark, then you have a problem.

It's very easy to lose coolant and never see a puddle under the parked truck. The system is pressurized and some leaks will only occur while the engine is hot and running--which usually means in motion and away from its parking place.

 

[Volley]

I knew someone would explain it much more technical than I could. +1! Durk!

 

[Kotrin]

This sounds exactly like my situation I'm going through now. I had the timing belt and water pump thermostat and all that done, drove it a ways was about the same then all of a sudden lost fluid. Checked pressure did a blockcheck, compression all good. So I'm having them re check my water pump etc after I put my rear end back together considering I noticed I lost fluid again during my electric locker retro fit heh.

I am almost to the stage of replacing all hoses, and sparying my rear heater lines like someone suggested.

 

[Sherwood4Runner]

This is a far cry but I was loosing coolant on my truck a while back and it turned out that the radiator cap wasn't holding enough PSI and it was evaporating out. Might get your radiator cap's pressure tested at a local jiffy for free.