I drove my 2002 Toyota 4Runner (211K miles) to a get together this evening and when I arrived, steam was rising all around the hood. I opened the hood and steam was coming from the passenger side of the radiator and the coolant overflow bottle. I squeezed the upper hose, and felt no pressure, which confirmed (obviously) that there was a leak somewhere. I turned the key back to the "on" position and checked the temperature gauge and it was right in the middle where it usually is after the engine warms up. I decided to go to my event and let the engine cool down. After the event, it took less than 1 gallon to fill the radiator (the cooling system holds 8.4 quarts). When I removed the cap, it had obviously fallen apart, explaining the steam from the overflow bottle. I drove home on surface streets, stopping every 5-10 minutes to refill the radiator. It took less than another gallon of water to get the 11.5 miles home.
My question is: Even with the cooling system obviously malfunctioning, why did the temp gauge never stray from it's normal position right in the middle?
My question is: Even with the cooling system obviously malfunctioning, why did the temp gauge never stray from it's normal position right in the middle?
