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Overheating/loss of power


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Mustang01
New User

Jul 30, 2014, 7:41 AM

Post #1 of 9 (1922 views)
Overheating/loss of power Sign In

1994
Toyota Camry XLE
V6
High mileage
Prepare for long post😁

Alright, starting from the beginning. My girlfriends car recently lost power steering. Her mechanic claimed it was pump so she replaced it and believes there is now a hose leak because still no power steering and fluid is leaking. Easy fix and probably of no relation but in an attempt to as descriptive as possible I will include all info I have as of yet. She drove the vehicle (with no P.S.) for basically an entire day until it began to overheat and promptly pulled over and shut the vehicle off. Afterwards vehicle would start then immediately shut off. I arrived and began checking the fluids. Powersteering was low and cap seems to be loose. I noticed fluid all around the cap. Radiator cap was loose and coolant low. Filled over fill up with water. Oil looked good and clean. Nothing to indicate water in the oil. Started the car and drove 15 min to my house. Car ran fine (minus power steering) did not overheat. The next day she drove the car within the parkinglot and claimed to notice a significant power loss to where she was concerned the vehicle was going to die again.

Now I did not leave the engine running while I added water and I intend to run the car with the rad cap off to try to allow possible air to escape from coolant system. Also I intend to find power steering leak and fix but I don't think this has any relation to power loss. Plz help if you can. Please include a method to test any ideas.

Thank you


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 30, 2014, 8:06 AM

Post #2 of 9 (1912 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

Not to worry I'm famous for long answers.


Wow you had some bad luck! OK - PS job went bad somehow and radiator cap loose could explain loss of coolant out right there as it would and being low would probably overheat.


PS fluid if all over the place belt for accessories may be slipping like crazy too. I think water pump is driven by timing belt in all the V6 Toyotas and not involved probably?


Power loss? Hey - if overheating, low coolant, slipping belt with inadequate charge from alternator all is possible IMO. What a mess really and not funny!


Sorry to say that when the PS was noticed it should have been taken right back if a tow needed - better than running them dry for sure.


IDK if you want to deal with same place or not? Anyone can get a bad part but that's a bit much.


Other: OK - used water when finding coolant low in radiator and filled the recovery tank ---- does that mean you didn't fill the radiator first? Oh boy. Fill radiator first, cap on, then recovery bottle and water just long enough to correct that as it needs antifreeze mix for a lot of reasons other than freezing.


IDK if this is just a run of bad luck and a tech being hurried or what but I'd be talking to tech and or shop or both.


Much of this is not known what happened first and the way it runs may or may not have been directly PS pump job but related to charge or coolant all over the place not known by me or what kind of mess it made. Wasn't a good day for you,


T



Mustang01
New User

Jul 30, 2014, 8:31 AM

Post #3 of 9 (1902 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

So I believe it's obvious there were many ill advised attempts to resolve this vehicles faults. Lol. That being said this so-called mechanic a refered to was a easy way to explain previous work when it was in fact just a family friend of my girlfriends and the work was done in a driveway. That being said I have not yet attempted to find the powersteering leak all I know about the job was the pump was a remaned and the hose replaced was a 6 dollar hose I'm not sure where it was purchased. I also know that the ps lines were not bleed after changing the pump. I do know that the belt you refer to is located directly below where the ps fluid is held so you explication of it slipping after having been lubricated with the ps hydro liv fluid makes sense. I'm not sure however where that puts me as far as resolving the problem. I checked the belt after the overheating episode to see if it was loose or old and it was dry. I don't remember it leaving anything on my hands. I'm just not sure where to start and I don't have the money to just throw my hands up and send it to a shop.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 30, 2014, 9:04 AM

Post #4 of 9 (1885 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

Back again sick of doing crap around the house! Pump may be trash or worse now having run without fluid too long - scary for what ever reason no savings in having a friend help but should have stopped this car when problem showed anyway.


$6 hose should have been just vacuum, oil tolerant PCV/Fuel line most and clamped at each end as little pressure. Pressure hose would be more bucks. Doesn't matter as connecting either could have failed or pump plain NG. To bleed out most you just steer them left and right till you feel assist and fluid is stabil at the full mark.


Too lazy right now to look it up but many/most you keep your old pulley and need a puller to take it off old pump and on to new/reman one. If wild tricks were used it may have broken a good pump?


Hope that overheat didn't cause more troubles #1. Next is you can try to clean off PS fluid now but it probably harmed the belt if wet too long with PS fluid as belt isn't so oil friendly and could swell up and be NG now.


Sounds like best idea now is bit the wallet and let a trained tech take this on. You need to tell the story to the tech and trust that he/she can find the way out with the multiple problems at once.


Note: Working in a driveway isn't the problem. Knowing how and having right tools still required.


IDK and most shops in biz wouldn't go there but sometimes used is a good bet but totally matters on quality of the salvage yard to know what is good and what to skip on stuff that comes in. Pull your own probably out of the question for this.


Good luck. I'm more worried about the overheat if bad enough that will be the big issue,


T



Mustang01
New User

Jul 30, 2014, 9:10 AM

Post #5 of 9 (1882 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

Thank you for your thoughts and I am also scared of the issues that may have come with the overheat. I believe I will attempt to study the ps pump and hose change on this vehicle and try to change it with new parts along with the belt. If there was more damage done from overheat then so be it.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 30, 2014, 9:32 AM

Post #6 of 9 (1872 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

OK - Looked at possible rebuilt pumps. Still a tad pricey IMO for popular car. Pulley no problem at a glance but pressure hose uses seals that should have come with it and replaced.


Pressure line was pricey too and had all the seals and it may not have seated well. Some did NOT come with the tank/reservoir so there's another place to leak never mind leaving the cap loose!


Return line plain PS hose by the foot. Said ONE foot required. Dunno but would have used clamps (new) depending on what was there when done.


Belt if oil soaked your call to clean it up off car and risk it or go new.


Didn't say but overheating is just asking for head gasket to fail. Bad enough metal parts fail or warp - not good on the wallet stuff.


Back: PS with perhaps NO fluid and used could have thrown debris so question the rack and pinion and if it was spared troubles.


Future suggestions for "home" DIY or anything really. Check for troubles when a job is done for leaks for anything involving a fluid. Test drive and check again. Not all shops really want tech's to spend too much time over the listed job but can't speak for all.


Again, good luck and hope for the best or should say least problems from this mess,


T



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Jul 30, 2014, 2:02 PM

Post #7 of 9 (1854 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

I'd be a little more concerned about the overheating and loss of coolant problem before the power steering system.

Powersteering problem isn't going to cost you an engine if your girl really overheats the snot out of it.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jul 30, 2014, 2:03 PM)


Mustang01
New User

Jul 31, 2014, 1:51 PM

Post #8 of 9 (1829 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

What are the methods I can run through to determine internal engine damage from over heat before spending money on a ps for a junk car?.. I don't own a pressure tester.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 31, 2014, 2:25 PM

Post #9 of 9 (1824 views)
Re: Overheating/loss of power Sign In

Pressure tester: Check for free rental at major parts places like "The Zone" does more all the time.


Doesn't end there. To blame a head gasket I like a few things found to condemn them. One spark plug or more wet, white smoke out tailpipe, continued overheating with exhaust gasses/combustion gasses pushing vapor into cooling system up to plain seeing it if external plus consumption of coolant.


You really don't know till apart if one tests bad if head or more is involved so the head(s) get sent out to a machine shop.


It's labor more than parts and old things that break in doing it make them a pest and expensive for labor rightfully so. Not really very DIY friendly.


Rock and hard place is if not clear enough you need to get it running again and show good for a while to be more sure nothing went bad with heat so you probably do have to fix PS to even find out,




T







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