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Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon


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1999 Toyota Avalon
Novice

Apr 22, 2012, 4:05 PM

Post #1 of 11 (4625 views)
Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

I`ve read the Treads and did not find to much help and am hoping that someone might be able to answer this question for me..The top radiator hose was as hard as a rock and I thought that the thermostat needed to be changed and did so.. It work just fine at 1st but after driving the car for a few hours,the temp gauge stayed just alittle above the half way point and the hose got hard again..I took out the thermostat and checked it in hot water to see if it was opening and it worked like it should have.. I stuck it back in the car and same thing happened again..I have the thermostat valve jiggeler within 15 degrees of the stud which it calls for, waterpump works great and there is plenty of antifreeze and water in the car.. Someone had told me that there could be a Bleeder on one of the waterlines that may need to be opened and closed a few times to allow any extra air to escape and that this would allow the water to reach the thermostat, but I have been unable to find this Bleeder if there is one..I am hoping that someone can tell where this Bleeder might be or if there is something else that I need to do to solve this problem.. Thanks for any advice.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Apr 22, 2012, 4:38 PM

Post #2 of 11 (4610 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

I don't get it. Why is the hose being hard a problem. It's supposed to be hard when the engine is at operating temp.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



1999 Toyota Avalon
Novice

Apr 22, 2012, 5:37 PM

Post #3 of 11 (4591 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

There is no heat when the top hose is hard which makes me think that the thermostat is not opening up and allowing the heatercore to get water.. I gutted out an old thermostat and put it in the housing which allows water to flow through the system freely.. If the car is sitting still while it is running with the gutted out thermostat, you can see the antifreeze circulating when you take off the radiator cap, the car throws out hot air and the top hose is very flexible which leads me back to thinking that the thermostat is not opening when I have the new one in.. I just don`t know what eles to try..


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Apr 22, 2012, 5:41 PM

Post #4 of 11 (4588 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

You need to stop your barbaric home remedies and immediately put the thermostat back in. You are likely getting no heat because of air in the system. At this point i guessing that you have a blown head gasket, probably due to previous overheating and home remedies. Make sure you get all the air bled out of the system and if you still have a problem, get the cooling system chemically tested for exhaust gases in the coolant.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



1999 Toyota Avalon
Novice

Apr 22, 2012, 5:49 PM

Post #5 of 11 (4582 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

That is my main question.. How do you bleed the air out of the system..Thanks


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Apr 22, 2012, 5:55 PM

Post #6 of 11 (4574 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

We use a tool that vacuum fills. That's the most reliable way. The manual way which doesn't work 100% of the time is to fill it to the top with the engine running and then put the cap back on, run the engine until the top hose gets hot, meaning the thermostat opened. A quick drive around the block is a good idea. Now let the engine completely cool to room temp. Top off the system again and repeat the whole process again. repeat this process until it doesn't take any more coolant.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



1999 Toyota Avalon
Novice

Apr 22, 2012, 6:02 PM

Post #7 of 11 (4567 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

Thank you so much..I was told that there was most likely a Bleeder Valve on one of the water hoses and that`s what threw me off because I could not find one anywhere.. Headgasket is fine on the car and I will do as you have said..Thanks again


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Apr 22, 2012, 6:04 PM

Post #8 of 11 (4564 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In


Quote
Headgasket is fine on the car


That's a very foolish thing to say since you have no idea.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Apr 22, 2012, 6:06 PM

Post #9 of 11 (4561 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

These funnels work pretty well too. The Avalon also has a heater control valve, so you have to make sure the valve is open when you go to bleed the system.








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 Apr 22, 2012, 6:07 PM)


1999 Toyota Avalon
Novice

Apr 22, 2012, 6:27 PM

Post #10 of 11 (4550 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In

Never had a problem with the head gasket, no loss of water, no white smoke out of tailpipe, the original thermostat was bad (will not open even in boiling water) and someone had me looking for a Bleeder valve on one of the hoses that does not exsist which makes what you are saying make sense.. Also, I`m not the idiot that you are trying to make me out to be.. When I put in the gutted thermostat and the heat started to work, I turned the car off, put the thermostat back in, had the same problem and I have been waiting to find out where this Bleeder valve is or is not and the the car has been sitting until I could find out more and that has been over 3 weeks now..I thank you so much for your help and will let you know of the results from your information.. Thanks again


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Apr 22, 2012, 6:34 PM

Post #11 of 11 (4544 views)
Re: Thermostat not opening in`99 Toyota Avalon Sign In


Quote
I`m not the idiot that you are trying to make me out to be.


Noooo, you're doing as pretty good job of that yourself. I'll leave you to your home remedies now since you think you know a lot more than you really do.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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