DanRT66

I generally run 55-60 mph on the level, and that will get me around 15 mpg with intermittent AC use and a blanket hung behind the seats to reduce the cooling area. Uphill, or into a headwind, you take what you can get, minding the heat level and so on, and I don't use AC on uphills. Some times I can take hills at 45 or so, but some of them slow me down farther, seldom below 35. You may lead the parade uphill, but most people are fairly good about it. YMMV, literally and figuratively.

Just to close the loop: I bought the CSF 2057 radiator Linda suggested to Sherrie, and a Toyota thermostat. I don't know which of these did the trick, but I'm now running at a better temp, about a half inch from the red line after a long uphill with AC on. Thanks to all for suggestions along the way. Obviously, I have done what people wisely suggest not doing: throwing parts at it. But there is a very limited amount that I am able to do myself, and I'm just relieved that it's running less hot now. This is a great forum - thanks again.

I've been through the mill on this with my '91 Warrior since the fan shattered and took out the radiator and lots of other stuff last July. Had it towed to a shop in Laramie (roadside assistance insurance paid for itself for several years with that one event). They replaced the fan, shroud, fan clutch, radiator - about which I knew nothing other than it was a 3-row - and a couple hoses. Thereafter, it ran up toward too hot at almost any provocation. This year, I didn't want to start out in that same condition. Took it to the shop that does engine work for me. The fan clutch was not engaging the fan, and there were some odd noises coming from the front with coincident rhythmic vibrations. Replaced the fan clutch with a new Aisin, replaced the water pump, thermostat (not Toyota) and timing belt, which was being a little chewed up by a wonky installation and cheap parts used when the former owner rebuilt the engine 30,000 miles ago. Still overheated. Aaaagh. So: installed Toyota thermostat and CSF 2057 radiator, as suggested by Linda in one of Sherrie's overheating threads. Granted, it's not Phoenix hot here (ABQ) but it's pretty warm. I have three times driven it up Nine Mile Hill, going west from Albuquerque on I-40, pretty much the direst hill around if you don't want to drive the 35 miles to La Bajada heading to Santa Fe. My speed is 55-60, which is how I usually drive (until I hit the serious part of the hill and could only manage about 40) with the AC on for all except the harshest parts of the hill. Finally, it's operating as I expected: in the lower half of the gauge on a level or near-level (I checked engine temps when it was overheating to satisfy myself that the sending unit and gauge were OK) and a half-inch from the red bits on the uphill pull. So I will feel OK about taking it on the road North. Thanks to all who have made suggestions, this is a great forum. Mrlope, I wish you good luck, let us know how you proceed. Dan Personal motto: "There must be a harder way". PS jiggle valve on the thermo goes in at 12 o'clock

Dan, there's a photo here that explains which sensor is which: http://www.yotatech.com/f116/coolant-temp-sensors-3vze-224860/index2.html Photo about 2/3 down the page, You can see the unlabeled sending unit lower right.

Wade, just saw this. Very interesting. Hoping to find a page like this for the 3VZE. Thanks!

Hmm. Well, the replacement radiator is a three-row, nothing else about its surface area or other characteristics is obvious to me. If nothing changes with the Toyota thermostat, I guess it's off to the radiator shop.

No, I haven't.

So I ran the Warrior back out in the heat on an uphill and the temp needle went into that little space between the black and red parts of the scale. Pulled off, used the heat gun in a couple places (best seemed to be pointing it at the place where the temp gauge sender screws in) and the reading was about 240 degrees, as someone on the thread predicted. So, the sender is probably okay. Likely the last thing I can do myself is to get a Toyota thermostat and put that in (a 195-degree Stant was just installed) as a sort of Hail Mary play, in case that makes a difference. Radiator shop after that, I guess. I note the many posts warning that the valve-thing in the thermostat must be at 12 o'clock. By the way, the reason this is all bugging me so much is that before last year's mess where the fan exploded and took out the radiator and associated parts, the temp ran at a little more than halfway to the midpoint markings on the gauge. I'd like to get back down there.

Well, that's the thing. If I get high temp readings (like 240+) I'll assume the sensor and gauge are okay and will look elsewhere. If the temps look normalish despite what the gauge is reporting, I'll change out the sender, and see where that leaves me. I have to get this solved - won't take it on the road like this.

Plenum of some sort? I've seen that name in use. DanAatTheCape, Here's a truly crappy photo I took. I've drawn a red circle around the sending unit: simple flat-blade connector is the one. Amazon has one for sale: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000IYZ0KS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=G7GEGNY01IGE&coliid=I2LVRQEY7H1F3D and they're available about everywhere.

Thanks, Dan. I just found the sensor/sending unit (crowded neighborhood back there) and verified that it's the right one by unplugging it and turning on the already-warm engine: no movement of the gauge until I plugged it back in. I have ordered an IR temperature gun and will do readings at various points after I take it back on the road and get it hot again, and proceed from there. Seems like, if the gauge is accurate, it could be time to visit a specialty radiator place for diagnosis. If it's not, I'll replace the sensor first and see where that gets me. I got it warm enough for the fan to kick in today (heater on full), and the level in the overflow canister didn't deviate from "full" line, either then or after it cooled a bit. While it was running, I loosened the flush-kit cap enough to release any air - seems like the highest point of the system - but all that came out was coolant. So I think I don't have an air-pocket issue, other than the ones in my brain. Well, I didn't have anything to do this weekend anyway :-) Thanks again for the suggestions. This forum is great, and the folks here very kind. Dan in Albuquerque

Thanks guys. This will be a lot easier than anything I could have come up with.

Found a source saying the temp at normal operating heat should be 185-195, so I'll use that as a standard.

What should the temperature of the coolant be, or what should it be below? Thanks.

Thanks, I'll give it a try if I can find it.

Does anyone know how to check calibration on a temperature gauge? I have now replaced: radiator (aftermarket, 3 row, from a shop in Laramie, so quality unknown), fan, fan shroud, fan clutch X 2 (mechanic here said fan was not engaging at any temp so I got the clutch Toyota sells), water pump, thermostat, timing belt. At 63 mph on a level or a little bit of an uphill on an 85-degree day the temp gauge needle is 1/4 inch from the red line. I've tried burping the system (may or may not be doing it very effectively) and after $2800 I'm kind of at the end of my patience, and concerned about heading out on a long trip through the mountains in July. Can I measure the temperature of the coolant and learn anything from that? Really stumped and frustrated... (yes, the gauge panel lens is screwed up, looking for a replacement).

Sorry to be so tardy in response. I made sure the walls in the shower were solid - had to do a wood repair in the outer corner - then covered the walls with very typical white fiberglass reinforced panel from Home Depot, such as you see in bathrooms and wet areas everywhere. Made a pattern for the curve of the upper wall and corner with heavy brown paper and transferred it to the panel, cut, and mounted with waterproof adhesive. Silicone caulk to seal at all edges and under any screws, and I'm happy with it. Good luck with your project! Dan

Lots of information, thank you! My water heater is bypassed and drained, so no issues with bleach concentration there.

Jim, Great observation and good suggestion. I'll plan on doing that next season. Thanks.

Thanks. My high degree of revulsion at the sight of the worms counterbalanced a commensurate amount of concern for plastic items. I used a few cups of bleach in a full tank, ran all the faucets and toilets, drove it around for a bit, and will let it sit for a couple days before draining, rinsing thoroughly, blowing the lines out again, and winterizing with a bit of RV anti-freeze.

Thanks Linda.

Jim, thanks for the thoughtful reply and your suggestions. I hadn't thought of the hose, which is always coiled and connected to itself when not connecting the RV to a water supply. So I'll start there as you suggest and proceed with probably quite a large amount of bleach mixed with water in the fresh tank, and pumped out to all the lines and holding tanks to sit for a couple days. Dan

Update: all the little bastards now seem approximately dead. Unless someone has a better idea or can say why this is a disastrous one, I'm thinking now that I may add a few gallons of water and a couple gallons of bleach to the fresh water tank, pump it through the system and let it sit for a few hours, then flush it all out for a long time, blow the lines again, and winterize with anti-freeze.

As preface: I was on a 7-week trip this summer, almost always hooked up to city water. There was always water in the fresh tank, but I used and refilled it several times. I never used fresh tank water for drinking or cooking - just for washing dishes and hands and the occasional shower. Recently, I replaced the gray and black tank valves, so those tanks have been repeatedly flushed and emptied over the past few weeks. Plus, I only put liquids in the toilet all summer, if that matters. So: today, after draining and bypassing the water heater, I blew out the water lines with compressed air. There was very little water left. What was left, I drained into a white plastic flat bin - I'd say about a quart or so altogether. As I was finishing up, I noticed some little dark particles in the bin. Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were moving. Some sort of little bitty worms, or some damn vile thing. That's the photo, with a penny tossed in for scale. Though I wasn't planning to add anti-freeze to the system, I thought perhaps I'd see if the anti-freeze, alone or with additives, might have effect on the little buggers. To the water in the bin, I added a couple capfuls of household bleach. No effect. After a few minutes, I added a few ounces of RV anti-freeze, then left them sit about fifteen minutes. Nope. Added several ounces more bleach. They were looking very sluggish when I checked again so, by way of administering a coup de grace, I tossed in a few ounces of 70% isopropyl alcohol. Well, this gave the spawn of hell a new lease on life, apparently. They've now been swimming around in this chemical soup for over half an hour, and don't seem at all unhappy. *&^#%&! Anyone have any ideas about this? I searched the archives of the Toyota groups to which I belong, and the only reference to "worms" invariably followed "can of" or "bag of", in neither case literal examples. I'm sort of thinking the worms were developing in the bottom of the fresh tank which, though exercised all summer, hasn't been used for about a month and a half and was never fully empty until today. But I don't have any ideas. If you do, I would seriously love to hear them. Eek. Thanks, Dan