Forgive me, if I ask something that seems common for you folks, but my 2007 Toyota Camry, (4-Cylinder, using regular Unleaded gas, 246,000 miles) on the odometer has begun to run really hot in the past week, and it happens very quickly. The thermostat will go from mid-line to nearly max red zone within a few seconds.
I checked the coolant, thinking maybe I was low or it had leaked out without my noticing, and it’s actually still more or less full (at the F line) from when I filled it a few months ago.
It only occurs within the first 15 or so minutes of me starting and driving the car, and if I’m able to come to a stop before then, the temperature quickly drops back to mid-level within about the same amount of time it took to climb up.
A couple stoplights have actually saved me from overheating. Never thought I would want to hit red lights.
I’m not sure what to check, and I know it’ll have to go into a shop, but I suppose I’m just wondering what’s going on and if I can remedy it at home.
You should check the cooling fan relay first to see of your radiator fan is switching on. Under the hood there’s a relay box with diagrams, you simply pull it out. Try switching the cooling fan with a similarly rated relay. In my crv, the cooling fan and the horn use the same relay so I can just switch those out to test, I don’t know if it’s the same with camrys. Start the car and wait about 15-20 min for the engine to reach temp and see if the radiator fan switches on. If it does, then that’s your problem.
Look up Chris fix on YouTube about radiator or coolant flush might help
You fill Toyotas coolant at the expansion tank and the radiator, there’s also a bleed screw on the radiator.
That expansion tank is to bleed coolant when it expands and to refill the system when it cools the rubber hose should be present and in the coolant. If it’s not it will just dump coolant in the tank and not refill. Check the radiator to see if it has coolant. Fill the radiator and undo the bleed screw, run the engine and keep filling until coolant flows from the bleed screw. Run it until the thermostat opens and the fan kicks in turn it off (keep an eye on the temp gauge) check the top and bottom hose and the two hoses at the back which run into the passenger compartment, they all should be hot. Open the bleed screw carefully to bleed any remaining air. Once cooled top up the radiator and run back up to temp check the hoses and turn on the heater to make sure it’s blowing hot air. If all is good then increase the revs to 2000-3000rpm and see if it overheats the needle might go past halfway for the fan to kick in but will drop to mid point when the fans running.