So about a month ago I changed my coolant along with upper and lower hoses. Upper hose is AC Delco and lower hose is Goodyear (seems to be better quality than the AC Delco one).

Every once in a while, especially when it's very cold out, the upper hose starts to drip coolant where it meets the radiator. It doesn't do it at the water inlet housing, just at the radiator. And it's only the upper hose. The clamp is tightened as much as it can go, so what am I missing here?? Is it just a bad quality hose? The old one (not sure what brand, I think Goodyear) didn't drip. And there is no damage to the radiator, it's definitely the hose.

Any ideas?

 

It's probably the clamp. Get a new clamp from Toyota.

 

Precipitate on the pipe contributes, too. Pull the hose off and make sure the pipe is clean/clear of crud. I think a typical auto-store screw-type hose clamp is just fine - perhaps better. The factory ones are designed for easy installation but don't return to the same tension after servicing ime.

 

From what I've heard, factory style clamps will keep tightening the hose tighter and tighter as it ages, as opposed to a screw type clamp which will stay in a certain position.

 

You might want to be careful using screw clamps because if you tighten them too much you'll rip into the hose and ruin it. I've heard to only use the Toyota clamps to keep from causing a tear or leaking.

 

it might be the upper end of the hose and the coolant leak is tracing downwards on the back side of the hose. Fluids are sneaky like that.

 

Oh goodness, I can assure you there is no special Toyota magic around a hoseclamp.

The toyota ones are NOT unique - they are used on many vehicles. The two-wire spring design is used less often in the repair/secondary market because it's less adjustable. Conversely, if a replacement hose is used, it may not fit it. It's not often convenient to go far out of the way for a unique "Toyota" piece when there's perfect substitutes to hand down the street at NAPA or the like. And if one can't apply a banded hose clamp w/o ruining the hose, you really shouldn't be attempting your own repairs without adult supervision!

 

I didn't mean Toyota brand, I meant the ones that Toyota supplied with the car. I wouldn't even bother getting them from Toyota myself.

 

Yeah I'll try replacing that clamp tomorrow and see if it helps. I replaced both clamps for the lower hose but not for the upper one. Hopefully this will solve it, I just put $40 of coolant in there, I really don't wanna drain it again just to replace the top hose if it turns out the hose is the issue.

 

Two ways to go about it in my mind:

a) get a really clean catch-bucket, just collect the drain from the petcock on the bottom and funnel it back in. I agree, no need to waste new coolant, especially at Toyota prices.

b) get a screw-type hose clamp. Back it all the way out of the screw-adjuster. Back the factory one off past the lip on the pipe (ridge you can feel), and then install the new one by slipping the free end back in the screw mechanism and tightening. Then you don't have to open the system at all. If it holds, then just cut the old one off with wire cutters/dikes. .

 

Update! Replaced the hose clamp and it's no longer leaking Also went to wash the car today, vacuumed it, and cleaned everything up with armor-all, it all looks like new now

Now I don't want to start another thread about this so I'm asking here, but what do you guys do about oil in the winter? It says 10w30 on the oil cap, and in the manual it says 10w30 is ok down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and to use 5w30 for anything below that. Since I'm gonna be spending the winter in Wisconsin and Chicago, where the temps will be pretty low, I was wondering if I shouldn't change to 5w30 for the winter.... but I only drive the car about 3000 miles a year, mostly long highway trips so before the winter ends I'll drive probably less than 1000 miles, and I don't think 5w30 would be good to have in there for the summer. Should I just stick with the 10w30 and try not to drive much when it gets below 0, or what's the general consensus on this?

 

I'd definitely put 5W-30 in there. Chicago winter's warrant that for sure.

And, 5W-30 is fine for the summer too. Oil has come a long way since 1992.