igzy

He could also have an air pocket somewhere in the system not allowing the thermostat to open. On cold engine, I would take off the rad cap, run the engine without the rad cap with heat turned to high, watch the temp gauge and wait for the stat to open and look inside the rad to see if the coolant is flowing through (and to get the air out), and then top up the overflow tank once it is confirmed that the coolant is indeed circulating through the engine/heater, i.e. pump working and thermostat opening... If you do this, note that some coolant will back flow before the stat opens. If that happens, one can also tell if the pump propeller is working properly. If the rad is full and no back flow, that usually means that the propeller is not doing its job (hard to believe but technically it is possible). I would also do a compression check, or coolant system pressure check, it is possible that the engine overheated for the previous owner and is loosing coolant / pulling in air elsewhere other than the pump...

If above sounds too complicated, I would take the car to a reputable shop or a dealer. The fact that you had the car for one month and have these problems, along with wrong coolant in it, signals to me that the previous owner likely dumped the car because of a problem with it (sorry )

razzuh

I guess you are right on this.

UPDATE: The car over heated again after 2 weeks. Towed the car back to the shop and this time the mechanic said that the last resort is to replace the coolant temp sensor and to replace the thermostat with an OEM one. He did and now the cabin heat doesn't even come in. After he did the work, the check engine light , VSC light and Traction light have come on with the master warning light. He says it's a crack in the head gasket which is why the sealant was used by previous owner to plug it temporarily and dispose it off. He says the head gasket can't be repaired as this is a Aluminum block and says a new engine is the only way. Please guide me on this as I have already put so much money into the car since buying it. Or should I sell it after putting anew engine?

Clutchless

Try a different mechanic who specializes in Toyotas. The head gasket should be able to be replaced. he is apparently not competent enough to even properly install a thermostat etc. The possibly bad water pump issue still needs to be checked.
He would rather sell you an engine. Less work and more money for him.

If you need help finding another mechanic this is a good place to look https://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-files

Or just trade it in and run away from it as fast as you can.

razzuh

Thank you. How would I be able to trade in when the cabin heat doesn't work? Also, what would be the ideal scenario to trade in? A dealer would figure out sooner and get back to me right?

igzy

That really sux A couple of things to consider: you bought it a month and a half ago, was it a private sale or dealer? If it was a dealer, I would go back and complain that you were sold a lemon. I understand that there isn't a lemon-law for used cars (see http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-...8763--,00.html) but it is worth a try and you could work out some deal for repair (50/50 at least).

If you bought it privately, and if you got it for a good price, then you could consider repairing the head gasket(s) only and enjoying it thereafter. There should be some good shops within reasonable distance that could do a good job. Make sure it is someone good with overhead cams and can put it back together right, and that can seal up the timing chain cover as those are prone to oil leaks if not done properly. Parts are not expensive for this job, but there is a lot of labor involved, so vs engine replacement you would save almost the full cost of engine, the labor cost will likely be the same...

Trading it in would be as-is to the dealer, you wouldn't be liable for it afterwards. If they find this problem during their evaluation of the car, they will likely give you peanuts for it...

Clutchless

It could still just be a bad water pump. That mechanic you are seeing is not very skilled. Find someone else as I said above. They can test if it is the head gasket.
Or throw in a bottle of the head gasket sealant then run to Car Max or any other used car lot and take what they offer. If you go to enough places, someone will buy it.

ESh

whooodat

iTrader: (4)

Sorry to hear that Razzuh! Hopefully it's just the water pump.

Evening before buying a 2008 last month with 102k on it, this will always be on my mind after reading threads on this. I'll be doing the WP, pulley tensioner's, spark plugs, and PCV in a month or two, since all the DIY threads are available on CL.

Clutchless

Once you as an individual sell the car to a company, Car Max or other used car lot, the deal is over and they will not come after you. They know you cannot warranty the car.
They rely on their own inspections and if they later claim it had a problem when you sold it to them, just deny knowing of any problems. Trade it in on a warm day so the heat is not an issue!

This happens much more often than you think. I had a friend with the very expensive VW Phaeton that he got used and right after the warranty ended the HVAC climate control mostly died. He just traded it in and did not say anything. He never heard back from them.

Remember all these places can either do their own repairs for a lot less than you, or can wholesale the car.

razzuh

Thank you so much for the replies guys. Really appreciate it. I forgot to mentioned that I replaced the water pump as well. It's definitely the engine block that's building back pressure. Car Max is a wonderful idea but in Michigan, there is only 1 Car Max in Grand Rapids that is 2 and half hours away. I am not willing to take a risk on such a long drive. Please let me know if there is any other chain like Car Max that I could sell it to in the Greater Detroit area? I am heartbroken with this experience as a forever-lasting Lexus turned out to be a lemon.

whooodat

iTrader: (4)

Razzuh that sucks! Sorry! Did you purchase the car from a private owner or dealer just curious?

razzuh

Private. An elderly man in his 50s. Didn't expect to get deceived this way. Plus it's literally impossible to check if a sealant is used by yourself alone. I wasn't even aware such a thing existed.

ESh

jagtoes

I guess it was funny that you didn't overheat during your test drive. Although you have no recourse I would call and let the previous owner know that you are displeased at his deceptive manner in which he sold the car. Buyer beware.

razzuh

Today brought a new twist. The engine struggled starting up with a rough idle. Went to autozone to check what the engine light is about and it showed misfire in cylinders 3,4 and 6. I can't even sell it now. Please advise me what to be done. Head gasket repair? Replacing spark plugs and ignition coils for the misfiring issue? Or the engine itself?