Hello all, this is my first post here. I own a 2015 RC350, 2016 IS 350 F-Sport and my most recent purchase a 2004 GX470. It has 139K on it and is in great condition. The previous owner had pretty decent service records, so i pulled the trigger. Yesterday, while I was driving I noticed the temp gauge was normal until i stopped. Then it would slowly creep up almost to the H. I shut it down and let it cool, but while moving of course with the extra air flow the temp is steady in the normal range. I get home and crawl under and notice a few things.
1) there is an unknown oil on the metal undercarriage. Cant tell how long it has been there or even what fluid it is. Didn't have a smell of engine oil, not really much of a smell at all, but i do have terrible allergies this time of year lol. Also, no leaks were on the ground where it was parked. It is located under the trans/backside of the oil pan area. Since there was lots of dirt accumulated and i couldn't tell what it was or where it was coming from, I wiped the areas clean for further observation...thoughts?

2)Checked the coolant reservoir and saw it was below the L mark when hot, waited until it was cool and it was still under the L. I topped off the fluids and started the engine. At idle, the engine was still steadily creeping up in temp and the fan would erratically kick on and off. A/C was on full blast as well.

I have an appointment tomorrow at a Toyota dealer, since there are no lexus dealers in the area, but i want to get some insight from the pros. In my research, i have seen the radiator and transfer case are common issues. Does any of what I've described fit your experiences?

 

1) Sounds like the transfer case actuator is leaking which is not an uncommon issue. Do a search on here and you will find many articles.

2) To me, it sounds to me like a bad water pump, especially if your radiator is not leaking. Did the timing belt and water pump get replaced yet?

 

I did see the transfer case threads also. Any idea what that runs at the Toyota dealer? ballpark at least? I am pretty mechanically inclined but it's hot as i don't know what down here, so if it is reasonable, i'll have someone else do it.
The previous owner stated he had the timing belt done at the time of my purchase, but i can't really vouch for that. Water pump should've been done at the same time, correct? I just bought this thing as a kid hauler, but i will need it soon. Just wanted to go armed with info for the dealer visit tomorrow.
Thanks for the reply.

 

From what others have posted, a dealer is going to charge $2K+ for the actuator replacement. What others have done is replace the o-ring in the actuator. Since you're mechanically inclined, I'd go that route.

Most of the time, yes, the water pump is replaced at the same time as the timing belt, but that's not to say it was in your case. Your overheating problem sounds like the same exact issue I had when I owned a Vette. Overheating at stops, temps ok when moving, and no signs of a visible leak. It was a bad water pump.

 

yea, I'll not be spending 2k on that. I'll dig through the other threads and figure it out. I want the mechanics to go over it and find what's wrong and I'll make the decision on the work performed. Thanks again.

 

Water pump could certainly be at fault. And/or thermostat. Both can cause overheating when stopped.

What about the belt-driven fan? It uses a viscous fluid clutch, and if that fluid all leaked out it won't engage.
To test this, wait until the engine is cool to the touch and see how much resistance there is to spinning the fan by hand. It should be firm and not spin freely.

Chip H.

 

Thanks Chip, i'll post an update after I find out what the dealer finds out. See who is the best forum diagnostic tool haha.

 

 

 

At least you caught it now rather than something more serious happening down the road. And you'll have the peace of mind knowing that it was actually done now.