AliB1991

Hi guys,

So I last had my 04 RX 330's full maintenance inspection done in Dec. 14, that makes it 9 months.

At that time part of the service was that they (Henninger Toyota) topped up my coolant.

I took my vehicle in today to have all the fluids inspected, I went to two different mechanics and both noticed how my coolant is completely empty.

The car had been on for awhile before they checked it so it's not like I had them check it when the car had not been turned on in the day.

I had absolutely no warning lights come up telling me the coolant is low or any other warning light for that matter.

Of course no one knows when this coolant emptied out, and now I'm freaking out thinking Henninger may not have done this correctly 9 months ago, how in the blue hell is my coolant low all the sudden?

I shouldn't be jumping to conclusions like that but I'm so worried, even if the coolant emptied out today on the ride to the shops, why didn't the warning light come on?

FYI - Along with no warning lights, my engine also has never heated up, neither have I noticed the the meter on the dashboard going from C to H, it would be on cold when I first started the vehicle but would always go to the middle after the car had been driven for a few minutes.

litzdog911

Was the radiator completely empty? Or just the coolant reservoir tank?

AliB1991

It was the coolant reservoir we were looking at, I didn't see them checking the radiator or anything.

NVAKeith

iTrader: (1)

Maybe you have a leak in the radiator or reservoir tank and it leaked out over the last 9 months. Be glad you didn't overheat it. Top it off and check for leaks.

Here is a thread that says some '04s had faulty radiators and there was a warranty extension, but I suspect that would've expired by now:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ator-leak.html

AliB1991

Yeah, the mechanic topped up the coolant yesterday.

Sorry bro but I'm a complete newb with cars, umm what would be the best way to check if coolant is still leaking? where exactly do I check for this?

Is looking at the coolant resevoir enough? we filled it up yesterday and If I check it now and it's still full that means no leak right?

NVAKeith

iTrader: (1)

Checking reservoir tank weekly or so would be a good start, remember the tank level will be different based on temperature of the coolant (cold = less in tank, hot = more)

I don't mind getting my hands dirty so if it were me I would put the car on ramps and look around the radiator, coolant hoses, and water pump.

AliB1991

Sounds good, I'll keep an eye on that, where is the radiator tank located btw?

thomas1

I would look on the ends of the radiator for pink/red color. The plastic tanks crack and leak fluid slowly....

AliB1991

Fair enough, but the coolant resevoir was completely empty, and I didn't get any warning light.

I don't even know where the radiator is on this bad boy, should I have a mechanic look further into this issue?

nedogre20

AliB1991 I had the same problem you did and I discovered what the problem was when I started doing my timing belt. I had 2 leaks that led to my reservoir being completely empty. The radiator was already replaced under the warranty but I checked all hoses to make sure that was not the problem anyway.

Before you attempt either of these procedures, you must drain whatever coolant is left to avoid a huge mess. ATTEMPT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

The first pic is of the heater block which I have no need for here in Texas because it never stays cold enough to have one installed. The heater block is located to the left of the oil filter. Its just a cap with silicone sealant applied to keep it from leaking. The pink crust is the coolant leaking from the failed sealant over the years. It's a simple fix. Unscrew the 2 nuts and clean off the area real good. Apply some sealant and tighten the nuts sung. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE NUTS. I was not sure of the torque specs so I used my common sense and made them snug. If this is leaking, it should be an easy fix.


The next 2 pics are of a stuck open thermostat and a leaky thermostat. One is the new thermostat and the other is the old thermostat. This takes more time to replace and requires a little more skill level than the heater block. The thermostat is located on the side of the engine right next to the starter. The battery,air box and all hoses associated to the air box have to be removed in order to access the starter. The starter has to be removed as well to access the thermostat. Install thermostat and put everything back the way it came off. Good Luck!!!

AliB1991

Thanks Ned, but I'm a newbie as mentioned earlier and tbh have no idea where the nuts you're referring to would be, what do you think is the best bet for someone like me?

I also just got off the phone with mechanic who did the coolant fill up yesterday, he says that the coolant could have possibly lowered because it ended up going to the radiator, he says to fill the reservoir up again and keep an eye on it.

Pretty much he's saying the radiator has to be full first and than than coolant reservoir, and since radiator was not full it ended up taking the coolant from the reservoir, and that now that the radiator is full to fill the reservoir up, what's your guy's take on that?

nedogre20

The radiator needs to get filled first then top off the reservoir. He needs to burp the system once he fills up the radiator. In your case, take it to a mechanic or possibly to the Toyota dealer as they are cheaper than Lexus. Keep us posted.

AliB1991

Ok so we can say that there might not even be a leak right?

Because that explains why the coolant ended up getting lowered in the reservoir, because it just went to the radiator because the radiator was low on coolant?

So now the radiator should be full right because the reservoir has coolant in it that's a little above the low mark.

nedogre20

Correct. There could be no problem at all. You won't know until you top off everything and bleed the system.

AliB1991

Cool Cool, I'll keep an eye on this and let you guys know how things turn out.