I have a cylinder 1996 camry (1mzfe) 170 000 miles.My car overheated
once and there was a hole in the coolant bottle replaced the bottle
added coolant and car was fine for a couple more months.The car then
was about to overheat again cooolant level was low again.There was some
liquid by the waterpump so figured the water pump was leaking but when
I removed it it looked fine.The is no white smoke coming out the tail
pipe that I can see and when I changed the oil it looked clean.I have
been told it could be a head gasket is there a test I can do that will
confirm whether it is the head gasket ?

Thank you for any suggestions

Henry

<hjackows@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1169075202.543480.10000@m58g2000cwm.googlegro ups.com...
>I have a cylinder 1996 camry (1mzfe) 170 000 miles.My car overheated
> once and there was a hole in the coolant bottle replaced the bottle
> added coolant and car was fine for a couple more months.The car then
> was about to overheat again cooolant level was low again.There was some
> liquid by the waterpump so figured the water pump was leaking but when
> I removed it it looked fine.The is no white smoke coming out the tail
> pipe that I can see and when I changed the oil it looked clean.I have
> been told it could be a head gasket is there a test I can do that will
> confirm whether it is the head gasket ?
>
> Thank you for any suggestions
>
> Henry
>

If there is coolant leaking from the water pump, and if the water pump is
the original one, there is a good chance it needs replacement. When you
removed the water pump, did you install a new one or did you re-install the
old water pump? Is coolant still leaking from the water pump? Has the
radiator cap been checked?

I think your overheating is caused by low coolant level, and the low coolant
level is caused by a leak somewhere like the water pump and/or the radiator
cap.

A compression check with bad results can point to a bad head gasket, but
note that a compression check with good results does not necessarily rule
out a head gasket problem.

If there is motor oil in the coolant reservoir, then there is a good chance
the head or head gasket is leaking.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

<hjackows@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1169075202.543480.10000@m58g2000cwm.googlegro ups.com...
> I have a cylinder 1996 camry (1mzfe) 170 000 miles.My car overheated
> once and there was a hole in the coolant bottle replaced the bottle
> added coolant and car was fine for a couple more months.The car then
> was about to overheat again cooolant level was low again.There was some
> liquid by the waterpump so figured the water pump was leaking but when
> I removed it it looked fine.The is no white smoke coming out the tail
> pipe that I can see and when I changed the oil it looked clean.I have
> been told it could be a head gasket is there a test I can do that will
> confirm whether it is the head gasket ?
>
> Thank you for any suggestions
>
> Henry

Henry, that waterpump is no good. After years of service, they start to leak
thru the drive shaft seal. This leakage exits thru a small hole in the pump
housing. This is always a bad sign and it always gets worse. Make sure the
water you saw is *actually* coming out of that hole and not out of a
pin-hole in a hose nearby. With a car that old, you need to keep an eye out
for leaks at least once a week. The best thing is to replace all hoses if
you can afford it and use coolant to stop the buildup of rust in the system.

There maybe a proper coolant filling arrangement to stop airlocks,..other
posters may know of this. A workshop manual is a good thing with vehicles
getting on in years.

Jason

On Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:28:36 +1100, "Jason James" <home@work.1.0>
wrote:

>With a car that old, you need to keep an eye out
>for leaks at least once a week.

You are talking about a 1996....

That is hogwash IMHO.

I have a 92 Corolla Wagon.

I change the water pump every second timing belt change (every 120,000
miles).

The Radiator hoses were changed after 8 years and they looked like
new.

I flush the radiator every year or so and install Toyota Red anti
freeze and distilled water.

My system does NOT require a weekly inspection.

Take care of your car and it will take care of you!



--

Scott in Florida

"Scott in Florida" <askifyouwant@mindspring.net> wrote in message
news:sg0vq29mj83q36qnmkbrlbh6hnkuggq1g2@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:28:36 +1100, "Jason James" <home@work.1.0>
> wrote:
>
> >With a car that old, you need to keep an eye out
> >for leaks at least once a week.
>
> You are talking about a 1996....
>
> That is hogwash IMHO.

Hey, you are entitled to your opinion,..a large percentage of overheats with
attendant expensive repairs, are due to a $10 hose failure.


> I have a 92 Corolla Wagon.
>
> I change the water pump every second timing belt change (every 120,000
> miles).

Good for you, now what makes you think a hose will last indefinately?


> The Radiator hoses were changed after 8 years and they looked like
> new.

NASA would be interested about what substance they are made of , or didnt
you test them for cracks or separation in the inner lining?


> I flush the radiator every year or so and install Toyota Red anti
> freeze and distilled water.
>
> My system does NOT require a weekly inspection.
>
> Take care of your car and it will take care of you!

The weekly remark, was made in absence of a complete hose-change and the
original waterpump in use.

To leave hoses 10 years old in a car is OK as long as you monitor them and
the temp-gauge closely.

Jason


> --
>
> Scott in Florida
>

You have to rule out all the more likely coolant leaks first. These are
hoses and the pump as other have mentioned. The radiator core or
o-rings under the plastic tanks can fail, or the plastic tanks
themselves can have hard to see hair-line cracks. The weighted vacuum
valve on the radiator cap can be a problem as they don't seal very well
if there is any contamination. I'd change it to cap with a spring
loaded vaccuum valve.

After all these places are plugged you can then do an extended cooling
system pressure test and/or a combination with cylinder a leak down
test. If a head gasket is bad, air can come out of the next cylinder's
spark plug hole or radiator (among the many places for other cylinder
problems).

Sure, earlier 1mzfe's have head gasket problems. If the problem turns
out to be the head gasket, you have to determine the cause first (other
than plain old age) and solve it. Otherwise the replacement gasket will
fail the same way. I'd recommend FelPro head gaskets here, about $50
online for each cylinder bank. If you need to replace the head gasket
then the block and head also have to be inspected if overheated.



hjackows@hotmail.com wrote:
> I have a cylinder 1996 camry (1mzfe) 170 000 miles.My car overheated
> once and there was a hole in the coolant bottle replaced the bottle
> added coolant and car was fine for a couple more months.The car then
> was about to overheat again cooolant level was low again.There was some
> liquid by the waterpump so figured the water pump was leaking but when
> I removed it it looked fine.The is no white smoke coming out the tail
> pipe that I can see and when I changed the oil it looked clean.I have
> been told it could be a head gasket is there a test I can do that will
> confirm whether it is the head gasket ?
>
> Thank you for any suggestions
>
> Henry