Radiator cap

I'm off on a long journey tomorrow and foolishly left it until today to check the fluids in my car. Had the coolant changed a few months back and the reserve tank is now right down low, so im thinking that maybe the rad cap is starting to fail?

As toyota aren't open now would this one be suitable? Or is it just likely that the system had some air in.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_166673_categoryId_256264_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1

if the rad is full to the top with water when cold, just top up the expansion bottle .

The stock cap i think is 1.1 bar so that should be fine but just check in the WSM cooling section

Your cooling system has a leak somewhere but might not be the cap if the level in the expansion tank

is dropping, don't use water as that dilutes the coolant and lowers the temp it

will freeze at.

It also isn't good in the water ways etc and a pre mix Ethylene Glycol mix is best.

The stock cap i think is 1.1 bar so that should be fine but just check in the WSM cooling section

 

Your cooling system has a leak somewhere but might not be the cap if the level in the expansion tank

is dropping, don't use water as that dilutes the coolant and lowers the temp it

will freeze at.

 

It also isn't good in the water ways etc and a pre mix Ethylene Glycol mix is best.

Would it not more likely be the cap rather than a leak as its gone down so slowly, it was in september i think when the coolant was done so quite a while.

Is it not ok to use water to top it up then? The mix was spot on when the coolant was changed so surely that tiny amount in the expansion tank wouldn't make too much difference?

Well as the caps are so cheap, even from Toyota that's the first

thing to change then just keep an eye on the expansion tank level.

You shouldn't put tap water in the system, just get some pre mix

Ethylene Glycol at the same time you get the rad cap, Halfords

sell both

Well as the caps are so cheap, even from Toyota that's the first

thing to change then just keep an eye on the expansion tank level.

 

You shouldn't put tap water in the system, just get some pre mix

Ethylene Glycol at the same time you get the rad cap, Halfords

sell both

Ok thanks So i assume the blue coolant Halfords sell will match what is in my car already. The car has got half water and half coolant mix in atm.

Buy that i mean is blue coolant just blue coolant or are there massive differences?

Also ive been looking through the FAQ section and i cant find any info about the rad cap?

You need to look in the WSM, they are all on the home page, click

on the repair manuals button in the top left corner and there is

just about everything you need to know in several different sections.

The cap pressure is 13.5 to 17.8 psi so 1.1 bar cap is ok

If its half tap water in your system i'd personally bin it and

refill it.

To give an example look what tap water does to the inside of a

kettle, this will happen inside your cooling system if you use

tap water.

Page CO-18 in the Cooling PDF

CO.pdf

You need to look in the WSM, they are all on the home page, click

on the repair manuals button in the top left corner and there is

just about everything you need to know in several different sections.

 

The cap pressure is 13.5 to 17.8 psi so 1.1 bar cap is ok

 

If its half tap water in your system i'd personally bin it and

refill it.

 

To give an example look what tap water does to the inside of a

kettle, this will happen inside your cooling system if you use

tap water.

 

Page CO-18 in the Cooling PDF

I didnt think of it like that, i assumed that the coolant would have something in it to counteract that effect.

I guess that will have to be the next job on the list then after xmas. So i should just grab the red pre-mixed coolant then.

None of the shops are open early enough here tomorrow so im going to get a new rad cap once i get to somerset. Will it be ok to top the expansion tank up with water as im going to swap all of the coolant out after christmas anyway? I cant imagine it takes much to fill that tiny bottle up.

I've looked a bit harder and even though the test pressures are

what i posted earlier a stock cap is 0.9 bar and not 1.1 bar

Fit a 0.9 bar cap

Just checked my car and i have a 1.1bar cap on it already? Are you sure stock is 0.9? As the TRD is 1.3 so that would be a huge jump up from 0.9

My NA has always had 1.1

Here is a pressure conversion chart.

Some say 0.9 and some say 1.1