HELP!!!!!!!!, one of those overheating problems Options

[Theshanon]

Sorry guys i tried to search but nothing came up!!

ANYWAYS, so my car is infact over heating.

First week i noticed this- K!!! so about a week ago my temp gauge started acting up....it would rise..then when i turn my heater on it would drop. Couple days later my heater would no longer work, so i checked my coolant and barley had anything left so i topped it up. Everything seemed fine for a bit, then a day or two after my temp gauge reach above 'H' and i pulled over and it sounded like my head was boiling a nice pot of soup. I waited a bit and quickly released the rad cap. It steemed for a bit (obviously) and i toped it off with coolant and it ran fine for a day or two. So today on my way to work i ended on heading back home on a flat bed. My temp gauge stayed at above 'H', no warm air....i topped it of with coolant, and i donno where it goes :| its hard for me to tell if theres a leak...and i hope its not my head gasket?

[scothaniel]

With the temps below 40F in Michigan, I dont think my radiator fans are coming on either - especially while driving. The cold air is enough to keep the water temperature in the radiator low. You would need to block air flow to the radiator (put some cardboard in front of it), or maybe let the car idle at higher rpm for a long time in order to get the radiator temp high enough to trigger the fans.

To test the switch according to the service manual, you would do the following:
Drain the radiator, unscrew the sensor, heat up some water (simmering), partially submerge the sensor while checking continuity with a multi-meter. But considering the same sensor was used on nearly every Toyota car in the 90's, it would be easier to just get another one from the junk yard.

Or, just dont worry about the fans until spring!