Losing Coolant ?

[suv]

Hi, ive just got myself an 06 rav4 t180, and ive noticed that the coolant is almost empty and there is a lot of dry pink powder in a spray like pattern that has come from the top of the coolant tank (the little black nib at the top of the srew cap) Any suggestions. the car doesnt run hot and there in no sludge in the oil cap.

thanks.

[anchorman]

Hmmm.

Have you read the thread on head gaskets?

Does this car have warranty?

[suv]

I have and i dont think its that, it was serviced just before i bought the car. At 100k service do they drain and change the coolant on that service? maybe it has trapped air in the system?

[anchorman]

I think there is a coolant refil at one of the higher mileage services and if you haven't got the service record you might be able to tell by speaking to your local dealer. Try topping it up and see if it moves again but I have to say that even if it was airlocked, I might expect it to go down but not push it out of the breather.

All the best.

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=105006&st=0&p=952754&hl=gasket&fromsearch=1entry952754

[suv]

Thanks, ive got the service book, will give the dealer who serviced it a call 1st thing.

[suv]

Just looked up the dealer that does the servicing for this car before i owned it and when i clicked on there web link, it say's that they have closed down. The dealer was Andrew Rowley in st albans.Will my local dealer have all the info on there system about what has been done to my car?

[anchorman]

Should do yes.

[suv]

Ok car booked in at my local toyota dealer for a check on wots going on.Also managed to get hold of the garage that has done all ths servicing on the car,turns out they have just had a name change, but still a toyota garage, i asked them if they did a draindown of the coolant on the 100k service,and they checked there system and said they didnt do a service that time just an MOT,the weird thing is my service book has got there stamp in it for that service and dated the same day the MOT was done. Im now wondering if they just stamped the book as a favour or back hander to complete the service history.I asked to speak to a machanic about the coolant and he sugested to get it booked at my local T.He also said that if it is the headgaskit that as the car has full T service history i may be able to ask cust relations to pik up the bill for the labour charge. Has anyone ever had this?

[Davrav]

Ok car booked in at my local toyota dealer for a check on wots going on.Also managed to get hold of the garage that has done all ths servicing on the car,turns out they have just had a name change, but still a toyota garage, i asked them if they did a draindown of the coolant on the 100k service,and they checked there system and said they didnt do a service that time just an MOT,the weird thing is my service book has got there stamp in it for that service and dated the same day the MOT was done. Im now wondering if they just stamped the book as a favour or back hander to complete the service history.I asked to speak to a machanic about the coolant and he sugested to get it booked at my local T.He also said that if it is the headgaskit that as the car has full T service history i may be able to ask cust relations to pik up the bill for the labour charge. Has anyone ever had this?

If the book is stamped and yet they say they did not do the service [can you get that in writing?]it sounds like there was some funny business going on as you say. Toyota UK, Trading Standards and small claims spring to mind. There is misrepresentation going on here somewhere along the line - presumably you bought the vehicle on the basis you were led to believe it had a full Main Dealer service history.

Probably best to see how you get on with Customer relations first.

Good Luck

[anchorman]

Don't make waves. If you are polite they may still do it all under warranty.

[Davrav]

Don't make waves. If you are polite they may still do it all under warranty.

Agreed

However, something still smells of fish though

[smithyyears]

Hi, ive just got myself an 06 rav4 t180, and ive noticed that the coolant is almost empty and there is a lot of dry pink powder in a spray like pattern that has come from the top of the coolant tank (the little black nib at the top of the srew cap) Any suggestions. the car doesnt run hot and there in no sludge in the oil cap.

thanks.

This is a blown head gasket.Mines just gone down with this fault,and is covered by warranty,hope it gets fixed correctly;dealer says this is not unusual,there seeems to be more and more of this problem occuring.(i think its been known for a while,but is quietly being fixed only as and when it occurs. Regards smithy.

[bitman]

if the head gasket is blown then most of the times the engine pressure will blow the cooland out the cooland tank :ffs: