Bottom Radiator Hose On Early Rav4

[blue202]

It's been a while since I've been on here!

The Celica we had met with a fiesta head-on on the way to work one day -

Both cars ended up written off!

So we bought a Rav4 import from fleabay and it has been a pleasure

-untill now!

The car keeps overheating - its not the headgasket,

I had the water pump changed cos it was noisy and the overheating got worse!

I'm thinking collapsing bottom hose?

Bought a new hose - dealer part only!

Took a look this morning thinking it would be a ten minute job -lol

Anyone any experience of changing these things?

Looks like I've got to take the front of the car apart!

Any helpful suggestions greatly accepted!

[Yooz]

I assume you have a 4.1 model?

Have you checked that the thermostat is opening correctly and is the correct type?

Next is to check the fan is coming on properly and the wires to it are ok - I guess you have done that, but its worth running the car and listening for the fan switching on and off. The cables to it may have been dislodged when the pump was being changed.

The radiator comes out easily, - try running water through it by a hose to see if the flow is ok. And the usual check that the fins aren't blocked by muck so that the air passes through easily. I didn't realise that the hoses were dealer only - sometimes you can pick up a hose at a scrap yard and cut it to suit....if its from another car. I haven't heard nor had any problems with the radiator hose.

Lastly make sure you put in a good amount of anti-freeze....with the pump change, you can catch the existing coolant and then will see if theres enough antifreeze.

[blue202]

Thanks buddy, all the usual checks have been done. The bottom hose when squeezed has a

"crunchy" feel to it, which I think means it is full of rusty bits! It was really strange that the

overheating got worse when the water pump was replaced for a new one. I figured that the increased

"suction" caused by the new pump was pulling the old hose together further decreasing water flow.

It was just looking at the rad and the position of the bottom hose I was wondering how the h*ll I was

going to get at it!

Yes the car is a 4.1 model with the aircon rad strapped to the front of the engine rad I guess I'm going to

get a manual to see how it's done! lol

[anchorman]

Not done much on 4.1s but the manual suggests that you separate the air con condenser then lift out the radiator and bottom hose together.