Overheating & Fuel Filter

[The Kid]

I've just come back from SW France with a couple of problems.
The first is an overheating one. After driving for about 4 hrs non stop on the way back she started to overheat (fair enough as it was quite warm and she does do it occasionally), so I stopped and checked the expansion tank which was full to the brim and there was a pool of coolant under the truck.

When I took off the radiator cap (very carefully!) the rad was nearly empty.

I thought that the idea of the tank was to take the excess coolant when it heated up and therefore the level in the rad would have been at the top.

Am I wrong?


Secondly, I noticed a disconnected plug in the engine bay (pic 1) one end of which is connected to a unit (pic 2) which I assume is the fuel filter. To the best of my knowledge this has been disconnected since I got the truck a few years ago.

When I reconnect it, however, the warning light on the dashboard (pic 3) stays on where normally in the past it has gone out with the rest of them.

Do I have a problem here or should I just ignore it and carry on on as I have been doing?

Ken

Pic 1


Pic 2


Pic 3

[BUSHWHACKER]

The warning light means theres water in the bottom of the fuel filter, and you turn the white plastic sprocket at the base of the filter to drain it, but it may be on 'cos the plug in the 1st pic is disconnected.

[That Ruddy Squirrel]

That light is telling you that there is water in the filter, when was it last changed ?

It's possible that the sensor is cacked, hence why it was disconnected.

As for the overheating problems, could you need a new thermostat and rad cap ?


Trev

[NiftyNev]

Replace the fuel filter.There is water in there. Water is very bad for the injectors. Change the thermostat and radiator cap as well because they are probably way overdue. If you stil have overheating look at getting the radiator flushed as well.

Nev

[The Kid]

Thanks all for the info.

I'd more or less reckoned on the rad cap & thermostat as they were changed when I got the truck but not since.

As regards changing the fuel filter, how is that done?

I did a search on it but couldnt find anything relevant.

Scrub that, I've just found the thread!!

Old age again!

Ken

[BUSHWHACKER]

Thanks all for the info.

I'd more or less reckoned on the rad cap & thermostat as they were changed when I got the truck but not since.

As regards changing the fuel filter, how is that done?

I did a search on it but couldnt find anything relevant.

Ken

http://www.toyotasurf.asn.au/techsite/fuelfilter.htm

[The Kid]

Thanks for that Bushwacker,

That's even better, it's got pictures!

Ken

[The Kid]

Hi Again,

I think I (or unfortunately, in this case, the wife) may have found the root cause of the overheating. She has pointed out to me that when we had to stop to top up on the way home, she didnt remember hearing the fan being on and the more I remember it she is probably right. As the temperature gauge had moved just into the red when we stopped (after going up and down a couple of times) I would have thought it should have been running but I dont remember now that it was either.

My question now is - is there a simple way of checking the fan without running the temperature right up?

Ken