What can cause a Toyota Solara to overheat?

Answer 1

There are several reasons any liquid cooled engine might overheat. Oftentimes the culprit can be identified by the situation. For example, the engine overheats when sitting in traffic or idling for extended periods. That usually means the fan isn't working properly. Other reasons:

1. The vehicle overheats when driving: Check to be sure the radiator isn't clogged by bugs or other debris.

2. The vehicle overheats within minutes of starting: This is often the thermostat sticking. The driver/operator will often notice coolant being boiled out of the overflow and will see a geyser of coolant if he/she removes the radiator cap even though the engine temperature gauge is reporting normal or even low temperature. That's because with a stuck thermostat the coolant isn't allowed to circulate and coolant on the radiator side is still not warm while the engine side is very hot.

3. Faulty head gasket. The driver will often notice coolant flowing from the exhaust pipe (not the normal first thing in the morning dribble) and the engine will run badly.

4. This probably should have been listed first but, low coolant level. There should be coolant showing between the high/low marks of the overflow tank.

5. Dirty cooling system. Coolant should be changed every couple of years. If not, deposits can build up and clog radiator passages or even insulate engine water jackets.

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