Update :Having cooling issues with my 08 tundra Problem fixed

So I purchased my first .08 tundra with 190,000 miles last year and fell in love with the truck . I purchased and immediately used it to go from NC to NY to move my mother closer to me . On the way up truck started to get hot pulled over found radiator was very low added coolant. I got up to NY and pressure tested system found a pin hole at neck of radiator. Purchased and installed radiator and that seem to handle that but fast forward after getting hit and the truck sat at body shop for a month and I had some secondary air issues and then the transmission was going into limp mode so got a new transmission installed under warranty . I installed a new water pump and thermostat during the body shop repairs but after I got it back from having transmission replaced if I drive it down the highway the temp gauge wants to ride very close to hot and I have to floor it to get it to cool back down . Sense my whole thing of bad luck with accident and transmission I've replaced the radiator , water pump and thermostat from advance auto new clutch fan from Toyota . I've been a tech for 20 years plus but haven't worked on alot of tundras . I just am trying to figure out if I have an internal cooling issue or I need to install a fan to fix my problem . I'm sorry for the whole back story.

 

Check for a bad or broken radiator cap that might be blocking coolant flow.

 

I put 2 radiator caps on it the 2nd one has the lever to bleed off the pressure .

 

you don’t need that style cap…


But read thru this
https://www.tundras.com/threads/2008-tundra-5-7-temp-issue.59514/page-4#post-3064087

 

I read that but the cap is brand new the first cap I put on was oreillys aftermarket that looked close to OE but it would still have alot pressure so I purchased a 16 psi cap with the lever to bleed the pressure off . The cap is brand new so it's not bad so I don't think that is causing my problem . Along as I'm floor it every few minutes the truck runs cool but if Cruise control is on going down the highway the temp gauge will run 3/4 to hot and I dont want to but only thing I can come up with is put an electric fan on and eliminate the clutch fan .

 

Man, first of all, that seems like an awful string of bad luck. Sorry to hear it. It’s hard to say what your issue is...what’s interesting is, you’ve got similar symptoms to the people in @zeekevin’s linked thread who had a busted OEM radiator cap where a piece of it had fallen and was blocking coolant flow.

Have you double checked part numbers of everything you installed? Try an OEM thermostat? Here’s a link: https://parts.mcgeorgetoyota.com/oe...inlet-sub-assembly-with-thermostat-160310s010

Adding an electric fan would seem to me to be just treating the symptom. I’d rather find the underlying issue.

 

The thermostat I installed was advance auto brand and yea I've gone threw hell and back with this truck but love my tundra . I've been a auto technician for 24 years and most of that I was a gm guy but I moved from NY to NC almost 8 years ago and found the most reliable make was toyota or honda and sense honda don't make a truck . I've driven a few tundras and loved the power and ride . So when I got the money to afford a truck the one I have fit the criteria. But back to what you saying fixing the symptom not the problem . The radiator is brand new from advance auto water pump and thermostat too . I've thought of draining cooling system and flushing heater core to make sure it's not plugged . So it can't be a broken radiator cap cause radiator and cap were replaced . Thank you for your help though .

 

Have you looked at the fan clutch?

 

Replaced with toyota oem just a few months ago but I havent checked the fan when it's hot to see if it's engaged or not .

 

Replacing the rad and cap doesn’t mean the original cap didn’t fail and plug the bypass passage to the thermostat, nor would replacing them resolve that issue.

If you look closely at the pictures in this one post, it should be much clearer what has happened to a few other members:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/2008-tundra-5-7-temp-issue.59514/page-4#post-1933713

 

So I was picking my son up from school and had a/c running it was 75 to 80 out and the temp gauge climbed up just below hot and I managed to turn defrost on . I some how managed to get it to cool down flooring it and got it to my buddy's shop and used his temp gun and found advance auto thermostat wasn't opening upper hose was 140 and lower was 80 degrees . The system was building up pressure and pushing coolant back out threw the over flow . Installed toyota OEM thermostat and bleed it profusely and test drive and now gauge stays in the middle or less does not fluxerate between half and hot on highway .

 

Aah I think there wasn't too much of a $$ difference between the AdvAuto thermostat and the Toyota OEM.

Always go with OEM in this minor yet major sensor(s).

 

I would usually follow that but at the time I had my buddy get the parts for me and he had an account with advance auto . I don't recall what it cost from advance but it was 45 for thermostat and 24 for coolant so fairly cheap fix and haven't had the problem sense .