44k miles. V6 Rav4 Sport
Coolant seems very low. I can’t see any crusty coolant in or around the engine. Does the water pump need to be replaced? I don’t hear anything like marbles in a can. Researching online water pump could fail multiple times even under 100k. That means I don’t want to have the same pump installed. My powertrain warranty expired 4 months ago so I doubt Toyota would do anything to help out with repair costs.
What do you mean by low? Low in the reservior? Have you had any cooling system service? Leaks can appear in a lot of places, not just the water pump. Has anyone been able to locate a leak?
Low in the reservoir yes. No cooling system service recently. Dealer stated that when they lifted it to perform the oil change they found the leak below, but we’re not too specific. Typical dealer…
Do you have a trusted local mechanic that can look at it and answer any questions?
It’s easy to become concerned if you spend time looking up all the things that might happen to your car. The list is endless. And I commend you for looking at you fluids. But the truth is that 99% of the things we worry about never actually happen. If you have your Rav4 maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule, you’ll get many years of reliable use.
As to the coolant, it’s entirely possible, even likely, that what you’re seeing is normal. The fluid level in the plastic bottle does go up and down depending on the temperature of the engine and the weather (the ambient temperature). After sitting overnight in your driveway, the level will be a lot lower at 20F than it is on a summer morning at 80F.
Have a trusted mechanic take a peek. It’ll make you feel better.
Happy holidays
Look at the coolant level in the radiator, if that’s possible
I’m not sure where your pressure cap is located, though
I would have thought that some kind of warning light would come on if it was something drastic.
Yes, warning lights do come on when something “drastic” happens, but by then you are guaranteed to need a new engine. So better figure it out before the light goes on.
As questioned, how low is the coolant level? What is the color/condition of the coolant and engine oil. Are you overheating? Any wet floors inside the car (front). Any marks underneath the car?
Coolant level was just about empty. Coolant looks normal as far as color. No overheating. No wet floors and no marks.
Any trustworthy mechanic can check that out for you. They can do things like pressure test the system, check the effectiveness of the antifreeze, better check for leaks (you can sometimes see far more from under the car) and other stuff. If the coolant is original, it’s due to be purged and replaced with fresh fluid anyway. Antifreeze loses its effectiveness over time, and five years is time for fresh coolant mix.
And, again, I commend you for monitoring these things. If everyone were as diligent as you, there’d be far fewer really serious breakdowns. Keep up the good work.
Post back with what your mechanic finds. I’ll bet my morning muffins that it’s nothing serious…if it’s anything at all.
Dealer says it’s almost undriveable …or did he just want $700 quickly. Toyota manual says coolant is good until 100k. Weird
He just needed a quick $700. I can almost guarantee it. What, exactly, did he say the $700 was for?
But DO refill the bottle with a proper mix of the proper coolant and get it checked out.
Basically just changing out the water pump including labor.
I take back everything I said. He’s probably right, and the cost probably isn’t far off for a dealer.
I’m curious, did he show you the leak while the car was on the rack?
Small pinhole leak in water pump. Toyota executive relations got back to me. They are covering the costs.
Yes they showed me the leak.
Congratulations.
And happy holidays.
Saving $775, it will be a Merry xmas!