I drove my yaris for 7 years with pieces of the radiator cap inside the radiator. I decided to take it to a radiator shop after 7 years, they removed the top plastic cover of the radiator, and the pieces were hanging on top channels without any problems. The coolant flows from up to down, and because those pieces are too big to go through any of the channels in the radiator, they will just hang there with the tight channels acting as a sieve.
I change my cap on my 2000 3rz every 3-5 years. As cheap as they are, it gives me peace of mind. I agree, it's a very overlooked maintenance item, but one of the most important ones.
After watching this video I went to check the rad cap on BOTH my 2011 4runner, and 2004 GX470 Both caps were broken just like this video!! Thank you so much for posting! Now I have to order new caps for both.
The Toyota Matrix I used to have, the radiator cap disintegrated and the spring fell into the radiator. I had to take a hook attached to some string to fish it out.
Bingo, I had this happen to me a year ago on my Tacoma...I had to take it all apart and then I found the rest of the cap spring and such...so for now on I change out the cap every year for a new one...and even then I run across a faulty cap...so buy spares and keep your receipts...
I’m a newbie, I don’t know ANYTHING about cars 🚗 , however I’ve been learning a lot. I just recently had my first car crashed into and the insurance paid me out, unfortunately I had no option at the time but had to buy me a 2009 Toyota Corolla--I had to do some research on the best car models and Toyota Corollas were always recommended. Anyway, the car seemed like in really good working condition and it looks great on the outside. The car didn’t make any strange noises during the test drive, it ran great, the ac worked fine, the turning and acceleration seemed all on point, but what do I know? I’m not a mechanic. Well, the next day I took it to a mechanic and they found a whole BUNCH of stuff wrong with it. The more important stuff from what the mechanic said needed to be replaced was the Radiator, radiator cap, transmission fluid, and serpentine belt. They were willing to do the work but it was sooo much and I couldn’t afford any of it, so I decided to dig into this and I researched how to replace a radiator and cap. So far I see a full radiator for about $90 and a radiator cap for $30, totaling about $120 if I do the work myself opposed to the nasty $800 for a radiator replacement and including the cap! I’ll be literally saving around $680!! If I did the work myself or shop around, but I might be up for trying to do the job my self to save the money. Of course, I still need to do more research like something about draining the fluids or what not. I don’t own any tools, however I have a buddy that does and even a neighbor that might lend me his. Anyway, my point being is, that I had absolutely NO clue that the radiator caps needed to be replaced AT ALL and after watching this video it makes me realize that the radiator cap should be checked and replaced routinely! This should be common knowledge just like how everyone knows to get an oil change or tires rotated or even replaced. That’s something I would have NEVER guessed before I started learning about cars. My goodness, my eyes are now opened, this is the second video I’ve seen where the radiator cap can cause substantial issues with the car if it’s not maintained, luckily it’s a easily fixable and affordable car part. Anyway, I never really put a lot of effort into my first car, but I made a promise that I would maintain this car much better and have been making an effort and I’ve learned quite a bit. thanks for posting this video, it’s helped tremendously! 🙌🏻 I still need to do more research on the serpentine belt and transmission fluid, but that stuff I might just have a mechanic take care of, wish me luck y’all cause times are rough out here. 😂
This occurred to a VW my good friend was servicing at his garage. Apparently, it damaged the plastic impeller on the water pump and sent plastic bits throughout the engine cooling system. Moral of the story: Change your thermostats and radiator caps every 5 years according to his radiator repair shop. Stick with the OE parts.
SIGH.......the radiator cap in this video IS "an OE part".......I KNOW, I can tell by looking at it. Every component in this cap is EXACTLY identical to the ones I have for my Toyota Tacoma. Besides: NO auto maker "produces their own radiator caps"..........EVEN "STANT" RADIATOR CAPS ( who has been making radiator caps, thermostats, etc, as APPROVED ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FOR COUNTLESS AUTO MAKERS FOR OVER 75 YEARS ) LOOK IDENTICAL TO THE ONE SEEN IN THIS VIDEO........AND EXACTLY LIKE MY CAPS.......I BOUGHT MY CAPS FROM AN AUTHORIZED STANT DEALER. Best wake up man, because countless parts from lifters to electronic parts ( such as sending units) are now obviously being OUT-SOURCED by the OE makers themselves to the cheapest foreign country they can find to make their "OE parts" FOR THEM........and then they pass that SHIT on to us, the paying customers, as "the right OE part". My advice to anyone during these very bad times is to try to find OE parts that are NEW/OLD STOCK......AND START HORDING THEM FOR ANY VEHICLE YOU INTEND TO KEEP.
Same exact thing happened to my wife’s 2013 Honda Civic. The original cap is made by denso. I never could get the piece out. Luckily, knock on wood, we have not had an overheating issue. Hopefully we never will 🙏🏻
That's an odd failure. My 34yr old factory cap just failed last year and it was still in one piece. Too much plastic in newer designs. My old one was just metal and rubber.
LoL, That was before plastic. 😄 You really should have changed it before the seals failed. The outer seal fails causing the recovery system to fail. It gradually gets worse over time. My first vehicles didn't have a recovery bottle and I would always have to top off the water. I finally got smart and installed an aftermarket, because that's all there was at the time, coolant recovery bottle. I would also have to top off customer's water too. I was 15-1/2 opening and filling hot radiators.
@@Esteban_Herrera , you are right. The rubber seal started cracking and it caused a minor pressure drop. Luckily I caught it before anything bad happened. I still have the factory part as a momento. They just made them better in the 80s.
Thanks for the video. Happened to my radiator cap. Replaced cap with Toyota one. No overheating problems. My mechanic says as long as it doesn’t cause any problems, the parts can stay in the radiator for the life of the radiator. The same kind of plastic corrosion happened to the heater tap located on the firewall through which hot coolant flows toward the heater box to warm the interior when needed.
I had a '95 4Runner w a 4 cylinder engine: similar problem when the "Genuine Toyota Radiator Cap" rubber gasket fell apart and got stuck somewhere in the radiator. Result - overheating and backflushing would not help. A new radiator and $$$$ solved the problem. I wonder how much Toyota saved with their crappy rubber gasket?
First off, Toyota didn't make the radiator caps, hell, they don't even make the radiators ( or starters, or alternators etc....all that stuff is out-sourced......other auto makers outsource that stuff too. ) If you noticed in this video, THE ENTIRE SPRING & CENTER ASSEMBLY TO THE CAP BROKE OFF, not the rubber gasket. Obviously a defective cap. You said you bought a '95 4Runner. Did ya buy the truck new? And regardless of whether ya did or not, how long do you expect the rubber gasket in a radiator cap is to last? Ya don't expect spark plugs to "last for the entire life of the vehicle".......so why would anyone expect the same from a cheap radiator cap??? Just play it safe & replace the cap every 2 or 3 years. They don't cost that much anyway. But the fact the cap in this video BROKE COMPLETELY APART AT THE SPRING & ENTIRE ASSEMBLY........is very disturbing. This has me thinking I should replace my damned thermostat every couple years too......whether it "needs it" or not. Cheap parts nowadays are shit.
I laughed so hard watching this. I'm a 66 year old female. Don't know a thing about cars but my son gave me his 2000 Honda Accord. Mine is a long story to tell but the issue was a broken radiator cap among many other things. Crazy how these little things can cause such huge problems.
This needs to be a recall situation as it happens more often then many realize. Cap in video looks like an OEM Denso cap. Remedy to prevent? How often should it be changed to avoid the plastic degradation?
@@Esteban_Herrera That IS a Stant radiator cap in this video for this truck. Trust me. How do I know? Check this out: I just had my 3RZ-FE engine totally rebuilt in my 2000 Tacoma 4x4 ( that I bought brand new. ) It had 376,000 miles on it when I finally blew a head gasket, which had a tiny pin-hole right next to cylinder #3, when we tore the engine down. Bottom end & bearings were in beautiful shape, I could've slapped a new head gasket on and "sent it"........but I had the whole engine rebuilt anyway, to get all of the factory new compression ( including new 0.020" over pistons & Hastings moly rings, the truck didn't use any oil before, had only slight leaks )......INCLUDING A BRAND NEW ORIGINAL TOYOTA HEAD CASTING with all upgraded valves, valve springs, etc. ( I buy only the good stuff. ) I also bought a new radiator & radiator cap ( along with hoses, clamps, belts, plugs & wires, etc. ) The new radiator cap looked exactly like the one in this video, which really bothered me. SO I ORDERED A STANT RADIATOR CAP. It arrived 2 days ago. IT'S THE EXACT SAME CAP AS IN THIS VIDEO & JUST LIKE THE NEW ONE I BOUGHT PREVIOUSLY AT THE PARTS STORE. That yellow sticker you see on the cap in this video, peel it off, and it's the exact same cap as the Stant I just bought AND the new one I bought before. Now get this: My original radiator cap that came on the truck when it was new, HAD A SPRING THAT WAS LARGER IN DIAMETER........but it had the same spring pressure as the smaller spring on the one seen in this video and the two I just bought. My original cap also has that yellow sticker, so I peeled it off for a closer look, it's exactly the same cap, other than the bigger diameter spring. The tiny tip at the center however, is identical to the other 2 caps I mentioned above. The Stant radiator cap made for Toyota is MADE IN MEXICO. Look it up for yourself. So I guess the best any of us can do is play it safe by replacing the radiator cap every 2 years......even the one branded as STANT. They don't cost that much anyway. The caps for these Toyota's have such puny little parts/components, I'm simply not going to bank on ANY cap lasting over a couple years. ( made to fit Toyota's anyway ) This video taught me a lot.
@@zaffo757 Boy you've got far too much faith in today's SHIT parts. Furthermore: you can tell that the radiator cap in this video is NOT "over 5 yrs old".......NO WAY. Take a closer look at it......it looks like it's less than several months old. As cheap as they are, I'm replacing MY radiator cap every TWO years......and I'm even gonna keep inspecting it very closely every few weeks on top of that.
WOW!?! Just replaced coolant in my 2013 5.7 2 days ago. I never even looked at the cap. I wonder if they’re the same part #? I will definitely be checking in the morning!
I have a 2000 Camry with 5SFE Automatic, 250,000 miles. I'm on a third radiator and today after a month, I have realized that my radiator cap may be the real cause of why 1) the first radiator leaked at the bottom after 3 years. 2) the new radiator leaked from the bottom after a weak 3) the replacement of the new radiator, 3rd radiator was fine but this time it blew the hose that goes to the engine. I changed the small pipe that goes to 5SFE engine and put some sealer and went on. Little do I know, it started leaking again, put some more sealer and it leaked again. Removed the sealer completely and put it again but this time, the two inlets that goes out from the water pump to the right of the engine started seeping so the only explanation for all of this could be the radiator cap. I called my mechanic and told him that I think I have found the issue and he said to leave the cap a bit loose and drive the car for a while and see if the leak stops, if it does, I have found the issue and i'm hoping this is it. Oh and more signs of this is the fact that I see seeping on other hoses like the one on driver side that goes to valve cover. Lessons learned: The first thing to check when a hose bursts is the radiator cap.
I appreciate the heads up! I’m sure this will help many for when they remove the radiator cap to make sure they whole cap and everything is there before proceeding and causing issues. As always thanks for the videos! I know you help so many with your knowledge and how to on working on and servicing vehicles.
Wow I can't believe I found your video. I have a lexus is300 2004 model and exactly the same thing happened to me just the other day and I had to fish out the spring and plastic washer part after overheating and being stranded on the motorway. The fans wouldn't kick in either so I limped home stopping and topping.up every mile or so. My car is still sitting on my drive waiting for someone to tell me what's wrong. However after watching your video I don't think there is anything else wrong and that I just need to replace the cap and refill and bleed the system. What are the chances of that..thank you for the video and thank Mr Toyota for breaking down and then spreading the word... it's a powerful thing. Peace to all
I had some pink crusties around my radiator cap over the winter and replaced the cap. Glad I did! I’ve flushed the coolant but I’ve never replaced the thermostat. Wondering if I should but with this car I usually take the if it ain’t broke don’t fix it approach. 2006 Camry with only 133k km’s and very well taken care of. Only winter driven one or two years.
Might as well, it's easy and pretty cheap. Get the thermostat + housing for extra peace of mind (new housing plastic vs old) and ease of install (changing a new thermostat into your existing housing is kind of a pain and easy to break the plastic housing clips)
Yesterday I finished replacing my timing belt / water pump on my 2006 Highlander Hybrid at 193k miles. It was my very first diy timing belt job and was both terrifying and exciting. This morning coolant was on my mind because I added fresh coolant and the thermostat came to mind. According to Ahmed, he suggests to NOT replace the thermostat as a maintenance item - ruclips.net/video/fMusCb1wvGM/видео.html. I personally am going with Ahmed's viewpoint.
Seriously one of the most under-rated automotive channels on YT. I bought my wife a 2012 Sienna with the 3.5L and sealed transmission 140k miles recently. It has the sealed transmission and has no issues. Maybe you can answer a question for me?I plan to replace the transmission filter/fluid and add a cooler to protect the transmission soon but have been told I must drain & fill via the pan instead of thru a cooler line hose as I've done in the past. Is this the only way to flush the system or can I do it thru the cooler lines when I add a transmission cooler?
I have seen others do a poor man's flush through the cooler or even transmission lines before. It's fast, efficient,and gets out all the old fluid. Drain and fill will only gets third of the old fluid unless you do 2-3 drain and fills. Just make sure on the sealed transmission tongo through the correct process of checking the fill via the drain straw and correct temperature after you flush.
Now I'm worried that the small piece of rubber missing from the gasket on my radiator cap is going to cause issues somewhere down the line, I can only help the metal fins on the water pump chop it up enough where it doesn't become a problem.
This is also why I remove upper and lower radiator hoses at the radiator and flush / back flush, flush the heater core, etc.... all kinds of weird stuff has appeared on the ground under the car.
A very common overlooked part of the cooling system. This is pretty common failure with Asian manufactures. Ours failed like this on our Honda CRV. Thankfully the pieces didn't fall down inside the radiator and into the cooling system.
This is beginning to sound like a broken record with Toyota. I have a 2003 4Runner 4.7L and was in the middle of doing routine maintenance. I decided to check the coolant and noticed that the radiator cap had a little resistance. When I took it off, only the spring and a rubber washer was attached to the cap. The bottom portion dropped into the radiator. I managed to recover a warped washer, but had no luck with the remaining parts even after removing both hoses for access. I decided to just replace the radiator, since the engine wasn't running at the time. In the future, I will change out the radiator cap at least once a year.
Must be common. Happened on my sister in law’s 2012 Sequoia 5.7. The truck was losing coolant. I was not able to find the lower part. I assumed it was lost by someone else servicing it. I will need to look further. What happened to Denso quality?
My radiator cap also fell apart when I was changing the coolant. This video worries me because I had the same thought. I believe I fished everything out, but I still wonder if any tiny piece fell in? Before this video, I was thinking what a small plastic piece can do. Now I'm worried.
My God...I was having intermittent temp rise, stuck a scope down the upper radiator hose...and wouldn't you know...that dog gone piece from the radiator cap sitting right at that intersection.
Had this happen to me before. Except the application was different and the spring was not part of the cap like that that broke. The double stacked rubber washers things that dangle at the end disappeared. Months later it clogged something and the whole system finally pressurized and because the hose was stuck to the neck, the whole neck snapped off and the car was bucking and jerking due to the heat. At that point turn on the heat to max to use the mini radiator you still have left since the big one is now disco'd and coasted to the side..
2 Toyotas I have purchased had this exact issue. Got them cheap because I see what the problem is when I open the cap when telling the owner i'm checking for a blown head gasket bubbles. They know they have an issue. As soon as I see that missing center section...I know what the problem is.
50 years, 44 as an ASE master mechanic. I've encountered about 5 ruined engines Toyota and Honda etc. I don't know why they make an otherwise excellent vehicle and use such poor quality radiator caps😢
Thank you for uploading this video :) old cap came out in 5 pieces 😂 Though new cap won't fit, do you have to push the absolute hell out of these to make it fit?? Radiator in my daily Toyota is an old Taiwan made aftermarket one, pressure on both caps is 0.9 Bar. Every time I try to turn it the tabs don't go down enough & shaving plastic where it's meant to tuck under, too much fear breaking plastic parts & spending more money on another radiator.
Partner I found your video accidentally after making frantic search trying to figure out why my Toyota camry radiator cap looked funny when I removed it to change the Anti freeze. After I refilled I tried to fill the engine and I started getting boiling in my Anti freeze reservoir. Engine Temp gauge did not show it was getting overheated but the reservoir kept boiling. I am ordering a new Thermostat and a new radiator cap, but after seeing this video I will need to take the radiator and hoses and try to see if I find the parts within, I never found any debris on ground or inside cap opening. Wish I was that Lucky. It looks like I became a victim of this Radiator cap braking off within. Wish me luck.
This happened to my 1994 Toyota Corolla. It would usually spit out all the water contained in the over flow reservoir and the radiator after a long drive, took it to many mechanics but never figured it out except in the end there was some part of an old radiator cap that was causing blockage.
WHOA, I just discovered the same thing on my 2000 Corolla, I randomly pulled the cap but had no symptoms such as overheating. I only got the cap and some washer, but knew the grommet and spring at least were missing. I didn't see anything available to fish out with pliers, and thought maybe it broke off when last removed for service. I think I'll look again and probably pull the hoses, I don't think I've had any over heating, I wonder how high up the gauge is considered overheating, I think it has gone past halfway, maybe 3/4, but not 7/8 or pegged.
Yes But only a crappy design will physically break, Granted the seals wear out causing a suction or discharge leak but that will be noticed during service. Toyota messed up here. I suggest using Stant.
I had the exact same radiator cap situation on my Acura Tl. The inner spring cap for the overflow tank broke off. Don't know what had caused it to fail.
2004 Honda Pilot has the same style cap and it indeed happened to me but the silver ring also came out separate as well as the bottom rubber and the spring but I luckily got it out (very tiny), now all the new caps I have been trying (Denso included) are not tight enough to the radiator and it leaks around the top seal. Any suggestions? Also, everyone beware of those style caps! 😢
If that was an OEM cap , it's a disgrace . The CEO of Toyota should be told . In general , that's why I don't use no name white box parts . Especially possible counterfeit parts , cheap , online . Maybe an air freshener . However , instead of " springtime scent " , it's bus terminal bathroom odor ! LOL !😄
Seems a little soon but Ok. There are 2 seals, an inner and an outer. The outer one is the one that gets cracks in it starting on the outer edge which is also exposed to the elements causing it to dry and crack. It leaks air as the engine try's to draw back the coolant from the recovery bottle. This air then gets trapped in the radiator. It gets worse over time. Is the Nissan cap built with plastic parts?
Happened to me about 6 months ago, I was planning on doing a flush anyway but not that soon. I ended up removing the radiator and the piece fell out. I got it straight away as It happened after I removed the cap.
Only 2001 4Runner I swapped out the radiator cap for a new Stants cap. It didn't open and warped my heads. After swapping heads it still didn't run right so I ended up replacing the entire engine. All for a bad radiator cap.
I noticed the rubber gasket was also missing from the cap bottom piece he pulled out of the radiator in this video. Mine broke as well, and I think clesr gasket is in my cooling system to this day. I've been having hesitation issues, but not sure if it's realated.
I think they do. I bought a new cap from the dealer and it looked different. Is this cap any better, I don't know. I have always ran Stant/Robertshaw on my other vehicles with no problems other than normal wear.
@@nordicpride9708 If I buy Toyota stuff I buy from the dealer. I save money if I order online and pick it up at the dealer in a couple hours. Frontier Toyota in Valencia. I just bought a cap there and handed it to the service writer when they did serviced my radiator. I hope the old part wasn't fragmented. The mechanic receiving the cap might have assumed I knew it was broken and that's why I gave him the part. I'm taking the POS off and installing a Stant made in China formally in the USA. 😖
That's the problem with you machines always over charging and never know a dam thing above the real problem with vehicle's and do we really need a life story
OMG Dude, I almost posted the same thing. They are crap. They explode in the engine's cooling system. I just bought one of these POS and will change it out to a Stant.
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I drove my yaris for 7 years with pieces of the radiator cap inside the radiator. I decided to take it to a radiator shop after 7 years, they removed the top plastic cover of the radiator, and the pieces were hanging on top channels without any problems. The coolant flows from up to down, and because those pieces are too big to go through any of the channels in the radiator, they will just hang there with the tight channels acting as a sieve.
I change my cap on my 2000 3rz every 3-5 years. As cheap as they are, it gives me peace of mind. I agree, it's a very overlooked maintenance item, but one of the most important ones.
Does anyone else find this mans voice super soothing lol
After watching this video I went to check the rad cap on BOTH my 2011 4runner, and 2004 GX470 Both caps were broken just like this video!! Thank you so much for posting! Now I have to order new caps for both.
The Toyota Matrix I used to have, the radiator cap disintegrated and the spring fell into the radiator. I had to take a hook attached to some string to fish it out.
This is invaluable information! That’s one expensive small piece of broken plastic. Insane.
Bingo, I had this happen to me a year ago on my Tacoma...I had to take it all apart and then I found the rest of the cap spring and such...so for now on I change out the cap every year for a new one...and even then I run across a faulty cap...so buy spares and keep your receipts...
I just found this happened with my 2008 Toyota Sienna LE today. Exactly what you said and thank you for your videos!!!!
I’m a newbie, I don’t know ANYTHING about cars 🚗 , however I’ve been learning a lot. I just recently had my first car crashed into and the insurance paid me out, unfortunately I had no option at the time but had to buy me a 2009 Toyota Corolla--I had to do some research on the best car models and Toyota Corollas were always recommended. Anyway, the car seemed like in really good working condition and it looks great on the outside. The car didn’t make any strange noises during the test drive, it ran great, the ac worked fine, the turning and acceleration seemed all on point, but what do I know? I’m not a mechanic. Well, the next day I took it to a mechanic and they found a whole BUNCH of stuff wrong with it. The more important stuff from what the mechanic said needed to be replaced was the Radiator, radiator cap, transmission fluid, and serpentine belt. They were willing to do the work but it was sooo much and I couldn’t afford any of it, so I decided to dig into this and I researched how to replace a radiator and cap. So far I see a full radiator for about $90 and a radiator cap for $30, totaling about $120 if I do the work myself opposed to the nasty $800 for a radiator replacement and including the cap! I’ll be literally saving around $680!! If I did the work myself or shop around, but I might be up for trying to do the job my self to save the money. Of course, I still need to do more research like something about draining the fluids or what not. I don’t own any tools, however I have a buddy that does and even a neighbor that might lend me his. Anyway, my point being is, that I had absolutely NO clue that the radiator caps needed to be replaced AT ALL and after watching this video it makes me realize that the radiator cap should be checked and replaced routinely! This should be common knowledge just like how everyone knows to get an oil change or tires rotated or even replaced. That’s something I would have NEVER guessed before I started learning about cars. My goodness, my eyes are now opened, this is the second video I’ve seen where the radiator cap can cause substantial issues with the car if it’s not maintained, luckily it’s a easily fixable and affordable car part. Anyway, I never really put a lot of effort into my first car, but I made a promise that I would maintain this car much better and have been making an effort and I’ve learned quite a bit. thanks for posting this video, it’s helped tremendously! 🙌🏻
I still need to do more research on the serpentine belt and transmission fluid, but that stuff I might just have a mechanic take care of, wish me luck y’all cause times are rough out here. 😂
This occurred to a VW my good friend was servicing at his garage. Apparently, it damaged the plastic impeller on the water pump and sent plastic bits throughout the engine cooling system. Moral of the story: Change your thermostats and radiator caps every 5 years according to his radiator repair shop. Stick with the OE parts.
SIGH.......the radiator cap in this video IS "an OE part".......I KNOW, I can tell by looking at it. Every component in this cap is EXACTLY identical to the ones I have for my Toyota Tacoma. Besides: NO auto maker "produces their own radiator caps"..........EVEN "STANT" RADIATOR CAPS ( who has been making radiator caps, thermostats, etc, as APPROVED ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FOR COUNTLESS AUTO MAKERS FOR OVER 75 YEARS ) LOOK IDENTICAL TO THE ONE SEEN IN THIS VIDEO........AND EXACTLY LIKE MY CAPS.......I BOUGHT MY CAPS FROM AN AUTHORIZED STANT DEALER. Best wake up man, because countless parts from lifters to electronic parts ( such as sending units) are now obviously being OUT-SOURCED by the OE makers themselves to the cheapest foreign country they can find to make their "OE parts" FOR THEM........and then they pass that SHIT on to us, the paying customers, as "the right OE part". My advice to anyone during these very bad times is to try to find OE parts that are NEW/OLD STOCK......AND START HORDING THEM FOR ANY VEHICLE YOU INTEND TO KEEP.
good advice! thanks!
Same exact thing happened to my wife’s 2013 Honda Civic. The original cap is made by denso. I never could get the piece out. Luckily, knock on wood, we have not had an overheating issue. Hopefully we never will 🙏🏻
That's an odd failure. My 34yr old factory cap just failed last year and it was still in one piece. Too much plastic in newer designs. My old one was just metal and rubber.
LoL, That was before plastic. 😄 You really should have changed it before the seals failed. The outer seal fails causing the recovery system to fail. It gradually gets worse over time. My first vehicles didn't have a recovery bottle and I would always have to top off the water. I finally got smart and installed an aftermarket, because that's all there was at the time, coolant recovery bottle. I would also have to top off customer's water too. I was 15-1/2 opening and filling hot radiators.
@@Esteban_Herrera , you are right. The rubber seal started cracking and it caused a minor pressure drop. Luckily I caught it before anything bad happened. I still have the factory part as a momento. They just made them better in the 80s.
Wow, that's insane! I'll have to remember that next time I change the coolant on my Tacoma.
Get up and check it now LoL.
I had this happen to a customer recently. Melted a 4.7 3UZ-fe. Super unfortunate situation all caused by a crappy aftermarket radiator cap
Thanks for the video. Happened to my radiator cap. Replaced cap with Toyota one. No overheating problems. My mechanic says as long as it doesn’t cause any problems, the parts can stay in the radiator for the life of the radiator. The same kind of plastic corrosion happened to the heater tap located on the firewall through which hot coolant flows toward the heater box to warm the interior when needed.
I had a '95 4Runner w a 4 cylinder engine: similar problem when the "Genuine Toyota Radiator Cap" rubber gasket fell apart and got stuck somewhere in the radiator. Result - overheating and backflushing would not help. A new radiator and $$$$ solved the problem. I wonder how much Toyota saved with their crappy rubber gasket?
First off, Toyota didn't make the radiator caps, hell, they don't even make the radiators ( or starters, or alternators etc....all that stuff is out-sourced......other auto makers outsource that stuff too. ) If you noticed in this video, THE ENTIRE SPRING & CENTER ASSEMBLY TO THE CAP BROKE OFF, not the rubber gasket. Obviously a defective cap. You said you bought a '95 4Runner. Did ya buy the truck new? And regardless of whether ya did or not, how long do you expect the rubber gasket in a radiator cap is to last? Ya don't expect spark plugs to "last for the entire life of the vehicle".......so why would anyone expect the same from a cheap radiator cap??? Just play it safe & replace the cap every 2 or 3 years. They don't cost that much anyway. But the fact the cap in this video BROKE COMPLETELY APART AT THE SPRING & ENTIRE ASSEMBLY........is very disturbing. This has me thinking I should replace my damned thermostat every couple years too......whether it "needs it" or not. Cheap parts nowadays are shit.
I laughed so hard watching this. I'm a 66 year old female. Don't know a thing about cars but my son gave me his 2000 Honda Accord. Mine is a long story to tell but the issue was a broken radiator cap among many other things. Crazy how these little things can cause such huge problems.
This needs to be a recall situation as it happens more often then many realize. Cap in video looks like an OEM Denso cap. Remedy to prevent? How often should it be changed to avoid the plastic degradation?
To avoid plastic degradation, get rid of the plastic, replace with Stant.
>>>>> I was wrong Stant is the same POS.
@@Esteban_Herrera That IS a Stant radiator cap in this video for this truck. Trust me. How do I know? Check this out: I just had my 3RZ-FE engine totally rebuilt in my 2000 Tacoma 4x4 ( that I bought brand new. ) It had 376,000 miles on it when I finally blew a head gasket, which had a tiny pin-hole right next to cylinder #3, when we tore the engine down. Bottom end & bearings were in beautiful shape, I could've slapped a new head gasket on and "sent it"........but I had the whole engine rebuilt anyway, to get all of the factory new compression ( including new 0.020" over pistons & Hastings moly rings, the truck didn't use any oil before, had only slight leaks )......INCLUDING A BRAND NEW ORIGINAL TOYOTA HEAD CASTING with all upgraded valves, valve springs, etc. ( I buy only the good stuff. ) I also bought a new radiator & radiator cap ( along with hoses, clamps, belts, plugs & wires, etc. ) The new radiator cap looked exactly like the one in this video, which really bothered me. SO I ORDERED A STANT RADIATOR CAP. It arrived 2 days ago. IT'S THE EXACT SAME CAP AS IN THIS VIDEO & JUST LIKE THE NEW ONE I BOUGHT PREVIOUSLY AT THE PARTS STORE. That yellow sticker you see on the cap in this video, peel it off, and it's the exact same cap as the Stant I just bought AND the new one I bought before. Now get this: My original radiator cap that came on the truck when it was new, HAD A SPRING THAT WAS LARGER IN DIAMETER........but it had the same spring pressure as the smaller spring on the one seen in this video and the two I just bought. My original cap also has that yellow sticker, so I peeled it off for a closer look, it's exactly the same cap, other than the bigger diameter spring. The tiny tip at the center however, is identical to the other 2 caps I mentioned above. The Stant radiator cap made for Toyota is MADE IN MEXICO. Look it up for yourself. So I guess the best any of us can do is play it safe by replacing the radiator cap every 2 years......even the one branded as STANT. They don't cost that much anyway. The caps for these Toyota's have such puny little parts/components, I'm simply not going to bank on ANY cap lasting over a couple years. ( made to fit Toyota's anyway ) This video taught me a lot.
@@Esteban_Herrera I don't bullshit people. I like to share good information that I've learned myself.
Just replace every 5 years.
@@zaffo757 Boy you've got far too much faith in today's SHIT parts. Furthermore: you can tell that the radiator cap in this video is NOT "over 5 yrs old".......NO WAY. Take a closer look at it......it looks like it's less than several months old. As cheap as they are, I'm replacing MY radiator cap every TWO years......and I'm even gonna keep inspecting it very closely every few weeks on top of that.
Same thing happen to my 5.7. Mine was stuck near the coolant temp sensor. Overheated intermittently.
NAPA SELLS RADIATOR CAPS. GOOD ONES
TOO
Anything with plastic or rubber needs to be replaced regularly, especially if exposed to heat/cold cycles.
WOW!?! Just replaced coolant in my 2013 5.7 2 days ago. I never even looked at the cap. I wonder if they’re the same part #? I will definitely be checking in the morning!
Awesome brother! Appreciate the info. Just ordered a new cap because mines was leaking.
I have a 2000 Camry with 5SFE Automatic, 250,000 miles. I'm on a third radiator and today after a month, I have realized that my radiator cap may be the real cause of why 1) the first radiator leaked at the bottom after 3 years. 2) the new radiator leaked from the bottom after a weak 3) the replacement of the new radiator, 3rd radiator was fine but this time it blew the hose that goes to the engine. I changed the small pipe that goes to 5SFE engine and put some sealer and went on. Little do I know, it started leaking again, put some more sealer and it leaked again. Removed the sealer completely and put it again but this time, the two inlets that goes out from the water pump to the right of the engine started seeping so the only explanation for all of this could be the radiator cap. I called my mechanic and told him that I think I have found the issue and he said to leave the cap a bit loose and drive the car for a while and see if the leak stops, if it does, I have found the issue and i'm hoping this is it.
Oh and more signs of this is the fact that I see seeping on other hoses like the one on driver side that goes to valve cover.
Lessons learned: The first thing to check when a hose bursts is the radiator cap.
I appreciate the heads up! I’m sure this will help many for when they remove the radiator cap to make sure they whole cap and everything is there before proceeding and causing issues.
As always thanks for the videos! I know you help so many with your knowledge and how to on working on and servicing vehicles.
Petr, Do you ever ask whether we can handle the truth before you give it to us? 🤔
Wow I can't believe I found your video. I have a lexus is300 2004 model and exactly the same thing happened to me just the other day and I had to fish out the spring and plastic washer part after overheating and being stranded on the motorway. The fans wouldn't kick in either so I limped home stopping and topping.up every mile or so. My car is still sitting on my drive waiting for someone to tell me what's wrong. However after watching your video I don't think there is anything else wrong and that I just need to replace the cap and refill and bleed the system. What are the chances of that..thank you for the video and thank Mr Toyota for breaking down and then spreading the word... it's a powerful thing. Peace to all
That small piece apart from the Spring has gone inside the Radiotor! Please help me to get it out !!!
I had some pink crusties around my radiator cap over the winter and replaced the cap. Glad I did!
I’ve flushed the coolant but I’ve never replaced the thermostat. Wondering if I should but with this car I usually take the if it ain’t broke don’t fix it approach. 2006 Camry with only 133k km’s and very well taken care of. Only winter driven one or two years.
I would play it safe and change the thermostat and maybe even the coolant temperature sensor.
Might as well, it's easy and pretty cheap. Get the thermostat + housing for extra peace of mind (new housing plastic vs old) and ease of install (changing a new thermostat into your existing housing is kind of a pain and easy to break the plastic housing clips)
Yesterday I finished replacing my timing belt / water pump on my 2006 Highlander Hybrid at 193k miles. It was my very first diy timing belt job and was both terrifying and exciting. This morning coolant was on my mind because I added fresh coolant and the thermostat came to mind. According to Ahmed, he suggests to NOT replace the thermostat as a maintenance item - ruclips.net/video/fMusCb1wvGM/видео.html. I personally am going with Ahmed's viewpoint.
Seriously one of the most under-rated automotive channels on YT. I bought my wife a 2012 Sienna with the 3.5L and sealed transmission 140k miles recently. It has the sealed transmission and has no issues. Maybe you can answer a question for me?I plan to replace the transmission filter/fluid and add a cooler to protect the transmission soon but have been told I must drain & fill via the pan instead of thru a cooler line hose as I've done in the past. Is this the only way to flush the system or can I do it thru the cooler lines when I add a transmission cooler?
I have seen others do a poor man's flush through the cooler or even transmission lines before. It's fast, efficient,and gets out all the old fluid. Drain and fill will only gets third of the old fluid unless you do 2-3 drain and fills. Just make sure on the sealed transmission tongo through the correct process of checking the fill via the drain straw and correct temperature after you flush.
There should be an overide when oil or coolant becomes critical .The risk of damage is too great.
Now I'm worried that the small piece of rubber missing from the gasket on my radiator cap is going to cause issues somewhere down the line, I can only help the metal fins on the water pump chop it up enough where it doesn't become a problem.
Thanks for the video. I willl check my cap today. I can only imagine what went thru your mind when you found that broken cap in the radiator.
This is also why I remove upper and lower radiator hoses at the radiator and flush / back flush, flush the heater core, etc.... all kinds of weird stuff has appeared on the ground under the car.
A very common overlooked part of the cooling system. This is pretty common failure with Asian manufactures. Ours failed like this on our Honda CRV. Thankfully the pieces didn't fall down inside the radiator and into the cooling system.
This killed my wife’s Scion xB took out two engines and almost killed my Sequoia. Toyota owners change this part once a year. It’s like $12.
I got a 2004 gx470 recently and the radiator cap disintegrated when I removed just like you described 😩
plastic / rubber isn't what it used to be. this is why i'll replace just about everything i can after 10 years.
This is beginning to sound like a broken record with Toyota. I have a 2003 4Runner 4.7L and was in the middle of doing routine maintenance. I decided to check the coolant and noticed that the radiator cap had a little resistance. When I took it off, only the spring and a rubber washer was attached to the cap. The bottom portion dropped into the radiator. I managed to recover a warped washer, but had no luck with the remaining parts even after removing both hoses for access. I decided to just replace the radiator, since the engine wasn't running at the time. In the future, I will change out the radiator cap at least once a year.
This happened to me in my 05 Camry a few years ago i wasn't able to get it all out but i havn't had any issues.
I would do a thorough job with a flush kit and water hose next chance you do coolant maintenance. Try to flush it out
Must be common. Happened on my sister in law’s 2012 Sequoia 5.7. The truck was losing coolant. I was not able to find the lower part. I assumed it was lost by someone else servicing it. I will need to look further. What happened to Denso quality?
Quality control of most companies has gone to 💩 over the past 10-15 years.
Excellent Video! Glad you made this one. Just in time to change the coolant in my Toyota. Thanks Brother!!
My radiator cap also fell apart when I was changing the coolant. This video worries me because I had the same thought. I believe I fished everything out, but I still wonder if any tiny piece fell in? Before this video, I was thinking what a small plastic piece can do. Now I'm worried.
Good haircut.....
My God...I was having intermittent temp rise, stuck a scope down the upper radiator hose...and wouldn't you know...that dog gone piece from the radiator cap sitting right at that intersection.
Thank you.
I've never had one fail...except for the cheap Chinese copy I bought from Amazon...always use the dealer/Japanese parts.
Had this happen to me before. Except the application was different and the spring was not part of the cap like that that broke. The double stacked rubber washers things that dangle at the end disappeared. Months later it clogged something and the whole system finally pressurized and because the hose was stuck to the neck, the whole neck snapped off and the car was bucking and jerking due to the heat. At that point turn on the heat to max to use the mini radiator you still have left since the big one is now disco'd and coasted to the side..
2 Toyotas I have purchased had this exact issue. Got them cheap because I see what the problem is when I open the cap when telling the owner i'm checking for a blown head gasket bubbles. They know they have an issue. As soon as I see that missing center section...I know what the problem is.
50 years, 44 as an ASE master mechanic. I've encountered about 5 ruined engines Toyota and Honda etc. I don't know why they make an otherwise excellent vehicle and use such poor quality radiator caps😢
"Beautiful white buffalo" lol I love it
Peter, where did all the hair go?
Why would they use plastic on a radiator cap with a spring on it? I can understand using plastic caps on the overflow tank.
Money pal!!!!
Variable pressure and closure design with the notches and turning while pressing down
@@LAactor This is a secondary function. The spring's compression is set to release pressure usually 15psig. 👍
@@Esteban_Herrera the bar level is usually imprinted on the cap. It should not need to be said the primary function of a radiator cap.
Thank you Peter, love all your videos 💙
Thank you for uploading this video :) old cap came out in 5 pieces 😂 Though new cap won't fit, do you have to push the absolute hell out of these to make it fit?? Radiator in my daily Toyota is an old Taiwan made aftermarket one, pressure on both caps is 0.9 Bar. Every time I try to turn it the tabs don't go down enough & shaving plastic where it's meant to tuck under, too much fear breaking plastic parts & spending more money on another radiator.
Thank you Peter.
Partner I found your video accidentally after making frantic search trying to figure out why my Toyota camry radiator cap looked funny when I removed it to change the Anti freeze. After I refilled I tried to fill the engine and I started getting boiling in my Anti freeze reservoir. Engine Temp gauge did not show it was getting overheated but the reservoir kept boiling. I am ordering a new Thermostat and a new radiator cap, but after seeing this video I will need to take the radiator and hoses and try to see if I find the parts within, I never found any debris on ground or inside cap opening. Wish I was that Lucky. It looks like I became a victim of this Radiator cap braking off within. Wish me luck.
This happened to my 1994 Toyota Corolla. It would usually spit out all the water contained in the over flow reservoir and the radiator after a long drive, took it to many mechanics but never figured it out except in the end there was some part of an old radiator cap that was causing blockage.
Wow, I don't feel so silly for changing my radiator cap last time I serviced the cooling system as a "precautionary measure"!
WHOA, I just discovered the same thing on my 2000 Corolla, I randomly pulled the cap but had no symptoms such as overheating. I only got the cap and some washer, but knew the grommet and spring at least were missing. I didn't see anything available to fish out with pliers, and thought maybe it broke off when last removed for service. I think I'll look again and probably pull the hoses, I don't think I've had any over heating, I wonder how high up the gauge is considered overheating, I think it has gone past halfway, maybe 3/4, but not 7/8 or pegged.
Radiator caps are not supposed to last forever. They have a lot of pressure and heat on them
Yes But only a crappy design will physically break, Granted the seals wear out causing a suction or discharge leak but that will be noticed during service. Toyota messed up here. I suggest using Stant.
Peter, if you buy a nice 85 mm macro lens for your big camera you can use it for these macro videos too. Just switch the lenses then.
I had the exact same radiator cap situation on my Acura Tl. The inner spring cap for the overflow tank broke off. Don't know what had caused it to fail.
This happened to me as well....
Lexus GX460 radiator cap broke exactly the same way.
Well done.
what if you cant fish it out? that little plastic piece is in the neck before it goes into the radiator?
This happened to my 2014 Tundra 5.7L and I have changed everything until finding this video.
thats exacly whats happening to me right now in a Tundra 2007 4.7, the radiator cap dosnt have the plastic and spring..
2004 Honda Pilot has the same style cap and it indeed happened to me but the silver ring also came out separate as well as the bottom rubber and the spring but I luckily got it out (very tiny), now all the new caps I have been trying (Denso included) are not tight enough to the radiator and it leaks around the top seal. Any suggestions? Also, everyone beware of those style caps! 😢
If that was an OEM cap , it's a disgrace . The CEO of Toyota should be told . In general , that's why I don't use no name white box parts . Especially possible counterfeit parts , cheap , online . Maybe an air freshener . However , instead of " springtime scent " , it's bus terminal bathroom odor ! LOL !😄
I'm surprised you didn't try to use the mity vac suction thing you rave about so much about. But I think pliers would be the better way anyway
This video may have saved my truck
Just happened to me in my 2007 civic. Sadly… it’s missing so I’m pulling the radiator and turning it upside down.
great video.
Curious if Toyota has a bulletin
Nissan says to change cap every 30K.
Seems a little soon but Ok. There are 2 seals, an inner and an outer. The outer one is the one that gets cracks in it starting on the outer edge which is also exposed to the elements causing it to dry and crack. It leaks air as the engine try's to draw back the coolant from the recovery bottle. This air then gets trapped in the radiator. It gets worse over time. Is the Nissan cap built with plastic parts?
Hi what is the normal shelf life of the radiator cap? Anyone knows?
Just happened to me on a 2004 Sequoia!
Happened to me about 6 months ago, I was planning on doing a flush anyway but not that soon. I ended up removing the radiator and the piece fell out. I got it straight away as It happened after I removed the cap.
Only 2001 4Runner I swapped out the radiator cap for a new Stants cap. It didn't open and warped my heads. After swapping heads it still didn't run right so I ended up replacing the entire engine. All for a bad radiator cap.
Defective or poor quality aftermarket ?
This happened to me yesterday.
It's fine now, but I know the rubber seal is somewhere in my coolant system
I noticed the rubber gasket was also missing from the cap bottom piece he pulled out of the radiator in this video. Mine broke as well, and I think clesr gasket is in my cooling system to this day. I've been having hesitation issues, but not sure if it's realated.
Happened to me on my 1997 Honda Accord.
I love videos like this one
Do you think toyota knows that problem !!!!
I think they do. I bought a new cap from the dealer and it looked different. Is this cap any better, I don't know. I have always ran Stant/Robertshaw on my other vehicles with no problems other than normal wear.
Peter, was this a Toyota radiator cap?
Right? I'd be scrutinizing the OEM compared to an after market one.
@@catsupchutney The one that failed on me was a aftermarket unit. Said it was from Japan but my guess is no way in hell
It looked like a factory part but so do fraudulent parts.
@@Esteban_Herrera A lot of fake Denso stuff online these days. I only source from dealers now because I’ve been burned
@@nordicpride9708 If I buy Toyota stuff I buy from the dealer. I save money if I order online and pick it up at the dealer in a couple hours. Frontier Toyota in Valencia. I just bought a cap there and handed it to the service writer when they did serviced my radiator. I hope the old part wasn't fragmented. The mechanic receiving the cap might have assumed I knew it was broken and that's why I gave him the part. I'm taking the POS off and installing a Stant made in China formally in the USA. 😖
Just happened on my Subaru
Is this radiator cap a chinese copy ?
A leaky one ruined my engine after overheating.
The radiator, thermostat and hoses should be replaced every 8 to 10 years on Toyota vehicles chuck
👍👍
Hapened to me on a camry
That's the problem with you machines always over charging and never know a dam thing above the real problem with vehicle's and do we really need a life story
But I put two thumbs up and then it took away the thumbs up I gave you 🤣👍
😯😟🤷🏼♀️
❤❤❤
Motor aid cap better
toyota caps are craps
OMG Dude, I almost posted the same thing. They are crap. They explode in the engine's cooling system. I just bought one of these POS and will change it out to a Stant.