Zaynee63:
I have been using my Toyota 1997 Toyota Camry for some months now until I met someone who informed me that I better change my radiator from single to double cell if I want to enjoy the engine of the car and not end up with overheating issues. Is this true? The car's engine never show any sign of trouble o and I learnt that overheating issues will come sooner or later if you frequently spend a time in slow/static traffic (which happens to me more often because I work on the island and live in Ikeja).

Abeg, I need advice cuz I don't want to end up in the middle of the bridge sometime soon looking for water to cool a boiling radiator.

Martini101: Oga Siena. My 1996 camry also overheats when i stay a long time in a traffic if my air condition is nt turned ON. What could be d cause? Thanks in anticipation

Siena:

The Toyota Camry is also sold in the United States, Saudia Arabia, Australia, as well as other really hot countries. In Arizona, temps often exceed that of Nigeria, the same goes for parts of Australia. The overheating issues in Nigeria are more due to the fact lots of users run their cooling systems with 100% plain water, no coolant added. A bad move. Water has a lower boiling point than a water / coolant mix.

Also, wrong spark plug grades, fuel grades will make an engine run hotter. Some mechanics in Nigeria still go by one grade of spark plug fits all cars, which is not true. Just because a spark plug has the same thread, seat and reach of another does not mean they're the same.

zoogy2007: I have been driving the same camry for 4 years now with the single cell radiator and i have never experienced any temperature issues.If your car was made in the US then please don listen to anybody. Use your radiator the way it came and always ensure that the two cooling fans are always functional. Have a good day.

captalex: Mine is american(daytime running lights) and came with a leaky one-cell radiator that was why i went all out to buy and install a double-cell oned.

Siena:

Yours is the Camry, with the coolant gauge seldom reaching midway on the scale, right?

captalex:

Yes siena it is, would attach a pic of the removed thermostat
and the radiator coolant i use as soon as i can shrink the images.

No worries bro. The thermostat will make quite a difference to your gas mileage.

captalex: hey siena,
went back to the mechanic to put the thermostat back in.He looked really surprised but i insisted that i would like it to be put back in the car.
He put it back and replaced the pipe.
But as soon as i started the car and left it to warm-up for a while, the temperature gauge just went bizzare and got very close to the H (upper) part of the gauge.
I had to call him back to remove it again and he just smiled telling me that removal of the thermostat would harm my engine and by the time he opened the bonnet to do that, the water in the reservoir was already boiling to my surprise, which indicated that the thermostat was doing more harm than good to the radiator.

Thanks for your advice, I usually like to experiment and see that a certain thing is responsible for my cars' fault and not just to believe it as i'm told.

Siena:

The only reasons your engine would boil with the thermostat replaced, is if there's an underlying issue.

* Thermostat is faulty (stuck in the closed position).
* The thermostat was incorrectly fitted.
* The mechanic [b]did not bleed the system [/b]after replacement. Of course this would be better for him, as it would prove to you (the owner who dared insist he replaced it in the first place) that he was right. And of course you'd be convinced he knows his job, and wouldn't question any decisions he made with regards your car in the near future.

enquirydon: house please,help me out this issues,i just bought a tokunbo madza 626,i just discovered that d temperature of d temoster is high, what can i do.thanks

arabey20: sienna, can you please give your mail address cos you happen to be the most enlightened here. my mechanic is suggesting i change my radiator to double cell, just bought the camry and have not driven it

enquirydon: sir, it has gone beyond d half of the teperature guage , and my mechanic said i should remove d thermostart, while a friend said i should change radiator 2 double cell .thanks 4 respond

arabey20: sienna, can you please give your mail address cos you happen to be the most enlightened here. my mechanic is suggesting i change my radiator to double cell, just bought the camry and have not driven it

Zaynee63:
I have been using my Toyota 1997 Toyota Camry for some months now until I met someone who informed me that I better change my radiator from single to double cell if I want to enjoy the engine of the car and not end up with overheating issues. Is this true? The car's engine never show any sign of trouble o and I learnt that overheating issues will come sooner or later if you frequently spend a time in slow/static traffic (which happens to me more often because I work on the island and live in Ikeja).

Abeg, I need advice cuz I don't want to end up in the middle of the bridge sometime soon looking for water to cool a boiling radiator.

cecegorz:
You may live to regret if you follow this quack advise by most 'unschooled' mechanics and Ladipo traders.
Sometime early this year, I noticed a thin line crack on my radiator, and it was leaking water, so I went to a mechanic who said we should go to Ladipo and buy a replacement.
Strangely they keep saying that I will have to buy a double-cell since the OEM single-cell is not good for Nigeria, and is not in the market. (the car already did 3years in Nigeria without a single engine problem)
With serious doubt in my mind, but with no option I told them to fix the double-cell. But I was observant to notice that they removed the thermostat and once I start the engine, both radiator and AC fans comes up instantly which is abnormal.
I just told them immediately to dismount it and put my old one back. Since the leak is just manageable I will be topping water in the mornings till I get OEM replacement.
The next day, I went to a Professional auto mech shop and bought brand new OEM @30k and replaced the stuff with peace of mind.
So, what these quacks just do is to condemn whatever component they don't understand in a car and put in their make-shift solution, which will perpetually make your car to misbehave.

cecegorz:
You may live to regret if you follow this quack advise by most 'unschooled' mechanics and Ladipo traders.
Sometime early this year, I noticed a thin line crack on my radiator, and it was leaking water, so I went to a mechanic who said we should go to Ladipo and buy a replacement.
Strangely they keep saying that I will have to buy a double-cell since the OEM single-cell is not good for Nigeria, and is not in the market. (the car already did 3years in Nigeria without a single engine problem)
With serious doubt in my mind, but with no option I told them to fix the double-cell. But I was observant to notice that they removed the thermostat and once I start the engine, both radiator and AC fans comes up instantly which is abnormal.
I just told them immediately to dismount it and put my old one back. Since the leak is just manageable I will be topping water in the mornings till I get OEM replacement.
The next day, I went to a Professional auto mech shop and bought brand new OEM @30k and replaced the stuff with peace of mind.
So, what these quacks just do is to condemn whatever component they don't understand in a car and put in their make-shift solution, which will perpetually make your car to misbehave.

captalex:

Could you describe where this workshop is located and what brands of cars they specialize on?

cecegorz:

It's the guy that runs Automedics Radio program every morning on Radio 102.3FM
The WorkShop is Automaze, Morrison Ave,off Kudirat/Oregun road. Ikeja
I can't say their specialty. I use Toyota though. I 've also seen most brands there; Honda, Benz, VW, BMW etc

arabey20:

Does the automedics guy have a shop in Abuja?

cecegorz:

It's the guy that runs Automedics Radio program every morning on Radio 102.3FM
The WorkShop is Automaze, Morrison Ave,off Kudirat/Oregun road. Ikeja
I can't say their specialty. I use Toyota though. I 've also seen most brands there; Honda, Benz, VW, BMW etc