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Hearing Water




Guest Nathan

Greetings everyone.

My wife has a 1998 (if I remember correctly) corolla which she has kept in relatively good condition since buying it used a few years ago. It currently has roughly 120k miles on it.

Recently I began to hear water running almost everytime I'd start the car (especially if the car was sitting on a hill). It would run and drip for a few minutes then stop. Now I even hear it sometimes when I pull off at a light. I've checked the radiator water level and it seems normal. No overheating problems as of yet (knock on wood), but I'm wondering what could be causing the sound. Any ideas or advice would be welcome.

Regards,

Nathan

does the heat blow hot on hills? if it doesnt then you might have an airpocket in the heater core, which would explain why you hear it in the car so clearly.

Guest Nathan

does the heat blow hot on hills? if it doesnt then you might have an airpocket in the heater core, which would explain why you hear it in the car so clearly.

I'm not sure. I'll check it out today. The sloshing started about mid-summer, so at first I figured it had something to do with the AC (which runs fine), radiator or water pump.

On a side note, I haven't noticed any water leaks or anything either.

sometimes my engine sounds like a tea kettle before it is boiling, just a faint, high pitched, quickly-evaporating-fluid sound. I just learn to live with it. (and all of the other wonderful noises the 00/03 make default_smile )

Bikeman982

Could be fuel. Might be radiator and fluid (antifreeze) inside or in the hoses. Check the level (also the overflow). Might be heater hose fluid as well. Best way to check is to park the car with the radiator filler tube slightly uphill and check the level. Top off if it is low.

It sounded like water to me too when I had this problem few years ago (the donut).... worse during humid a weather, and when rolling on humid/slutchy road...

He said after few minutes, the sound disappear... it was the same for me... few minutes enough to clear the humidity there?? I don't know...

after reading again the original post: since Nathan said it was there almost everytime he'd start his car (probably even when it's sunny outside), maybe this is not the good reason....

Bikeman982

It could be the fluid (coolant) settling in the radiator or the hoses after the engine is running.

your first post said it drips. what and where does it drip? i havent read that other post yet, but an exhaust manifold that is warped (common problem for 4afe engines and other toyotas) will "tick" untill it warms up slightly, then sound like the noise goes away slowly. this is because the manifold swells slightly as it gets hot. if it is warped, it can be milled (re-flatened). the 4afe engine, though, has a history of cracking, sometime bad enough it will actually be in two pieces. toyota has updated the manifold to correct this problem. dunno if the aftermarket world has.

Bikeman982

your first post said it drips. what and where does it drip? i havent read that other post yet, but an exhaust manifold that is warped (common problem for 4afe engines and other toyotas) will "tick" untill it warms up slightly, then sound like the noise goes away slowly. this is because the manifold swells slightly as it gets hot. if it is warped, it can be milled (re-flatened). the 4afe engine, though, has a history of cracking, sometime bad enough it will actually be in two pieces. toyota has updated the manifold to correct this problem. dunno if the aftermarket world has.
Where does it usually crack?

 

Wouldn't there be a noticeable noise or smoke coming out the crack, if it is in the exhaust?

right down the middle, be tween cyls 2 & 3. usually shows up as an exhaust leak, sounds like it comes from the front of the car. you will have to pull the heat shield off to find it.



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