97 Toyota Camry Overheating

My Camry will overheat when I drive up canyons (in Utah) but works fine driving around in the city. I replaced thermostat and we flushed out the radiator last year. It seemed like everything was ok but now it is summer and we drove up a canyon and it started to overheat again.

Please help, got any ideas to figure this out.


Also, I need to buy a new passenger side power window switch (the black switch only) but can't seem to find a place that sells them? The window works fine when controlled by the driver side but the passenger switch will only roll the window up and not down. The switch does not click like it is making contact when you try to roll it down.

Do you know when the timing belt was last changed? I have seen these loose teeth when they get old which will skip the timing. Second, are the cooling fans coming on?
Lyle

How many miles are on this car? Is the radiator original? The radiator may be partially clogged and can no longer dissapate the heat generated by continued uphill driving. If you suspect the radiator, you may take it out of the car and take it to a radiator shop where they can flow test it to determine it's efficiency.

Mike

Water pump vanes may be corroded and not pumping well.

Well I have all the parts to change the timing belt and water pump but haven't had time to do it.

We also checked the fans last year but I we will have to check them again.

The car has 130,000 something miles.

Thanks for the ideas. I will see what I can do.

The transmission fluid is cooled by the radiator also. Extended hill climbing puts alot of stress on the transmission since it never gets to lock up the torque converter, resulting in constant shearing of the fluid in the TC. I'd check the tranny fluid to see it it needs topping off or even changed.

I'll second checking the cooling fans. They should come on when the coolant temp gets too hot. They should also come on when the A/C is on and the system pressure gets too high.

Finally, check the coolant level, its mix ratio, and especially the radiator cap. A bad cap can't keep the system pressurized, which raises the effective boiling temp of the coolant. Low coolant also inhibits pressurization due to the air trapped inside. If you have a leak that is causing the low condition, find it and fix it. Finally, the mix ratio should be 50/50, raising the boiling temp up to ~225°F (at atmospheric pressure).

I have seen products that reduce the surface tension of the coolant, increasing its contact with the radiator surfaces, resulting in slightly reduced temps (~6°F lower by one label), but I have not seen any recommendation of them in this forum as of yet. However, I'd fix any of the above first before getting desperate.