***Coolant leaking back through the resevoir someone please help***

[240mph]

ok im helping out my dad and his car(92 camry 4cyl. auto) seems to be loosing coolant through the coolant resevoir. i changed the cap and cut the springs on the thermostat because it was becoming faulty.it gets about 99 degrees here.fans work and there is no leak in the hoses or inside of the car. i checked the deep stick to see if its a bad head gasket but it seems to be ok still oil no mix and im thinking it could be a faulty radiator (flushed it with water) but i dont want to spend $200 for something that might not help.let me know what you guys think.thanks

[Brian R.]

It is normal for coolant to go from the radiator to the reservoir when the engine heats up, if that's what you're talking about.

Replace the thermostat.

[240mph]

coolant is leaking back completely.after a 20 min drive theres hardly any coolant because it emptying out through the resevoir.and the resevoir is really full.

[Brian R.]

Replace the thermostat and see how it behaves. After you install the new thermostat, make sure you have enough coolant by filling the radiator when cold, then starting and idling the engine until the engine is hot. Keep the level full in the radiator. Cap the radiator and fill the coolant recovery reservoir to the full hot line.

Also, make sure your fan is working when the engine is hot.

It sounds to me like you are overheating from inadequate coolant circulation or inadequate coolant level.

[jsinton]

"Cut the springs on the thermostat"? Huh? Is your radiator clogged? Is water flowing when it gets hot? Try the new thermostat, and don't cut the springs. Or even just take out the thermostat all together and run the car like that if it's 99 degrees all the time. It should cool then....

[240mph]

yeah i cut the spring out of the thermoatat so it wont be that much of a free flow. i have done it before on other cars and it help but for mine it hasnt.

[Brian R.]

Don't run without a thermostat. Replace it.

[jsinton]

Why would you cut the springs to close the flow? Seems kinda counter-intuitive to me. Removing the the thermostat in a hot climate would insure free flow wouldn't it?

[240mph]

do you guys think it is a bad head gaskket

[Brian R.]

I think it's the thermostat until you prove otherwise. Replace it and see how the engine behaves.