Eugene Oregon Misadventures of the third kind!

[ARCHINSTL]

Thus may well be unrelated to the burning, but just in case - from splatterdog (it can happen!):
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3859&hilit=burning
Tom M.

[Petros]

if the car has sat for very long, or the thermostat is more than 2 years old, likely you need a new one. It is a fairly easy change out, save the antifreeze (you only have to drain it about half way), two 10mm nuts removes the thermostat cover and you can swap it out. Access is a bit awkward, helps to remove the air clean assembly and the ducts.

Buy a good quality t-stat (about $20), not one made in china (they are often junk out of the box), and use gasket sealer to hold it in place while you install it (it tends to want to fall out of the housing as you are installing it). A new gasket is a good idea, but in a pinch you can use form-a-gasket. Do not over the tighten the little nuts that hold the t-stat housing on.

Most NAPA stores have good t-stat, their "NAPA gold" series (they come with a warranty), many other auto parts stores also have a good quality "premium" thermostat option. Or the a Toyota dealership for a "genuine" Toyota t-stat, if there is one near by.

In a pinch you can put a clamp on the upper radiator hose to slow the coolant flow through the radiator, I had to do that during an ice storm in Colorado (it was 17 deg out and I could not keep ice off the windshield because of a stuck open t-stat). I used the heater fan to manually regulate the temperature. I highly advise against this however (YOU HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE TEMP GAUGE IF YOU DO THIS), and to replace the t-stat first chance you get. I could not drive without warm air and I had no place to change the t-stat in the middle of an ice storm, so I improvised because otherwise I could not drive the car at all.

good luck

[Rivrfox]

Good news!
Update: hit the thermostat with a wrench in WI and zip tied cardboard to the grill. Got us home to my parents for Christmas evening with heat.

Today we put in new plugs, changed the oil with full synthetic quaker state 5w-20 synthetic in it that was on sale with an oil filter all for $22, air filter, thermostat AND

Found out the hoop end of the wire popped off the latch that turns the air from circulate to recirc. Soooo we thought we were changing the air but it was fresh the majority or the whole trip. There was also an connector box in the firewall that was letting cold air in so we're gonna stuff something in there to get rid of the draft.

Finally coming together, thanks everyone &

Happy holidays!

[Mattel]

Great news rivrfox. Your patience is paying off.

[ARCHINSTL]

Something I also did to increase the heat - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=8786&p=63688&hilit=ducts#p63688
While my second post says that I am going to insert a plastic piece in lieu of the rags - I actually did it later on in 2013.
No one ever rides in the back, so the extra heat is more appreciated by moi. Granted, it is not much, but every extra degree helps.
Tom M.