Two unrelated items on the 'to do' list

[Bluebelles Mom]

1. My gas guage is reading all over the map when the tank is full. From 3/4s to 1/4 and back again. The low fuel light does come on when there is appr. 3 gallons of fuel left in the tank. Is this some sort of 'sender problem' or is the guage going on me?

2. My rear defroster isn't working. I took a look at the lines on the window and some of them are suspect but none obviously broken. The light does come on to indicate that the defroster is switched on.

Oh...and a third item that needs attention as soon as my next check arrives. I need a new radiator. I am noticeing steam coming from the old one (not from the cap) and it seems to be leaking a bit on the top. The temperature guage stayes right on the middle lines once the engine warms up. I checked the coolant level this morning and it was down a bit from a few days ago. This is top priority as I don't want to cook my engine.

[Petros]

!. Not likely it is the gauge, an easy test for the gas gauge is to unplug the wire (you will find it under the hatch under the carpet in the back area), and bridge the two contacts together. The gauge should go to full, and back down when you disconnect the two contacts. Most likely it is the sender has corrosion on it. You can remove it without removing the fuel tank from this same rear floor access hatch, and than clean the resistor contacts on the sender. Detailed instructions are here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2346&p=18541&hilit= ... der#p18541

2. first check you have voltage at the rear defroster with a volt/ohm meter, if you have voltage there you have to fix the heat grid. they sell a metallic paint for fixing this (comes in a small bottle with a brush like fingernail polish), you paint it across the breaks in the grid and it makes contact. I have to do that on several of my lines, I am down to less than half still working. If there is no voltage at the contacts to the grid, check for voltage up stream in the wires, at the fuse, and/or at the connectors. Many times the wire bundle where it passes from the body to the rear hatch gets fatigued and breaks internally (from opening and closing the hatch for the last 25+ years). An easy way to check is to push a pin into the wire insulation and check for voltage, use this method to isolate any breaks.

3. You can put radiator sealant in the rad to seal up tiny leaks, if your radiator is old and full of corrosion however this only a temp fix. IF the radiator is otherwise good, the sealant can work fine, or a radiator shop can repair it for less than the cost of a new one, if you have an all metal radiator. If you have the type with the plastic top and bottom tanks, than it may have to be replaced. If you go look for one in a wrecking yard (there is a pull-a-part in Tacoma, used radiators are only about $30 with 30 day warranty) make sure you get one with the double row of tubes (the core is about 1.5 inches thick). I have found the double row radiators in both the wagons and the 2wd sedans, they have more cooling capacity. but I have also seen the single row radiators (about 3/4" think core) is both wagons and sedans too, they are interchangeable and work fine but it will not have as much excess cooling capacity. I have occasionally found almost new double row radiators in Tercels at Pull-a-part, and they can be an excellent buy. If you buy a new radiator (about $140) make sure you get the double row one for the 4wd wagon.

I have had to pay for a new radiator when I needed one badly and did not have time to wait for one to show up at the local Pull-a-part (it was right before Christmas and I had relatives coming for a visit). But if you have time to wait you can put sealant in your rad now (and always check your coolant level), than regularly check the pull-a-part for when a good radiator shows up. That will save you over $100. Check both the 4wd wagons and the 2wd sedans and hatch backs, they are more common and you have a better chance of finding a good rad. The radiator is an easy thing to change.

Good luck.

[Bluebelles Mom]

Thanks, I looked at the sealant but have no experience with it so I wasn't sure how well it worked. The radiator looks like it is metal, it has green tarnish on the top of it and quite frankly it looks twice as old as the car. I would have thought fixing it would cost more then a new one with labor but I will check into that. Right now I can't afford to do anything with it but I will keep an eye on the coolant level for sure in the meantime.

I will also tackle the other two issues now that you have given me some ideas. Thanks again.

[hberdan]

I've owned 3 Tercel wagons, and the gas gauges on all of them worked just like yours. Disregard it completely, it is an unnecessary repair. Instead, use the resettable trip meter on the odometer to track gas usage, based on mpg.
Fill your tank. Reset the tripmeter. After 100 miles or so on the tripmeter, fill up again, and average your mpg-- for example, if you used 4 gallons=25mpg, etc. Reset the tripmeter every time you fill up. Doing this more than once will give you a good mpg figure to use all the time. With your tank holding only about 12 useable gallons of gas, it should be easy to calculate how far you can drive per tank. Probably more accurate than those squirrelly gauges, anyway. If you are averaging 25 mpg, then 150 miles is about a half tank, and 225 miles is 3/4 empty, etc.
The only real downside it that using the tripmeter is only efficient when the tank is filled all the way, so it kinda forces you to fill up the tank every time you need gas. With a partial fill you have to do a little more math.
In the winter my car's gas usage changes, with longer warmups, etc. and that will affect your mpg, as will driving in 4wd.

"I've worked out our rate of fuel loss at approximately one six two per minute. This gives us a radius of action sufficient to take out primary and secondary targets. But we will not, repeat, not be able to make it back to any base or neutral country. However we would have enough fuel to ditch at weather ship tango delta: grid coordinates zero zero three six nine one."

[Bluebelles Mom]

On my last fill-up I averaged 29mpg. and had about 312 miles on the odometer. Right after that I checked the tire pressure and they were all in the mid 20s so I pumped them up to about 32. I am hoping that pushes me into the 30 range. I want to get some hose and just replace all the vacumn lines next month. I want to give her every chance to get the best mpg she can.

[takza]

A radiator shop can clean and resolder your old radiator and you'd probably be better off than the newer alum/plastic one? Main thing...are the fins still fairly good... if they have corroded away...sort of hard to replace these. They can be straightened though. Short-term just use BarsLeaks pellets...works.

If you buy a new one...the old brass rad is worth some bucks.....

My gas gauge has been working like that for the past 70K miles...it is the sending unit...which might be possible to repair...I just use the tripmeter.

[Petros]

I want to give her every chance to get the best mpg she can.

That 29 mpg is fairly normal for mixed driving, so it is already running pretty good. One simple thing you can (and should) do is to advance the spark timing to 10 or 12 deg BTDC rather than the factory 5 deg. You risk burning the exhaust valves at the factory setting, and you will get better fuel economy and power with it more advanced.

Also check to see if your vacuum advance on the distributor is working properly, this will also improve your fuel economy. Simplest way is when you reset your timing, you remove the vac lines (and cap them) from the dist to set the timing. When you reinstall the lines, check the timing again, it should advance. The other is to remove the dist cap, and suck hard on the vac line and see if it moves the backing plate in the distrib. If you can suck air, or it does not move, it needs to be replaced.

[Bluebelles Mom]

OK...I just looked at the dreaded FSM and I think I understand what needs to be done to change the timing. A question....if it advances from 5 to 13 after the vacumn hose is reconnected does it go up past 20 from setting it at 10? And once again the FSM 'assumes' that I have knowledge that just isn't there. How does one hook up a timing light? Those hobby shop guys charge through the nose for 'classes'. They wanted $100 to teach me how to do the drum brakes. I figured the brakes out without their help.

I WILL learn how to do this stuff even if I never get to the point of liking to get greasy. I do appreciate all you guys posting the tips and help that you do.

I will figure out how to post pics of Bluebelle soon.

[ARCHINSTL]

Use an inductive timing light. Go to Google and just look for instructions. Read a couple of guides.
It's really simple, though. Do NOT overtighten the fixing bolt on the dist - it can strip the hole...
Tom M.

[Petros]

timing is easy with the timing light. Some places rent them and they can show you how to use it. The signal lead clips on to the number one spark plug wire, the others clip onto the batter posts, you point it at the front pulley while the engine is idling and you look for the mark on the front pulley to line up with the correct place on the front cover. If they have them for you to use at the hobby shop, it will only take about 30 sec. to show you how to use it. They should not charge you.

You loosen the clamp bolt on the base of the distributor and rotate it slightly to change the timing. advancing to 20 deg + at idle will not harm anything. IF for some reason you get ping or this crackling noise from your engine on hard acceleration than the timing is advanced too far, and you should back it off a bit. but if everything is running normal that should not happen.

As Tom says, google it and I am sure you will find detailed instructions.

[ARCHINSTL]

I would add - spray/wipe very clean the lower part of the timing cover where the marks reside. Also, find the small notch on the lower pully inside flange; this is THE mark. instead of trying to paint the notch (it's tiny), just use whiteout (if tiny paint brush not available) and mark on both side of the notch.
Note that some notches are deeper than others, and then blobbing paint in the notch and wiping immediately will leave a fine mark. Goldie's notch is barely discernable.
Tom M.

[Bluebelles Mom]

OK, I looked up the timing light and then I had to look up which wire went to the number 1 cylinder. I think I can do this. I am going to buy a cheap volt meter/ohm meter next payday. I can trouble shoot the rear defroster without going to the hobby shop and paying them for stall space to just sit in the car.

Oh by the way, I got to drive in the snow last night. She handled it like a trooper. On the hills in Tacoma I was going around cars who were just spinning their wheels.

[Bluebelles Mom]

A radiator shop can clean and resolder your old radiator and you'd probably be better off than the newer alum/plastic one? Main thing...are the fins still fairly good... if they have corroded away...sort of hard to replace these. They can be straightened though. Short-term just use BarsLeaks pellets...works.

If you buy a new one...the old brass rad is worth some bucks.....

My gas gauge has been working like that for the past 70K miles...it is the sending unit...which might be possible to repair...I just use the tripmeter.

I have found a radiator shop online that I will take her to. If it is close I will let them repair the old one. A new one plus both hoses goes for about $140 there.