water stuck in the reservoir, help needed Options

[chacha]

just like the title...all the engine coolant and water is stuck in the reservoir....it is not cycling...i have replace the thermostat but it didn't help, could it be something else...any ideas? ....it's not cycling as it should

This post has been edited by chacha: Feb 7, 2010 - 1:09 PM

[OnAllFours]

By what you are describing, I wouldn't think head gasket. It sounds much more like a blockage to me. Did you put the T-stat in the right way? I know it sounds like a noob question to ask, but dumb stuff like that happens to everyone. Also could it be a possibility that when you had the system open you may have left a rag or something in one of the pipes.

What I'm getting at is not all overheating issues are head gaskets, in fact other than GM 3.1L V6 and 1.9L I4s we hardly ever have called a head gasket at my shop. I don't think I've ever seen a Toyota gasket go at all.

The 4 big signs of head gasket leaks are 1) coolant in the oil, a milky/pudding like mixture when you drain the oil. 2) oil in the coolant, the same pudding stuff in the overflow bucket/rad. 3) white smoke from the exhaust, this is burning coolant, you can tell if it's smoke instead of steam by how long it lingers in the air. 4) loss of coolant, but no visible sign of leak in the engine bay.