While driving my 2020 Tundra yesterday, the engine temp suddenly shot to the red. I dropped RPMs and crawled it to a parking lot. When I popped the hood, the coolant reservoir was bone dry. No warning lights or anything. In 17 years of owning Toyotas, I’ve never had an issue like this. I topped it off with water and limped it to an auto parts store to refill the coolant. But temps kept going up and down. I let it cool off, checked again — reservoir empty. Still no signs of a leak under the truck.
Filled it once more, drove it home slowly (kept it under 2,000 rpm), and it seemed okay. But again, coolant gone when I checked. Topped it off yet again and brought it to the dealership today. I haven’t seen any steam from the hood or tailpipe, and the truck has under 44k miles. I take really good care of it, so I’m stumped. Any chance this could be a head gasket? What else could cause this without visible leaks?
It’s in diagnostics at the dealership now. Just hoping it’s not something super expensive. Honestly, I feel like this should be covered… but I’m about 2 months past the 5-year powertrain warranty from the manufacture date.
Could be the valley plate leaking, but your mileage is super low and I thought Toyota fixed that by 2020. Losing coolant that fast though… maybe a cracked radiator or busted hose?
TomHenry said:
Could be the valley plate leaking, but your mileage is super low and I thought Toyota fixed that by 2020. Losing coolant that fast though… maybe a cracked radiator or busted hose?
That’s the weird part. When I say no leak, I mean nothing under the truck. Totally dry. Had me scratching my head.
@Gray
Totally fair! No shame in that. When you can, pull the dipstick and check for anything that looks like a Wendy’s frosty. Also, look for smoke and maybe grab a test kit to check for exhaust gases in the coolant. Could help you spot a head gasket issue.
Gray said: @Chance
I ended up just bringing it to the dealer today so they could figure it out. In hindsight, maybe I should’ve asked here first.
Nah, you did the right thing. Even if you came here first, chances are you’d be taking it to a shop anyway if it turned out to be something serious. Once you hear their verdict, it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion from a trusted independent mechanic too.
Milan said:
You check the oil cap or dipstick? If there’s no leak outside and it’s heating up that fast, could be the head gasket. Is it running smooth though?
Yeah, it actually ran totally fine. No roughness or shaking. It just got hot anytime I went over 2,000 rpm. If I ever end up in this kind of mess again, I’ll definitely know to check those things first.
Could be a cracked radiator. I had a Dodge with a plastic one and it gave out with no warning. Lost all the coolant and didn’t know until I saw the smoke.