Hello, my daughter has a 95 Camry LE 4cyl. Her radiator cracked and I just replaced it. I told her to drive it around the block to let it warm up and we would than recheck the collant level along with the tranny fluid level. She didn't even make it around the block and came back. The temp was pegged. The return hose was scortching hot; the feed hose was cold. I have been told that this is a positive test for the thermistat and that it is more than likely the water pump. Also therewas no heat at the vent. After racking my head against the wall all day my daughter proceeded to tell me that her mother in law poured pepper in the radiator; she told my daughter it is an old trick to plug up a radiator. After flushing the damn car a couple of times and getting alot of the pepper out, we started it all over. But the same result, overheating, return hose hotter than hell and the feed line cold with no heat at the vent. Anyone with any suggestions? Is the hot return hose a proper test for the thermistat?

 

yes a hot hose means the thermostat is working. just to be sure, i would replace the thermostat and gasket since its inexpensive.

 

Air in the system. That's the reason the upper rad hose is cold as it has no water in it. Maybe the pepper blocked the jiggle/vent valve in the Thermostat. I'd remove the stat and check as well asmake sure the vent is in the12 o'clock position. You could reconnect the lower rad hose without the stat and check to make sure you are getting flow.