Behavior of the Truck after a thermostat replacement

So, I just replaced my thermostat, both radiator hoses, radiator cap, and just drained and filled the coolant. I changed the parts and fluid with all OEM.

When I bleed the air from the system, I did this:

• Raised the front of the car slightly
• Used a see-through spilled proof funnel
• Poured in coolant and squeezed both radiator hoses
• Once no more coolant could go in, I started the car
• I bleed the air for 1 hour and 15 minutes
• During the process, I revved the car between 2000-2500 RPM
• Air was coming out between the 30 to 50 mins mark
• I also had the air on low speed, at Hot, and the air recycling was on.
• After I saw no more air coming out, I decided to stop the car after 1 hour and 15 mins

So, why I’m I writing this? Well, I’m curious on how the truck behaved before the maintenance vs after the maintenance.

BEFORE:
First thing in the morning when I warm up the truck, the truck would only take around 3-5 mins to warm up. By warm up, I mean fully warmed up. The temp needle on the dash would be in the middle of the gauge already. Also, what I noticed was that there would be a lot of water dripping out of the exhaust. It smelt like water. There was no hint of sweetness. I monitored the coolant in the overflow tank and that was still good.

AFTER:
Now, after the maintenance was performed, when I warmed up the car it takes about 10 to 20 minutes to fully warm up (where the gauge needle is in the middle). Also, the water dripping out of the exhaust is pretty much gone. There still is some water in the exhaust, but it is not like before where it was dripping onto the floor. There is SIGNIFICANTLY less water.


My question is: Does this seem normal? The Truck is a 2006 Toyota Tacoma that has 175xxx miles.

 

The thermostats may open at slightly different temps, and I suspect that will change for the new thermostat as it ages. If you have have a code reader with live data, you can confirm the temp readings. Normal cruising temp for mine is 200 degrees.

 

Yup thermostats slightly different
Maybe 195 instead of 185?

 

Okay, that makes sense! The old thermostat was, I assume, the original one from the factory and had never been changed before. Do you have a recommended code reader under $100?

 

Good to know! Hopefully I can get my hands on a code reader to confirm my temps

 

But he got oem, wouldn’t they all be same temp rating?

To OP, any code reader that reads live data should work. I have a fancy pansy Foxwell NT520PRO but it is slow to load up. I usually reach for my cheaper but much faster Autel ML329.

 

I use. OBD Link MX+
Blue tooth with Apple and android
I like mine tell me what I need to know
Does not read airbag codes

https://www.obdlink.com/products/obdlink-mxp/

 

Can you leave this device plugged in? Or do you have to removed it so that it doesn't drain the battery?

 

there are countless quality readers all over Amazon for way less than $100. Just search Amazon for OBD2 code reader.

 

I leave it in all
The time. Some say it will weaken the OBD connection. But not that I have seen

 

Another option is a ScanGauge or UltraGauge. I have the latter, MX model which can be programmed to read transmission temp.
https://ultra-gauge.com/ZC/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=224

 

Did it take that long the 1st you started the truck?
And if not, was the thermostat replaced with an OEM?

The reason I ask, is that my dad replaced his thermostat once with and after market fails safe type.
“Fail safe” in that it sticks open if the coolant gets too hot.
As luck would have it, the one he bought was defective and it tripped open early.
Thus, it was open all the time from then on.

 

What were the ambient temps in your before and after scenarios? That can certainly play into how long it takes to warm up. Though 20 minutes does seems a bit extreme, unless it's very cold out.

 

What you did to burp is way far beyond anything I’ve ever done. I’ll do the squeeze the hoses & run the heater for a bit, then make sure the radiator is full, and the reservoir is half full. Drive it, then the next day fill the reservoir to the top line after driving it again. Then maybe check it once more in a week or so.

If you still have the old thermostat and the box the new once came in, maybe you can see what temperature they are.

I could be wrong but I think a engine that’s running hotter will have a hotter cat and create more water.

 

Yes, it took that long the first time I started it up the day after. It's still taking long, but not too long. Once I drive the truck, it warms up faster.
Also, just an FYI, because I didn't mention it before, but the car takes long to warm up when I am in park and idling (first start up of the day).

Yes, the thermostat was replaced with an OEM part. I bought it and picked it up at the Toyota dealership.

 

What do you mean by ambient temps?

Also, it's takes long when I am in park and idling on the first start-up of the day. I've been driving around for almost a week now and the temp gauge seems normal.

 

Ambient means outside temperature

As for how long it takes at idle, I don’t know.
With the price of gas currently , I crank it up, buckle up, and and take off.
I just don’t do any hard pulls until the engine is up to temp.

 

Yeah, I wanted to make sure the air was out of the system as much as possible. I would rev the engine and more air just kept coming out. So, it just made sense to keep on running the car until I didn't see any more air for a while. Plus, I had the fan running on low speed on hot. So, I wanted to make sure the car was warmed up fully.

I still have the old thermostat, and it does look worn when doing a side by side comparison. Also, the new thermostat didn't come in a box. It came in a small sealed bag with the part number on it.

 

The temperature was pretty much the same for the before and after scenario. The temp was around 85 degrees (F).

I hear that!! For testing purposes, I've been idling just to see how the car behaves. So far, I've been driving for a week, and it seems to run fine even when the weather is 100 degrees right now in California.

 

I honestly wouldn’t worry about it. If it’s getting up to temp and the coolant is staying full.
I say - Drive it.

Worrying about it taking 10-15 mins to warm up at idle isn’t worth it man.
I think everything is just fine.

FWIW, I’d say it takes mine about 3-5 mins to warm up.
But I literally start the truck, and pull out on to a road that has a 50mph speed limit.
So, I don’t idle long.