Toyota Corolla coolant pushed into resivoir

1989 TOYOTA COROLLA
175,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • MANUAL
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KOWABUNGA
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I have an 89 Toyota Corolla 1.6 that is fuel injected . I had the head gasket replaced a few months ago as it had blown. I am now having issues with over heating and the coolant being pushed back into the resivoir without the coolant being pulled back into the radiator.
After an hours drive in traffic I usually have to fill the radiator with 1 litre of water. The thermostat and radiator cap have been replaced and a pressure test has been done with a pressure of between 11 and 12 in all cylinders.
What else can I check on my vehicle to find the problem?
Mar 8, 2011 at 9:56 AM
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WRENCHTECH
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You're losing coolant somewhere and the cooling system needs to be pressure tested until the leak is found. You may still have head gasket issues. Continuing to drive it under these circumstances will almost certainly lead to another blown head gasket if it doesn't have one already.
Mar 8, 2011 at 12:52 PM
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KOWABUNGA
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Thank you for the reply.

The coolant is not being lost, as far as I can tell it is all in the resivoir. It just never gets pulled back into the radiator. The vehicle does not have a water pump as it uses the radiator cap to regulate the water flow (I replaced the cap a few weeks ago).
Do you have any other suggestions including doing the pressure tests?
Mar 9, 2011 at 5:57 AM
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WRENCHTECH
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No, I'm afraid you're wrong. It DOES have a leak somewhere. The reason it's not drawing the coolant back in is because the system is not sealed tight and it's drawing air from somewhere else instead as it cools down. It DOES have a water pump also.
Mar 9, 2011 at 12:52 PM
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KOWABUNGA
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Thank you, it does make sense that when it is cooling it draws air from somewhere else.
Mar 9, 2011 at 1:51 PM
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WRENCHTECH
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It works on expansion and contraction. When it contracts it creates a vacuum to draw the coolant back into the system. If there is a leak anywhere, it will pull air instead of coolant.
Mar 9, 2011 at 1:55 PM
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KOWABUNGA
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When I do open the radiator cap (3 or 4 hours after turning the engine off) it pulls air into the radiator and you hear the water flow down the inside of the radiator. Could it be that the vacuum is either too weak or that the cap is not functioning correctly?
Mar 9, 2011 at 2:00 PM