ericrcan

I had my cluster out of my car because I was changing a couple of faceplates, and when I put it in today I noticed it saying my car was overheating... I thought maybe the coolant temp sensor might have been broken so I wired the fan to always stay on when the key is on. It still always stayed maxed out... I had the car off for 4 hours, then I wired the fan back to normal and did a test by jumping the coolant temp sensor. It isnt all the way pegged right at start, but it still says its right next to hot, then it goes to pegged withing a minute. And the car was off for 4 hours... You can see that I can easily lay my hand on the block because it is cold... What sensor would this be? I also had an extra temp gauge so I even switched it out and it still is showing that it is too hot. Any help would be great!

a video showing is HERE. it made the quality terrible when I uploaded, but you get the point

UPDATE!! SUMMARY-

- The gauge sits at cold. Gets hot QUICK. (last time I drove it, it wen to 3/4 within 30 sec, full peg after about a 2 mile drive)
- Top radiator hose is SUPER HOT. Bottom one is warm.
- Bought new T-stat, will replace tonight.
TBC....

vtaker

That looks like the one for the ECU. You need to find the one just for the gauge. It should be right next to it and only have one wire going to it.

Not 100% sure on your year though.

JuicedUpRice

that should be correct.there is one water temp sensor(2 point connector),and then another temp sensor sending unit for the gauge(1 point connector)


i had a situation a while back,in which my 2 point connector water temp sensor came unplugged and made my car overheat(actually overheated).

in your case i would bust out the multimeter and make sure the 2 point connector is getting voltage.

also,when it shows that it is getting hot on the gauge,does the fan come on automatically?or no?

how is the radiator fluid?is it low?
does the heater work and blow hot?
is it possible you have a bubble in your coolant system or possibly a blown seal at the water pump?


just look into all of these things and let us know if you find anything out of the ordinary..

ericrcan

The fan wont kick on when the gauge goes hot, but by jumping it, it does work.

Radiator fluid is all the way full

Heater does not work (had the leak in the plastic cowl).

I was going to try bleeding the coolant again tonight, just been nervous since the gauge doesnt really say how it is.

fcm

Actually there are three (3) ECT "sensors"

1- ECT sensor, supplies info to the ECU/ECM on engine coolant temperature

2- ECT sending unit, supplies info to the temperature gauge.

3- ECT switch, controls the rad fan relay.

MM&Y of car and trim level is needed for more info, [location, wire color, number of pins and operation].

You said you "changing a couple of faceplates", did you remove the temp. gauge needle, if so, are you sure it was replaced at the same "clock" position?

In most cases the ECT sending unit is a one wire sensor, [thermistor] and it is normally a yellow/green lead, unplug the sending unit and using a 12V test light, [not LED type] connect the test light ground to a ground point and touch the test light probe to the pin in the ECT sending units plug, [with ign. switch on], temp. gauge should go up about 1/2 way, varies with bulb size, but should not go all the way up. 94

ericrcan

1992 Integra RS

The needle was completely cool when I took it off, so I put it back in the same spot. I thought that maybe for some reason it wasnt, so I bought another temp gauge and they both do the same thing

Ill try that tonight when I get to work. I dont have a test light at home, but at work we do. Ill post back what I see.

HondaPartsHero

ericrcan

I just had to run to the store about 2 miles away. when I got in the car, it was showing cold. Within 15 seconds it went to full peg. Then I got to the store, shut car off, let the fan run. 5 minutes later came out and started to drive home. I got about a mile and the CEL came on. I parked it at home, and was looking around. No smoke or anything. The radiator and top hose were super hot. The bottom one was warm but could still grab it (maybe warm from the engine). So maybe the t-stat is not opening correctly?? I live in hawaii, so its not like I need the t-stat, so im thinking about removing it and seeing if that helps. Any input? Thanks again.

fcm

Thermostats are cheap enough, just replace it, don't forget to bleed the coolant system. 94

ericrcan

You think that could be the reason? What im thinking is:

- T-stat failed.
- Kept running car because I didnt have cluster in for a few days
- By the time I put the cluster back in, the gauge is showing full peg.
- Maybe no coolant in the block so it heats up instantly.

Because my radiator doesnt loose any coolant at all, in fact I dont think ive even noticed the engine sucking the coolant in from the radiator which would be the t-stat.

Correct me if im wrong, but that to me sounds like it could be it. Or if not, at least I know my car wouldnt overheat while driving and I would just have to continue on the quest to fix the gauge.

fcm

Yes, it could be the sending unit that is bad if that is what you mean. 94

kchungb17a

I think you have 2 problems. First and foremost, your thermostat. When your gauge is pegged, or even hotter than normal and your fans aren't on, CAREFULLY touch your upper and lower radiator hoses. If one is MUCH hotter than the other, then your thermostat is probably bad (or you have a fully clogged radiator, which is much less likely). If you are running hot and your fans won't turn on, first thing to check is your t-stat.

The second problem is that I think you did not correctly reclock the needle on your gauge when you removed it. That is why the needle reads so hot on your gauge. That is also why it is not recommended that the needles are removed.

ericrcan

The top hose was SUPER HOT last time I checked, and the bottom hose was warm, but I could still grab it.

I thought I didnt reclock the needle right either (even though it was on completely cold) so I bought another one and they both do the same.

I pulled off the top hose this morning and coolant is in the block there at least, so tonight im going to remove the t-stat and put a new one in, and bleed the coolant and try that.

ericrcan

I took off the t-stat today. finally had time. it looks completely shot. This is exactly how it fell out. The gasket was all messed up. even the inner rubber ring is. I forgot the coolant in the wifes car though so I have to wait for her to get back to test it.. just giving an update

ericrcan

Started to run the car this morning at idle. It was on for about a minute or 2 and the needle was still at cold. Then I went to close the radiator cap. I went back inside the car and the needle went to full... What can I check now? When I turn the car off the needle goes back to cold again. And like I said, it does the same thing for both gauges that I have.

dlo253

Did you properly bleed the system?

ericrcan

I had the cap off the radiator and ran it for a while. idk what is wrong yet so I have the fan wired to come on all the time the car is on; so I couldnt wait to see if the fan kicked on. I did see a few bubbles come up though. I forgot I didnt test the temp sender like fcm suggested, so I just did that. The needle BARELY moves. Im not sure if that is because the test light my friend has, has such a dim bulb on it. heres a video showing how little it moves (only about a needle length) and the pic of the bulb to show how dim it is. It actually looks brighter in the pic than it really is. It doesnt go anywhere need full, could that mean the sender is bad? Can I test the sender without taking it out of the block? If im going to go through the trouble to drain the coolant again and do all that, ill just get a new sender. Thanks

kchungb17a

From the rust on the t-stat, it looks like your coolant has too much water in it. I would do a drain and fill if you haven't done that already. Ideally, you should use distilled water to dilute.

Have you tested your radiator cap or pressure tested the cooling system?

If your fans are still not coming on after you've bled the system and everything is holding pressure, then you need to check the fan switch for continuity when the engine is hot. Then the fan relays. Then the wiring.