My family recently purchased an 89 Dx Hatchback. when it was bought, there was a crack in the top of the radiator, right were the support and bracket for holding the intake tube thingy all come together. i was planning on fixing this crack when i had the time (sometime in the next week or two).

However, as i was driving today (practing with the clutch....im new to manual transmissions ) i killed it a couple times. the third time (i cant remember exactly how many times i killed it) the car wouldnt turn back on. it would crank but not turn over. the check engine light came on. So we pushed it into a parking spot and went to the store. When we came back 20 minutes later, it turned on just fine.

This is where the problems start.
As my mom was driving it home, the check engine light came on again. The was a small amount of white steam/smoke coming out from under the hood, and a faint odor of overheated rubbber/plastic was present. The temp gauge was at the top (it had been at a normal position earlier.) She drove the rest of the way home and parked it.

After everything had cooled down, we took off the radiator cap and filled it up with water (we didnt have any coolant, and its not freezing here yet.) We added about THREE QUARTS. i have no idea how much this is in comparison to the volume of the stock radiator.

CLIFF NOTES:
the car has a coolant leak, and it needed coolant. CEL came on, whats the deal?

So, my questions are as follows:

1) What is the volume of the stock radiator?

2) Would there be any correlation between the lack of coolant and the check engine light coming on after repeated stalling?

3) Is there an indicator on the dashboard that might tell about lack of coolant, besides the temp gauge? Like the check engine light going on...

4) What should i do?

Thanks for your help!

 

I believe you've damaged the thermostat.

 

any other answers?

id like to know the radiator volume....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ecovillain &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

1) What is the volume of the stock radiator?

2) Would there be any correlation between the lack of coolant and the check engine light coming on after repeated stalling?

3) Is there an indicator on the dashboard that might tell about lack of coolant, besides the temp gauge? Like the check engine light going on...

4) What should i do?

Thanks for your help!</TD></TR></TABLE>

1. Look at the pic

2. Lack of coolant won't make your check engine light come on, sometimes when you stall the engine or the car does not want to start, the check engine light will appear. Don't worry about it, unless the check engine light comes on while driving.

3. No indicator

4. What should you do, replace the radiator and take the intake tube off.

 

thanks for the replies everyone!

any other thoughts?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">any other thoughts?</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you must drive a car with the temp gauge on HOT or near it, put the heater on high and get those fans going. That will help to a degree. Also, replace that cheap radiator with one from an LS integra, 91-93. Its a copper/brass top and is 1/3" thicker. Much better IMO. And cheap to find @ most junkyards. - Darrell

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ecovillain &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thanks for the replies everyone!

any other thoughts?</TD></TR></TABLE>

What other thoughts would you like ? I told you the best way to go about this problem.

 

is the 91-93 teg radiator a direct swap?

or do i need new brackets...

 

pretty much. there are several styles of upper clamping device. if you get an integra radiator get the brackets with it. i dont remember which ones fit but it doesnt require anything non factory. no fabwork.

 

[QUOTE=90blackcrx4. What should you do, replace the radiator[/QUOTE]
^^^At least.

 

whoah dude weird.....my car does that to.....my gf was practicing the clutch, and after killing it 5 or 6 times....the car wouldnt start,only crank; the check engine light came on too....so i just turned everything off, disconnected the negative, and after about 2-5 minutes, it would start......why?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zckidd &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">whoah dude weird.....my car does that to.....my gf was practicing the clutch, and after killing it 5 or 6 times....the car wouldnt start,only crank; the check engine light came on too....so i just turned everything off, disconnected the negative, and after about 2-5 minutes, it would start......why?</TD></TR></TABLE>

When the car just cracks and will not kick over, you will always throw a code. And its usually the fuel injector code.

 

fuel injector code...meaning there is too much fuel in the engine?

ive heard that starting and stopping alot without a whole lot of actual driving will make gas build up and 'flood the engine'

dunno how true it is....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ecovillain &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">fuel injector code...meaning there is too much fuel in the engine?

ive heard that starting and stopping alot without a whole lot of actual driving will make gas build up and 'flood the engine'

dunno how true it is....</TD></TR></TABLE>

Starting and stopping will not flood the engine, cranking the car when it will not turn over will. No the fuel injector code does not mean there is to much fuel in the engine.

 

oh okay. thanks for the info!