Car: 1990 accord

Problem: I recently changed my radiator approximately 3-4 months ago and have had no problems thus far. Well the other night I was sitting in my car just hanging out with a girl and looked down at the speedo and saw my temp gauge was about 3/4 of the way up ( a little more than normal) then I quickly turned on the a/c which turned on the fans and the temp gauge went down. I know the fans are still turning on and still functioning but when it heats up I don't feel them kick on.

Radiator fluid is full and clean, but another thing is when I shut off the car if/once the problem starts and I turn it on to the temp gauge is at like 1/4 so could it be the temp sending unit?

I have no problem with overheating during driving or anything like that but if I am sitting in at idle or at a stop for 10-15 minutes it starts to overheat...I am thinking thermostat but typically wouldn't it be all the time for it would be stuck open/shut/partially?

TIA

edit: changed my thermostat problem still persistant


Modified by VR at 8:20 PM 1/3/2005

 

No input from ANYONE?

 

when you installed the radiator and put in new coolant did you make sure you go all the air out of the hoses?

 

exact same thing is happening with my car. i would like to find out how to fix this problem too

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Wylie15 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">when you installed the radiator and put in new coolant did you make sure you go all the air out of the hoses?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes...I made sure of that, my new radiator after install gave me no problems; I do not think that is the problem because not only after my install 3 months of no problems from my car and this only happens when idling for sometime, if my radiator was bad I think it wouldn't provide any cooling.

But input is good .

 

Sounds like the themostat.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sticky Tires &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sounds like the themostat.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks Peter...anyone else??

 

thermostat

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Sticky Tires &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sounds like the themostat.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That or the fan is not turning on all the time. If it's the thermostat, it would definitely heat up more at a stop since there is no air cooling the engine like there is when you're moving. Just pull the thermostat and look at it, you should know if it's stuck when you see it.

 

Thank you Lildrgn and Z

I can always count on my kills brethren

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by VR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thank you Lildrgn and Z

I can always count on my kills brethren </TD></TR></TABLE>

Good luck fixing it Ken

 

It's either the fan or the thermostat, but it sounds more like a fan problem to me since it's only happening at idle. Like Joe said, check the thermostat since it's so easy and cheap. If that's not the problem triple check to make sure the fan is coming on like it should.

 

It sounds very like a problem I had with my old Fiat, I changed the thermostat to a new one and made the fan to start operating earlier.

That should do the trick.

Get your thermostat out, then do the boiling water test to see if it opens.

 

my guess is thermostat drive the car for a long itme go back to ur house touch upper hose touch bottom hose if it varies by really a lot like i believe if the bottom hose is cold or sumthing like that then its most likely thermostat. dunno if this work but i think its suppose to.

 

thermostat....my buddies FC actually used to overheat quicker when it was at idle...even compared to aggresivly driving/staying in boost.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fw190bvi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thermostat....my buddies FC actually used to overheat quicker when it was at idle...even compared to aggresivly driving/staying in boost.....</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's because of the air from the car moving is cooling the engine.

 

Maybe you got air in the coolant lines?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EL Vap133 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Maybe you got air in the coolant lines? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Checked that too...took off the cap and started it up and let it warm up, no bubbles.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by acuraholic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It's either the fan or the thermostat, but it sounds more like a fan problem to me since it's only happening at idle. Like Joe said, check the thermostat since it's so easy and cheap. If that's not the problem triple check to make sure the fan is coming on like it should.</TD></TR></TABLE>

See I can feel the fan kick on but I think it isn't turning on because of the incorrect reading from the thermostat...thermostats aren't that expensive, I will replace it and see if that fixes it .

thanks to all that chimed in

 

Alright I changed the thermostat and she still overheats but this time it takes a long while for it to happen.

Before I changed my thermostat it would take approx 10-15 minutes (after being warmed up) and sitting would it then start heating up. Now it is more like 20 minutes...I can feel/hear my fans kick on and I checked my radiator fluid and made sure I didn't have a air bubble....

help please .

 

sometimes the sensor for the fan switch goes bad if you havent checked that

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by azzinine1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">sometimes the sensor for the fan switch goes bad if you havent checked that</TD></TR></TABLE>

I thought that would be it too, however while watching my car idle the fans would kick on when the car would get warm...NTM when I flick on the a/c both fans turn on.

Do you think it may just be a bad signal to where the fans aren't kicking on everytime they are supposed to? *shrug*

 

when the car overheats is the coolant reservoir boiling or overfilled?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by merinor80 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">when the car overheats is the coolant reservoir boiling or overfilled?</TD></TR></TABLE>

No it stays at the max fill line (after being warmed up) and doesn't boil or anything...possibly a faulty temp sensing unit?

 

bump

 

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