While idling sometimes, my water temperature rises. It steadily increases after it starts to rise and probably takes around 2-3 minutes for it to reach around where the three-fourth's mark would be on the gauge.
This has happened a few times while waiting in places such as drive-thru's. This has occured twice in two nights. It takes about 5 or more minutes for the level to go down. Yet when I let my car warm-up and idle for awhile when I first start it, it does fine.
Could it be a fan not kicking on? Low coolant?
I remember my sister's old 4th gen accord's fan kick on almost instantly after the engine was shut off. I have never heard my fan on my 5th gen.
Thanks in Advance! (Sorry for Long Post)

 

I would check your coolant levels and that your fan(s) are turning on. To do this simply turn on the a/c and if both fans are turning on then your fans are in working order.

Now what tells the fans to turn on...the fan switch, I would reference your service (haynes, helms, chiltons etc) manual for testing guidelines.

Now what tells/give the fan switch that its time to turn on the fans...the thermostat. To check your t-stat let the car warm up and after a few minutes and grab the lower and upper hoses (upper is the top one from your radiator to a port near the exhaust manifold and the lower is behind/under the distributor) the lower one should be colder than the top one...if its not and both are hot then your t-stat isn't opening and it needs to be replaced.

I would also recommend replacing all cooling hoses (upper and lower radiator hoses) while you're in there if it is in fact the t-stat.

Hope that helps.

 

Well I checked the coolant level and it appeared to be at least between min and max.
The hoses checked out fine. The lower was cooler than the upper.
Neither of the fans came on when I turned on the A/C, which isn't cold btw.
Btw, I replaced the thermostat and hoses around a year and half ago when radiator was replaced.
Could it still be the fans or something else? Thanks for the help

 

Sounds like its either the fan switch or the fans themselves...again I would refer to your service manual for repair guidelines.

 

if the a/c system works properly both fans should turn on when you stet car and put a/c on ,,if fans do not work try a quick test get a big screwdriver and hit the back side of the fan motors if the come on you got bad motors if they dont chk the fuses they should be underhood fuse box if fuses ok chk to see if you are getting proper power and ground at fan plug .........

also the lower rad hose should feel hot but not as hot as top hose once engine has been running for a while if lower hose is cold t-stat is stuck closed .......but the symptom you are describing sounds like a fan ( s ) issue

 

Thanks! I will need to get a Haynes manual and check out the fans.
Thanks for the help!

 

Well my dad and I have ruled out quite a few possibilities. We checked the fan relays, cooling fan fuse(s), condenser fan fuse. We jumped the cooling fan motor and it came on, yet will never come on while running the car. Neither of the fans would come on, cooling nor condenser. We used the troubleshooting checklist and everything checked out okay. Yet still the fans won't come on at all, even while the car begins to overheat. Any more suggestions? Thanks

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by accord95vtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well my dad and I have ruled out quite a few possibilities. We checked the fan relays, cooling fan fuse(s), condenser fan fuse. We jumped the cooling fan motor and it came on, yet will never come on while running the car. Neither of the fans would come on, cooling nor condenser. We used the troubleshooting checklist and everything checked out okay. Yet still the fans won't come on at all, even while the car begins to overheat. Any more suggestions? Thanks</TD></TR></TABLE>

When you jumped the motor did you go by the temp housing or at the motor itself? I believe there is a plug in the t-stat for the fan switch, that could be faulty but I need to know where you jumped whatever for your fans to turn on. The fact that they work if you jump them means the motors should be fine but there is a sending unit that is faulty.

 

or mebbe a wire got shorted out...

there's a TSB about this wehn i was doing a search...

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1294026

 

go touch ur hoses..see if one is cold and one is hot. if so, then ur thermostat is stuck and u need a new one. how is ur waterpump?

 

The thermo switch for the fan is behind the valvecover on the left. You can jump the larger fan there to check if it is working. To test the switch, just screw it out and check it on a multimeter...there should be no continuity between the contacts at room temp.. set it so the bottom part is in boiling water and recheck, there should then be continuity.
Also, are you guys sure both fans come on with the a/c? Only the small one does for me, the larger one comes on after awhile when the coolant gets hot enough to trip the thermoswitch.
And it will take a little while for that lower hose to get warm...at least 10 minutes...I replaced my thermostat because I thought that was my problem, turns out it just takes awhile for that to heat up. The accord has a more than adequate cooling system

 

at thermostat housing there is a plug i believe it is green , unplug the connector and jump the 2 wires if fans come on u got a bad fan switch

 

Yeah it is green. Like I said you can test the switch in boiling water too. In my car it takes forever for the coolant to even get hot enough for it to come on. My car stays coooool

 

Update: It's been awhile since we've been able to look at the car and its problem, though it hasn't happened as much since then, just probably 3-4 times a month.

However, today the temperature rised all the way to about 7/8 to red. I could feel the engine having a tougher time shifting and accelerating. I'm going back home this weekend and hope to have success at repairing this problem.

No fans turn on at all while driving; checked relays, fuses, jumped the motors and they turned on fine.

Anything else? HELP!
Any advice would be appreciated

thanks

 

replace thermostat with factory part and bleed system.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Elvis1977 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">replace thermostat with factory part and bleed system.</TD></TR></TABLE>

thanks i'm just looking for as many suggestions as possible. hopefully be able to work on it this weekend

 

If both fans do not come on when you turn on the a/c then your problem is not your thermostat. With the engine and a/c on check for 12 volts at both fan connectors. If you don't get any voltage then probe the positive side of the connector and go to the battery to get your ground. If you read voltage then you have a bad ground. If no voltage then go to the fan switch connector and probe the hot side and once again get your ground from the battery. If you get voltage and you are sure you are getting continuity from the fan switch, then you have a bad wire or connection between the fan switch and the fan. If you don't get voltage and you know the relay is good, then you have a bad wire or connector from the relay.

 

thanks

any other information? thanks

 

Your problem is almost 100% going to be the temperature switch in located in the thermostat housing. It is the only thing that turns the fans on. Replace it. Problem fixed. No thermostats needed, no coolant changes..... fix the fan control circuit and the problem is solved.

 

Appreciate the help. Thanks!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by HondaTechPro &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Your problem is almost 100% going to be the temperature switch in located in the thermostat housing. It is the only thing that turns the fans on. Replace it. Problem fixed. No thermostats needed, no coolant changes..... fix the fan control circuit and the problem is solved.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks! So would this be switch A or B? Or is this not correct?



Thanks for all the help!

 

start car up, let it warm up, when top rad hose is hot , feel lower rad hose it should feel hot as well , if it feels lukewarm or cool u got a stuck thermostat, replace it and retry.......if t-stat is ok , unplug switch A , the 1 at t-stat housing, jump the 2 wires together if fans come on u got a bad switch.........switch B makes the fan run when u turn car off and underhood temp exceeds the set temp of the switch ,,it usually stays on for 10-15 minutes.......

 

The fan switch in the thermostat housing is NOT the only thing that turns the fans on. The fans should run with the a/c on even if the fan switch is unplugged. If you have power windows, you can swap that relay for the cooling fan relay and rule that problem out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by deserthonda &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">start car up, let it warm up, when top rad hose is hot , feel lower rad hose it should feel hot as well , if it feels lukewarm or cool u got a stuck thermostat, replace it and retry.......if t-stat is ok , unplug switch A , the 1 at t-stat housing, jump the 2 wires together if fans come on u got a bad switch.........switch B makes the fan run when u turn car off and underhood temp exceeds the set temp of the switch ,,it usually stays on for 10-15 minutes.......</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks a lot. It sucks I can't work on it this week. At college, and my brother's borrowing it since his 3kgt's tranny decided to fall apart.

I really want to get this problem solved and hopefully the hot weather will begin to slow down.
Are there any long-term effects from fans not working?

Thanks