First off id like to thank those who had the time to read this and help me out. I searched and i read alot of things but it seems it can be so many things. And since summer is around the corner, and ill be commuting alot in traffic its best i get this fixed asap...

I have a 98 civic with a Integra Dual Core Radiator. Well my problem is... when my car is idle, it will overheat. While i drive 40mph+ everything seems to be fine, but once i hit traffic the temperature will slowly creep up and over heat...

What is the problem?

Ive heard that it is because the FAN is not turning on due to:
1. Thermostat?
2. Relay Switch?
3. Anything else?

I am a complete noob and I dont even know what a thermostat or relay switch looks like. Does anyone have a picture of what and where it is?

I will probably goto autozone and buy it (price?) and replace it and see whats up... Any help is appreciated until then! Thanks!

 

Take a 14 gauge wire and jump the fan (the positive side) directly to the positive side on the battery and see if the fan turns on. if it does, the fan is good and it's probably your coolant sensor on the thermostat housing. check fuses as well in your underhood fusebox. also do checks on the relay. there will be troubleshooting checks in a helms manual available for your car.

if the fan does not turn on, the fan solenoid or fan is bad and will need to be replaced.

also make sure there is no leaks. you can also "purge" the coolant system.

when it's cold, with the heater valve open, simply remove the radiator cap. and make sure the coolant is to the top. then turn on the car with the radiator cap off, and allow for your engine to go to normal operating temperature making sure the radiator is still full.

good luck.

 

could be a bad thermostat, bad head gasket, something could be restricting your coolant lines(inside lines) , Anyone else ave ne more ideas?

 

^^^^^^^^^ why would u run a car without its radiator cap at idle, wouldnt allw presssure to build up , and wouldnt coolant jus leak all over the place and make big mess ?

 

no i you run it without the radiator cap on it allows for the air to get out of the radiator which in turn allows more coolant to get into the radiator... if you think you drive with it then no ... you just sit there and idle the car and basically "burp" the radiator all your doing is letting your car idle while adding coolant.... no mess unless you cant pour right

 

thumbs up

 

do you blow any smoke while driving? If so it could be a headgasket. A lot of times if you are fine while driving but your temp goes up at idle or driving around town its a headgasket. Do you notice any loss of coolant? Also, do your next oil change yourself. If you have a blown headgasket the oil will most likely come out a milky brownish color. The real determining factor would be a compression test. This takes about 10 minutes if you know someone with a compression tester.

But, you should start easy. First, make sure you have enough coolant in your system. This was my problem(stupid me, I know). Then, check the fan as the other guy said. After that change ur thermostat. Costs about $10, a bottle of coolant, and 20 minutes of your time.

 

where is the thermostat located? what does it look like... sorry for noob ques.

 

do a search of your engine code(d16z6, d16y8, b18c, etc) and thermostat replacement and u should have your answer. Id throw ya some links but not sure if you have a b or d series. Let me know if you need some help finding a how to.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by khaa &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">where is the thermostat located? what does it look like... sorry for noob ques.</TD></TR></TABLE>

it's located underneath the distributor kinda, just behind of it. right where your starter is. follow your lower radiator hose to the engine and that is where it's located.