I have a B20 in my hatch, car was overheating so i changed to an aftermarket Dual Core rad. the car stays at reg. temp for longer but starts overheating after about 30 min of driving.
I checked the top of the coolant reservoir and it seems to be a bit loose...could this be the problem?
any other things that could cause the overheating?

thanks in advance

 

blown head gasket, bubbles in the coolant both come to mind

 

what kind of signs should I look for if the headgasket is blown?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lowRIDAH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what kind of signs should I look for if the headgasket is blown?</TD></TR></TABLE>

a lot of white smoke pouring out the exhaust. are you sure the water pump is working right?

 

headgasket isn't blown then...no white smoke.
it cools back down when I start moving or when I blast the heat.

 

any way to check if water pump isn't working?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lowRIDAH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
it cools back down when I start moving or when I blast the heat. </TD></TR></TABLE>

is your radiator fan coming on?

 

are both your upper and lower hoses getting hot?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lowRIDAH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what kind of signs should I look for if the headgasket is blown?</TD></TR></TABLE>

coolant in your oil, milky color. also you should try bleeding the system

 

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

is your radiator fan coming on?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats what it sounds like in his case..Overheating when stopped ,,cool when moving..What else could it be ?

 

it will overheat also if I'm on the highway at higher RPMs

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lowRIDAH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it will overheat also if I'm on the highway at higher RPMs</TD></TR></TABLE>

Maybe you have air in the cooling system..

 

if you have air in the cooling system, your idle will probably surge when the water pump hits an air pocket.

 

Change your water pump man, everything will be a-okay. Try to get the waterpump at autozone if possible lifetime war, on the part.

 

You need to check a few things first before you start doing any work or spending any money.
1.) Are both hoses getting hot (upper and lower radiator hoses
2.) when idling, does the fan turn on... and then off
3.) During a high idle when the car is at normal temp and the cap off, can you see water flowing throw the radiator.

if you have access to the following equipment
3.) Pressure test the cooling system (is it holding pressure.
4.) Test the Cap (is it holding pressure)
5.) Check the temp a different places on the radiator, this may help to see if its clogged any where.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I checked the top of the coolant reservoir and it seems to be a bit loose...could this be the problem?
any other things that could cause the overheating?</TD></TR></TABLE>

What does this mean.. do you mean the white overflow tank
If so , then no..
but it you mean your radiator cap, then that may be the culprit.

 

ok, i'll try all those things you mentioned.

yea i meant the top of the white tank not the radiator cap.

 

also check for bubbles coming out in your coolant overflow. i have had bad headgaskets where exhaust was leaking into the coolant causing overheating, but never had an issue with oil/coolant mixing.

 

i tried checking for bubbles with the cap off but coolant started overflowing...what does that mean? when I looked in the white reservoir it was near empty

 

first check thermostat........it sounds like a headgasket problem.

had the same problem on my stock motor. it ended up being headgasket blown. good luck.

 

i say check if the fan is coming on. get that fixed. then replace thermostat. these are two easy cheap ways to go first, before headgasket and water pump. idiots on honda tech always like to point to most expensive **** and the last resort, what a bunch of retards

 

Test test test before you start throwning money at it.

 

maybe the head needs to be resurfaced.