This weekend I was driving to Vegas from Norcal and when I was along I-5, getting off for gas, the engine temp gauge raise well above 1/2, and when I started driving again, it goes down to 1/2.

So, I drove carefully from Lost Hill to Bakersville, park my car in the airport, and get a rental to Vegas. On my way back, I am careful to avoid any traffic until I got home.

When I was stopping for gas the few times and popped the hood, I can see the coolant overflow tank bubbling. I was once stupid enough to use a towel to open the radiator cap and the steam poped out and a fountain of boiling coolant continue for 2 seconds. I know, it is so stupid I should have shot myself. I then add some new coolant and the boiling continue at the next gas stop.

This stopped after I reseated my cooling fan fuse under the dash's fuse box, the cooling fan fuse under the hood in the fuse box, and then reseat the fan relay under the hood. I make sure this is the case by letting the car sit and warm up, and the fan (both fans) turned on.

So I have a few question:

1) What could cause this? will this come back again?

2) I stopped the engine at traffic and make sure the temp gauge never exceed into the red zone, do you think I have warp my block?

3) When I added warm coolant (about 90F) after I open a hot radiator (probably 220F inside), do you think I have warp the block?

4) THe car feels more rough than before. I know it has a bit of a valve lash or piston slap like sound before, but it is stronger now, should I worry? It is more obvios above 3k rpm.

5) I just changed the ATF (yes, it is an auto teg) 2k miles ago but I am concerned that it has overheated as well, and ATF usually gets cooked pretty easy, should I change it again?


Any suggestion? If the engine is warpped I probably will just drive this car for some more and then swap the engine/tranny. It has 180k miles on it and is a 97. I just got a house so money is a bit tight, if things aren't broken I would rather keep it for a while.

 

well 180k is about time for a over haul, But since you moved the relay and the fuses it could of been a bad connection that kept the fans from coming on, I say take it to a reptable mechanic to look at if you are not incline too. When was the last time you changed your thermostate

 

Thermostat was changed at 140k miles.

I heard from other people that the temp gauge might be displaying temperature from a different senser than the sensor that ECU/cooling fan is reading from, that causes the fan not to turn on. Does Integra use only one sensor? If so, the gauge is reading above 1/2 and that pretty much eliminate any sensor issue.

Does anyone have temperature related relay issue in the past? How long does a relay usually last?