Im sure this has something to do with the water pump not circulating water enough but i cant figure out why this would happen...

When my car is sitting idle for a long period of time (5-10mins) the water temp gauge goes way up. I first noticed that this would happen in stopped traffic. The temperature would start to rise rapidly, when i was stopped. When i would start driving normal again the needle would go back down to its normal temperature. To test it I let my car sit for about 5 minutes, I went back and checked the temperature and it was almost overheating. My question is why would the car start to overheat, only when let idle for a long period of time?

89 crx si
jdm b16a

Thanks.



[Modified by B_s, 11:45 PM 8/6/2002]

 

Are your cooling fans coming on??

 

are your fans turning on?

 

Sounds like a bad cooling fan. Used to happen to me. It may be a bad thermostat too. Check to see if the fan turns on... it should turn on before it even starts to overheat. If the fan doesn't turn on, make sure the connections are tight. If the fan turns on, but you're still overheating, check to see if coolant is flowing through the radiator hose (careful, it's hot if coolant is running though it!). If there isn't coolant flowing through the radiator hose (it won't be hot), you probably need to replace the thermostat.

 

If fan isn't coming on (doesn't sound like it is)...

1) Jump fan to battery
a) Fan works, continue to step 2
b) Fan doesn't work, replace cooling fan
2) Swap relays/fuses with those of same rating
a) Fan comes on, buy new fuses/relays
b) Fan doesn't come on, continue to step 3
3) Replace the coolant temperature sensor
a) Fan comes on when engine is idling and everythings ok
b) Fan comes on and motor still wants to overheat, continue to step 4
4) Replace thermostat, pretty much the last thing that could be broke
a) Everything's fine
b) check your radiator hoses/radiator for cracks or leaks

My guess is that it's the coolant temperature sensor, the reason I included all the other stuff is pretty simple. My friend drives a del slow and one day he cracked his radiator, it turned out that a bad thermostat had allowed the CTS to break which meant the fan didn't turn on and coolant wasn't flowing. The radiator cracked as a result of two other devices breaking so it's important to check everything related to cooling when one thing breaks. My $.02

 

The cooling fan is not turning on, I switched the fuse but that did not help.
Whats the easiest way to jump the fan to the battery?
thanks

 

It is most likely the cooling fan motor itself, I need to replace mine too, hehe...mine has been broken since last year, and if I have to idle to long (ie, traffic) I will just turn on my heater full blast (kinda sucks when you're in 100 degree weather).

 

I had my coolant temp switch/sensor die on me. It's a pain to replace. You'll need a 1 1/16" socket Use a CRX part. It's the two-prong plug on the back of the block beneath the intake manifold.

But yeah, that's probably what it is. For a while I just jumpered mine and had it running all the time, the engine stayed nice and cool


[Modified by raene, 1:53 AM 8/8/2002]

 

just run a couple wires from the battery to the spot where you plug in the fan. I think that's how i did it, it's pretty obvious when you get in there just don't electrocute yourself

 

You can't electrocute yourself with 12 volts. Try it, grab both the battery posts, one with each hand. There is not enough voltage for it to conduct through your body. Now don't go trying that with the ignition system. I've had the odd brush with live ignition, and it hurts like a ****.

There could be 3 different things wrong with your fans. The fan motor could have failed, the rad fan relay could have crapped out, or the coolant switch on the back of the block, next to the oil filter could have also died.

 

I jumped the fan to the battery and it came on right away.



[Modified by B_s, 5:31 AM 8/9/2002]

 

One other thing that hasn't been cleared up, is your ignition timing advanced at all??

Check your ignition timing. and if it is advanced at all, then put it back to stock.
other than that everything stated above is just good info


[Modified by poison, 10:32 PM 8/8/2002]

 

500-900 CCA (depending on battery) is more than enough to hurt like hell if you grabbed both battery posts. Remember it's amperage not voltage that kills, there's not enough amperage in the average car battery to do any more than hurt, I was joking about electrocution.

If the fan is coming on when jumped and it's not a fuse/relay than i'm betting money on the Coolant Temp. Sensor. Replace and report back if it's still overheating.

 

You need a certain amount of voltage to get the current flowing. 12 volts is simply not enough. Have you ever grabbed both battery terminals? It does absolutely nothing.

 

Both of you are partially wrong.....12v is not enough to flow through your entire body by grabbing the posts....try putting a wrench between them and see if nothing happens. 600-900A is enough kill a friggen elephant. It takes 1 MILLIAMP to kill a person. Car batteries can supply more than 80A continously Car batteries can kill just not likely.....anything is possible and anyone who friggens reccomends to grab battery terminals should be friggen shot ( no offense intended) cuz there are dumbasses out there that will go "oh ok I will try this" and end killing themselves. I have accidently laid my arm across the posts just barely and I can feel it....doesn't hurt but flesh has good resistance.....

 

I have had to replace my "cooling fan relay" on my EF9. It is located on the right side fender. So about where the air box is supposed to be. You can test it by puting batter voltage to prong A, ground B, and then you should have continuity through C,and D. I might have a,b,c,d mixed up, it's been a while and I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

 

For all you married readers, I was helping a friend work on his Lotus Super 7 one day and as we were finishing up he went over to reconnect the battery terminals. He was holding the wrench in the hand he wore his wedding band and let the wrench complete the circuit while he was holding it. His wedding band turned red-hot in an instant, burned him so bad I had to drive him to the hospital where they cut off his ring. Don't mess with electricity carelessly, I was changing my friends starter on his truck and he forgot that I told him to disconnect the battery (i should have double checked) and I almost got a nice zap. Grabbing both battery terminals MAY not hurt you but there are plenty of other ways you can get hurt with a cars electrical system.

 

I never said you could not burn yourself by putting a wrench accross the battery terminals, then touching the glowing hot metal, or waiting till the battery explodes from the current flow, and exposing yourself to the boiling hot battery acid, I merely said that you could not possibly electrocute yourself by touching any of the 12v wires in your automotive electrical system.