Ironic title yes..but problem baffles me...after having to push my car a bit harder to go through traffic. I then got into my spot at five guys where I ate and smelled a bit of coolant...now I lost coolant before so I was thinking yes this is my time to see where the damn leak is coming from...and it was what I suspected..The overflow has overflowed...


The gauge read normal and I think the fan was running previously. The radiator is in terrible condition so I will post pics of what it looks like. There is nothing blocking airflow so anyhelp is appreciated. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25825768@N05/5944030627/ here is my flickr slideshow...there are 4 or 5 pics pertaining to this topic. Rest aren't

The area where there are fins missing are patches around the whole rad itself.

 

damn ur rad looks like **** bro

 

Possible causes:

- Blockage (probably the rad)
- Bad headgasket (blowing coolant out of the overflow is a classic sign)

 

There is no air blowing out of the overflow...someone mentioned a bad radiator cap...does that make any sense?
it does...its 20 years old and has almost 300k miles...

 

it's the rad cap. guaranteed. especially since you've indicated that the car isn't overheating.
the cap is a 2 way valve. at a specified temp, it allows coolant into the tank. then, when the temp lowers, it allows the coolant back into the rad. it's allowing it out, but not back in

 

yeah I am actually seeing that the coolant is not going back in, although some actually did go back in...but not much.

Now I was going to buy just the cap online so that it would be a genuine honda one. Although is stant any good?

Also it was fine like a few weeks back...why it crap the bed now?

 

well, that's what happens to parts. they wear out and crap the bed. seemingly fine one day, done the next.
only other possibility is that the supply line for the tank is collapsing inside under vacuum.
could be that as well

 

Looks like you need to overhaul the cooling system.

 

Well, I think I am gonna start with the cap, and then if it doesn't return I will do the line. The cap is like 15 bucks from a dealer...and like 10 online.

I was just beginning to get freaked out cause the car was not over heating and the gauge read normal...but the engine was really hot and the overflow was filled past its limits...

 

coo. let us know how it turns out

 

Will do thanks for your help.


Eventually I plan to do the radiator...when it starts to leak. I never had any cooling issues before..this is the first one.

 

my rad is 20 years old as well and doesnt look anything like that

keep us updated bro

 

Yeah but where do you live? Like in a snowy climate? They were experimenting with the salt for the past 15 years...apparently there wasn't enough then there was too much..

Will do. Probably will just buy one from the dealer and fork out an extra 5 bucks.

 

heh. jus looked at the pic of that rad. needless to say, get that changed asap as well

 

I definately say bad head gasket

 

now wouldn't it be funny if he went ahead and did the headgasket only to find that it was his cap? or overflow hose?
because that's what would happen

he's not overheating. it's the cap/hose

 

Yeah I will get that eventually...sooner rather then later. What are some good brands to go with and some to stay away from.
Its not. I don't get overheating, nor any other symptom.
I wouldn't have any oil leaks that would be a plus...but this is why I wanted to know if I was in danger. I didn't want to replace my head gasket...although I was thinking it was the radiator cause it was not over heating.

Also I don't think its a hose because it does infact suck it back in...its just it lets too much out.

 

it may seem like it's letting too much out. but what is probably happening is it's filling the tank because not enough is being allowed back in.
the cap is basically a positive displacement valve. whatever goes out, should come back in

 

now if the spring in the cap which allows coolant into the tank were to fail, which is what i think you're getting at, you would be overheating. as the system wouldn't have that pressure placed on it.
remember, for every 1psi of pressure placed on the coolant, we get a 3*f raise in the boiling point of it. without that 14 or 15 psi of pressure, we overheat quickly

 

Whoever said the radiator cap has my vote. But unless your set on honda parts I think autozone has one for 7 dollars in stock

 

Oh and El Crapitan gave the perfect explanation. And as far as it "overfilling" are you sure the valve is is just not staying shut and causing it to boil? Sorry I had to ask cuz my friends did that and it was a $7 fix

 

This is what I was thinking...it was bubbling to an extent. I gotta replace this anyways. So this is where I start.
Right, but for some reason its over filling it when hot hot, not just idle hot. It does take the fluid back in though...just not well the last I saw.
Yeah I heard to stay away from aftermarket ones because I heard it may not fit right...and my luck I have a denso rad, they will give me one for another one or something.

I will update you if this was the problem.

 

Don't go half arsed here, Go a get either a good used rad, or a new one. Your rad is on it's way out.

 

Yes I gotta look into a good aftermarket brand, and gotta start pricing them out.


Anyways the new cap seemed to have stopped the severe overflow...now I just hope the stupid hose didn't collapse on me.

 

Update new cap fixed the overflowing...but now it won't let it back into the rad and now it will overflow that way...I had to use the cap from a toyo rad because the dealer said it was interchangable...I have a denso rad. What would be the cause of this though? I think I am going to switch back to my old cap to see what difference that makes.

EDIT: So my old cap gets the coolant back into the rad..why doesn't the new one? The new one stops the absurd amounts of coolant being dumped into the overflow..but nothing returns.