i am at my wits end here in lower Arkansas! the problems with my vehicle i believe are symptoms of a cooling system not functioning correctly. there are no reputable shops anywhere near me that i feel confident could truly solve these issues so here i am.... my main issue is the car runs so hot the hoses bulge under the pressure but the temp gage never goes higher than midway. as far as i can tell at the rad cap coolant is not circulating but as far as i can tell the pump is not weeping. i have another issue with intermittent crank/no start but somehow with i feel like its a symptom of the overheating issue. often when it decides not to not run i can be allowed to cool down and it will reluctantly crank, run rough for a few seconds the run smooth as silk.

 

Is the lower hose getting hot as well? It may take a little for the thermostat to open, allowing the lower hose to warm up. If the lower hose never gets warm, you thermostat is the issue. Replace it with a OEM honda thermostat. Trust me, you will have issues with aftermarket, cheap thermostats.

Post a picture of the radiator cap. The radiator cap could be aftermarket allowing more than OE spec pressure in the coolant system and therefore the hoses will become swollen.

More than likely, the hoses are just worn from expanding and contracting for several years. The hose may look fine from the outside but the inside has lost structural support and the hose has become thinner. If the lower hose gets warm (mentioned above), the coolant temperature hand never moves from the half way mark and the hoses are still expanding, replace them. These hoses are not made to last a lifetime.

 

thanks for the input, i was fortunate enough to get my hands on a friends inferred thermometer and that gave me enough confidence to just let it sit and idle. the temp at both hoses at operating temperature stayed in the 150 to 175 range. after quite some time the fans finally cycled. my theory was that overheating was causing the computer to shut the engine down, causing a start/no crank. i now know that is not the case. however the start/ no crank still persisits. i ran a compression test and have 152 down the line.

 

Do you have a check engine light? From my experience, the start/no start issue usually stems from the fuel pump (PGM-FI) main relay. In your vehicle it's located under the glove box on the right corner. Pay close attention to the check engine light when the key is turned over to start the vehicle. It should come on briefly, (fuel pump prime) and then there is a faint audible click of a relay and then the light should go out. If the light remains lit with no fuel pump prime or click, the relay is the issue.

https://www.google.com/search?q=crv+...NWr2rhB-64B4M:

 

as chance would have it i met a mechanic who has just recently opened a shop very near my home. in fact he loaned me the thermometer to establish if the crv was truly running hot. he is convinced the issue is a sensor, seeing as all other parameters are well within normal operating ranges. i have neither the equipment or expertise to even begin correctly identifying which of the multitude of sensors may be the culprit. so ive decided to quit throwing parts at the problem hoping something sticks and turned the problem over to a professional. i will post the results of his findings later this week.