I recently got this 2000 Accord v6 and it has a few issues I'm struggling to solve. The first one is that my reservoir tank keeps spewing out coolant anytime the engine is warm until the reservoir is almost empty. I bought a new cap today and it fits better but still has that issue in the video. What should I do so the tank holds pressure? Second, my gauge cluster sometimes will just turn off and I have to smack it for the lights to turn back on. Like there's a short circuit or something. Lastly that engine noise, it randomly makes that sound and to me, it sounds like a tensioner but when I look at the serpentine belt tensioner I see no wobble or anything, also it sounds like its coming from more of the middle ish area of the engine, not the side but I could be wrong. Another thing I didn't mention is that my cruise control just doesn't work and I checked for a bad fuse but they look fine, so not really sure where to look. Are the wires to the cruise control and gauge cluster in a similar area?

Just wanting some thoughts, thanks everyone!

 

Alright, so the overflow tank doesn't hold pressure, it just contains the bit of overflow from the engine when the coolant heats up and expands. Radiator caps hold pressure. Uncontrolled overflow is usually a dead giveaway for a bad head gasket, unless your radiator had a bad cap. Does the tank start overflowing as soon as the engine runs? If it does that screams head gasket. If it does after the engine has warmed up that could be a bad cap. Or the cap could be the wrong type, there are two designs, one OEM type for a small hole and one for an aftermarket large hole. Check your radiator for fitment, I've had great use from a Sankei cap, since my radiator is aftermarket.

Bad tensioners usually make belts squeal when they go bad. Could be anything, really. Valvetrain maybe?

Good luck with the intermittent gauge lights, probably something loose behind the gauge cluster. Removing it for inspection can be done but it is a operation and a half. Cruise Control is probably too old to work right, mine works intermittently.

 

Yikes, the reason why I bought this car is because it was some old people wanting a 1000 for it. But the kick was a “possible blown head gasket.” When I met them in person I found out that the cap had been leaking and I saw zero sign of a blown head gasket to my knowledge. There was no oil in the coolant and no coolant in the oil, nothing coming out of the exhaust, and it ran better than my Lexus. So I bought it for 900 thinking it was just the cap leaking, Ive been daily driving the thing for almost a month now because my Lexus broke down 2 days after because of a bad camsensor, so I bought the car. The coolant was very dirty but doesn't seem like it was from oil or anything, I thought they had just put old coolant in it. The radiator, and water pump had been replaced by them but it kept running out of coolant and overheating, that's why they sold it. Like I said though I just thought that for some reason the cap leaked under pressure and that's why it would run out. I never knew there wasn't supposed to be pressure in the reservoir. Anyways if it is a blown head gasket, I get out of school soon and Im trying to learn. I think a 900$ car would be my best bet when tearing my first engine apart. Thanks