Hey guys, I have a 92 Prelude that I just changed the radiator on. I got the new radiator....but it looked a little different than the one already on my car. It had two copper valves on it that my OEM one did not have. I looke don the box and it said it was for a 1992-96 Prelude Si.

I installed it with no issues. When I started it up and let it idle for 5 minutes...the car got VERY HOT!!! I wan't paying attention and then all of the sudden the temp gauge was almost at the red. So I shut it down...waited for it to cool...added more water/coolant. I started it up again...samething happened.

Then I popped the hood and checked to see if it was leaking at all. Nope. Then I put my hand on the rad. hose that connects to the top of the radiator. That thing was VERY hot. I checked the hose going to the bottom of the rad....and that was cold. I tried to open up the radiator cap. There was a lot of pressure...but the water spewing out was not hot at all.

Any idea what could be worng?? I hope my water pump didn't go bad.

PLEASE HELP!!

Thanks

 

did u let the air outta the system?

 

How do I do that??

 

thermostat may be stuck now??

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Yield &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thermostat may be stuck now??</TD></TR></TABLE>

I talked with my friend who mainly works on BMWs. He recomends filling up the radiator....let the car run...and then slowly add more coolant/water and it sucks it down.

What I did was just fill up the radiator...put the cap on...and then drove the car. I let it warm up. Then I let it cool and added more coolant/water. Bad??

 

i have a suggestion that will help circulate water through the motor. Idle ur car till u notice the temp gauge getting a little high. Rev ur motor high several times, have ur heater on. I garentee the air coming out of ur vents with the heater on will be cool (before u rev). while ur reving ur engine feel the air (it should be ******* hot as hell) and notice the guage drop.

while ur idling have someone fill ur radaitor. You shoudl be able to watch the water go in, then be "sucked" down. I don't suggest reving it when the caps open. I dunno what would happen lol.

 

Ever think it might be a bad head gasket? Or a cracked head?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AndyD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I talked with my friend who mainly works on BMWs. He recomends filling up the radiator....let the car run...and then slowly add more coolant/water and it sucks it down.

What I did was just fill up the radiator...put the cap on...and then drove the car. I let it warm up. Then I let it cool and added more coolant/water. Bad??</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ya, you should run the car as you are filling - it opens the thermostat and allows the fluid to go through the system and get rid of air bubbbles. Also with the cap off squeeze the hoses to try and push bubbles toward the rad.


Modified by Yield at 1:32 AM 10/15/2003

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cottonwoodz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ever think it might be a bad head gasket? Or a cracked head?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It was working fine before I changed the radiator.

What are the signs of a bad water pump?? Bad head gasket?? Cracked head?? Will I see it leaking somewhere??

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Yield &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Ya, you should run it as you are filling - it opens the thermostat and allows the fluid to go through the system and get rid of air bubbbles. Also with the cap off squeeze the hoses to try and for bubbles toward the rad.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I ran the car with the radiator cap off. I was filling it up when it reached operating temp. and then I ran the heater. Still no luck.

The only thing I can think of is that my water pump went bad. How can I check to check to see if this is the issue??

EDIT: When the car overheats and I pull over. When I take off the radiator cap...there is pressure. Water still spews out...but it is still cold.

 

Could be a lot of things but I'm just saying that I've heard of people's thermostats getting stuck closed when they didn't flush it properly. It's like a $30 part or something, but you'd have to flush it again.

 

may you forgot to plug in the fan?

 

may you forgot to plug in the fan?

My sentiment exactly. You also did not purge the air correctly out of the system. When your are adding the coolant(50/50 mix) back into the system you fill it as full as it will get, turn the car on, the coolant level will drop down because some air was just purged, add more coolant to top it off again as the car is running give it a couple more revs, top off again, sqeeze upper and lower radiator hose, top off again. At this piont your car should be near operating temp, put the radiator cap back an and open up the bleeder valve-which should be located on the thermostat housing, turn it 1/8-1/4 turn until you see a steady stream of coolant close the valve. Keep in mind you need to have your heater turned on and your set at hot while purging. turn the vehicle off and add coolant to the recovery tank and let it sit until the temp guage indicates cold, about 30-45min. Take off the radiator cap and add coolant as necessary, this should be enough to bleed the system. It is also a great idea to change the thermostat whenever the cooling sytem is serviced. If bleeding the system more does not help change the thermostat and make sure the fan is plugged in-if you still are overheating pull the spark plugs if they are white headgasket is gone, if your water pump is bad it will either be leaking or you will hear a grinding, oscillating sound. Hope this helps.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ScareyH22A &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">may you forgot to plug in the fan?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh, I forgot to mention that the fan does come on.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Gerhard_001 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">may you forgot to plug in the fan?

My sentiment exactly. You also did not purge the air correctly out of the system. When your are adding the coolant(50/50 mix) back into the system you fill it as full as it will get, turn the car on, the coolant level will drop down because some air was just purged, add more coolant to top it off again as the car is running give it a couple more revs, top off again, sqeeze upper and lower radiator hose, top off again. At this piont your car should be near operating temp, put the radiator cap back an and open up the bleeder valve-which should be located on the thermostat housing, turn it 1/8-1/4 turn until you see a steady stream of coolant close the valve. Keep in mind you need to have your heater turned on and your set at hot while purging. turn the vehicle off and add coolant to the recovery tank and let it sit until the temp guage indicates cold, about 30-45min. Take off the radiator cap and add coolant as necessary, this should be enough to bleed the system. It is also a great idea to change the thermostat whenever the cooling sytem is serviced. If bleeding the system more does not help change the thermostat and make sure the fan is plugged in-if you still are overheating pull the spark plugs if they are white headgasket is gone, if your water pump is bad it will either be leaking or you will hear a grinding, oscillating sound. Hope this helps.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Good advice!!! I will drain the whole system, change the thermostat, and refill the way you guys suggest.

 

open the bleeder screw on top of the thermostate housing and see if there is any more air

 

hey man!!! mine went on no problem.
those two copper pipes at the bottom are for the auto. tranny coolant if you don't already know - you got a manual? just cap 'em off. when you finished the install, you had to bleed the air outta the system! did you?
open up the bleed bolt on the top of the thermostat (where the lower radiator hose runs to) start pouring in coolant until all the air bubbles come out of that bleeder. when it's shooting out a steady stream of coolant (just like brake bleeding), tighten it down.
oh **** - i just repeated what gerhard said. well he's right - same as the manual says and i did - and what worked for me.
good luck dude.
then fill up the radiator the rest of the way to the base of the neck - THen start your car with the heat on high and wait for it to warm up - filling up as you wait if it needs. then fill up the overflow tank and you're set.

 

Ok, I will try that.

Do you think I should drain all the fluid and start over??

 

i did, but that was cause i had so much crap in there from when it went bad. it turned brown instantly. so i flushed again and got it to that nice neon green.

so did you bleed the air out? real easy to bleed the thing with that thermo. bleeder.

 

before buying a new thrmostat. just take it out, if that helps it was the prob. the is nothing wrong w/running no thrmo-it just takes forever to warm up.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jagan'92 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i did, but that was cause i had so much crap in there from when it went bad. it turned brown instantly. so i flushed again and got it to that nice neon green.

so did you bleed the air out? real easy to bleed the thing with that thermo. bleeder.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I already flushed mine COMEPLETELY out. I drained it out when I had my old radiator in the car and then I put mainly water in the radiator. I ran it for a few weeks...until yesterday.

I did not bleed the system. I will do that today.

Where exactly is the bleeder valve?? Is it easy to see??

Thanks you ALL for the suggestions!!

 

this is how i bleed the cooling system of air bubbles. fill up the radiator with coolant, and with the cap off, start the engine and let it run for about 30 seconds. then close the cap and locate the bleeder valve ontop of the thermostat housing.to locate it, just follow the lower radiator hose all the way back to the engine block. where the hose ends is where the thermostat housing is. the bleeder valve is the 12mm nipple-looking nut with a small hole in the top. turn it counter-clockwise to loosen and bubbles should start coming up. keep the bleeder valve open until the coolant coming out is clear of bubbles and tighten the valve. let the engine sit and run for about 10 minutes and keep an eye on the coolant temp. gauge.

 

^^ exactly andy - follow the lower hose to the thermostat and the nipple sticking vertically from the top is what you loosen until a steady stream of coolant comes out. i think it's 10mm, but whatever, you should see it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AndyD &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Then I put my hand on the rad. hose that connects to the top of the radiator. That thing was VERY hot. I checked the hose going to the bottom of the rad....and that was cold. I tried to open up the radiator cap. There was a lot of pressure...but the water spewing out was not hot at all.

</TD></TR></TABLE>
from what you described it sounds like your thermostat isn't opening. I would replace the thermostat. then fill the radiator back up and bleed the air. even though its been stated above already i'll break it down for you

1. leave the cap off and start the car
2. fill fluid again, then squeeze the upper and lower rad hoses. more air will escape, do this untill the air stops coming out.
3. put more fluid in and put the radiator cap on.
4. open the bleeder screw on the thermostat housing until only fluid flows out.
5. shut the car off, fill the radiator again (if needed) and fill the overflow tank.

 

Cool. I will work on it today. I only have 1.5 hours to get it working. I have a driving event this weekend with the Ferarri Club. I DO NOT want to miss this!!!

Thanks EVERYONE!!!