Car is always overheating???

[86exi]

Hi there,

The summer is coming around and my car has always had a problem when the weather is hot. I always have to turn my heat on for the temp gauge to go lower?? Can someon tell me what to change??

Thanks!!
:smokin:

[Jdub07]

Originally posted by 86exi
Hi there,

The summer is coming around and my car has always had a problem when the weather is hot. I always have to turn my heat on for the temp gauge to go lower?? Can someon tell me what to change??

Thanks!!
:smokin:

mine goes up too when it is summer....doesn't seem to cause any problems for the car I figure its just hotter outside. I also have my temp controls set on hot but I always do, if is hot out or cold. I have no A/C so it can get pretty toasty up in there. the gauge hardly ever goes above half way..if it does its because its like 90 degrees out and I'm stuck in stop and go traffic.

[OldSchoolSwap]

Several things can be checked:

-Thermostat (pretty cheap too)
-Make sure your coolant is nice and green (not brown and rusted, as this may lower cooling efficiency)
-Check all fan relays in the engine bay's fuse box.
-Make sure that the fans are working properly
-I think there's also a temp sensor that activates the fans as well (don't know where though) some cars have it bolted in the radiator.

Redline also makes a coolant additive that will keep things cooler. I think its called WATER WET.

[hondaman87]

as old school sayed should do

the main thing you shoul check 1st is the thermo sensor. there are 2 of them but the one is mainly known to go bad is the one locatedon the bottom of the radiator,and the other one is behind the engine

i hope this will help you

[rocky2]

start 3-g up cold :smokin: ,now let idle wait a few minutes ....now feel both radiator hoses they both should be warm/hot if not thermostat is not working replace try again now do both get warm hot and fans come on? if so

[1988starter]

look at the hole i the lower right of the crappy radiator that is where one thermo sensor is. It is faceing the engine. Drain your radiator before removeing it or it will drain when you take it out.

[A20A1]

Also check under your car for leaks... if your water pump is leaking it will cause overheating if you dont fill the radiator on a daily basis. Also check the hoses... pincch them with your fingers when the car is cool... if the hoses are extremely soft or are crunchy then replace them.

[accordlx]

You either have a bad thermostat as mentioned earlier, a partially plugged radiator, or a bad water pump.

I've heard several people say that their cars run hotter in the summer vs. the winter and their thermostats go higher during hotter days. This is not normal and should checked by a qualified technician.

Here in Ohio, it goes from -5 degrees in the winter to 95 in the summertime. Once my car is warmed up, my temp needle always stays in the same position no matter what the temperature is outside. If it does move which it has in the past several times, I know something is immediately wrong with my car. Even when I run the A/C, it runs pretty much at the same temperature but never approaches anywhere close to the red zone.

The quickest fix to your problem would be to go to an auto parts store and get a 180 degree thermostat. That is the OEM temperature that came on the car from the factory.

Also make sure that your coolant system is bled properly. The correct way to do this is to take off the radiator cap when the car is cold. Start the car and let it warm up completely while running the heat full blast. Then after the thermostat opens up, top off the coolant in the radiator. Then slightly crack open the bleeder screw on the coolant intake housing until you don't get any bubbles. (Very hot here, be extremely careful and dont open it too far, you'll make a hot water fountain you wont want to touch.)
Close the bleeder valve and recheck the coolant level. Also make sure that you are getting hot heat inside the car. Replace the cap and you are done. Also check the coolant in the external tank. Make sure it is within the correct levels.

I hope this helps.

Chris

[rocky2]

You MUST!! insure coolent is circulating thoughout system!!! I mean though the radiator itself. 3-g's ....with a bad thermostat will still circulate hot coolent just though the top end of engine and heater lines. And if you don't travel far you may not even notice a impending coolent system faliure. So idle up 3-g and wait till cooling fans come on,that will tell you if the systems working properly cause the temperture senser is at bottom of radiator. You won't notice a problem until you travel a long distance. SO FEEL THAT LOWER RADIATOR HOSE AND MAKE SURE FANS COME ON AT IDLE!!

[ALTERED4]

my car would over heat for the longest time, once the temp gauge needle got close to the H, the fans would come on, so i figured the problem had to do with the thermo switch... i swapped out the fan switch located in the thermostat housing, and all my problems were solved, i also swapped out the thermostat just to make sure...

[CoAsTeR]

Mitchell calls for about a 25 degree difference between the top hose and bottom one. Check to see if your rad is actually doing its job. Bottom hose should be colder.

I recommend flushing your system first, perhaps its just plugged up a bit.

Then change your thermostat as everyone mentions, cheap and easy to do.

Then I would pickup a fan relay from a scrap yard and replace the one you got. its under the hood in the fuel panel, can't miss it. Mine was faulty as well, the fans wouldn't kick in as often as they should have, my car overheated. Just replace the relay in that case.

The only thing left after that would be your sensor. The sensor for the fans to come on is in the bottom of the rad. The sensor on the back of your manifold is only for the temp gauge, so it prob won't help changing it. But I doubt its the sensor, not often it goes.

Anyways, thats my 2 cents worth, kinda what everyone else mentioned I guess, but hey.... I felt like posting

[CoAsTeR]

actually, while I'm here I thought I'd mention that it wouldn't be a bad idea to just check the quality of your coolant. Go get/borrow a coolant fluid quality check guage thingy. Even if your coolant is green, it doesn't mean its good shit...... good luck!!

[dj99]

While your're all checking your green coolant, here's something to think about. Somewhere along the line, Honda has changed their ONLY recommended coolant to the extended life, orange type.

From their owner's website:
"Honda Genuine Antifreeze/Coolant
Honda Genuine Antifreeze/Coolant offers unmatched protection and performance. Most other coolants contain borates and/or silicates which can act as abrasives in your Honda's cooling system, causing premature seal wear and leakage. What's more, new Honda Genuine Antifreeze/Coolant Type 2 features extended protection for up to 5 years or 60,000 miles - making it the only recommended coolant for your Honda."

My last water pump lasted just under 2 years. The shop said maybe there was sand in the casting. Bull, there was sand in the green coolant in the form of silicates! I did a complete flush and changeover.

[Chrome_thangs]

I just changed my water pump and flushed the system. When i bought The new type II coolant it was GREEN, not ORANGE.

[dj99]

Yeah, i posted that over 2 months ago. Since then I found out Honda's Type II is a green color just like all the old stuff. ???

I made the decision to go with the standard orange stuff off the shelf. Nobody in my research could tell me why Honda's is so necessary. The only difference from reading the label is that is pre-mixed with demineralized water.

My 3G was made before Type II existed, and I'm hoping my water pumps (4 so far) will last longer than they have so far with the stuff. Runs cool too!

[POS carb]

cooling system maintenance
never tamper with the cooling system until the motor has reached a temperature low enough that you can put your hand on the exhaust without flinching. do not hose down a hot motor either. a large cfm fan helps a lot. this is for your safety as well as preventing stress on the metal from sharp/uneven changes in temperature

1. system check.... check water level. make sure fans operate, if not check relays/sensor/fuses. if you get temperature increases only at idle it's a fan problem, if it's when you are moving it's a thermostat/blockage problem. check the condition of the water pump and its belt. if your car overheats after your battery light comes on you've snapped the belt.

2. flush your cooling system thoroughly
a. buy a flushing product
b. OPTIONAL buy a cleaning product *the kind you leave in for a few days*
c. buy a new thermostat and gasket - under 10 dollars
d. locate the 2 cooling system drains, there's the one at the base of the radiator and there's also a 17mm block drain bolt behind the exhaust manifold.
e. flush out as much as you can with a hose, remember to leave the heat slider to full heat at your a/c controls
f. after flushing with water pour in the flush product, fill the system with water, and follow the instructions on the bottle as to how long you leave it in.
g. use cleaner if necessary, follow bottle instructions. remember to thoroughly flush out any products from the system before adding coolant.
h. it's good to clean out the overflow tank, it collects all sorts of strange growths over the years and it gets sucked up by the car when the level drops.
i. OPTIONAL replace your radiator cap if the seal is wearing out on yours.

3. misc
transfer of heat is the whole principle behind the cooling system. the better the efficiency the less chance you have overheating. if you do not live in an area where the temperature drops below freezing then you can run straight water with a corrosion inhibitor. i've done this for over a year now and have no more temperature problems, the fluid is less viscous and transfers heat better than a water/coolant mix. those towing checmicals like juan mentioned shouldn't be required but they are a good quick-fix. don't dunp antifreeze down the driveway unless you like killing dogs

[Einstein]

Type II is GREEN!

I used the orange stuff in my 92 Civic and the water pump started leaking very shortly thereafter. I would NEVER use it again.

[dosh8er]

And now MY word on the coolant issue...

Hrm.. that's interesting. Honda makes a "Dexcool" type coolant (extended warranty coolant, that's what the pink/orange stuff is called. GM uses it in all their 95 or newer vehicles). The advantage of the 'pink' (ext. warranty) stuff is that it does, as dj99 said, eliminate the source of silicates in your system. The only reason people have problems with this abrasive problem is because they DON'T service their system on the recommended service interval. Although, it has been proven that this new coolant type eliminates those silicates, regular maintenence of the vehicle's cooling system will insure the maximum life of the system. If you have the chance to flush your system completely, I would urge that you buy the "dexcool" (pink) coolant (it will be pink, or it's NOT the new type, I don't know what crack Honda is smoking, but it must be good $hit!)

And, NO there is no difference between the pink and the green besides this silicate deal. The ONLY reason they are two different colors is for RECOGNITION purposes only. (that standard crap, you know, like the blue handicap symbol, or other stuff like that.. standards)

A side note on coolant, while I'm here; There are TWO things, that's right, hear me out, two things that you/me/your uncle/etc. should check when determining coolant quality. Those two are, 1) Hydrometer test (how low the coolant acts as a anti-freeze) and 2) and acid/base test. The acid/base test determines how acidic your coolant is. This is obviously a overlooked issue, because coolant is a BIG factor in the death of your head gasket and other seals/rubber hoses/radiator/etc. Even if the coolant is green, it may still be very acidic, which will in turn eat the living heck out of your water passages/hoses/and most importantly, head gasket, thus leading to premature head gasket failure (leading us down the road of lost compression, oil in the coolant, smoking, and the bad evil one, cracked head from improper cooling)

So take it from someone who cares... no... I don't really care... I'm just passing on useful advice, check out BOTH of those two items with yer coolant, acidity and hydrometer.

--"Ah yes, coolant that doesn't need service for 60,000 miles... what I nice thing to have..."

[1988starter]

I use prestone.

[CoAsTeR]

Who needs coolant.... water works great! gets a little chunky in the winter time but hey.... it works!


hahahha... ok, just kidding

[accordlx]

Did anyone else notice this thread was started in May when it was still springtime?