ARGHG! car over heating

[jasonrebellion]

i've already replaced the tw sensor and the fan sensor on my 87 lxi....car ran fine til now..its getting into the red and then it'll come down just a bit then go back up......i know the fan switch is working cause the fan comes on, the tw sensor isn't throwing a code, so i got to thinking thermostat sticking maybe....but the upper radiator hose is hot as shit..so that seems to be working....i pulled the cap off and jumped back all quick like and the radiator spit out fluid all over my engine bay in the walmart parking lot.....help please..i don't want my car to die........seriously though..any help would be appreciated

[nswst8]

Water pump been replaced? Need more details of what been replaced. You might need a new radiator. Put your heater on high and bleed the air out of the system. lets see if that helps.

[jasonrebellion]

i replaced the water pump around the time of the tw sensor.....back around april or may i do believe..I'll try bleeding it again though...it kind of did this when i first bought the car back when the tw sensor was bad and it was throwing code 6, i replaced the water pump cause it was leaking out of the weep holes, and i bled it then......if you pop the radiator cap off are you supposed to bleed it everytime?

[nswst8]

No, just when you have to add fluid to the system. Like the radiator being half empty. Are you loosing fluid?

[jasonrebellion]

No, just when you have to add fluid to the system. Like the radiator being half empty. Are you loosing fluid?

I'm not losing any fluid that I'm aware of....when i pulled the cap off the radiator was full....I've read somethin about a thermowax valve? what does that do?

[nswst8]

I've Pm'ed you call me.

[nswst8]

Just remember that it is a mechanial cooling system. This means its operation is from heat and pressure. ie: a faulty radiator cap can cause over heating.

If you do not know the history of the vehicle you have. You will have to investigate all aspects of its components.

[jasonrebellion]

replaced the radiator cap with a new one, bought a thermostat but it didn't come with an o ring and they didn't have one in stock so i haven't replaced that yet....drove the car one mile up the road, flat ground , no hard acceleration, was in the red from cold in less than a mile....so im tryin to find a new o ring for the thermostat

[Oldblueaccord]

Yeah it sounds like the poppet is stuck on the tstat.


wp

[nswst8]

Honda parts dept would have the gasket.

[jasonrebellion]

got it....about to put it in now..hopefully this fixes it....

[nswst8]

I'm confident that it will.

[jasonrebellion]

I'm confident that it will.

and you were exactly right! I believe the old one was stuck closed....the little metal thing with the spring on it was stuck inwards, whereas the new one was outwhen i bought it so i assume they're open by default....I really appreciate the help Phil, thanks a lot! You really explained it to me where it was easy to understand! I don't know what I would have done without 3geez

[nswst8]

Glad to have been of help. Keep the faith these are great little cars. Alittle elbow grease and you will have a reliable ride.

[ecogabriel]

and you were exactly right! I believe the old one was stuck closed....the little metal thing with the spring on it was stuck inwards, whereas the new one was outwhen i bought it so i assume they're open by default....I really appreciate the help Phil, thanks a lot! You really explained it to me where it was easy to understand! I don't know what I would have done without 3geez

Thermostats are closed at room temperature; depending on the setting stamped on them they would open at say 170 or 180 degrees.
Yours was most likely stuck partially open and restricted the flow of hot coolant from the engine to the radiator.

Congrats on fixing the problem and being watchful of the gauges; some people believe that gauges are for show and would stop when smoke comes out of the engine bay... I know that because I sleep with one of them...

[w261w261]

Congrats on fixing the problem and being watchful of the gauges; some people believe that gauges are for show and would stop when smoke comes out of the engine bay... I know that because I sleep with one of them...

AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING? How about sleeping with one of the them, who, along with our grown son, says "smoke was coming from the [engine bay], so I decided to drive home (6 miles) and tell you about it." Bye bye head gasket.

[w261w261]

and you were exactly right! I believe the old one was stuck closed....the little metal thing with the spring on it was stuck inwards, whereas the new one was outwhen i bought it so i assume they're open by default....I really appreciate the help Phil, thanks a lot! You really explained it to me where it was easy to understand! I don't know what I would have done without 3geez

Jason, now that you're into it, maybe you should take a look at the coolant hoses, particularly the radiator hoses. Take one off at one end and look at the inside for cracking or softness. If a little hose splits you can usually make it home, but if a big one goes, you're probably going to stop.

And you know about bleeding the cooling system after putting in the thermostat, right? Also, cleaning out the coolant recovery bottle so you can see the level will give you advance warning of a leak, before the bottle is empty and the level goes down in the radiator leading to overheating.

[nswst8]

AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING? How about sleeping with one of the them, who, along with our grown son, says "smoke was coming from the [engine bay], so I decided to drive home (6 miles) and tell you about it." Bye bye head gasket.

That sounds like my brothers.

[ecogabriel]

AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING? How about sleeping with one of the them, who, along with our grown son, says "smoke was coming from the [engine bay], so I decided to drive home (6 miles) and tell you about it." Bye bye head gasket.

I was driving "her" car one night; I noticed the temp gauge jumping a bit from its normal position. I asked her whether she had seen that before and she said "No, never seen that". That happened in the dead of winter and driving in highway; I kept driving but my mind was on that (and my eye on the gauge).
The following day went to autozone and got a thermostat. Got the old out; it was getting stuck as I could see the scratches in the copper thingy at the bottom scratching the thermostat body. That explain the "jumps; when temperature rose it got stuck until eventually more temperature would force it to open. I installed the new one and never have a problem again (or a jumping temp gauge for that matter)
I took the old one and asked her with it on my hand telling her that this could not start happening that very night, but she kept saying "Never saw that, I don't know how it happened because I never saw that...".
I am pretty sure she never saw it because the only gauge she pays attention to is the fuel gauge. The others? for her they are for show.

And this is one sample; two batteries died on her and never noticed that the starter was lazy a few days before the battery ended up dying on her; she would tell me about it afterwards...

I concluded that no car should be "hers" alone. She drives a clunker one week and then I drive that the following week while she gets to drive another clunker. Doing things that way I may pick up on problems before having to collect the pieces of the car from the road.

So, your "significant other" drove 6 miles with the car smoking???? And your grown up son with her????
WOW!!
At least the cylinder head did not end up warped...

[Dr_Snooz]

I was driving "her" car one night; I noticed the temp gauge jumping a bit from its normal position. I asked her whether she had seen that before and she said "No, never seen that". That happened in the dead of winter and driving in highway; I kept driving but my mind was on that (and my eye on the gauge).
The following day went to autozone and got a thermostat. Got the old out; it was getting stuck as I could see the scratches in the copper thingy at the bottom scratching the thermostat body. That explain the "jumps; when temperature rose it got stuck until eventually more temperature would force it to open. I installed the new one and never have a problem again (or a jumping temp gauge for that matter)
I took the old one and asked her with it on my hand telling her that this could not start happening that very night, but she kept saying "Never saw that, I don't know how it happened because I never saw that...".
I am pretty sure she never saw it because the only gauge she pays attention to is the fuel gauge. The others? for her they are for show.

And this is one sample; two batteries died on her and never noticed that the starter was lazy a few days before the battery ended up dying on her; she would tell me about it afterwards...

I concluded that no car should be "hers" alone. She drives a clunker one week and then I drive that the following week while she gets to drive another clunker. Doing things that way I may pick up on problems before having to collect the pieces of the car from the road.

So, your "significant other" drove 6 miles with the car smoking???? And your grown up son with her????
WOW!!
At least the cylinder head did not end up warped...

We can't figure out how they manage to completely destroy a car that's lighting up like a Christmas tree with warning lights for tens of thousands of miles beforehand. In their defense, though, they can't figure out how we could possibly ever forget a birthday or anniversary.

God bless 'em.

[jasonrebellion]

Jason, now that you're into it, maybe you should take a look at the coolant hoses, particularly the radiator hoses. Take one off at one end and look at the inside for cracking or softness. If a little hose splits you can usually make it home, but if a big one goes, you're probably going to stop.

And you know about bleeding the cooling system after putting in the thermostat, right? Also, cleaning out the coolant recovery bottle so you can see the level will give you advance warning of a leak, before the bottle is empty and the level goes down in the radiator leading to overheating.

I gave em a look over while i changed the thermostat...it looks like the hoses were replaced before the car sat for 2 years before I bought it..they look almost brand new..... the only leak I've had was when my water pump started dripping at the weep holes....replaced it and checked the timing belt which appeared almost new so I didn't change it