10-15 minutes. I've had a new water pump put in recently with no sign of change... and months ago I had some work done on the engine heads which fixed the problem for about 1 month until it started doing this again. I've been to 2 mechanics and it seems I always spend money for other stuff but this problem won't go away. The initial mechanic refused to take my car back in because according to them "the car wasn't overheating". Could this be a problem with the temperature gauge just giving me bad info or is it something else? Sorry, not too handy when it comes to cars but I want to take my car on long drives without having to worry about overheating. And yes, the fan is working and my radiator is not losing water.
2006-06-22 10:18:46 · 10 answers · asked by CruiznSD 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Are you sure the fan is working all the time when the car is running? I had a Honda that did the same thing...and come to find out the fan was only running some of the time.
2006-06-22 10:23:57 · answer #1 · answered by kparnell18inds 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be a sign of a bad head gasket. Most obvious signs: White dense smoke from the tail pipe. The vapors smell sweet. Overflowing radiator reservoir. Inconsistent coolant temperatures. The gauge needle may be spiking up and down at a fast pace. Oil has a white milky look to it, with water droplets forming, indicating coolant is mixed with it. You can see this on the oil dip stick. If you find the coolant is coming out of the radiator reservoir, install a new radiator cap. Radiator reservoir requires coolant to be added, even though it isn't leaking out.
If this does not fix the problem, chances are very high you have a bad head gasket. Coolant appears milky and slimy to touch, indicating oil.
If the cooling system leaks, it will make it impossible to troubleshoot any other problems until this is repaired. Check for green puddles under the car after it's parked. Open up the hood after driving and smell the engine. If you smell a sweet odor (like when cotton candy is being made) there is a leak somewhere. Look at all the hoses and watch for any green fluids indicating coolant. Many times you can also hear bubbling sounds which will lead you to the source. Last check is to squeeze the upper radiator hose after the engine has been shut down while hot. The hose should be very firm to the touch. If you can squeeze the hose significantly, it indicates a leak, or a faulty radiator cap.
If the car is only overheating in stop-and-go traffic, it is a very strong indication your cooling fan is not working properly. To test the cooling fan, drive the car for at least 30 minutes so it is nice and hot. Shut off the engine and open the hood. With your hand try to spin the cooling fan. It should offer resistance to the movement, and only spin about half a revolution. If it keeps spinning without much resistance, your cooling fan clutch is broken, and you must purchase a good unit, or install electric cooling fans. Also grasp the cooling fan and see if there is any free-play or wobbliness. If there is, it could break off causing much damage. Make sure to replace it.
If the car overheats at highway speeds and in stop-and-go driving, first step is to change the thermostat. You can test your unit, but they are so inexpensive that it makes sense just to purchase a new one. Even though you replaced it. They sell faulty ones all the time. Many car parts stores carry a high-flow units. The factory temperature is 190F, but you can install a 180F unit without any problems.
Clean the radiator! If the radiator is the original Honda unit, it is most likely internally clogged up. I would strongly suggest purchasing a new unit from the aftermarket vendors, they cost about 150 dollars. If you do not want to purchase a new unit at this time, remove the radiator and clean it inside and out by flushing with water.
Purge any air from the coolant system. While air in the coolant will not make you automatically overheat, it can add to the problem. The most obvious sign of air in the system is a spiking temperature gauge, and "gurgling" noises coming from the dash area (heater core is located there). Unfortunately these are also signs of a BHG. The simplest way to purge most of the air is to start with a cold car and remove the radiator cap. Start the engine up, and let the car warm up. Keep adding coolant or water to the radiator neck while it's running. When the thermostat opens, you will see the coolant level drop, or lots of air bubbles come out. It helps if you rev up the engine to about 2000 RPM. When the coolant level is stable and the thermostat is open (look at the temperature gauge), put the radiator cap back on. Any remaining air will purge itself during driving, in a healthy system.
2006-06-22 10:53:07 · answer #2 · answered by E M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might have a bad thermostat. Once the engine cools slightly, the thermostat should shut to allow the coolant in the radiator to cool sufficiently. Then when the vehicle gets warm again, the thermostat should open. If it is broken and stays open the fluid can pass too quickly through the radiator and not eliminate enough waste heat. I doubt it is your fan. They rarely ware out. Just start the vehicle and open the hood. When the vehicle gets warm you should be able see if the fan rotates or not. It is also not your water pump. If no coolant was running through your engine from lack of the pump operating, traveling a few miles per hour would not generate enough wind to cool the engine. The reason it cools of is because the pump is working and it is moving more water through your engine. Your temp gauge is measuring the water temp, not necessarly block temp. There is no way the slight amount of air flow generated from 10mph of travel could cool the water in the engine that quickly. That's why you have a thermostat. So you can cool the engine when you are not moving.
2016-05-20 12:05:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
what do you mean the cars been idle? you drive and then sit at a light and the temp goes up? The temp guauge should go up because not as much air is going across the radiator to cool the liquid....not a big deal as long as it stays in range.
First, make sure your radiator is clean on the outiside and the side where the fan shoots the air across it...get bugs and dirt off it. also, make sure fan shroud hasn't moved and is shooting air at the radiator.
2006-06-22 11:54:35 · answer #4 · answered by Iloveitwhenyoucallmebigpoppa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that is the answer, the thermostat. replace this and you may never have had to take it to the shop.you see,if it ever begins to overheat, the thermostat usually is bad or sticking,which in both cases its best to replace the defective one...do this..
but so radiatior FLUSH, pour it in let it idle 5-10 min,then pour out all the radiatior fluid, then remove the thermostat(easy),replce thermostat and fill with the correct coolant and bada bing bada boom,no more heat up.
2006-06-22 10:39:43 · answer #5 · answered by nickolaus c 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the thermostat is probably the answer, do it quickly because if your car overheats too much you can blow a head gasket and good luck then
2006-06-22 10:23:28 · answer #6 · answered by sherry s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try installing a new thermostat. Its cheap and easy to do yourself
2006-06-22 10:21:55 · answer #7 · answered by RYAN B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
HAVE YOU REPLACED THE THERMASTAT?
IT COULD BE THE PROBLEM, BUT I WOULD THINK THE MECHANIC WOULD CHECK THAT. IT'S A $5 FIX.
2006-06-22 10:26:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
check cooling fan relay
2006-06-22 10:23:40 · answer #9 · answered by bullticky 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thermostat , temperature gage aren't they the same thing?
2006-06-22 10:25:03 · answer #10 · answered by Virginia V 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋