Honda Accord 1996 is still leaking coolant after changing most of cooling system. What else could it be?

Question

My car is leaking coolant everytime I drive it. From the looks of it, coolant is coming out of the radiator cap while I'm driving because I can see small puffs of smoke/stream and smell it. When I stop the car and let it sit for a few minutes or a few hours, coolant drips from under and near the reserve tank and under some places of the radiator. Also, it seems the more I drive the more coolant I lose. I had the water pump/timing/oil changed a few days ago. Upper and lower radiator hoses changed 2 months ago. And a new radiator cap half a year ago. All parts are Honda OEM and installed by the Dealership.

I am thinking that my radiator is bad or maybe that and the fans. What does it look like to you guys? Could it be a blown head gasket or bad ATF hoses? Anything else that could possibly be wrong?

I refill the coolant before every drive and check the oil while I do. Oil seems clean and always at the same level. And there is no white/grey residue under the oil cap.

Answer 1

look closely to the radiator top tank...there very common for them to crack on that year model....look close and u will find it

Answer 2

Okay, I guess you've checked the thermostat and also checked the fans by now to see that they're actually still hooked up and haven't had a wire pulled off from the sensor switch. That sort of thing happens now and then when pople have been working under the hood.

It SOUNDS like the cylinder head or gasket. The car's running and coolant loss symptoms you've described match up perfectly. BUT, you say the oil is clean, which is so definitive that it almost rules out the head.

Could be a partially blocked radiator core, yes. But if the flow looks good I'd doubt it. You can get it flow tested if you like. Good garages have the gadgets to do it. It's also possible that the reserve tank has a crack in it. Very rare but possible.

One last possibility comes to mind. I hate to suggest it but there is a slight chance that it's an external, hairline crack in the engine block. In that case, the oil will still run clean but you'll lose coolant. One of my friends had it happen on a racing buggy and it drove them nuts until they asked my Dad and he found it.

(These sorts of cracks are usually a result of having the engine really hot then going through water -- like a deep puddle. It's possible to 'shock' the block and crck it. It's something like putting a hot jar in cold water. Not as dramatic, of course, but the varying rates of expansion can cause a fracture in the metal.)

Hope that's not it the block because it's a major repair job, but thought I'd better suggest it in case everyone else's ideas draw a blank.


Lenky.

Answer 3

I had that problem with my Accord 1996 and I used to go to the Dealerthip also to get original replacements. Well, I changed the radiator itself (it is a plastic radiator) because it leaked, and I had also changed a switch that activates the fan, I think it is a thermostate, because if it is not working well fans just work to slow and dont cool enough.
Other important part is the clutch of the fan.
You really have to open the hood and look for a leak, you need to know where the steam comes. If it comes from the radiator cap means you have no leak but think to change the switches that activate the fans, you can see if the fan is slower that usually.
Sincerely I hope you can find it out this problem, dont let your car overheat. Luck my friend.
Pd. No ofense but consider replacing your car, I am also considering replacing my Accordo 1996 because I have had a lot of problems with it, these cars are very good when new, but after some years replacement parts are hard to find and the dealerships just work without honest and efficient diagnostics.

Answer 4

there are lots of places that can leak coolant. check closely around all of the hoses, including the heater and bypass hoses; if your car has over 100k miles a radiator is likely, and can be diagnosed simply by the location of the leaked coolant. atf hoses cannot leak coolant, only atf fluid. have a tech put a pressure testing device on your car and look around, leaks are usually easy enough to find. good luck

Answer 5

take it to a shop and ask for a pressure check on the system. It put pressure into the system, while the car is still and not running and you can see where the coolant is coming out.

Answer 6

first problem you went to the dealership they over charge for less work i recommend going to a smaller shop family owned tell them your problem and recommend to them to have the car pressure tested which will tell you where its leaking from, or it could be from the timing belt job so you might want to go back to them but i wouldnt pay a dime for them to check there work.


ps i own my own auto repair.

Answer 7

You could be overfilling it, or your engine could be running hot. Take it to a honda dealer and ask them.