95 accord radiator problems?

Question

Sorry, I posted about this earlier and don't know how to edit that post or respond to those who answered... but thanks to all for responding... i thought it was 'overheating' because the coolant itself is getting very hot and bubbling up and steam/smoke is coming from under the hood, but it's true that the temp gauge in the car is not indicating overheating. I had the system flushed not too long ago and no problems popped up at that time. Maybe the better question is, being a single female, how do I present this problem to a mechanic without getting raked over the coals?

Thanks so much for all of your help! I have an informal diagnosis of a stuck thermostat and will be checking with colleagues tomorrow about a reputable mechanic. Thank you!

Answer 1

find someone you can trust (preferrably a CERTIFIED tech.) / dealer that can help you and probably end up saving you $$, you can also get more info from the BBB

Answer 2

It is not the thermostat causing the car to smoke, If the car runs at normal temp and you have good heat from the heater then THE THERMOSTAT IS FINE! Why would you replace the thermostat if the car is smoking from a coolant or oil leak?!?! Who ever said that the thermostat is bad is a moron and wasting your time and money. Now you selected the wrong answer and Dont come on here and expect mechanics to diagnose something smoking under your hood then you listen to somebody else's misdiagnoses. Thats BS.
I dont even see how they could diagnose a bad thermostat because you didnt even supply enough information about the car in this thread or the other AND THE CAR DOES NOT OVERHEAT.

BIG CLUE THE CAR DOES NOT OVERHEAT!! SO HOW IS THE THERMOSTAT BAD??!!??!!??! PLEASE SOMEBODY ANSWER THAT QUESTION!

The only way the car is smoking is if it is leaking around the thermostat if it was installed improperly, even then you dont have to buy a new thermostat. The thermostat is an internal component that allows coolant to flow faster after your car is warmed up. How does an internal component produce smoke when it is constantly submerged in coolant? Answer: It doesnt! Even if the thermostat was bad it still would not leak or cause the car to smoke. So how do people get that answer? Answer: they dont know there a** from a hole in the ground.

Your going to get raked over the coals if you go to a mechanic and tell him such foolishness, he will replace the parts you think is bad and charge you out the wazoo for parts that dont even need to be replaced. But Dont listen to me I dont know anything about automobiles.

Well first you need to determine if it is a coolant leak or an Oil leak causing the smoke.



Fill the cars radiator and coolant resivor to the top, then drive the car for a few days, recheck the coolant, if it went down considerably then have the mechanic find the leak and have him point it out to you. If it is only seeping fluid then it is your judgement if you want it fixed or not. It sounds like you have a seep and it isnt major. I would just keep an eye on the coolant level. If it isnt the coolant leaking then it is an oil leak or seep. Keep your eye on the oil level. And it is up to you to have it fixed.

After you have one mechanic give you a qoute, have another do the same then compare results.

Answer 3

explain it just like you did to us,ask a friend for a reference,get it fixed be fore you ruin something else, sounds like a thermostat installed $50

Answer 4

You said you had your radiator flushed and there was no signs of it or the heater core being clogged up? No signs of blown head gasket or wrapped heads? Your engine oil and transmission oil looke alright. It water it either they will look milky.

Ok being one that goes through two or three radiators a year due to rocks, tree trunks etc from driving in the woods. Not to mention the numerous lower radiator hoses tore up.

When you open the radator cap while it is still hot it is going to boil over like you said. Radiators are a closed pressurized system. As long at the coolant is under pressure it does not boil.

What you need to do first is check all aroud under your car on the ground for signs of cooling water leaking out on the ground.

Next can you smell the smell of antifreeze when driving? Or does it do this steam/smoke coming from under the hood when you stop and turn off the engine?

Are you constantly having to put water and antifreeze in the radiator?

How is your oil. Is it clear looking or is it milky looking when you check it?

Does your temperature gauge jump up real high then settle back to normal temperature then oscillate from hot to cold?

You need to ask these questions first. To figure out what you are looking for under the hood.

It can be as simple as needing a new radiator cap. They need to be replaced on a regular basis. Take it to a parts house such as Autozone. They have the equipment there to check it for you free of charge if it is bad. And they do go bad. Spring gets weak and the gasket wears not getting a good seal.

Something else to look for if your temperature is going up and down is you can have a sticky thermostat which is not uncommon.

NEXT CAUTION: RADIATOR FAN STOPS AND STARTS AUTOMATICALLY!!! KEEP HANDS AWAY FROM.!
If that does not fix the problem next with the car running check all around the radiator and heater hoses to see if any of them has a pin hole at water is leaking or shooting out of when car is running. Also check look to see if any water is leaking out around tthe connections. Could be just a loose clamp!

Check bottom radiator hose to see if it is collapsing on you (likes like it is being sucked in)

Radiator hoses and heater hoses need to changed on a regular basis as preventive maintenance. How often depends on your driving. I usually change mine at least every other year at the most. That is the longest I will go before changing them. At the same time I always get a new radiator cap as well

If you don't see anything unusual like leaks or where it looks like it has been leaking water around the hoses you will next have to check around the radiator and engine.

Again with the engine running (reason for with engine running is because a lot of small leaks will not shop up with engine off.)

Check around the radiator core and radiator tanks paying close attention to the ends where the tanks are either clamped to the radiator (with plastic tanks) or soldered to the radiator.(with the older copper tanks) They are either on the sides of the radiator (like should be on your car) or on the tops of the radiator like it trucks and older cars.
On newer cars with plastic radiator tanks one problem place is where the tanks are clamped onto the radiator itself. The gasket gets old and starts leaking. Another problem is that when the tanks start getting older they have a tendency to develop small splits from which fluid can leak when the car is running and the coolant is under pressure.

I hate these new plastic radiator tanks I am always busting them on my S-10 Blazer because of my driving conditions.

If you don't find any leaks there either your next step is to check around the engine itself for signs of leaks. or steam. the two problem areas are the water pump and the thermostat.

Most water pumps have a weep hole or pressure release hole. When the water pump seals get old and go out completely you will see a small stream of water shooting out of it water pump through the weep hole. If it is there you will have to change the water pump. It can be an easy job or hard job depending on how much clearance (room) you have around your water pump.

If your engine is a V-6 another place to look for leaks is around the intake manifold. especially if the engine has recently been rebuilt or you have had a rebuilt engine put in it.

If you are going to do the work yourself keep in mind that the engine blocks on most of those cars are alumiun and it is real easy to strip them out if you try to get the bolts too tight.

Once you have the problem isolated to where you have a good idea where it is at shop around for a good honest mechanic.
Notice I did not say cheap mechanic. I SAID GOOD HONEST MECHANIC.

And unless the car is under factory warranty stay away from the dealer shops they will rob you blind. I got stiffed one time by a dealership. It was cold and freezing rain had two days off after working almost three weeks twelve hours a day. Didn't fell like working on car so took Aerostar to Ford house to have tune instead of doing it myself. Dropped it off. Came back that night to pick it up. They handed me a bill for $963 and change. I went ballast. So it is not only females they try to stiff. If they think you don't know anything about cars you are raw meat in a tank full of Great white sharks. In my case they made a bad mistake. It took calling Ford Motor Company but in the end I ended up paying a little less than $200 dollars which I still thought was too much.