My thermostat was changed, but may car still intermittently overheats?

Question

I have a 2002 Honda Civic and about a month ago, my temperature guage started to go up as if my car is overheating, but no other signs of overheating are present. It can be fine for days at a time, but then it starts acting up again. Can external temp. affect the temp. guage (it seems to act up more when it is colder in the morning)? The thermostat was replaced & it was fine for a short time, but it is overheating again. Most I speak to think it is a sensor problem, but I was researching this problem at other sites on the internet & someone mentioned that in the morning when they start their car, it sounds like for a few minutes that water is kind of trickling under the hood (signaling the need for a new radiator), but as far as I can see, I have no leaks. Does this noise possibly signal a bigger problem than a sensor or is it completely unrelated? I don't notice it every time I start my car after sitting for awhile, only in the morning. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!

Answer 1

You might want to make sure there's coolant in the radiator. One time mine was flushed during an oil change, and they forgot to refill it. By the time I figured out the problem, the radiator was fried and had to be replaced.

Answer 2

Could have a problem with the heater core. This is typically found behind the dashboard inside the car. It's responsible for circulating the coolant from the radiator to the area where your HVAC blower motor is located, thus enabling you to have "heat" in your car. My guess is that it's clogged, although it's a bit surprising given the age of the car.

Answer 3

either a faulty temp gauge or the coolant temp sensor is faulty and it is not controlling the thermo fans correctly, allowing for sufficent cooling.

Answer 4

you may have a bad coolant temp sensor,

Answer 5

You might have a bad cooling fan/relay or you could have a bad water pump. have both checked.