Every time I idol for more than a minute, my Acura begins to overheat. But as soon as a start driving again, the gage drops back down to normal. What does this mean?
2007-11-14 12:15:23 · 5 answers · asked by Diva2be 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Could be three things...............Your electric fan may be bad...Also check to see if this happens with AC on\
Third, The radiator could be clogged.Most likely its the fan or fan sensor
2007-11-14 12:22:05 · answer #1 · answered by v8on 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is usually an indication that your fans are not kicking on or your radiator is performing at an ineffective level.
You'll want to check for fan operation first, drive the vehicle up to normal operating temp, open the hood and check to see if the fans are coming on. If they are not there's a good chance you've got a bad fan relay....super easy and cheap to repair. It could also mean the switching mechanism that sends a signal to the relay to trip is malfunctioning but this is fairly rare.
If the fans seem to be working fine you'll want to move on with servicing the cooling system. This can be done at a shop for around $70 or in your driveway for around $25. Change the thermostat ($4 - $10 part), flush the entire system, refill with the appropriate coolant mixture for your location (50/50 most of the time).
Over time coolant (anti-freeze) loses it's effectiveness. It does not "cool" an engine, it raises the temperature at which water will boil and also aids in cooling as air passes over the fins of the radiator.
Hope this helps!
2007-11-14 12:23:41 · answer #2 · answered by mrharris32 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check to make sure your cooling fans behind the radiator are comeing on when engine gets to hot. If not, turning your AC on will manually engage the fan to "ON". If still nothing, check fuses and replace your fan relay if fuse is good. Anything further will require further diagnostics from a professional.
2007-11-14 12:25:42 · answer #3 · answered by yungone501 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your radiator is probably plugged up, when you start moving again the coolant flow increases and the air through the radiator helps cool things. See about getting it flushed out, this works, part of the time.
2007-11-14 12:32:39 · answer #4 · answered by Robert D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
check the fan for the radiator; when idle it is most likely not turning while you are running, the wind going through the radiator is keeping it cool
2007-11-14 12:25:15 · answer #5 · answered by Lifeline 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋