Overheating problem

The temparature guage reaches at the half-way mark when fully stopped then drops down when I accelerate.If the AC is turned on, the temparature goes up beyond the halfway mark. Any tips on what the specific issue might be? I replenished the radiator reserve bottle with Anti-Freeze 2 days ago so don''t know if I missed somthing or if this might have anything to do with it or not.

Check that both cooling fans behind the radiator turn on when AC compressor kicks in (click and inner face of compressor starts turning). Both should also come on when coolant temp reaches 195F. If one or both fans are out, you have found the problem. Most likley new fan motors or new fan motor relays (less likely) will fix the problem.
 
If both fans are coming on, then the thermostat is probably sticking slightly closed causing higher temps.
 
good luck

Thanks for the info TexasHonda. I''ll check it out and see what I can figure out.

So the thermostat was sticking so it was replaced along with the fan relay switch but this morning the car started to overheat again.Any ideas what could it be?

Look in the DIY section under "overheating" for diagnostics.

Are both fans coming on and still overheating?
 
If yes, then either blocked/dirty radiator, low coolant level, or possibly leaking headgasket.
 
good luck

Okay, on my first visit to the Honda service center, they replaced the thermostat and fan relay switch. Three days later it began to over heat again and I took it back into service but they couldn''t duplicate the over heat issue I was having nore could they figure out what was causing the issue. Yesterday it got worse, the car over heated again and when I checked the oil dip stick and inside the oil valve cover the dreaded BHG was confirmed . Because they failed to diagnose the issue in time, they are responsible for this which they should cover all the costs under the dealers 30 day warranty. I''m having the car towed to the dealer today but just wanted to ask for some advise.I''ve only put 250 miles on the car since I''ve owned it (2 weeks) so having immediate issues with this car from a Honda dealer purchase is unacceptable. I''m leaning more towards disputing the purchase and ask for my money back rather than have them fix it. But if I do agree to have them fix it, how reliable will my engine be moving forward? Will it be as good as new? I''ve never had this issue on any of my cars b4 nore have I come accross anyone who has so your input is greatly appreciated.Thank you all!

It would be good to know just what car/version/engine this is.
 
Lemon-laws are very different depending on where you live.  But since you just bought it maybe you should check what those look like.
 

If the problem is just a blown head gasket, it can often be repaired and the car will perform fine. I am assuming you bought a used car.  If you have a lot of miles on the motor - another option is to have a lower-mileage motor swapped in - instead of doing the tear down/gasket replacement.

It may not be a gasket - it could be a cracked head or block - in which case, an engine swap is the most cost-effective option (from a cost perspective).  But of course, this depends on what warranty you got with the vehicle when you purchased it.

I hope it all works out for you.

OK so this is if it were me.... take it for a grain of salt..

Yeah if the gasket has been blown for a while, and you''re having heating issues like that, i''d get my money back, and go to a different dealer...

Honda''s a good ride though, don''t give up on them yet!

Overheating could have caused the head gasket to fail, or the head gasket could have failed causing the overheating (chicken vs the egg arguement).

If you decide to have the dealership repair the head gasket, have them do the timing belt, water pump, and pulley bearings.  If the cooling system was at fault, at least the water pump will be new.  They will have every removed to replace the timing belt when the pull cylinder head.

It is likely the problem pre-existed your service by them and was defective when purchased. I would insist on repair or reversal of purchase. You might want to take a lawyer along just to impress them that you mean business.
 
good luck

Update: After 2 hours of pleading my case the dealer agreed to pay for the towing, install a replacement used engine, and paid for a car rental at no charge to me. I definitely put my foot down on these guys as they initially wanted me to pay 50% of the cost but I wasn''t having that. It must of been the DMV Investigations form I had in hand that got their attention I think. Having the timing belt and water pump replaced while everything will be accessible to them is definitely a good idea. Thanks everyone for all your input and support. It''s situations like these that makes me glad I am a member of this wonderful forum. By the way, my car is a 97 Honda Accord EX