Exactly what I said. The overflow res is full, above the max line, and isn't draining. I assume it's supposed to drain. There is a bug or 2 on the I guess fins, of the radiator. Yes, before a fan went out, I believe the a/c fan, and my friend wired it up to a fuse socket or something, I'm not sure exactly, I just know they both turn on when the car is on.

 

When the water pump and timing belt were replaced, check your invoice to see if the thermostat was replaced as well. Is the coolant circulating inside the radiator top tank when engine is warmed up ?? If the thermostat isn't opening, the water pump can't move the coolant through the engine block.

 

It doesn't say. I don't think it was. But if the thermostat wasn't opening then wouldn't it overheat when I was on the highway? It only overheats at a standstill such as a redlight or any idle after breifly warmed up.

 

I know theres a mechanic on here that can diagnose this problem!!! Where are you sir!?!?

 

I did hit a half of a tire one day on 95, along with a cone a seperate time. Didn't do major damage, but might of effected something??

 

If you are sitting at the light and the temp gauge is going up, If you just rev the engine will the temp gauge go down some? If it does your coolant is low. We had a bad cap and the coolant would go into the overflow bottle but wouldn't go back into the radiator when the car cooled down. I've seen bad new parts, maybe you got a bad rad cap.

 

Your description sounds like not enough air is getting pushed through the radiator to cool the engine. Or a partially closed thermostat.

You can drain the coolant and remove the thermostat. Refill the coolant and see if the overheating goes away. It may take longer for your engine to warm to normal operating temperature. If that solves the problem, I would replace the thermostat with one from the dealership. They cost around $20.

 

I think your thermostat is stuck or not opening fully. This is a starting point and a cheap fix... Buy a factory Honda part and go from there. Again, does the coolant circulate in the top tank of the radiator when at temp ?? If not, then definitely change the thermostat first. I would also suggest you go to a radiator shop and have them inspect the entire cooling system for any damage from hitting debris as you described in post #25...These are very small radiators and they are quite fragile.

 

I don't know. I'll take it in to a shop tomorrow or something. They put a new rad cap on but it says 14 lbs and made in mexico. Not very pleasing lol. And I paid for a gallon of antifreeze so I can't be low on that. Only thing I can think of would be a stuck thermostat or bad rad cap...?

And when you say is coolant circulating in the top tank, what exactly do you mean? You mean the plastic runoff tank/resevoir???

 

To be more specific, the water pump circulates the coolant from the radiator top tank, thru the engine block and back out to the bottom tank . It is then cooled by the airflow across the fins of the core before it reaches the top tank again. If the thermostat isn't opening fully or is the wrong heat range, there will be little to no movement of the coolant in the top tank. Open the radiator cap (***WITH ENGINE COOL***) and start the engine. Let it idle until it reached normal temp, the thermostat should be open at this point, and the coolant will circulate through the engine block. Look at the coolant for signs of flow and movement in the top tank of the radiator, NOT the overflow bottle.