I am using accord 98, with vtec engine, auto transmission, 4cylinders mileage 208,000 now, my friends are telling me i should change the radiator from single cell to double cell that it might overheat sooner or later and it can happen anywhere. My AC is always on. Putting double cell radiator should i remove the thermostat completely? Please your advice is needed.

 

Usually, a car will overheat due to a coolant leak. Sometimes the water pump may be the problem. A clog in the system is another.

I would only replace the radiator if the fins were starting to fall apart or there was a leak. Then you can decide if you want to buy a single or double cell.

 

Well, you've in Nigeria - a climate that's different from the norm here; A/C on all the time is clear indicator, as is your friends' concern about catastrophic overheat.

So I'd say you could do you own tweeking of the engineering at less cost:
1) maybe put in a thermostat that is 20F colder than stock, and
2) if you're running stock (for my climate) 50/50 coolant, replace this coolant with 40% antifreeze and 60% distilled water. (*)
I'd then remember to replace this coolant mix annually to keep some corrosion/rust inhibitor in the system.

Best luck.



(*) The antifreeze portion lubricates the pump bearings and carries the corrosion inhibitor. This inhibitor gets used up over time.
The distilled water portion is what carries away the heat, so you're adding heat removal capability here with the extra water.

In mixing the coolant, use distilled (or deionized) water not tap or well water because these latter have dissolved minerals in them
that come out as scale deposits inside your cooling system as the coolant heats up - avoided with distilled water.