1997 Accord overheating issue

Okay...I've got a 1997 accord 4 cylinder non-v-tech and it started to overheat on a trip to Tahoe this weekend. 140,000 miles on the engine and has only had a Timing belt replace...otherwise its original. All the water came out the over flow via the cap. So I made it home...filling every few miles and then proceeded to dosome eliminating. There are no leaks in the system. I started the car and let it run at idle until warm. I then (In Park) ran up the RPM and it took only a couple minutes to have water pouring out the cap/over flowbottle. The entire time the fans remained off but Idid trouble shot them...the do both work using a jumper wire. The dash guage read normal even when it was boiling over. So, I'm thinking sensor. What sensor could be doing this and what sensor trips the fans on...I ask this hoping to confirm what i think the answer is. The ETC on the Termostat housing triggers the fan??? And the a/c condesor fan is triggered by...something else?? What? Help.

Also...I did replace the thermostat but don't believe it was the problem since I tested it in a boiling water and it open/closes as expected. I may just need to replace the rad cap, which I haven't done yet but will. I have to believe the temp got high enough to trigger the fans since it overflowed, but is it possible the rad cap is bad and it never got hot enough to trigger the fans? Boiling is boiling and it seems the fans should have come one...per spec main fan goes on 197-203...boiling is 212 at sea level...I'm at 500 feet.

 

Sorry...bit more learned...

I did another test and the fans...both at exactly the same time...came on this time. They cycled a couple times and seem to work fine, but do seem to be coming on too late. The water was boiling over via the cap to the over flow still, but no leaks anywhere else. So...my current thinking is cap and possibly sensor. If the cap is not holding pressure allowing premature boil over and the sensor is not responding soon enough...then these two things might explain my situation. So...off to the store to buy a cap and ETC.

Question though...the two fans came on exactly at the same time and then shut off together. I thought the main fan came on first then at a higher temp the condensor (A/c) fan came on. Thoughts???

Marlon

 

Well...No need to reply. Issue resolved. With a new cap and ETC and I can't make the car overheat...and believe me I tried. I think it was mostly a bad cap, but the fan switch (ETC) was part of the problem. The new oneis triggering the fan much sooner than the old one. And it runs longer before shutting off.

 

had exactly same prob 2 days ago, replaced cap and ect switch

 

Update...the radiator has now cracked very near the cap location...by the over flow hose. So...I'm getting a new rad...

 

OUCH! at least the first fix was realitivly cheap/easy.... thanks for posting your results...

 

i would replace the thermostat as well ,,,,, use a Honda part