I have a 2001 Accord EX V6. My car does fine when driving but when I hit traffic the temperature will slowly rise a little then all of a sudden spike all the way up suddenly and after a minute or two will slowly go back down. When running the air conditioner it will stop blowing cold air when it gets hot. I Had the radiator replaced about 8 months ago and was thinking it might be the thermostat. Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

Once the engine is cold, open the radiator cap and make sure that the radiator is filled to the top with coolant. Also inspect plastic overflow bottle. Let us know if these levels are correct.

Also, start the car and turn on the a/c. Do both fans on the radiator turn on?

 

The raidiator had coolant in it but the reservior was a little low and both of the fans are running.

Thank you

 

You may have to open the hood to catch the car in the act of overheating. You want to see if the fans are running when the engine starts to overheat.

I would probably try two things.

I would lightly spray the radiator fins with water from your garden hose to clean up any dirt/buildup. Do the same on the a/c condenser. Do not use a lot of water pressure or you will bend the finds. While spraying the fins, check to see if the fins are coming apart.

If you haven't done a coolant change, I would change the coolant and replace the thermostat with one from a Honda dealership.