hey there guys, think i got this one licked just want to double check with you guys to make sure,

96 2.2 lx 5 speed , temp gauge almost always at 1/4 between cold and hot, well here in florida it's hot right now, pull up to a red light and when sitting for more than say 2 minutes or so temp gauge starts to creep on up to just above 1/2.. light goes green.. i take off ..gauge goes back to 1/4,.. so next light it does it again, with car in neutral i rev the engine, and the gauge goes back down, i am thinking i have a partially clogged radiator and need to replace it, before replacing i thought i would ask on here just to make sure i am diagnosing this right before i go buying a radiator and such, thanks in advance guys! jon

 

Is the coolant level good?
Do the fans EVER kick on?
It could be a radiator issue..
could be worn fins on the waterpump (when was the last time a timing belt and water pump were done?)
or it could be a sticky thermostat...

 

coolant leval good

has 2 fans, one doesn't work ( it's on order) the other comes on, and sometimes comes on after car is off

i think radiator not sure

not known when timing and water pump was changed

maybe thermostat ( how do i check ?) both hoses get hot

 

I had this issue with a civic once, it turned out that the thermostat would fail to open at times so when I was stopped the temp would climb, when I was moving it had enough airflow to keep it cool... Here's my suggestions:

If you don't know when the timing belt/pump were done (should be ever 90k miles) then get it done, if that belt brakes so does your motor.... Then buy a new honda oem thermostat/gasket and install that.

 

check that, both hoses not hot, top hose hot, bottom not hot, mean anything???

 

also top hose was kinda flat in the middle of it???

 

On one hand... It's normal for the temperature to go up before the fan switches on. Try stopping in a parking lot or somewhere so you can wait for the fan. How high does the gauge have to go before the fan actually comes on?

Flat hose = bad radiator cap. Other things could be the real cause, but one job of the radiator cap is to allow the system to suck coolant back in from the reservoir, BEFORE there's enough vacuum to collapse the hose.

 

I have on occasion seen a bad radiator cap overheat a vehicle too, it's unlikely but possible. If the lower hose is cold though then your thermostat isn't opening, buy a new radiator cap and thermostat and it will most likely fix your issues. If you want you can download a manual from the link in our DIY section. However, both jobs are fairly straight forward, don't forget to bleed the system after you replace the thermostat.

 

bought new cap and new top hose, flushed out system, replaced with water b/c no antifreeze on hand, new fan came in today, it's the one on the right, i think the a/c one, anyways put it on, all seems ok as of right now, if it continues though thermostat will be next, also radiator seemed to be flowing fine, so i guess i was wrong thinking that is what it was, thanks for the help.

 

a couple of things

# 1 ..you need to mix a 50/50 % of anti-freeze and water, if you put just water the engine will overheat eventually

# 2 .. both fans should come on when the coolant reaches a certain temp , with engine running , if only 1 fan comes on,, you need to diagnose the problem,,

# 3 .. the fan on the right side ( passenger side) is the main cooling fan , driver side is the a/c fan

# 4 .. you need to make sure that when car warms up BOTH lower and upper radiator hoses feel hot.. if the lower hose feels warm or cool, you need to replace the t-stat


and last,, on our DIY section there is a long write up on diagnosing overheating ,, you should take a look