acmebomb Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 ok so i have a 94 accord. and on the way home today while sitting at a red light i noticed that my car was overheating. i went ahead and made my turn and as i started moving the temp gauge started dropping back to normal?????? what would cause this to overheat while only sitting still. and drop when i start moving? thanks in advance jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furloaf Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Check that the radiator fan operates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patterson Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Check that the radiator fan operates. This one, or low coolant level, possibly thermostat not cycling properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurkvinny Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 If the t-stat was stuck, you'd overheat at any speed. Have you had the system open recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patterson Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 If the t-stat was stuck, you'd overheat at any speed. Have you had the system open recently? Not necessarily, In some cooling systems if its open all the time you get too much flow it won't stay in the Rad long enough to bleed off heat. It runs back through the motor and never gets a chance to actually cool off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmebomb Posted April 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 thermostat was my first thought. when i got home i left the car running and only 1 fan was running. i thought that was 1 full time and the other runs when the temp gets higher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmebomb Posted April 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 no i havent had the hose off. is this what u mean by having the system open- vince is there a way to just look at the t stat and tell if its not working properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patterson Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 thermostat was my first thought. when i got home i left the car running and only 1 fan was running. i thought that was 1 full time and the other runs when the temp gets higher Turn on the A/C, or Defogger The second fan should come on then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmebomb Posted April 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 ok il go check that now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurkvinny Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Not necessarily, In some cooling systems if its open all the time you get too much flow it won't stay in the Rad long enough to bleed off heat. It runs back through the motor and never gets a chance to actually cool off. I should have said "stuck shut". With a stuck open stat, at idle speeds at least, I don't think you're going to pump water fast enough to overheat at a light. Seen weirder things though I guess. Start simple... Coolant full? Not a big surprise a low system would be "ok" until we jump 20 degrees in a day. Just for giggles and a piece of mind, make sure your oil still looks like oil. Oh, and I asked if the cap had been off recently making sure you hadn't introduced air into the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmebomb Posted April 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 both fans kick on when a/c is on when putting coolant in how do i know how much is enough> do i fill it to the very top or to like where i can see that its pretty full Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patterson Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Pull the cap off with it running at temp, fill till the coolant reaches to bottom of the neck let it run to let out any trapped air. Once it's done put the cap back on take of for a drive and see if it still runs hot. If it does dig a little deeper looking for leaks and bad Stat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkas Posted April 10, 2011 Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 Radiator fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acmebomb Posted April 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2011 ok thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fRAZER Posted April 12, 2011 Report Share Posted April 12, 2011 Spray down the fins with water, they may be clogged. If the thermostat was stuck open it would almost never heat up to op temp. Just as well you radiator may be clogged from crushed fins debris or corrosion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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