Don R wrote:
> Pete from Boston wrote:
> > In the past two and a half years I've replaced my '90 Accord's
> > radiator, water pump, thermostat twice, and just had the cooling fan
> > motor and temp sensor replaced after the car started getting hot even
> > while moving fast (without boil-over). Following that last repair, I
> > had to drive the car 150 miles home, following which I smelled coolant
> > and found a fair amount dripping from the radiator area while parked.
> >
> > The temp gauge reads low-to-mid-level, as it should, and the receipt
> > says they did a pressure test (plus the mechanic said they'd idled it
> > for 45 minutes to be sure the fan was working). So why the coolant
> > spill? Any ideas? I don't know how pressure test and idle compare to
> > real highway travel. I plan to call the mechanic when they open
> > tomorrow, but any ideas from the crowd would be appreciated.
> >
> Could it be a head gasket leak? If combustion gases are leaking into
> the cooling system it could be causing an over pressure condition and
> forcing coolant out of the system. Just a thought.

I picked up a pressure tester (gotta love Auto Zone's free loaners) and
I'm going to run it tomorrow to see what I see. Any tips on what to
look out for? I'm hoping I actually see a coolant leak. If it's a more
complex situation (like the head gasket) I'm not entirely sure how it
will pan out.