'97 Accord overheating bizarrely

(Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote in
:

> Last week, my 1997 Accord started running very hot. After just a few
> minutes, the temperature gage fluctuates wildly between about half-way
> and the red zone. It will usually stay in one place for a minute or
> two, and then settle on a different setting.
>
> Is this a known problem? Does anyone have a good idea of what might
> cause the needle to shoot up to the red zone, stay there for 60
> seconds, then float down (in 2 seconds) to about 3/4, stay there for a
> while, and then keep floating around with the same pattern?


That may be a sender or wiring problem.

You need to determine if the car is actually overheating or not. A laser
thermometer will tell instantly.



--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"TE Cheah" > wrote in message ...
> front wheels' hub caps too can be removed,
> to help cool engine.

Oh yeah, that'll help.

Steve Bigelow wrote:
> "TE Cheah" > wrote in message ...
>
>>front wheels' hub caps too can be removed,
>>to help cool engine.
>
>
> Oh yeah, that'll help.
>
>
or get those 80s era enkei wheels that look like fan blades! then the
faster you drive, the more air gets sucked into the engine bay via the
wheelwells.

I learned something further today. When the engine seems hot
(according the guage), the high-pitch fan only comes on when the car
is off. That is, when the car is running, there's no high-pitched
fan. When I turn the key to position I (or off), the fan goes on. Is
this normal?

Many thanks.

-Joel

(Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote in
:

>
> I learned something further today. When the engine seems hot
> (according the guage), the high-pitch fan only comes on when the car
> is off. That is, when the car is running, there's no high-pitched
> fan. When I turn the key to position I (or off), the fan goes on. Is
> this normal?
>


If your oil is over 226F, the fan will come on for up to 15 minutes on
shutdown. That part is normal.

What kind of goop is in the cooling system? Is there silt, gel, and crud?

Thermostats can get gummed up with crud; the return valve in the rad cap
can get fouled.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 18:38:45 -0400, "Steve Bigelow"
> wrote:

>
>"TE Cheah" > wrote in message ...
>> front wheels' hub caps too can be removed,
>> to help cool engine.
>
>Oh yeah, that'll help.
>

Warning: this guy is a whacko. Google him for his explanations on how
the fact that the clock and door lights draw power from the battery is
a design flaw. Also, a single coil ignition system cannot function
above 3000 rpm.

If your car is overheating, you have to find the problem and fix it.
If you follow Cheah's advice you will soon be disconnecting your clock
to fix the problem.

>If your oil is over 226F, the fan will come on for up to 15 minutes on
>shutdown. That part is normal.

What I meant is, is it normal for the fan NOT to come on while the
engine is running? I thought the fan STAYED on after the car was
turned off. What I noticed (and maybe this normal) is that the fan
only comes on AFTER I turn the car off.

So: is the fan supposed to run while the engine is running, or only
while the engine is off?

Thanks.

-Joel

(Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote in
:

>>If your oil is over 226F, the fan will come on for up to 15 minutes on
>>shutdown. That part is normal.
>
> What I meant is, is it normal for the fan NOT to come on while the
> engine is running?



Yes. That's a fuel-saving measure as well as a way of getting the engine to
come up to speed sooner.

Engine-driven fans are inefficient.



> I thought the fan STAYED on after the car was
> turned off.



Only if the oil temperature is over 225F. (I had originally said 210. That
was incorrect).



> What I noticed (and maybe this normal) is that the fan
> only comes on AFTER I turn the car off.
>
> So: is the fan supposed to run while the engine is running, or only
> while the engine is off?



The fan comes on when the engine is running only if the coolant temperature
is over about 194F.



--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

>The fan comes on when the engine is running only if the coolant temperature
>is over about 194F.

So in other words, if the temp. guage is in the red zone, and I'm
stopped with engine running, and the cooling fan is not on, something
is wrong?

-Joel

(Dr. Joel M. Hoffman) wrote in
:

>>The fan comes on when the engine is running only if the coolant
>>temperature is over about 194F.
>
> So in other words, if the temp. guage is in the red zone, and I'm
> stopped with engine running, and the cooling fan is not on, something
> is wrong?
>


Yes. Either you're not actually overheating, or you've got the usual
thermoswitch or relay problem:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/overh...dex.html#nofan

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/