i was in mad traffic and while the car was idling the tempature needle would go over the middle line, so after i start driving it goes down a bit.. this is not the first time happening, i thought maybe i was low in fluid so i poured a bit of water in the radiotor and that didnt solve anything... same problem, this only happens rarely, not all the time, but im starting to geuss that its gonna get worse and worse as it seems like it is but only time will tell.. what do you guys think it is? anyone else experienced this problem?

oh yeah and the needle would never go the to max, just below the max line.. i noticed that whenever i drive it goes away. when i sit around with the car on and not drive, it would go up, so when i drive it goes away. weird. but this only happens once in a while, not all the time

 

Thermostat

 

replace the thermostat. most likely your fans arent coming on either??

 

k i did a search, the thermostat is in the radiotor hose that leads to the engine, i wanna do this myself so i dont have to hassle my way down to the shop, and save some cash i geuss.. one question though, wouldnt all the radiotor fluid spill out if i took off that hose? seems like a pretty easy job, undo hose, replace thermostat and then i geuss top of radiotor fluid?

 

You will lose some, but not all of it.

 

Check that your cooling fans both work when AC is turned ON. Both fans should come on. I suspect one or both fans are not running. This would account for overheating in traffic at stop. I think your thermostat should be OK. Check fans before replacing thermostat.

good luck

 

I had this problem. I replaced the engine cooling fan motor,(not the one for a/c) both of the coolant temperature switches, and the thermostat. After all this it seemed fine until the head gasket blew. BTW-the thermostat is in the rear most hose. Not the one right in front like in alot of cars. If you are going to do the thermostat, might as well change out the coolant too. if it is old, it can cause problems too.

 

I think it's the top hose, if so then u won't loose all your fluid, so just get some prestone 50/50 mix to top off your rad when you're done

 

My AC does not work but i turned AC on with the car running and both fans were not moving. the ac was on but it was blowing hot air cause i turned the heat up.. could this be thermo stat then? or my ac is broken and wont turn on the fans?

 

Could also be the fan relay

 

Let the car get hot while it's just sitting and listen for the fans to come on. If they don't, you know it's the fan relay/some other fan problem and not your t-stat. If they come on and it still overheats, chances are then it's the t-stat.

 

you'll need to bleed the coolant after topping it off. open the rad cap, let the car idle for a while, until it stops bubbling. good time to check the rad fans also, like DoubleShot said.

 

 

I had the same issue with overheating and it turned out to be the water pump. Sounds like you have more issues though.

 

i had the same problem as well. after replacing the radiator, thermostat, and fan switch it turned out to be the fan control timer. it is a black box behind the glove box. it can only be purchased through a dealer and is only about $35.00.

 

I'm having the same problem as of a couple days ago. Same exact description of symptoms. I bought a thermo, but I'm horrible when it comes to having the right tools, so I don't have a 10mm to get to the thermo. Even if I did, what a cramped PITA it's going to be....

So, the fans are kicking on when they should. It could be the thermo (no reason to not replace it anyhow since I just bought the car...fuel filter also awaits replacement) or it could be the water pump since it's probably 10k miles behind replacement schedule (not my doing).

I don't know, I guess I'll keep my eye on it and get the waterpump/TB changed and thermo and see if it continues to happen.

Has anyone figured out the problem and just haven't posted it yet?

 

It's really not that bad. I had never done a thermostat before and I did it in less than 20 min. That included realizing the thermostat is on the bottom hose and not the top one.

 

Um, a few things, 1 is that 80% of your car is 10 mm bolts, so get yourself a few 10 mm sockets. Second, if you don't have a good socket set and a set of honda fuel filter wrenches, do not attempt the fuel filter

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/17mm-...item3efe7e1596 ???

 

I think u need more than 1 of those though. Idk though, i've only attempted it once and that's when i was a novice so i didn't bother to complete it.

 

Changing the thermostat seems to have fixed my overheating problem.

Question: Can you go 'too cheap' on a thermostat?? Reason asking is because the OEM thermostat looks so much sturdier than the one I put in. I almost felt bad for putting simple press sheet metal in.

Wondering if it'll fail faster and start doing the same thing again.

 

I wouldn't go cheap on something like a thermostat that can be vital to your engine's lifespan.

 

funny my post 2 years ago for the solution was thermostat

 

Guess it took 2 years to do. Some thermostats have different set points of opening. It is not a costly item to hold back on therefore a nice thermostat is a must. I'm sure you can do with the one you have. After all, all it is a spring loaded diaphram opening at a set psi

 

i had this probem i changed the thermo stat it stopped for a while the as the weather got warmer the car started overheating again. So now im being told i blew my headgasket so im looking at just getting a new engine. But yeah the symptoms were the same overheating in traffic and when i rev the engine the temp will go back to normal also after i turn the car off the fans will still be on, But now the car overheats no matter how much i rev it doesnt go down.

 

Before getting a new engine, do a compression/ leak-down test in a garage. It will confirm a head gasket problem for sure.

 

its actually more than that. It has a wax core that expands at a set temperature, allowing the thermostat to open. In time, that wax core will degrade will not open properly at the specific temperature

 

A blown head gasket it severe yet but it can be confused with a million other problems. Like mentioned above do get a leakdown test performed. Not every garage knows how to do it. The test will def determine the condition of the engine. Here are some things you should look for when you have a blown head gasket. White smoke out your exhaust (coolant) in burning chamber. Dark blue smoke out exhast (oil) burnt. Oil consumption would be great. Check oil not to be white. If it is coolant is mixing with oil. Also a blown head gasket the car will run sluggish.
I would look into bleeding coolant system thru bleeder. I've had that problem before.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. question what other engine will fit into my cl perfectly other than the one i have im looking for a little more power not a build but more power. thats if i need to change my engine.

 

i have been searching but cant come up with anything

 

I have a 2005 TL whose temp guage goes up with lots of short trips and AC is on.. Yesterday, AC quit cooling and just blowing hot air now.. Could this be thermostat issue? Car has 210,000 miles and i dont want to sink a whole lot of money into it.