rlarge98tl

I have a 98 tl 2.5, she runs great but i noticed that while i was sitting still in the drive thru the temp gage began to rise past the half way point but when I pulled off it went back to where it was supposed to be. any help would be appreciated.

Also, the reserve tank is where it should be.

01tl4tl

Check the coolant in the radiator itself when engine COLD- how old is it- how old is the water pump?

01tl4tl

And also check the cooling fan is working properly- should come on when at idle for a while

rlarge98tl

I will check the radiator, as to the water pump i have not replaced it since i brought the car in 01. I hear the fan come on but i need to check again because for some reason i think i only heard the fan after the gage goes up when i pull off.

thanks for your input

TexasHonda

Slight overheat while stopped which disappears w/ forward speed suggests your cooling fan/s are not coming on when temp reaches thermoswitch A On point(~196-203F). Check for fans to engage after 5-10 mins of driving, when you come to a stop. If no fans, then it could also be an open No. 8 fuse in the underdash fuse box. Check fuse first. If it's OK, jump the thermoswitch A (base of radiator on driver's side, kinda hard to access) connector w/ a loop of wire. If fans come on and run, you need a new thermoswitch A.

Thermoswitch B controls fans when keyswitch is OFF. If coolant temp is > 207F with keyswitch OFF, the fans will come on to cool the engine and prevent cylinder head gasket damage. This happens after a long drive and immediate shutdown of engine, when engine stored heat warms the coolant.

good luck

rlarge98tl

I just checked the fuse and it looks fine, i am going to check that thermoswitch because i remember exactly where it is from when i did my harmonic balancer last year. I also let the car run for about ten minutes and even though the temp did not rise i don't think the fan came on, but when I turned on the ac the fans came right on.

01tl4tl

the fans are switched for AC not temp regulated

rlarge98tl

sorry for my ignorance but what does this mean, are wires crossed or what

TexasHonda

Fans always come on w/ AC compressor to allow air flow over the condensor. However, if AC is off, they will only come on when Thermoswitch A closes. Note, I've run Accords for longer than 10 min w/o the fans coming on, depending on temperature, but it is likely that Thermoswitch A has failed. I would try a road test of about 10 mins to be sure.

good luck

rlarge98tl

I drove for about 30-40 minutes even stopping at 2 stores and leaving the car running while i went in not sure if the fans came on but the guage stayed in the normal zone and did not go up at all even when I got back home and pulled into the garage and shut her down, the gauge was still fine. Also, is the thermoswitch one of the relay boxes on the top driver side of the radiator or is it the plug on the bottom of the radiator which is attached to the other fan.

TexasHonda

You need to know if fans are coming on or not when coolant temp rises. Usually, if you run the AC, and then turn it off the additional heat load will cause the fans to engage to cool the engine down, even though AC load has been removed.

good luck

rlarge98tl

o.k. i'll check that today, as to the thermoswitch A is it located on the bottom or top of the fan?

meazz1

Have coolant you replaced recently?
Drain and refill it if not, make sure there's no bubble.

rlarge98tl

just out for more than an hour w/ the ac on the constantly, she did not over heat, I guess because the ac forced the fans on, but after all that time when I got back home and shut the air off the gauge was still fine but no fans, even when i turned the car off the fans did not come on.

Jeffman

I'm getting this same thing in my '96 3.2. Yesterday driving home from work I noticed it would go up when I sat at a stop light, but when I started driving again it went down. Is this possibly a bad thermostat?

rlarge98tl

You should look at the above post from the other guys and check your car for those symptoms. Also, check to see if your car still over heats while sitting still with the a.c. on. Texas said my problem could be the thermoswitch A but if that is the problem you won't find that part in the parts store and the dealer wants $57 but if you go to www.acuraautomotiveparts.org and it will be under the water pump section part 12

Jeffman

I turned on my AC last night and drove, and it kept it more stable, but it still started going above the half point just a little a few times. Could it still be the thermoswitch, or is it a thermostat? Possibly a blown head gasket?

racerock

If you are changing the coolant, check for flow through the radiator. It could be starting to clog on you. As I recall (I have about 9 cars), this radiator has tanks on top and bottom. When it starts to clog up, the whole radiator is subject to slow flow.

Side tank radiators have a slower progression of getting clogged. (row by row, vs. all rows of the core at the same time)