DevilsJim89

Hi guys,

I'm sorry in advance if this comes off as a stupid post. I have a 2008 TSX and it has almost 158k miles on. I've noticed for awhile that it takes a while for the car to heat up - probably about 10-15 minutes. I have a remote start on it so sometimes when I get in the car, it's not warmed up. Is this correct for a car this old? I've also noticed that on the center console vents, the left vent is blowing cold air (or just air) and the right one is correctly blowing warm air.

Is there some high-milage service that I should be aware of that would have any affect on this? Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks!

NBP04TL4ME

Could be a bad thermostat

mrgold35

Is the temp gauge in the normal range and you still don't have warm air OR is the temp gauge below the 1/3 temp mark? It usually take me about 1/3 to 1/2 mile of driving before I start to feel the warm air coming out the vents. I would also try setting the vents manually instead of using Auto feature to see if that makes a difference.

It could be like NBP04T4ME said and a bad thermostat stuck open on cold mornings when you need it to be closed to heat the interior first. Had an old Honda that did this really sucks when temps are below zero and you have an hour drive ahead of you and the windows start to fog up on the inside.

Simba91102

The mileage shouldn't have anything to do with it. I too might suspect the thermostat, but also, check your coolant level. If it's low, it may bypass the heater core (it used to in the old days, not sure about the new fangled stuff). While you're at it, think about replacing the coolant if it hasn't been done. Maintenance interval for the first change is 6 years or 120K miles.

DevilsJim89

I never use the auto feature and always set everything manually. The temp guage is in normal range and I dont have hot air until about 10-15 minutes that the car has been on. My commute is about 1.4 miles so sometimes when I leave work, I don't have hot air until I'm just about pulling into my apartment complex.

How exactly would I be able to tell if it's a bad thermostat? I'm definitely going to check the coolant this weekend. I can't even remember the last time I filled it or was filled by a shop.

Thanks all for the help!

NBP04TL4ME

You don't need to wait until the weekend to check your coolant fluid level. There is an overflow bottle that has min and max markings on it. Pop the hood and check that bottle!! Also it can be checked whether the engine is hot or cold as it is an external visual check. If the engine is cold (sitting overnight) you can remove the radiator cap and simply look in to see if you can see fluid. However if your temp gauge moves to the normal range and doesn't move to the high temp range, you likely have fluid or you probably would be overheating. Now with that being said your commute is only 1.4 miles so unless all of that is stop and go traffic, your engine doesn't really have a long time to be running and/or get to an overheating point.

mrgold35

Did you have any issues in the summer with the A/C not coming out the vent properly? Can you adjust your fan to all levels? Maybe you have a stuck baffle that is slow to move to open up the direct the heat to the right place? My mom's Bonneville did this and the A/C came out the windshield defogger and foot well area in summer; but, zero heat in the winter (you could hear the fan blowing with no heat).

BROlando

Most likely a bad thermostat. Your car absolutely should not need to run for 10-15 mins to warm up.

If you set the climate control to auto, the car will warm up faster and blow hot air faster. If you set it to 78 degrees, for example, the computer will wait until the coolant reaches 78 degrees, and then blow air out of the vents. For a properly functioning 1G TSX, this should take a very small amount of time.

Today, it was 36 degrees (F) when I left work. I do not let my car warm up. It took a massive 1 minute and 45 seconds of driving for the car to start blowing 78 degree (F) air via the auto function.

If you're just setting the vents to always blow air...you're wasting the heat that the engine generates and causing a longer warm up time. Its counterproductive.

But...why are you warming up your car for so long just to drive 1.4 miles? That takes a few mins to drive. Your use is very detrimental to your engine and a lot of related components.

Fix your thermostat. Drive the car to warm it up like it says in the manual. Use the auto function.

Or if you MUST have a warm car to get into, you should only need 2 mins (5mins if it is extremely cold) of warm up time to get the car up to a comfortable temp via the auto function.

Always always always buy a genuine Honda/Acura thermostat. From a dealer. I would also highly recommend using Honda coolant.

llwtsx

Uh, maybe I'm confused a bit. The original post had this:

which says to me that the engine temp is just fine but the solenoid which control the vent for the left vent needs to be looked at/replaced. If this is the case the thermostat doesn't need to be touched.

Just my $.02.

BROlando

Or he has the dual zone climate control set to different temps.

llwtsx

different temp settings on the climate control is a possibility, but the warm air blowing on the one side means the engine temp is ok (and the engine thermostat is ok).

What about a climate control temperature sensor on the one side not working correctly? Not sure how that works in the TSX's but I would think each side needs one. If the one side isn't working correctly that could explain why the one side blows cold air while the other is blowing warm air.

davidspalding

I'm curious what the fix, if any, was determined? I just had the same problem occur, warm air oozing from the passenger side (very little airflow with fan at Max), and cold air from the driver side. The warm/hot air coincides with setting the auto temp to above outside air temp. It's as if the "mixer" that blends hot air with cool a/c air is stuck and not mixing prior to distribution to all vents.

Does anyone know if that could be the Motor Assembly, Mode, or hte Motor Assembly, Driver, or the Motor Assembly Passenger? Hopefully it's NOT the whole Sub-heater Unit (costs about $300 wholesale, $430 retail). Just had the A/C system replaced last fall for the compressor clutch failing ($1600). :_(

TIA!

BROlando

This thread is quite old. You'd have more luck describing your issue and posting your own thread.

Like...did the car just start doing this?
How cold is it outside?
Anything that led up to it?

Use the auto function. No idea why the manual option is favoured. Auto optimizes the cabin warm up process. You can always switch to manual once the auto function has done its job