Boiling Radiator Reservoir
06-28-2010, 08:00 PM
#1
Boiling Radiator Reservoir
Hello All,
on my way home, about 65 mile trip, i noticed half way that my temp gauge went up to about 3/4ths. at the time the ac was on full blast and i was pushing the car at around 4k rpms.
when i noticed the temp gauge, i quickly let off the gas and blasted the heater in this 100 degree weather
then the gauge went back to normal at 2 ticks below half and i remained this way until i got home.
when i got home i popped the hood and didnt see any obvious leaks from any of the hoses. so i turned the car and the a/c to full blast again and temp gauge did not rise. both fans were on and working properly. i then help the accel at about 4k rpms for a minute when i noticed the gauge started to rise. it got to 3/4ths before i let it get any farther, and then i checked back under the hood to find that my reservoir tank was spurting out fluid by the top of the tank!
why is it doing this? and how can i fix it? bad thermostat maybe? or bad radiator cap? car has 180k miles coolant flush was done at about 170kish
on my way home, about 65 mile trip, i noticed half way that my temp gauge went up to about 3/4ths. at the time the ac was on full blast and i was pushing the car at around 4k rpms.
when i noticed the temp gauge, i quickly let off the gas and blasted the heater in this 100 degree weather
then the gauge went back to normal at 2 ticks below half and i remained this way until i got home.when i got home i popped the hood and didnt see any obvious leaks from any of the hoses. so i turned the car and the a/c to full blast again and temp gauge did not rise. both fans were on and working properly. i then help the accel at about 4k rpms for a minute when i noticed the gauge started to rise. it got to 3/4ths before i let it get any farther, and then i checked back under the hood to find that my reservoir tank was spurting out fluid by the top of the tank!
why is it doing this? and how can i fix it? bad thermostat maybe? or bad radiator cap? car has 180k miles coolant flush was done at about 170kish
06-28-2010, 08:16 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Make sure the radiator is topped off with coolant and then that the overflow tank is fillled to between the Min and Max. It's possible they didn't bleed the system properly after the last flush and you had a big air bubble.
Of course, do this when the engine has cooled down for a few hours. Then, repeat the next day until when you pop the cap is has stayed full.
Of course, do this when the engine has cooled down for a few hours. Then, repeat the next day until when you pop the cap is has stayed full.
06-28-2010, 09:10 PM
#3
I had a 95' eclipse that was similar to your situation except my thermostat was broken so I could never see if my car was overheating or not (I got played and bought a lemon (first car)). The car would always be blowing out hot air and my coolant would be boiling and be spurting out. At first it would do this after long trips but then it started doing it like after 10 minutes of driving in the city. I had steam start coming out of the car once too because of the coolant overheating. My problem was that my engine was done. I think it was a blown head gasket. Hopefully thats not your problem. the eclipse had like 224,000 miles.
06-28-2010, 09:21 PM
#4
is the rubber hose in the res cap attached firmly?
probable thermostat sticking now
likely head gasket failure in your near future--you lessened damage with the addition of cold fluid stored in the heater--lowered temp for you
ever replaced the water pump?
belts look ok?
10k since flush was not an air bubble
probable thermostat sticking now
likely head gasket failure in your near future--you lessened damage with the addition of cold fluid stored in the heater--lowered temp for you
ever replaced the water pump?
belts look ok?
10k since flush was not an air bubble
06-28-2010, 09:33 PM
#5
01tl4tl always so helpful,
the hose did seem to be attached firmly
is it possible its just the thermostat?
head gasket sounds too pricey so im hoping its not that.
timing belt job was done around 125kisn im assuming it included the water pump too for the price i paid, but im not completely 100% sure and the belts look fine!
any idea how much dealer asks for thermostat? dealer asks how much for head gasket? i didnt see any white smoke
but then again the car wasnt exactly running from a cold start
the hose did seem to be attached firmly
is it possible its just the thermostat?
head gasket sounds too pricey so im hoping its not that.
timing belt job was done around 125kisn im assuming it included the water pump too for the price i paid, but im not completely 100% sure and the belts look fine!
any idea how much dealer asks for thermostat? dealer asks how much for head gasket? i didnt see any white smoke
but then again the car wasnt exactly running from a cold start
06-29-2010, 01:12 AM
#6
get the dealer thermostat- its about 25 iirc from a recent posting
easy DIY
make sure to fully burp the system per your owner book method
30 miles with a problem you could see- boiling coolant in the res...and whatever was going on before the big failure,,
keep an eye on the radiator and oil for sudden rise or fall --that would be bad
you dont want to know what head gaskets jobs with new head cost
easy DIY
make sure to fully burp the system per your owner book method
30 miles with a problem you could see- boiling coolant in the res...and whatever was going on before the big failure,,
keep an eye on the radiator and oil for sudden rise or fall --that would be bad
you dont want to know what head gaskets jobs with new head cost
06-29-2010, 01:14 AM
#7
you know not to drive the car until its fixed right?
or plan on that head gasket problem a lot sooner!!
How long do you intend to keep the car?
wp is normally done with timing belt job
or plan on that head gasket problem a lot sooner!!
How long do you intend to keep the car?
wp is normally done with timing belt job
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06-29-2010, 01:32 AM
#8
thermostat doesnt sound too bad of a price.
would changing out the head gasket now prevent a cracked or damaged head in the future to make things cheaper?
car was cooled down in front of house and then driven 10 city miles to nearest dealer. so its in honda's hands now
btw the temp gauge never went above the two ticks below half while driving the 10 miles i left the heater on and kept a close eye on it. only happens under extreme load and a/c full blast
would changing out the head gasket now prevent a cracked or damaged head in the future to make things cheaper?
car was cooled down in front of house and then driven 10 city miles to nearest dealer. so its in honda's hands now
btw the temp gauge never went above the two ticks below half while driving the 10 miles i left the heater on and kept a close eye on it. only happens under extreme load and a/c full blast
Last edited by alexh1266; 06-29-2010 at 01:42 AM.
06-29-2010, 10:52 AM
#10
stop driving it
remove radiator and take to a rad repair shop
Or take the whole car to them if no room for DIY at your place
alex
no reason to do all the labor to replace both head gasket now- if 1 blows deal with it then
You never saw redline on the temp so thats really good
If you had repeatedly driven with a known problem then it may also warp a head or both- lets hope you are good and just keep an eye on the fluids
If oil level rises suddenly- or coolant gets oily--I think we all know what oil on water looks like now right--you all own a tv..the gulf of mexico
Then you have a real problem
remove radiator and take to a rad repair shop
Or take the whole car to them if no room for DIY at your place
alex
no reason to do all the labor to replace both head gasket now- if 1 blows deal with it then
You never saw redline on the temp so thats really good
If you had repeatedly driven with a known problem then it may also warp a head or both- lets hope you are good and just keep an eye on the fluids
If oil level rises suddenly- or coolant gets oily--I think we all know what oil on water looks like now right--you all own a tv..the gulf of mexico
Then you have a real problem
06-29-2010, 02:32 PM
#11
PROBLEM SOLVED!
w/ a 5% discount
So it was as i suspected originally. A bad radiator cap. Honda replaced the cap and charged me about $50 total
Upon pick up of my 2000 tl today, i happened to inspect their work, i mean how hard is it to change a cap right?
WRONG!
Apparently honda dealer let a rookie or a newbie work on my car! as i lifted the hood i found the old radiator cap left in the engine bay, and a bone dry coolant reservoir! Of course, unsatisfied i spoke with my service writer and he couldnt believe it either. Car went back in they reinspected radiator did some tests yadda yadda yadda, and filled resevoir and discarded old cap!
Now i asked my service guy if i could get a discount or some kind of reimbursement for this, maybe even some coupons, and his answer was no. But i read somewhere on here before that these guys are basically trained to say no lol.
Spoke with service manager about how unhappy i was and how irresponsible of a thing this was on their behalf, and he totally agreed, but he said since the $112 diagnostics fee was already waived the most he could do for me was give me about a 5% discount, even though i was shooting for 15%
ended up paying $47 and some change @ Robertson Honda of Palmdale, in case you were wondering where. Good thing i just got a $35 visa card rebate in the mail!
anyways problem solved, at least for now i hope!
w/ a 5% discount
So it was as i suspected originally. A bad radiator cap. Honda replaced the cap and charged me about $50 total
Upon pick up of my 2000 tl today, i happened to inspect their work, i mean how hard is it to change a cap right?
WRONG!Apparently honda dealer let a rookie or a newbie work on my car! as i lifted the hood i found the old radiator cap left in the engine bay, and a bone dry coolant reservoir! Of course, unsatisfied i spoke with my service writer and he couldnt believe it either. Car went back in they reinspected radiator did some tests yadda yadda yadda, and filled resevoir and discarded old cap!
Now i asked my service guy if i could get a discount or some kind of reimbursement for this, maybe even some coupons, and his answer was no. But i read somewhere on here before that these guys are basically trained to say no lol.
Spoke with service manager about how unhappy i was and how irresponsible of a thing this was on their behalf, and he totally agreed, but he said since the $112 diagnostics fee was already waived the most he could do for me was give me about a 5% discount, even though i was shooting for 15%
ended up paying $47 and some change @ Robertson Honda of Palmdale, in case you were wondering where. Good thing i just got a $35 visa card rebate in the mail!
anyways problem solved, at least for now i hope!
06-29-2010, 03:52 PM
#12
Imagine, if you took the car and drove it, and it got overheated and blew the head gasket. They would probably blame it on you.
PROBLEM SOLVED!
w/ a 5% discount
So it was as i suspected originally. A bad radiator cap. Honda replaced the cap and charged me about $50 total
Upon pick up of my 2000 tl today, i happened to inspect their work, i mean how hard is it to change a cap right? WRONG!
Apparently honda dealer let a rookie or a newbie work on my car! as i lifted the hood i found the old radiator cap left in the engine bay, and a bone dry coolant reservoir! Of course, unsatisfied i spoke with my service writer and he couldnt believe it either. Car went back in they reinspected radiator did some tests yadda yadda yadda, and filled resevoir and discarded old cap!
Now i asked my service guy if i could get a discount or some kind of reimbursement for this, maybe even some coupons, and his answer was no. But i read somewhere on here before that these guys are basically trained to say no lol.
Spoke with service manager about how unhappy i was and how irresponsible of a thing this was on their behalf, and he totally agreed, but he said since the $112 diagnostics fee was already waived the most he could do for me was give me about a 5% discount, even though i was shooting for 15%
ended up paying $47 and some change @ Robertson Honda of Palmdale, in case you were wondering where. Good thing i just got a $35 visa card rebate in the mail!
anyways problem solved, at least for now i hope!
w/ a 5% discount
So it was as i suspected originally. A bad radiator cap. Honda replaced the cap and charged me about $50 total
Upon pick up of my 2000 tl today, i happened to inspect their work, i mean how hard is it to change a cap right?
WRONG!Apparently honda dealer let a rookie or a newbie work on my car! as i lifted the hood i found the old radiator cap left in the engine bay, and a bone dry coolant reservoir! Of course, unsatisfied i spoke with my service writer and he couldnt believe it either. Car went back in they reinspected radiator did some tests yadda yadda yadda, and filled resevoir and discarded old cap!
Now i asked my service guy if i could get a discount or some kind of reimbursement for this, maybe even some coupons, and his answer was no. But i read somewhere on here before that these guys are basically trained to say no lol.
Spoke with service manager about how unhappy i was and how irresponsible of a thing this was on their behalf, and he totally agreed, but he said since the $112 diagnostics fee was already waived the most he could do for me was give me about a 5% discount, even though i was shooting for 15%
ended up paying $47 and some change @ Robertson Honda of Palmdale, in case you were wondering where. Good thing i just got a $35 visa card rebate in the mail!
anyways problem solved, at least for now i hope!
06-29-2010, 07:09 PM
#13
DOH!!! on me~
should have thought to have you inspect and get the cap tested
Something we all better do as the cars age! rubber seal wears out- pressure goes away- coolant boils at lower temp--5 dollar part can ruin your day
without a good test drive by you- no certainty on thermo proper operation yet, hope its ok since temp did come down
good catch on the poor service!!!,,they would have bought an engine on that one, but with a hassle
Service Managers are there to resolve problems
NOTE: figure they didnt burp the system well either and air is trapped in your heater core
Follow the owner book method- takes about 15- 20 minutes in the driveway
Waived the diagnosis fee- finally did the proper pressure testing and whatever ck's on the system and its fine now--50 bucks..oh well thats life- better than really bad news
Still, keep an eye on the fluid levels- I will keep saying it until you promise!!
should have thought to have you inspect and get the cap tested
Something we all better do as the cars age! rubber seal wears out- pressure goes away- coolant boils at lower temp--5 dollar part can ruin your day
without a good test drive by you- no certainty on thermo proper operation yet, hope its ok since temp did come down
good catch on the poor service!!!,,they would have bought an engine on that one, but with a hassle
Service Managers are there to resolve problems
NOTE: figure they didnt burp the system well either and air is trapped in your heater core
Follow the owner book method- takes about 15- 20 minutes in the driveway
Waived the diagnosis fee- finally did the proper pressure testing and whatever ck's on the system and its fine now--50 bucks..oh well thats life- better than really bad news
Still, keep an eye on the fluid levels- I will keep saying it until you promise!!
Last edited by 01tl4tl; 06-29-2010 at 07:12 PM.
06-29-2010, 07:18 PM
#14
i have a 2000 and mine did the same with the boiling over into the overflow, however mine was the radiator cap and fan motor....replaced both and topped fluid off and havent had problem again...did this about 400 miles ago and i live here in texas with the humidity and heat right now averaging 97 everyday...i drive the hell out of my ccar and it hasnt done anything since the repair,and temp gauge stays in the normal below half sits at a quarter and never moves
06-29-2010, 10:38 PM
#15
Yup, i guess you gotta double check everything now a days!
Anyways i tested it as much as i could on the 10 mile drive home from the dealer. Tried to recreate the problem the same way it happened yesterday, on the streets and in my driveway, and it seems that the problem is fixed. No overflow or boiling of fluid.
and yes i will keep a very close eye on the fluids. I PROMISE!
this car used to be my daily driver, but now it gets driven once or twice a week if lucky, so its going to be harder to monitor fluids on a daily basis.
i economized and have a 07 civic ex sedan now. but man o man i miss my v6 power and normal throttle cable as opposed to dbw!!!! Because let me tell you, it sucks and feels more of a downgrade. But my wallet at the gas pump thinks oppositely!! my tl was getting about 28mpg as opposed to the civic at 37 mpg. i drive 90% highway and 10% city.
Anyways i tested it as much as i could on the 10 mile drive home from the dealer. Tried to recreate the problem the same way it happened yesterday, on the streets and in my driveway, and it seems that the problem is fixed. No overflow or boiling of fluid.
and yes i will keep a very close eye on the fluids. I PROMISE!
this car used to be my daily driver, but now it gets driven once or twice a week if lucky, so its going to be harder to monitor fluids on a daily basis.
i economized and have a 07 civic ex sedan now. but man o man i miss my v6 power and normal throttle cable as opposed to dbw!!!! Because let me tell you, it sucks and feels more of a downgrade. But my wallet at the gas pump thinks oppositely!! my tl was getting about 28mpg as opposed to the civic at 37 mpg. i drive 90% highway and 10% city.
06-30-2010, 06:12 AM
#16
mrbrown
does your guage actually read 1/4 on the temp now?
has it always done that?
Most of us are running 1-2 lines below half and it stays there during all conditions.
1/4 would be a thermostat stuck open issue, and the car never reaches operating temp
does your guage actually read 1/4 on the temp now?
has it always done that?
Most of us are running 1-2 lines below half and it stays there during all conditions.
1/4 would be a thermostat stuck open issue, and the car never reaches operating temp
06-30-2010, 06:14 AM
#17
alex- if you are only driving the TL once a week- no need to ck fluids for cross over every day~
Just before a drive will be sufficient- if there is water in the oil or oil in the water= head gasket = no drive that day~
Just before a drive will be sufficient- if there is water in the oil or oil in the water= head gasket = no drive that day~
06-30-2010, 10:46 AM
#19
has it always run there?
06-30-2010, 08:54 PM
#21
always has except when the fans motor went out and the cap went bad it ran at 3/4 when everything went out after i replaced everything it went back to where its always ran
06-30-2010, 09:22 PM
#22
how long should oem radiator caps last? come to think of it the cap was replaced 10k miles ago while it was flushed. but it was replaced with a cheap non oem one by my old mechanic because he broke my original while trying to take it off. or should i be expecting my new cap to go bad again due to other reasons?
07-01-2010, 05:29 AM
#23
cheap cap maybe?
was the filler neck damaged when cap was broken..an edge not flat with the seal or a nick on an edge cuts the seal--
cant imagine how you break one off!?
no standard reason for one to wear besides the rubber seal succumbs to pressure/age/ heat--
so if you have overheated--could damage the cap
guess we better stick oem on this part?
I heard the TL is really picky about having an acura thermostat too
was the filler neck damaged when cap was broken..an edge not flat with the seal or a nick on an edge cuts the seal--
cant imagine how you break one off!?
no standard reason for one to wear besides the rubber seal succumbs to pressure/age/ heat--
so if you have overheated--could damage the cap
guess we better stick oem on this part?
I heard the TL is really picky about having an acura thermostat too
07-01-2010, 12:19 PM
#24
cheap cap maybe?
was the filler neck damaged when cap was broken..an edge not flat with the seal or a nick on an edge cuts the seal--
cant imagine how you break one off!?
no standard reason for one to wear besides the rubber seal succumbs to pressure/age/ heat--
so if you have overheated--could damage the cap
guess we better stick oem on this part?
I heard the TL is really picky about having an acura thermostat too
was the filler neck damaged when cap was broken..an edge not flat with the seal or a nick on an edge cuts the seal--
cant imagine how you break one off!?
no standard reason for one to wear besides the rubber seal succumbs to pressure/age/ heat--
so if you have overheated--could damage the cap
guess we better stick oem on this part?
I heard the TL is really picky about having an acura thermostat too
I would recommend staying oem with the radiator cap.
And I didnt know about the thermostat but i'll make sure to keep that oem when its time to replace that too!
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