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When in drive and idle at drive thru, and always with AC on (its 113 here in Vegas) my temp gauge rises to 3/4 level. Same thing happens when I am delivering uber eats. I'll be running around and at a red light, guage rises. I then turn AC off and turn on the heat. This brings guage back to normal range.
I have engine coolant temp sensor and fan switch and I am thinking to replace both. I checked relays and fuses, all good. Fluid level completely full. After replacing coolant temp sensor and fan switch, I am thinking of pressure cleaning the radiator fins.
Other issue associated with the above, is often a very hard start and stalling (after turning car off/hot start), and car running sluggish and "off", even some shifting choppiness.
Yesterday after running around, I popped hood and noticed radiator fan (drivers side) was not spinning. Condenser fan was spinning. Condenser fan turns off appropriately after car is turned off.
Domenic, Did you read through the manual? There are multiple things to check as far as the radiator operation. Here is the link. I would not pressure wash the radiator, just use a regular hose. Pressure washing can fold the fins over and make cooling worse. The fins provide surface area for cooling and allow the air to pass through, if they are bent over it doesn't allow the air to pass causing it to heat up faster, higher and stay hot longer.
Troubleshoot your radiator first then see how it operates. OF course make sure oils and fluids are good but I would get the radiator issue settled first before working on the other issues. A car that is too hot can have the issues you describe, so if you fix the radiator the other issues may go away.
Sounds like the cooling system efficiency is in question. As we all know, turning on the heat will open up that additional circuit that draws heat from the cooling system and into the cabin.
Domenic, is the radiator leak free? and system is free of air? no rust in the coolant?
Sounds like the cooling system efficiency is in question. As we all know, turning on the heat will open up that additional circuit that draws heat from the cooling system and into the cabin.
Domenic, is the radiator leak free? and system is free of air? no rust in the coolant?
New Dendo radiator installed last year. No leaks. Clean fluid. No air.
If after i replace the coolant temp sensor and fan switch, the issue continues, I will take to mechanic. Also going to replace cabin air filters.....haven't been done in years. Yikes.
Issue only occurs occur in a drive-thru.......taco bell !!
hmm..how about the themostat? is it oem? Perhaps it's stuck in a slightly open and preventing coolant from flowing freely at idle/proper temp.
At this point, I think thermostat is next. I'll get the oem.
I installed coolant temp sensor and fan switch and topped off coolant yesterday.
at idle in line at ATM machine, temperature rose. I stopped it frrom climbing by turning AC off and turning heat on. Then drove without ac on and it was mostly fine, until in traffic temp rose a tad.
then on drive home, with AC off, even though it was 108 degrees oitside, it drove perfectly. Drive home was about 25 minutes.
issue seems worse when AC is on.
I would only do oem, but keep in mind even those can fail too. I had my original for 18 years and the oem replacement failed just over 1 year.
If I may make a recommendation...take the current thermostat out and test it before buying new. Should open up at the right temp and it may be possibly stuck in a partially open state. You would definitely see that too as it should make a water tight seal between the valve and the body.
Not sure if related: driving today with ac on.....come to stop light.....stop......engine rpm decreases ...like a surge down.....usually doesn't do that, but if so it's subtle. It's been more noticeable since I got a new alternator but......anyway.........I come to next light and car shakes and wants to stall. I turn ac off and everything is fine. Turn it back on, and it shakes and wants to stall, at stop light.
so idk whats going on.
I swear, with the temperature outside at 114, I think my acura just hates this heat. I mean, it's pretty disgusting right now.
All problems (temp guage rising, shaking, intermittent almost stall) are occurring when AC is on. With ac off, car runs without issue and as good as ever. So maybe the car is bipolar or........
Did you go through the troubleshooting steps in the manual? IF I remember correctly when installing the thermostat there is a tab that is supposed to be in a certain position, it think it was up but you should check. Also, as you replaced the temp sensor hook up a OBDII reader, and hopefully it tells you the current temperature, then check to see what the fan does when it heats up.
Thank you, Jon. I appreciate your help!
Tuesday car is going to honda/acura specialist. We'll see what he says.
Thanks again, my friend.
for now I will keep the ac off.
Meant to ask you- should radiator fan ALWAYS be spinning when AC is on? yesterday i noticed the condensor fan was spinning but radiator fan was not, while ac was on. Radiator fan would come off and on (mostly off) thanks.
The radiator fan should come on when the temperature reach ~199 degrees F. Check the chart I posted earlier today. If you just start the car when it is cold, it should not turn until the temperature is high. When the temperature drops below 199 F, it turns off.
Basically you can start the car, when the idle temp is reached you can keep the car around 2k RPM and the fan should turn on, after it is on a few minutes or so, the radiator fan should turn off. This is without the AC being on. When the AC is on the condenser fan should come on, when the temperature gets up to 199F and the AC is on both fanes should come on.
I use an OBII reader that gives me current data which includes the temperature reading from the sensor. If you have a temp monitor (wired or infrared) you may be able to get a reading from the fins of the radiator. You can try going from the back and the side to keep the fan out of the way if you use a wired temp gauge. Do not attempt to open the system and measuring the coolant. One, the pressure cap is there to keep it from boiling, Two, you can burn yourself very badly.
The fans can be working but your compressor can failing and putting more strain on the engine than is normal. If you hear noise coming from the compressor that is bad, If you have an OBDII reader that shows current data look at the load percentage with the compressor off and with it on. There should be a difference but it shouldn't be large. If you can look at this let me know. I will measure mine and let you know what it is.
As Whitetiger also said , a bad thermostat can also cause you to overheat. Do you know the last time it was replaced? (although they can go bad at anytime)
Domenic I read the link you posted and they cover most of the possible issues. Have you noticed any smells, new noises, and a lack of cooling when the AC is on? The article basically said the same thing I said in the last post, but I also had assumed that the AC was cooling when you had it on, as mentioned there maybe a problem with the compressor causing the problem.
If it is the compressor from the dealer it is a $600 -$675 part (06388-P*E-505). From Rockauto it is $219. These are probably remanufactured parts (RM). You can also see if you can find one at a junk yard.
More Information DENSO 4711256{Alternate Inventory Numbers: 471-1256}
I do not beliebe i ever replaced thermostat - never had any issues. Maybe when mechanic replaced radiator last year, he also replaced thermostat. Will need to check my records. I know he replaced the hoses.
The AC blows cold. Very cold. No noises from compressor. No whining or grinding. Nothing abnormal. Only abnormal thing was yesterday afternoon, when at a stop light, whenever I had AC on, the car stumbled and shook BADLY, and almost stalled. As soon as I turned AC off, it was perfectly fine.
Last night I sat in two very long drive thru lines. It was over 110 degrees outside. AC off......zero issues. Zero. Temp never rose. Car idled perfectly. Smooth. Quiet.
The rising temp guage and issue described above ONLY happens with AC on. Car runs and behaves perfectly when it's off. Maybe new compressor and condesnor fan will do trick. Carmgoing to shop on Tuesday for full diagnosis.
I do not beliebe i ever replaced thermostat - never had any issues. Maybe when mechanic replaced radiator last year, he also replaced thermostat. Will need to check my records. I know he replaced the hoses.
The AC blows cold. Very cold. No noises from compressor. No whining or grinding. Nothing abnormal. Only abnormal thing was yesterday afternoon, when at a stop light, whenever I had AC on, the car stumbled and shook BADLY, and almost stalled. As soon as I turned AC off, it was perfectly fine.
Last night I sat in two very long drive thru lines. It was over 110 degrees outside. AC off......zero issues. Zero. Temp never rose. Car idled perfectly. Smooth. Quiet.
The rising temp guage and issue described above ONLY happens with AC on. Car runs and behaves perfectly when it's off. Maybe new compressor and condesnor fan will do trick. Carmgoing to shop on Tuesday for full diagnosis.
thank you!
Mechanic sent me a text. He said based on what I'm telling him, he said prepare for new compressor and condensor. Labor isnt cheap....also have to remove and recharge refrigerant. Fun times!
That is the reason I looked up the compressor costs for you. Unfortunately labor etc aren't cheap. Let us know what happens, it is good information for all of us.
Mechanic sent me a text. He said based on what I'm telling him, he said prepare for new compressor and condensor. Labor isnt cheap....also have to remove and recharge refrigerant. Fun times!
the car idling or maintaining proper operating temp is not the responsibility of the AC system.
idling - IACV
operating temp - cooling system (radiator, thermostat, fans & fan switch)
Mechanic sent me a text saying that it could also be radiator fan since my compressor doesnt make any noise, gives off any smells, and blows cold air. Maybe radiator fan is issue and when ac is on, the issue made worse. Though not sure why there are NO issues when car runs without AC.
the car idling or maintaining proper operating temp is not the responsibility of the AC system.
idling - IACV
operating temp - cooling system (radiator, thermostat, fans & fan switch)
Mechanic diagnosed issue as faulty radiator fan and radiator cap. Rad cap replaced, I am ordering a radiator fan today. Mechanic quoted labor as 1.5 hours. Said AC parts are fine. Surprising, since I have NEVER serviced or replaced ANY AC part.
Not sure why faulty radiator fan wouldnt lead to constant issues/overheating. Issue only happens when AC is on. I drove around yesterday afternoon, 113 degrees outside, stop and go traffic, idling, no issues.
You didn't see any signs of boiling over?
The cap keeps the proper pressure in the radiator. Radiators have different pressure specifications and that is why you shouldn't use the cap from one car to another unless the pressure spec is the same. The pressure increases the boiling point of the coolant so if the cap is worn or open it will allow the coolant to heat up higher than it should and eventually boil out. If your reservoir all of a sudden becomes full or overflowing that is an indication of the car overheating and you should start with inspecting the radiator cap. Thought about the cap but assumed you would have seen signs of overflow, guess it was too subtle to recognize.
The AC can cause the car to overheat but it usually shows up as not enough or no cooling, belt squealing, burning smells, noises when AC on, the overheating would be caused by the extra load on the engine. In your case you had cooling with no other indication other than AC on, be thankful it was something cheap and simple.
You didn't see any signs of boiling over?
The cap keeps the proper pressure in the radiator. Radiators have different pressure specifications and that is why you shouldn't use the cap from one car to another unless the pressure spec is the same. The pressure increases the boiling point of the coolant so if the cap is worn or open it will allow the coolant to heat up higher than it should and eventually boil out. If your reservoir all of a sudden becomes full or overflowing that is an indication of the car overheating and you should start with inspecting the radiator cap. Thought about the cap but assumed you would have seen signs of overflow, guess it was too subtle to recognize.
The AC can cause the car to overheat but it usually shows up as not enough or no cooling, belt squealing, burning smells, noises when AC on, the overheating would be caused by the extra load on the engine. In your case you had cooling with no other indication other than AC on, be thankful it was something cheap and simple.
You didn't see any signs of boiling over?
The cap keeps the proper pressure in the radiator. Radiators have different pressure specifications and that is why you shouldn't use the cap from one car to another unless the pressure spec is the same. The pressure increases the boiling point of the coolant so if the cap is worn or open it will allow the coolant to heat up higher than it should and eventually boil out. If your reservoir all of a sudden becomes full or overflowing that is an indication of the car overheating and you should start with inspecting the radiator cap. Thought about the cap but assumed you would have seen signs of overflow, guess it was too subtle to recognize.
The AC can cause the car to overheat but it usually shows up as not enough or no cooling, belt squealing, burning smells, noises when AC on, the overheating would be caused by the extra load on the engine. In your case you had cooling with no other indication other than AC on, be thankful it was something cheap and simple.
Having radiator fan replaced on Tuesday. Also oil change and ~3qt tyranny fluid change. I bring my own fluids. Not sure why mechanic charges me $20 to change oil, but $60 to change trany fluid. Both are just drain plugs. Drain and replace.
Also, going to ask mechanic about knocking noise when accelerating. I've had this happen before when using lower octane gas or sometimes different gas stations seem to give me different performance. Idk. I just heard the knocking more when temp was rising. Note I have ZERO smoke and my oil isn't milky or cloudy. It looks very good. Brown. Probably doesn't need to be changed but I will do it while car is there on Tuesday.
All fixed. Radiator fan did the trick. Probably needs a AC freon recharge next summer. Cold just not ice cold.
also, rattling stopped with better gas. Mechanic said noise is also from heat plate/shield
Also, cleaned the radiator fins with a spray on foam product I purchased. And, replaced cabin air filters. Last night, AC was cold and strong! The cabin filters were clogged to the max. Now, brand new.
07-19-2023, 02:18 PM
