kuckle1

Ok so I'be stopped for the 3rd time today because my car is about to over heat... It's full of water and I just filled the reserve with anti coolant, I filled the radiator with water.last night (when the overheating started) and it still seems to have a good amount of water because I tried putting more and it over flowed quick, what can it be ????? Help please if.I can fix this within an hour that would be great! I have to pick up my sister from work annnnnnd I have work tomorrow thanks

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

Listen carefully. No matter what, if the temp needle goes above half, KILL THE ENGINE!

The problem might be as simple as changing the radiator cap, or it might be more involved. Either way, overheat shouldn't be too hard to fix. You're going to also have to bleed it afterwards.

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

Gfaze

So is the water disappearing, is it leaking out? When you say water are you using just water? You should be using a 50/50 water and antifreeze mix. Antifreeze creates a higher boiling point than water alone. Did you recently blow a hose? You may have to bleed air out of the system if you just replaced the hose and filled it back up with coolant.

Mr. Maker

iTrader: (4)

Fans.

victus1

Could it be your thermostat is stuck closed?

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

<--- Maker Fan Member.

Rockstar21

iTrader: (1)

always check thermostat first.... its been the issue with my and other's cars 90% of the time.

cheap and easy/quick fix.

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

If you have no idea what the possibilities could be other than needing to add coolant, take it to an expert and have it diagnosed. And as mentioned, kill the engine if the temperature rises close to hot. Don't let the gauge get to hot. Aluminum heads can and will warp very easily.

kuckle1

Ok so what I did was let the car cool down then drove home drained the radiator flushed it with water then did 50/50 water coolant, then drove around with the radiator cap a little loose and the temp would go up then a dew seconds later would drop again, it did that like 3 Times then I got home closed the cap tight then called it a day, sister had to take the bus lol and this morning the car didn't heat up at all so I think I'm in the clear, oh and there really wasn't that much water in the radiator. Bit other than that its good so far hopefully nothing happens

ruet

As a general rule of thumb; the things to look at are:

Coolant level
Coolant quality (age & mixture)
Thermostat function
fan operation
Cooling system pressure (cap condition, internal/external leaks)
Radiator core blockage
Water pump operation (bad belt/bad pump)

Good luck,

01tl4tl

you need to be using the acura owner book method for burping the system
driving it like you did--maybe we need to add the word head to your name!
www.owners.acura.com gets a free owner book download for your car

In all my years- never- have I heard of that as a burping and test method!!

Cap left open mean NO PRESSURE buildup--its a trick used to get you home with a problem
no pressure means no leaks at seams or pinholes
it also means no help against overheating--the pressure increases the boiling point (see Moms pressure cooker)
we run approx 15 pounds of pressure with the cap on
if you dont know how to inspect the cap,,take it to a parts store for testing
they will happily come and look for obvious leaks too

otherwise you need a small private owner honda/acura shop
must know acura!!! as honda temp guage moves all the time
while TL stays dead steady unless a problem,,something most honda techs dont know

01tl4tl

how long have you had the car?
did the temp guage always stay steady at 1-2 lines below half ?
(depending on viewing angle but always the same place-all day every day)

when did it start losing coolant?
ck front of radiator for rock hit

01tl4tl

have you ckd the fans operation?

during the drive- what was the guage doing-= how high how low--
were you stopped when it happened,,

kuckle1

I've had the car from like November of last year

The gauge always stayed in the same spot til recently

Before the temp gauge would start getting hotter than normal the fans would turn on all the time, I was getting curious about it but this occurred for just one day the next day the fans were the same but the only difference was the gauge showed it was heating up. That's when I stopped and checked the radiator, it was basically empty, I filled it up with water and I check the reserve empty well, I left it like that and drive home, (less than a mile away from where I stopped) it was like 11pm already I waisted til the next day to buy coolant then. But the next day ( yesterday) I wasn't able to put coolant because I need to be at work. I drove to work, the car was fine, I drove home after work, cars fine. I help my mom run some errands then that's when the car starts heating up again, stopped by AutoZone bought coolant added it, then that's when the I posted my post.

As for the gauge going up and down it would go maybe a little less then 3/4 high and almost immediately drop down to less than 1/2 it did that three times then stopped doing it all together and hasn't moved higher that the spot its always been at.

kuckle1

Ok I check the car on my lunch break and the radiator is fine has liquid and all but my reserve which was full is now pretty low near empty I'd say

jo3lo22

iTrader: (2)

I agree

jra8858

check your oil and see if there is coolant in it. It will look milky or there will be bubbles on the oil dipstick if there is. Also fill your coolant and resovoir up to the correct levels and properly bleed the cooling system to avoid the possibilty of air being trapped in the systm which could cause overheating symptoms. After you bleed the system turn the car on and let it reach normal operating temperature. Carefully monitor the coolant temperature and if and when you see the needle begin to rise past the normal spot, look under the hood and check if BOTH your fans are running. Yes, No?? Once you verify whether or not the BOTH fans are operating, turn the car off immediately to avoid an overheat. Once you do this please post back with your results so we can further assist you.

kuckle1

So I'm doing what you said so far hasn't gone past the normal spot but theres a pretty bad leak under the car on the oil pan side looks like the coolant liquid

01tl4tl

can we start with verify main cooling fan-`driver side` fan operates when needed- without ac
sitting there at idle a few minutes will make it cycle on for maybe 30 seconds and back off,,maybe a few times depending how long you sit
Ac ON = BOTH FANS ON

temp very high- ac OFF- BOTH FANS ON

main fan runs more than 1-2 minutes after shutdown,,like 15 minutes = needs fan temp sensor
probably our number 1 cooling failure is that sensor
fan wont run when needed, and runs for no reason after shutdown

stop and go traffic, errands with engine off and on several times
and bad fan sensor- it will be getting hot

the fact the temp rose and fell a few times with cap loose says thermostat was
doing its job
FAN sensor most likely culprit

ck both fans spin freely - engine cold-- or fan may operate at any time!
just like the warning label says!
whack to the nubs of what was your finger--does not feel good

if needed, swap power to test physical operation if fan- if it spins slowly ny hand,
it may not be spinning when needed, or at the correct speed
note the fan blades are different, a 4 and 5 blade

01tl4tl

do you mean the oil filter side??
water pump has a small hole made into its bottem side- if coolant leaks from there- leaves a white trail down the metal from hole

or hose or rad leaking

the res bottle went down as fluid transferred when engine cooled- normal
especially noticable after burp when air was left in
The bottle has min max lines..cold is min, hot is max

Are you opening the heater?

if its leaking STOP engine and find leak

kuckle1

Yes oil filter side

No not opening heater , don't exactly know what that is

Both fans turned on, during the whole process, there wasn't a time when only one turned on.

jra8858

Now your getting somewhere. Trace the source of the leak to its origin. If it is coming from above your oil filter area it very well could indicate a failing water pump. Also if the leak is substantial enough and you are losing coolant fast enough you will overheat once the coolant level dips too low. Find the source of the leak and fix it! That should solve your coolant loss issue, and in turn solve your overheat problem. But also have you verified that both your fans are cycling on?

kuckle1

Cycling on... As in do they turn on ??

jra8858

Good so fans operate as they should, find the source of that leak now. There is a good possibility it could be coming from your water pump, but give it a thorough inspection to be sure before you jump the gun. Good luck.

jra8858

Yes, sorry I wrote that before I saw your post that stated they were working properly.

kuckle1

So I've basically come to a conclusion that the pump is leaking

kuckle1

So I stopped by a shop by my job explained to them what happened and they want to do a pressure test $45 is it worth it? Or can I do it myself ??

jra8858

I would just go to your local parts store and rent the cooling system pressure tester, or you might even be able to buy one fairly cheap. Usually at advance auto, and autozone all you do is pay a deposit on the tool you are renting and then receive all your money back once you return the tool. Save the money to put towards the actual repair, you know?

kuckle1

That's probably smarter, but is there like some kind of manual I can use it haha I wouldn't know how to use it

jra8858

Check out this link. Its a completely different vehicle, but the concept is the same.

victus1

When you do fix the problem, don't forget to also replace the thermostat, the rad cap, and the upper & lower rad hoses. Very cheap insurance to avoid future issues.

kuckle1

Well I went to AutoZone and asked to rent the pressure tester and explained what was going on and the guy came out took a look asked some question and said it for sure the water pump and all thoae things you said victus1 should be fine, he said its possible for me to replace the water pump myself and recommended I do the timing belt myself as well so I bought both came out to 67.89 due to my girlfriends military discount option haha but it should be easy to do he said, he also printed out some diagrams and how to's so I can read and do it look at if I run into a problem.
Thank you guys again for all the help and thank you for your patience jar8858 I appreciate it

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

Are you aware that replacing the waterpump involves removing the timing belt? A job that calls for nearly 5 hours of labor by the Acura labor time book? No offense but with your lack of knowledge, I don't advise doing a job like this on your own. And why not start with easier things first...like a thermostat?

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

^^^
Nevermind on the thermostat suggestion, I just seen there was a leak noticed...

kuckle1

Thought I'd give it a shot if anything when I take a look at it and it looks risky to me then I'll take it to a shop. To me I'm curious to try it wouldn't hurt

01tl4tl

op- what year TL and current miles?

it woulnt hurt?!!!! rofl go to the diy section and read 105 service
you better be a skilled tech with some good tools.. and a few badazz tools
to do this
You can get the cams off by a tooth, put it back together and destroy the engine

this is not a simple `pumps on the front` job
pump is behind timing belt, which is attached from crankshaft to camshafts
and is behind covers, the ps pump (easy to destroy it by overtightening belt on install)
and an engine mount in the way too

you want a honda shop-small private owner type- they have whats needed,
and with experience to do it correctly
some honda dealers offer a major deal on the 105 and will do our car too

stop driving the car NOW!!!!
or go buy another car since you keep getting this one hot,,its going to blow a head gasket- warp a head, or otherwise become an expensive doorstop

Fans-cycle= means to come on AND OFF
only ON doesnt count,,sensor operation for `cycle with temp` being tested of driver side fan
With ac OFF, only DRIVER fan operates at normal temp,,goes on and off

to OPEN HEATER for coolant draining or burping:
turn the heater temp to full hot , those with electronic controls turn key ON -
set to hottest temp.
open windows and turn cabin fan on (burping),,
if draining system- turn key off after setting temp- that opened a valve to allow heater contents to join rad system

the heater traps air- it can cause probs with temp sensor for fan!!
but leak is the paramount issue- you may also have a bad fan temp sensor

45$ pressure test? you can see the trail of coolant from a small hole cast in the water pump housing,,or not..thats easy
pressure test is to ck the radiator and hoses for leaks
eff that place

with this cars age and lack of maitenance, a `full 105`- all new belt tensioners-
roller pullies, belts, spark plugs,,accessory cooling parts,,thermostat, hoses etc
etc are needed
a valve adjust and clean the egr system of the intake manifold are good to do at the same time
dont forget the ps fluid and brake fluid flushes that would have been called for back at 60-120---

for referance: most shops start about 800 for a cheapo job and go to 1200-1500 just for the tbelt water pump,,add extras and its 1800-2000 2500!!
see why many TL's get sold at 120kmiles without this having been done