Hello Everybody

I am restoring a 2 gen Acura TL with 3.2 which has sat for over 2 years. Oil was black, Tranny fluid black, Brake lines rotted, etc. Thermostat changed.

Everything has been cleaned up and replaced, but now I am having intermittent cooling probs.

Ran the car stop and go traffic, Needle sat below half, and rise and fell which seem to let me know the fan was working. Later that evening ran the car across the highway for 50 miles and once off the highway, temp gauge started to rise. Drove streets for another 8 miles to home but by that time temp 3/4 to high, with fans on.

My diagnosis from this forum would suggest burping the system, but would a flush help?

If I do a flush will I disturb other problems like water pump etc ?

Any advice from long term Acura owner would be appreciated

Cheers

 

Yes reburp the system and top off coolant.

Thermostat

Installed in the correct direction and with the Pin up?

 

Thanks for the reply. Yes thermo was installed with air hole up. Try to reburp and let the system cycle. nothing Radiator was full.

 

Assuming the fan is working.

Did you open heater valve?

Check for debris in front of condensor, inbetween rad and condenser, inbetween rad and fan shroud.

Make sure you can see through all the fins.

If everything checks out ok then replace the rad, it's probably clogged.

You need to stop driving the car until the cooling system is fix, unless you want to replace the motor.

 

^ I agree on checking for debris like leaves and dirt in front of the radiator- ESP since the car sat for a couple years. If not that then yeah maybe a new radiator is needed.

 

I was having cooling issues about a year ago on my 2003 TL-S with 200k. My cooling fins were pretty smashed up and I had a small leak that I could not determine the source so I changed out my radiator, which was a very easy DIY job. One time of seeing my temp gauge sky rocket was enough for me. Everytime your engine sees high temps, your engines life expectancy takes a hit.(fact) My engine ran cooler under all conditions after replacement. Or let me put it this way, it seems everything didn't have to work as hard to keep things cool. I use synthetic oil as well, which is supposed to hold up to at higher temps vs. conventional oil in the event of high temp spike.

 

the temp should stay dead steady at 1-2 lines below half - at all times and conditions

Is it a HONDA thermostat?
Does the driver side rad fan run more than 1 minute after engine shutdown? Fan Switch A is bad

Do the burping with cabin heat on full hot and cabin fan on high= per honda
See owner book- its more than just idle till burps- requires a few sets of 2000 rpm till fan cycles and idle with cycle on and off
Note leave car doors open to let hot air out
Favorite place for air to hide and freak out the sensors, cause fan not to run when its needed