Temp gauge is moving above halfway point and then eventually returns to halfway point with a/c on or off. usually returns to halfway point while driving, when idle at red light seems to rise. also both fans come on and radiator fluid appears clean. any suggestions and can this cause any damage?

 

Sounds like you have a problem. My temp. gauge has never risen above 1 tick below half, even on the hottest day. Don't let it overheat. Get it pressure tested for leaks & test/replace the thermostat.

 

I guess you checked coolant level. it could be thermalstat since you said both fans run.

 

should never go above half- most run 2 clicks below and never waver

ck the res bottle cap - is the hose inside it connected?
and the res bottle and rad are full when cold?

what year and miles?
ever change the coolant? I know it says 7/105 with the water pump job but it can and does wear out sooner

 

I have done everything and my car still overheats. The only thing I haven't done is change the fan motor. That is 165.00

 

the fans work so thats not the problem- there may be a sensor prob not turning fan on correctly

Does the driver side fan come on and off when sitting for several minutes?- without the ac running
And the pass side fan does come on when ac is turned on?

you have not stated what you have done- so we are going thru the normal troubleshooting for you

the radiator fluid looks clean- but is it still doing its job- a 2 dollar tool will tell you
radiator can be plugged under good looking coolant, drain some from the bottem and look inside the top

Whats the mileage on car- may just need new water pump or its belt tensioner is going and doesnt turn pump at correct speed
Are you losing any coolant at all?

 

don't forget to hook up scan tool and see what it says. that way you could tell if its a gauge or something else. or you can also try an infrared temp gun to manually check it.

 

there you go- the scan tool- ck if parts store will let you borrow it
drive with it plugged in to read actual temps and operations of the car

but in my past, with my own -(Not the TL)- car and similar issue- I had to replace the water pump and radiator

 

Thank guys for input truly appreciated. I have new water pump and timing belt done 8 months ago so that should be ok. I had new thermostat put in two days ago. everything was fine, temperature gauge returned to normal so I thought it was ok. today i get in and drive for a while,parked and stopped at store. when i came out i saw antifreeze on ground. it never done this before. car is overheating again so i'm really not sure. any suggestions? also will a faulty radiator cap cause this problem? both fans are still working with a/c on and when off one fan comes on. not sure about the leaking antifreeze that seems to be coming from under where the battery is?

 

Maybe your overflow tank is cracked/leaking.

 

where was the fluid on the ground- under what part of the car

dont drive it when its going past halfway,, or expect another $1000 to fix that damage

 

See post #9- under batt.

 

Check the radiator hoses, make sure they both okay, if not the radiator could be the problem.

 

Radiator cap can also cause boiling over since the system is pressurized it raises the boiling point of water. If its not up to proper pressure it will boil at 220 when under pressure it about 14-16 psi it raises boiling point to about 250. So it wouldnt hurt to test the cap or just buy a new on.

 

Thanks for everything, turns out retarded mechanic put the thermostat in upside down causing improper seal and antifreeze leak. I paid him for nothing and ended up doing it myself. If not using dealer and part can be changed easily i recommend doing the work yourself. thanks again!

 

the TL seems to prefer an Acura dealer thermostat over aftermarket-
one of those important items too!

I have said it many times-
always suspect and inspect the last work done on the car when a sudden new problem appears
Then ck the work done just before that~

 

Im sure this is the exact same problem im having. gauge flies up when im idle. And goes back to halfway as long as im driving. A.C. doesnt make much of a difference. Has the thermostat fix held up? and how much did it cost?

 

young- we have a diy section - here is the link- ck it before posting about how to do things https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/new-official-2nd-gen-tl-diy-thread-706083/

Go get your car pressure tested or DIY that
look at radiator cap seal- broken-worn-?
coolant bright color or faded?
miles on car- water pump replaced yet?

 

Where did he ask how to do things?

 

in several threads and new threads asking old question
so I pointed him to the DIY section
Where we should all look.. before starting threads especially~

 

Only thing I saw was he asked how often he should change transm. fluid-