TheGoodGuy

My 09 TSX was running a bit hotter than usual of late. Sure its been 100F out there but I noticed the cooling fan coming on quite often and the temp gauge would go up and down (small movements). So I deduced the coolant was low or losing efficiency. I did notice the bottle was at minimum but the radiator was full. It was blue alright but darker than clear blue of the fresh fluid.

Anyway I drained and refilled the coolant this morning (along with a 1x transmission drain and fill). Got 1.5 gallons back in there. I noticed initially the thermostat wouldnt open. The bottom tube and top tube werent hot after 10 minutes of idling / running engine up to 2500 rpms. It finally opened but the fan wouldnt kick in. It took another 35 minutes for the fan to kick in. So it was 82F when I got done at 10am but it was unusual.

Lets say that the 100K cycle is probably okay for moderate temps but I am glad I got it done at 64K, a bit of preventive maintenance will go a long way.

Anyway car is running good now. I am ready for the road trip this weekend. Bring on the heat!

TSXV6Guy

humm, maybe it's your thermostat that was not opening properly and the coolant change made it work better. If it happens again, you may wish to consider replacing the thermostat.

MrOtocinclus

Preventative maintenance is always good, especially if you enjoy working on the car. Some people spend $30 to go to the movies, I spend it on a bottle of coolant and a case of my favorite beverage.

TheGoodGuy

I am keeping an eye on the thermostat and coolant levels. The tech was going to replace the thermostat if it didnt open when it did..

Endika

You know Honda recommends coolant flushes every 30k.

TheGoodGuy

Well Acura manual says 105K interval..I think 60K is ideal for these cars in markets where tempratures run extremely hot in the summer

ed_423

hm you mention that it took a while for the fan to work...which shouldn't be normal (right?) what might have caused it? or just a simple bug?

HeavyDuty

Most modern cars (open deck aluminum blocks and aluminum cylinder heads) dissipate heat so well, it takes *forever* for them to get hot enough to turn the fan on if it's sitting there with the hood up.

I remember having a (whatever) sitting in the bay during winter & having to close the hood and lay a clean blanket over the nose in order to get a car to heat up sufficiently for the cooling fan to come on.