Help someone please, this car is a nightmare! My gf has a 06 Acura TL, I have replaced the thermostat, radiator, cooling fan.. Not due to overheating but the radiator was leaking, the fan stopped working, and the thermostat was starting to stick during cold months. The temp guage in the car has never seen the H zone.. She was driving home yesterday and said that the RPMS guage spiked up randomly so she started to pull over and when she did, steam or smoke was coming from under the hood. I went to where she pulled over and the car started normal and the first thing I checked was to see if there SAS water in the radiator and there was.. I looked all around but didn't see steam or smoke coming from anywhere. I followed her home and it drove normal. I let it sit outside and run for about 30 minutes and still no signs of issue that I can see. Checked the oil, isn't milky.. Theres no white smoke coming from exhaust.. Is there something else I could be looking for here? A/C line? Power steering? I'm running out of thoughts here and I'm pretty knowledgeable and capable when it comes to automotive repairs. Any help or pointers would be appreciated

 

Bleed the coolant system? Using blue type 2 coolant 1:1water mix? Tried a new radiator cap?

 

since you didnt encounter it first hand, consider it a fluke...
you could always go over your work again; thermostat, radiator and cooling fan.

usually when RPM's rise, it usually indicates a slipping tranny..who knows what happened, you werent there.
steam can be caused by dripping water.