gwmc7e

Hello fellow Acura owners. I have an 96 Acura TL 3.2. I've having a cooling problem. My automobile temperature gauge reads normal operating temperature yet when I stop my vehicle I can then hear the coolant boiling. I would typically think the thermostat is out and needs replacing but I'm befuddled as to why the temperature gauge didn't rise to hot. Can anyone explain this action before I replace the thermostat? I understand thermostat is likely frozen shut but why am I getting a faulty reading as well? Seems to me the temperature gauge ought to have continued rising to hot.

gwmc7e

I should have been more specific. The water I hear boiling is in my reservoir. Don't know if that makes a difference but important to be more specific.

Doncreation

Hey...I think start off with a new Radiator Cap...if that doesn't help you have a head gasket problem. I am having the same issue

HP11

If the thermostat was 'frozen shut' you'd be overheating. If you had a head gasket problem you'd likely also be overheating. Could be a bad radiator cap as suggested or air in the system. Have you tried bleeding it?

gwmc7e

I thought I had the problem fixed with a new radiator cap but then I blew a hose which I've since replaced but know I still have a problem. Engine will run well within normal operating temperature for maybe 20 minutes of freeway driving and then blast off to Hot suddenly. I don't know if that's the thermostat or the water pump acting up. I'm hoping thermostat of course. As for the head gasket I thought the tell-tale signs were oil on my dipstick looking like a milk shake. I don't see any change there. Perhaps, I misunderstood.

HP11

Initially you said that the vehicle wasn't overheating (your words: "temperature gauge didn't rise to hot"). Now you say it is. I asked if you bled the system before; you never responded to that. After changing the hose, did you bleed the system? Air in the system can cause the problems you're speaking of. A little air can cause the bubling in the reservoir as you mention in posts 1 and 2. More air will cause overheating.

gwmc7e

I did say the temp gauge didn't go hot because it didn't. Now it does after running at operating temp for a little while. The deal is I haven't been driving very far of recent so I haven't been having much problem with overheating until I do drive far enough. As for bleeding the system, yes I've bled it numerous times.

HP11

Okay, well, like they say, 'that's all I've got'. The only time I ever experienced a problem at all similar to what you describe, bleeding the system solved it.

main70072

Make sure your cooling fans are working properly. If you're driving and it's normal then that means that wind is helping, but when you stop... no wind + no fan = temperature rise.

tregrad

Hey everyone, my son just got his first car 96 3.2 tl, unbeknownst to us this car has major over heating problems that are apparently inherent to this car.
Is there a step by step guide to locating leaks or testing for leaks etc? I looked it the DIY section and found nothing at all about this common problem with these cars.
his car over heats and then when he steps on the gas bringing the rpm's up to about 2500 the temp gauge goes down, we replaced the thermostat and had the system flushed but still the problem persists?
any help will be greatly appreciated.

tregrad

one other thing, I have a Scan Gauge 2, will that throw codes for the cooling system?

HP11

Where do you get the idea that overheating is inherent to these cars?? The reason that you haven't found anything about this 'common problem' is because it isn't. You need to troubleshoot it the same as you would any vehicle with that's overheating. Check fan operation, water pump, etc. Is the system properly bled?

tregrad

no, i have found LOTS about the over heating, I havent found any steps or a DIY to r&r a water pump, thats all.
i have bled it, changed the thermostat, had it flushed etc. just wondering if you had anything in particular for me to do to investigate it out.
is there a test i can run to check the water pump? maybe a way to pressurize the system to see if there is a leak? tricks or something that you would know that i dont. which is pretty much the reason for me being on this forum, I use forums for everything because you guys know way more than i do. I just changed a high pressure oil pump and 4 injectors in my 04 6.0L f-350 using a forum and would have never been able to do it with out their help.

HP11

I've never seen anything that says overheating is endemic to 1st gen 3.2 TL's. Ours have never overheated, nor have the few others I've dealt with. That's all I meant. I've seen some posts here about random cases. They are nearly 20 year old vehicles so I don't know if anything about them could be termed inherent or endemic.

There are cooling system pressure testers. I have one. It also makes it easier to bleed the system if you have one. Here's a link to a first gen TL service manual that would have a DIY on changing out the water pump.

http://downloads.hondatech.info/Auto...01995-1998.rar

tregrad

good to hear that this isnt a ongoing problem i guess i was going on what ive heard from one other owner and what ive read online. thats is why i ask these questions or pose them on forums, forums are ALWAYS a better source of information.
awesome, thanks, i will check it out,
can i pick one up at, say, nappa etc?
when they flushed teh system my son said they ran a pressure test, so I am "assuming" they checked the system for leaks. if there is none then i should be pretty safe to say that the water pump is bad eh?
thanks again.

HP11

The auto parts stores sell pressure testers as does Harbor Freight. If the thermostat is good, and the fans are operating properly, and there are no leaks, the next place I'd look would be the water pump.

tregrad

well, i was going to put up some pictures of what i found since tearing it apart but i guess i cant?
that sux.

tregrad

I am going to send you a PM with pics ok HP, will add my # I am going over there to put the new water pump in, I blew through the weap hole and plugged the top side with my finger and hear air come out from behind the impellar. but there are other things i want to show you

tregrad

or i was, it appears that i cant even do that,
this really blows. I understand why this is, but I am part of many forums and have been for years. perhaps there should be a questionnaire or something to validate people as to their extent of their knowledge of forum rules etc. maybe a list of forums they are involved in or something like that, so these restrictions can be removed at the get go. just a thought.

tregrad

I will see if i can explain it

when i pulled the driver side cam gear off there are 4 little magneto thingies (lol have no idea what they are) and the stuf that insulates them has started to melt out?
what is this and can it be fix'd?

behind where the impeller is on the block there seem to be either grease or oil on the block and on the back of the impeller itself?
could this be from the blown bladder inside the waterpump?

main70072

You can upload your pictures to a hosting site like Photobucket and post the IMG url here. That way HP11 can have a better visual understanding of what you're talking about and can better assist you.

tregrad

Ive been on for 17 days and have 8 posts? well past the trial period?

put the car all back together with new water pump and its still over heating?
someone put a new timing belt on because it looked like new, no cracks at all.
with the old water pump I was able to hear air escape when i put my mouth to the bottom weep hole and plugged the opposing hole with my finger so i know it was toast, new one did not do that.
fans were working just fine when i started tearing it down and now they dont go on, any thoughts on that?

tregrad

ok when i first started the car i notices steam coming out of the tail pipe, it was pretty cold the day we fired it up so i dont know it was normal and or a head gasket.
we did a compression test and all cylinders were fine, so that would lead me to believe that the head gasket is ok?
or perhaps one of the water channels has a leak and the gasket around the pistons are fine.

tregrad

ok guys, I have replaced the water pump and the radiator, its working fine.
then it blew off the top radiator hose, fixd that
then the top heater core hose blew! put a new one on.
then the bottom hose blew!! put a new one on that!
all was fine and now the #*$&#&^$ing radiator i replaced just blew its top, litterally, there is a crack that expands the entire top of it

what the hell is going on with this thing?

Tang616

I had the same problem and Im baffled I replace the radiator the the radiator cap, and the thermostat let me know if you figure it out I have a 97 acura Tl 3.2