HyBrId

iTrader: (1)

on really really hot days like today for example...ive been noticing that while im driving home from school (rush hour time) my car tends to over heat...well to me it seems like it over heating cuz i dont remember the needle ever passing or coming close the the halfway point, usually its always 1/3...and these past few days its been 2/3...this is startin to worry me a bit...
i noticed my overflow bottle was a low (nearly empty) at the start of spring so i topped it up and havent noticed a drastic change in the level since then...so i dont think its a cooling system leak or any prob like that....
and if i blast the heat it drops bak to 1/3 or just under 1/2...
wat do u all think this is?

sumthin to worry about or am i just being ---- and forgot that last summer it was about 2/3 too??

thanx all...

Haegl

Could be that you have a small slow leak in your system, generation 3 integras always have coolant issues its quite common. But if you do indeed have a slow leak this would indicate that your system is no longer air tight meaning your overflow would not function properly. Also check your radiator cap..

It could be a malfunction with your thermostat if it is not opening at the right temperature it could cause your engine temp to rise. When is the last time you changed your thermostat and water pump?

Here are common coolant issues taken from team-integra.net:

I have been noticing a lot of coolant problems and its usually all the same problems. I will go into symptoms and problems. This will be a common topic.

Actually the first thing to do is check your coolant level and condition. It should be clean and green.


1)My car takes a long time to warm up, and my temp guage does not move far from C on the guage. If I idle it will move up but when I drive it goes back to C

The problem is you will need to replace your thermostat. It has failed in the open position as it is designed to. If it were to fail in the closed position the car would overheat as no coolant is allowed to flow to the engine.

Thermostat replacement article

2)My car is leaking coolant on top of the radiator.
My car has a mysterious coolant loss.

The first thing to do is visually inspect all of your hoses for cracking and swelling along with leaks. A pressure test is also a good way to pinpoint a leak. YOu can have this done at a shop or purchase one at your autoparts store.

A very common leak for the G3 Integra is the top radiator seal that goes at about 85-120k miles. There is no fix it will need to be replaced. (note from Br1t1shguy: bottom seal goes just as much as well, check er out)

Radiator barn.com, where to get your new one.

*3)My car runs warmer than normal but there are no leaks, The guage reads half way or more.

If your car has not had the timing belt waterpump service performed it is most likely the starting signs of a failed waterpump. The coolant is not circulating like it should and the car is running hotter.

You should also check to see that your fan is working properly. There are 2. 1 is for the AC and both will turn on when the AC is on.

4)My front window steams up and when I turn the heat or just normal driving. I smell a sweet steamy smell. There is coolant on the passanger floor.

This would be your heater core, it is leaking and will need to be replaced. We do not yet have an article on this as it is not very common.

Coolant replacing and bleeding article.
Do this every 30k or 2 years to minimize coolant problems.

You can also perform a search on team-integra for :

"coolant loss"
"coolant leak"
"radiator leak"
"thermostat"
"headgasket"
"white smoke"

Feel free to add a link that you think may help members out. Or if you experienced another coolant problem.

VinceTEC

iTrader: (1)

Just do a quick test...

Start your car and run it for a while... rev it up to get the motor hot. If your lower rad hose is hot (probably within 10 minutes) then you know your thermostat is working. Keep reving it, your motor might take up to 30 mins at a stand still on a hot day to get up past half on your temp guage.

By the time your car's temp reads half on the guage, your fans should kick in to cool down the motor. If the fans don't turn on and you're hitting past half to 3/4 then it's probably your fan switch.

Good luck Sujeev... it's really boring

ps. I thought you were a mechanic??

HyBrId

iTrader: (1)

lol i am a mechanic...well i used to be...
iunno i was jus wonderin if there is a problem or if theres not...

and thanks Haegl theres sum good stuff in that article u posted...

but ye today everythin seemed ok so im confused here...and i was drving pretty hard in this nasty weather too and it never reached 1/2....
yesterday was actually the first time i saw it go that high...day before that it went only to 1/2....
so i have no idea...
alredy did that check actually vince...lower rad hose gets warm so theres no circulation problem...and the fan kicks in at 1/3 so rad fan is workin properly...jus dont notice it really bringing the temp back down again...only thing that actually does work really really well is blasting the heat...drops is back down to 1/3 quick...
im just thinkin its the weather to be honest...yesterday was a killer 32...and thats pretty much the standard all this week...and only this week ive noticed this drastic change...so either its coinscidence or weather...

pornstartom

Try that new Snap-On head gasket test. Then try changing temperature sensors. Also if you have your temperature gauge spliced to another cable (like me) it could act up aswell. Check your thermostat aswell. Check if white smoke is coming outta the exhaust. Check if their are alot of bubbles when you take off the rad cap. Coolant flush is always good. My car used to do the same thing. It was a 2nd gen tho. And i drove with it for 2 years. Never found out what it was. Could also be your heating core. Could be air getting into your coolant thus blocking your heating core. Meaning in can still work just the temperature will read all fucked. A previous owner or something could have put leak stop into the rad and now clogged the heating core. Could be a million things. Could be the temperature gauge itself, although that i highly doubt. If it ever overheats what i did was i would see what happens so i would keep driving ( i wouldnt recommend this) It would just drop back down. Like i said i had the same prob and i tried everything but the heating core. Try blasting your heat see it the air is as hot as it should be. Try giving alot of gas when its hot. See if the temperature dramastically goes up. So that might be it. Drive it out. See what happens in the winter. It'll likely change and then it'll probably be easy to figure out based on all the info you've given.