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#1
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radiator, related issues?
i have a 95 prelude, about 110K
1) i don't see the A/C condenser fan running even if i turn on the A/C. last time i change the timing belt, i asked that they change the water pump as well, but the mechanic told me the water pump was fine and they didn't change it. anyway, what could be the problem here? 2) after warming up the engine to normal operating temperature (middle of the temperature range?), i don't see the radiator fan turn on. is this normal? does it turn on only when the engine gets too hot? this morning, after driving about 3-4 miles, with the engine off, i touched the radiator hoses. the upper one was much hotter than the lower one which was barely warm. is there something wrong with the thermostat? oh yeah, there is some minor leaking at the top of the radiator. before i replace the radiator, i would like to know what are the real problems. thanks for your comments. btw, i just make a cross country trip 2000+ miles, and the engine temperature never showed it was over heated. |
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#2
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"I319" > wrote
> i have a 95 prelude, about 110K snip--I don't have air conditioning and so am not acquainted with the quirks of the condenser fan. However, read on... :-) > 2) after warming up the engine to normal operating temperature (middle of > the temperature range?), i don't see the radiator fan turn on. is this > normal? does it turn on only when the engine gets too hot? This past summer I finally got my 1991 Civic's radiator fan to come on from a cold start. IIRC, the owner's manual or some other service manual warns it will take a long time. It took about 35 minutes at an ambient temperature of 79 degrees F. The fan came on a second time within about ten minutes. > this morning, > after driving about 3-4 miles, with the engine off, i touched the radiator > hoses. the upper one was much hotter than the lower one which was barely > warm. Well, there should be some temperature difference. I think you felt left over stored heat in the top hose. > is there something wrong with the thermostat? oh yeah, there is some > minor leaking at the top of the radiator. ? > before i replace the radiator, i > would like to know what are the real problems. > > thanks for your comments. > > btw, i just make a cross country trip 2000+ miles, and the engine > temperature never showed it was over heated. |
#3
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I always suggest a water pump on any car that
A: Has the water pump driven off the timing belt. B: has to have the timing belt removed for access to the pump. This ensures you don't have a water pump fail and take out your t-belt and kill your car. Seen it happen. I question a shop that doesn't do what the customer asks. -- Stephen W. Hansen ASE Certified Auto Technician "I319" > wrote in message lkaboutautos.com... >i have a 95 prelude, about 110K > > 1) i don't see the A/C condenser fan running even if i turn > on the A/C. last time i change the timing belt, i asked > that they change the water pump as well, but the mechanic told me the > water pump was fine and they didn't change it. > anyway, what could be the problem here? > > 2) after warming up the engine to normal operating temperature (middle of > the temperature range?), i don't see the radiator fan turn on. is this > normal? does it turn on only when the engine gets too hot? this morning, > after driving about 3-4 miles, with the engine off, i touched the radiator > hoses. the upper one was much hotter than the lower one which was barely > warm. is there something wrong with the thermostat? oh yeah, there is some > minor leaking at the top of the radiator. before i replace the radiator, > i > would like to know what are the real problems. > > thanks for your comments. > > btw, i just make a cross country trip 2000+ miles, and the engine > temperature never showed it was over heated. > |
#4
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yeah..i didn't know better. i should have insisted to have the water pump replaced also. i am regretting it now. |
#5
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thanks for your comments.
well...about your "?" i was thinking maybe the thermostat got stuck or something...which causes the large temperature difference?? anyway, i think i will replace the leaky radiator and the thermostat as well. i hope this doesn't take long since i will be taking another long trip soon. anything i should watch out for in this procedure? about the condenser fan, i will avoid using the A/C and take care of this problem after the trip. |
#6
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"I319" > wrote > thanks for your comments. > well...about your "?" Sorry, my "?" was supposed to be an inquiry about what exactly this minor leaking at the top of the radiator was. Did you mean the radiator is cracked in some way? > i was thinking maybe the thermostat got stuck or > something...which causes the large temperature > difference?? After 110k miles, I'd say you got your money's worth out of that thermostat. Thermostats can deteriorate in performance without completely failing. Couldn't hurt to replace it. > anyway, i think i will replace the leaky radiator and the thermostat as > well. i hope this doesn't take long since > i will be taking another long trip soon. anything i should > watch out for in this procedure? Autozone.com has free repair guides for at least the thermostat and probably the radiator replacement, too. Lotsa folks ask questions about the nuts and bolts of radiator replacement here, so it doesn't seem like an unusual DIY job. Haven't done one myself. About the thermostat: I did a poor purge of air on my 91 Civic this past year when I replaced the thermostat. It caused the EAC valve to not get adequate cooling. One of the coolant lines to the EAC valve was empty! So the valve was overheating and my RPM was kinda irregular at idle. In the purge part of the procedure for replacing the coolant, I should have waited until the radiator fan came on twice. It takes 35 minutes or more on some Hondas for the engine idle temperature to get high enough! And this is in summer temperatures. Anyway, I repurged, and all was fine. > about the condenser fan, i will avoid using the A/C and > take care of this problem after the trip. Sorry for the delay. I missed your post on Oct. 5. |
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