My car is Overheating!

[Clindayen]

1998 Honda Accord LX Sedan || 5-Speed || CAI || 185k miles

Car gets to about 3/4 on the temp gauge, I shut off the car before I see what happens next, I'm just going to do a quick list of what's been happening:

Previous upper radiator hose would get stiff and balloon, replaced yesterday. This one also get very hot and seems as if there's a lot of pressure inside it.

If I drive for about 20 minutes my car starts to overheats. By the time the car cools down both Radiator and Overflow Reservoir are bone dry.

New thermostat about 300 miles ago

Both Upper and Lower radiator hose get hot

Heater doesn't work at idle, only when the car is moving

Purchased 5/11/13, previous owned claimed to have done a radiator flush which I find hard to believe being that there is rust on the radiator cap and inside the top of the radiator

NO bubbles coming up from radiator while car is on, no smoke, no rough idle, no noticeable power loss, no leaks, both fans work.

I'm hoping it just needs to be flushed, but this doesn't explain my magical waster disappearing act which puzzles me.

 

[cj92]

I don't know if this will solve your problems but did you bleed the coolant system also have you notice any puddles where the car has been parked, also does the oil look milky

 

[Clindayen]

I don't know if this will solve your problems but did you bleed the coolant system also have you notice any puddles where the car has been parked, also does the oil look milky

I haven't noticed any puddles. How do I check my oil and bleed it? Pulling the dipstick the oil looked normal (transparent brown). Sorry, I'm far from being a mechanic.

 

[DarkSideAccord]

is the coolant circulating? from your description, both hoses get hot, so i'm assuming there's circulation...

with your car cool, take off the radiator cap, fill the coolant up and start the car.. u should see bubbles emerge as the motor gets hotter.. this is called burping the system... after a while, u'll see the coolant circulating.. top off the coolant and put the cap back on

if it doesn't circulate, i'm gonna guess that u got a faulty thermostat

btw, are the fans running?

 

[RedRyder]

Where's the coolant level at when the car has been off for awile?

 

[Clindayen]

is the coolant circulating? from your description, both hoses get hot, so i'm assuming there's circulation...

with your car cool, take off the radiator cap, fill the coolant up and start the car.. u should see bubbles emerge as the motor gets hotter.. this is called burping the system... after a while, u'll see the coolant circulating.. top off the coolant and put the cap back on

if it doesn't circulate, i'm gonna guess that u got a faulty thermostat

btw, are the fans running?

Yes both fans are running. I'll update once I've burped the system. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Clindayen]

Where's the coolant level at when the car has been off for awile?

If I drive the car some of it disappears, if i drive the car for about 20+ minutes by the time it cools off the coolants all gone in both the reservoir and radiator. If I just let it sit overnight the coolants doesn't go anywhere.

 

[Clindayen]

is the coolant circulating? from your description, both hoses get hot, so i'm assuming there's circulation...

with your car cool, take off the radiator cap, fill the coolant up and start the car.. u should see bubbles emerge as the motor gets hotter.. this is called burping the system... after a while, u'll see the coolant circulating.. top off the coolant and put the cap back on

if it doesn't circulate, i'm gonna guess that u got a faulty thermostat

btw, are the fans running?

Burped the system and let it idle for about 20 minutes then replaced the radiator cap. Went for a 1 mile drive and everything SEEMS fine but it usually start overheating after about 20 minutes of continuous driving.

 

[DarkSideAccord]

did the coolant look like it's flowing? and did bubbles emerge?

 

[mrnude]

It doesn't leak does it ?