civic started running hot tonight.....

Status
Not open for further replies.
I dont understand how new spark wires and a new t-stat can ruin the rotor.
 
Dude leave the rotor alone. You didn't even touch the rotor. Your telling me that the rotor suddenly broke while you were doing this repair?

If the Honda has them, Did you connect the wire to the ignition coil? Did you disconnect the power transistor?
 
It's the wires, it's not the thermostat.

Did you make sure to push the boots down until you hear the CLICK when they connect?

Line them up to the correct bores - the plastic cap will have the numbers where the wires come out. DO NOT TOUCH THE ROTOR, there's no point.
 
yeah I agree with above, rotor is fine.

Start from scratch match up all cables and connect them. Check for the "click" or "pop" they make when they connect.

also dont remove the rotor or play with it, nothing good can come of it.
 
Last edited:
On the original issue, radiators have always been my problem on my Accord. I am on my 3rd at 362k. First one cracked along the top, 2nd had circulation problems after a couple hundred thousand miles. Being a bit pricey, it is not the first thing I would replace, just passing along my experience if the t-stat does not solve the problem.
 
At this point it seems, that in breaking the plug wire and subsequent replacement something went wrong. If it started before but only cranks now, that seems logical.

If the firing order is now correct, the new wire contacts need to be correct. Did part of the old contact get left on one of the plugs? As said, there should be a 'snap' at the plug contact. Are the plug wires correct, and good quality? Visually inspect the dist cap, and the contact areas to make sure they are fine.
 
Originally Posted By: kenwin30
the passenger side fan did come on earlier when it started to run hot, the driver side did not

So the car was fine, and you just f@c#ed up a healthy car. Lesson: Don't solicit diagnoses for a car over the internet unless you have reached a certain level of competency.
 
Quote:
So the car was fine, and you just f@c#ed up a healthy car. Lesson: Don't solicit diagnoses for a car over the internet unless you have reached a certain level of competency.


Title of thread :civic started running hot tonight.....

Lesson: Reading a thread from the beginning is always very helpful as it provides a solid context from which to make a knowledgeable/meaningful reply rather than flame out of ignorance. Quite obviously the car was not "healthy".

The advice the OP acted on was very reasonable and accurate. Unfortunately the OP ran into an unrelated issue in an attempt at a reasonable solution. At least it was/is an honest attempt save the OP some money, and correct the issue/problem. As opposed to an asinine comment/reply designed to humilate the OP.

Must be great to be perfect.
 
If OP had answered the first response, "Fan coming on?" (Yes) then it would be clear that the thermostat was likely OK and that his car was acting normally for a prolonged idle. I think you'll agree that nobody (including yourself?) would have suggested replacing the thermostat if they had understood that.
 
No, I would not agree. The fan can come on and the tstat still be bad as could the temperature sensor. I know from personal experience, (which I posted earlier in this thread) that Tstat can be bad, and the fan still come on. In my case, the tstat replacement fixed the issue.
 
I don't know what happened to your car, sayjac, but from what OP has stated in this thread about his car, I conclude it was acting normally, and there was no problem.
 
If the temp gauge going 2/3 of the way to the top as opposed to his normal 1/3 of the way as the OP said in his original post is "no problem" then I guess we define the words "normal" and "problem" differently. In any case, replacing the tstat is the least expensive and involved fix. And, the fan can run with a bad tstat.

So I'll agree to disagree with your conclusion that there was "no problem."
 
There was a problem, car all of the sudden has irregular temperature fluctuations. That may be normal for you but for pretty much everyone else that aint normal. And a Tstat can be bad and the rad fan still turn on.
 
Originally Posted By: defektes
There was a problem, car all of the sudden has irregular temperature fluctuations. That may be normal for you but for pretty much everyone else that aint normal. And a Tstat can be bad and the rad fan still turn on.

I think you're reading way too much into what OP has reported.
There may be other info forthcoming, but so far all he's said to describe the "problem":

"drove about a mile from the house to fill up on gas, then drove another mile to pick up some fast food, i probably waited in line 3-5 mins i would say, and when i left i noticed the hot-cold gauge was 2/3 of the way up, it usually stays 1/3 of the way up, so i knew something wasn't right."

and later:
"when out and let the car idle for about 10 mins and it didn't run hot, so i took it around the block, when i got back and let it idle again, the needle slowly went to 1/2 way up and the passenger side fan did come on !"

Conclusion: One time, temp gauge read 2/3 from an extended idle, and fan came on. Normal!

Just because OP has never noticed this happen or likely, the same conditions have never been duplicated before doesn't mean there was a problem. OP overreacted and did not follow proper trouble-shooting sequence to actually tell IF there was a problem, but instead threw a part at it.
 
I'm not sure you understand how a thermostat and electric fan work. Just because the fan comes on, does not indicate the tstat is working properly. The needle going to 2/3 was not normal as the highest it had gone was 1/3( where tstat opens), which btw is still lower than the 1/2 which was the lowest it got even when the fan turned on (not normal).

A bad tstat could not open fully, causing increased temperature and the electric fan turns on, but can only bring the temp down while on and only to a certain point still above normal.

It's seems your opinion only, that you know the OP's car better than he does. I'll go with the OP knowing his car better than you. And the temp guage going above the normal (1/3)as hich as 2/3 is not normal and a very possible sign of a bad thermostat. And, certainly a good place to start. It is unfortuate he ran into another unrelated issue in the process of installing the tstat.

But, your 'troubleshooting' suggestion amounted to the only reply criticizing the OP, for a very logical first step to increased coolant temp. Then again, your comment that a running electric fan with elevated (1/2-2/3) temp gauge means the tstat is fine shows a lack of understanding of how the cooling system tstat works.

Most important, hopefully the OP can solve the problem, and it's nothing major.
 
You're describing a hypothetical scenario for which we don't yet have enough info from OP to confirm for his car. I'm basing my opinions on actual statements from OP in this thread.
 
Nothing hypothetical about it, the OP said his engine was running hot as indicated by the temp. gauge. Again the OP knows his car, you don't.

What happened to your statement "passenger side fan comes on", tsat likely ok. That must be the hypothetical troubleshooting. But, wrong.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom