car won't heat up
#12
I missed Sean
Join Date: Aug 2004
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it's a 4 banger, and it's entirely possible that the cooling systems built into the engine can cause it to cool down exccessively on the highway or at idle, though i dont see how...
maybe there is an electrical eneging block heating system that attches to the bettery you could install?
maybe there is an electrical eneging block heating system that attches to the bettery you could install?
#13
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Originally Posted by auslander
If the temp gauge doesn't come up around halfway and stay there, you've got a problem somewhere. My car would seem fine in summer here in GA, but when it got cold it would seem to warm up just as I finally got to work (15 mile drive, all at 65-70 except the last 2 miles). Then I figured out that if I drove for a little bit then stopped it would come up to temp pretty quick. As soon as I took off and hit around 40 the gauge would drop like a rock (and you could feel the dash vents go cold). Replaced the thermostat, little to no differance. Started to doubt myself. Came to my senses, bought a name brand thermostat and been nice and toasty ever since. You don't even want to know how many house brand parts from one of the big chains are bad out of the box.
You could cover up part of the radiator with cardboard as a quick fix, but that's just covering up the problem.
You could cover up part of the radiator with cardboard as a quick fix, but that's just covering up the problem.
:werd:
Replace your thermostat with a name-brand one...you're gonna pay like $5 more (maybe) and your car's gonna work fine...I was having the same problem as what you guys are describing (temp won't go up much past the C), and my fuel mileage was slowly declining...replaced the sucker and literally my next tank averaged like 4mpg higher...
yeah, it's kind of a b!tch to replace the thermostat, but definitely get a good name brand one and replace it...should solve all your problems
#14
The replacement thermostat I put in, I bought at the dealer. The one that came out was closed. Maybe there is a chance that I got two bad thermostats in a row or they aren't the right temp rating (opening too soon). Is there any way to tell from looking at them. Is there a temp stamped on it? Also someone above suggested leaving the blower fan off to allow the car to heat up faster. Is it the blower fan or the just leaving the hvac set to cold so the heater core gets bypassed until the car is warmed up?
#15
When I removed my t-stat, I was amazed at how not stuck open it looked. IOW, it looked closed. It was stuck just enough to let coolant through without being warm. My replacement fixed that issue.
Probably either/or/both. I experimented this morning for a little bit but couldn't stand the wait. It was 15 degrees f.
Is it the blower fan or the just leaving the hvac set to cold so the heater core gets bypassed until the car is warmed up?
#16
I had mentioned leaving the blower fan off that circulates air inside the car to see if that speeded up your engine coming up to temp, which I believe is 180 degrees. There really is not anything else that would make the gauge stay that low except for an open tstat, which allows the coolant to pass through the engine into the radiator too quickly, or you have a very persistant air bubble under your thermostat sending unit. Air is not nearly a good of a conductor of heat as antifreeze. This is pretty unlikely though if you have gone through a couple of heating/cooling cycles. Excess air would be pushed out into overflow tank. Far shot, but you can check the temp gauge sending unit with an ohm meter. It is the single wire (green/yellow) that goes into the head right under the distributor. Don't have them offhand, but there will be different resistance values for hot and cold. The 2 wire sensor sends a signal to the PCM. Good Luck!
#17
I had a similar problem after replacing my T-stat, although I took it apart and discovered that I put the gasket on wrong and instead of putting it around the stat, I had just installed it flat against the T-stat and housing. My teg takes about 5 minutes to warm up and after it reaches running temp the needle never moves whether it's 100 or 5 degrees.
#18
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Originally Posted by daschwa
I had a similar problem after replacing my T-stat, although I took it apart and discovered that I put the gasket on wrong and instead of putting it around the stat, I had just installed it flat against the T-stat and housing. My teg takes about 5 minutes to warm up and after it reaches running temp the needle never moves whether it's 100 or 5 degrees.
Now as for having gotten the new thermostat from the dealership, go back there and just be like wtf, i got this from you guys and it's either the wrong part or it's busted. It just might be for a slightly bigger engine, in which case the amount of coolant it allows through normally will be higher, and too high for your engine.
#20
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i think we all have the same problem, my car takes forever and the engine is almost brand new i also have a new radiator...its just cold and hondas are cold blooded. my temp will get to normal if i leave the car sit for 10-20 min but one i get moving and i get air under the hood she cools wayyy down