Spyfunkr

I have developed similiar symptoms in my 92 Accord. Car overheated, then after cooling, while running temp gauge fluctuates, but eventually (after 5-10 mins) stays pegged on hot. First thing I did was flush the system and put a thermostat in. Still have the problem.

Car has 280k miles, a water pump/timing belt replacement will be costly if I pay someone, and a total pain for a weekend mechanic like me if I do it myself.

Any other tests before I make a drastic move?

Thanks, Spy

TheOtherDave™

There are enough differences between the Accord and the Integra that this really should be answered in the proper forum.

When the car overheated, I question whether the head gasket survived.
Was there oil in the coolant when you flushed the system?
Is the motor consuming coolant since it overheated?

All of these are signs of a more serious issue.

If neither symptom occured, the next thing to check is the radiator fan switch. It may sound like a obvious thing to check, but if the thermostatic switch that controls the radiator fan is shot, then coolant temp would creep up in traffic.

Lastly, you are 10,000 miles overdue for a timing belt change. The service interval for the F-series motor in your Accord is 90,000 miles. When that belt snaps, it is very likely that valves and pistons will collide. And it will cost a hell of a lot more to repair the engine than it will to do the preventative maintenance.

Icon Of Sin

if you had coolant in the oil (the oil will be creamy and look tan in color) or find out your head gasket blew in my experience with a blown head gasket on my 01 accord the engine was totally effed about a month later sometimes its better to replace the engine rather than fix it when that happens.

Spyfunkr

Sorry about posting in the wrong forum. I replied to a post I found with a search. Thanks for the replies.

I did not find oil in the coolant when I flushed. I will now change the oil to check for coolant. I also found some other checks on sensors in other posts, but after the next paragraph, you may agree it will be in vain.

After just now limping home, I found that my coolant is empty after filling it with the new stat about 4 days ago. I see no signs of leakage on my driveway, no steam out the front, and when I first put the stat and coolant in, I let the car get hot (normal temp) and saw no leaks.

This would leave me to believe that it IS consuming coolant - I suppose that means HG replacement? Burning it with the oil?

Any thoughts on how extensive the work is on that? My bigger concerns are with tearing down this motor with so many miles; I would expect to create more issues along the way.

Spy

Spyfunkr

Update - I happened to open the hood at just the right time at the end of a drive(hearing a hiss and seeing steam) to watch the stat to throttle body hose squirting away. I guess it was dumping the whole cooling system in my short commute (about 15 miles), which explains why I wasnt seeing puddles in the driveway.

Im going to fix some minor things this weekend, but with the cars' age, and my lack of $2500 to replace the motor, I doubt Ill be doing any major work, at least right away. Although any commentary on HG replacement would be welcome.

Thanks again,
Spy

JimBlake

Fix that hose. Then watch to see if the cooling system behaves like it should. Look for oil in the antifreeze & vice versa. Look for compression or drivability problems.

If the engine's not damaged from overheating, you should do the timing belt.

Spyfunkr

So, after just buying two new Hondas, I figured Id check things out around here. First off, thanks for the replies. I did fix that hose, and sold the car about 2 years ago for $500. It needed a lot of TLC. The guy who bought it did replace the timing belt, a bunch of suspension parts and removed some rust. The car still runs, and is now over 300k.

Thanks again to all!