jeff_falk2007

i noticed when i run my car to normal temp (right on the left hand side of temp icon) after a few minutes it will drop down to the halfway point between completely cold and the icon. it will hesitate while in D4 but when i kick it down the hesitation disappears until i release and let it upshift. i have also been noticing steam coming from my radiator area...not a lot but noticable. no clear indication of any leaks...however i saw that it was low by maybe a few ounces or so. not enough to use a gallon up in even a few months time. my heater works fine all the time...well once its warmed up. any ideas? thermostat? radiator issues? temp sensor? head gasket? no check engine light or service light. i have had it almost stall on me over this summer with same symptoms but without the radiator steam. id hate to let this pass by and risk an engine by being forced to use just water while on the road and have the block freeze up on me. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks. have a merry christmas everyone here at honda-acura!!

Andy

Hmm, when the engine isn't hot, take the radiator cap off (make sure it's not hot) and let the engine run, if you see bubbles, then you may have a headgasket issue (IE combustion pressure is getting past the head gasket and putting air in the cooling system). Not a definitive test, but might help. If you change the oil and notice a while film or sludge, the coolant might be getting past the headgasket into the crank/oilpan.

The coolant system is designed to be a sealed system so if your loosing coolant, it has to be going somewhere (as opposed to an oil system the will "consume" a little oil as the miles go past). The most obvious issue would be a leak. Get a large piece of cardboard and park the front of your car on it overnight and see if you have any puddles in the morning. Asphalt and concrete and sometimes hide evidence that will stick to the cardboard but you need to find a dry place to do it.

Anything to note about the car itself? Mileage? Last coolant change? Ever change the water pump? Overflow bottle hooked up ? Any smoke out the tailpipe? Ever do a compression test?

jeff_falk2007

did the comp test and no bubbles from radiator.got 170 across all4 cylinders. .i done the oil change and it was straight black..no white film or sludge. some of my co-workers suggested maybe a pinhole in the radiator causing the steam beings the coolant leak may not be enough to see on ground but burn off causing the steam. im replacing radiator, cap, hoses and thermostat friday with all new parts. also a flush with genuine honda antifreeze from the dealer. the hesitation issue might be resolved by a routine tuneup but wouldnt it hesitate all the time instead of just when it gets to operating temp like i explained earlier? if the water pump is bad wouldnt it overheat? how can i tell if its malfunctioning? thanks again for your help.

Andy

How many miles are on the car? Have you ever replaced the water pump? For the most part, they don't really wear out, there just a mechanical system that turns when the timing belt turns. As long as the bearings fail, they just keep going. I agree it could be a small radiator leak but it could be tought to find.

Have you done a tuneup recently? Cap, rotor, plugs, wires?

jeff_falk2007

mileage is 180,191...no water pump replacement. probably be a smart idea to replace my cap n rotor and wires...the plugs havent even seen 2500 miles yet.
been starting to hear squealing from front driver wheel..it stops when i apply pressure to the brake. thinking it may be that shroud behind the brake assy. brakes are my next job..u have any idea where i can find intermediate shaft bolts? i lost 2 during my trans swap i think the dog ran off with 2 of the bolts and a few sockets...lol thanks again man