Hi,
I have 1992 integra RS.... the car was working fine and one fine day it just died due to overheating on interstate. After cooling off little bit I drove it again for about 20 miles and it died again. This time I opened the hood and poured some engine oil to cool down faster and then I was able to drive 200 miles without any problem. I showed it to a mechanic here and he said it was thermostat problem (thermostat is stuck open). I didn't fix it as car was working ok now. Next day, after driving about 10 miles the car died again and this time the engine temperature was normal. Everytime the car dies the engine check light comes up. Also after it dies when I turn on, the engine shows 200 RPM. Rightnow the car is working OK again and when I start the engine it shows 1500 RPM. I cannot rely on this car anymore as it dies anytime and I do not know what the problem is. Does anybody have an idea about this?
Your help would be appreciated!!
kutta78

 

from this description it is almost impossible to pinpoint the problem.

first of all, overheating is caused by the thermostat only when it is stuck closed, not open. I understand if that was a typo.
second, the fact that the engine runs like crap even when cold(when you start) tells me that the overheating is either just a coincidence that happened alongside another problem or that the overheating has caused another problem.

The running at 200 rpms could be most anything from a sensor to moisture in the fuel or bad timing.. and i am not positive, but i have never seen a car that has a temperature shutoff? i know my 1991 teg got really hot, really REALLY hot, and it was still running. now, these motors are hard to start when they are that hot, i know mine was.
( When you said it runs at 200 rpm when started, do you mean when you start it after it cools down or when still somewhat hot?)
If ithe problem is when it is still hot, the running like crap and the overheating are the same problem. have the check engine light code checked, fix whatever it says is wrong(unless it turns out to be something caused by the heat, and not causing the heat)

FIRST FIRST STEP: give us more information, this is just a shot in the dark from your description.(does the engine overheat only when idling, or when the car is not moving, or at highway speed? any details are helpull.)

Step 1: check coolant level, fill if neccessary, fix any leaks if level continues to go down over time. also, check to make sure cooling fans come on when hot.

step 2: replacing the thermostat is not a big job on the integra, it would probably be worth your time to just do this, it way solve your problem.

step 3: find out how to get the check engine codes out of an integra, and be prepared to perform this the if and when the light comes on again. then fix what is not working.

step 4:if the previous steps dont fix it it may be something more serious, like a water pump or who knows what...

 

i have to say well put rogue13_13 we need more members like you.

 

after reading your post again i realized i focused on the cooling problem, but you said it died at normal temperature too?

that could be a million things, but the fact that the engine returned to normal means the source of the problem is PROBABLY not mechanical... i would highly suggest you take it to an autozone or someone else who can hook up to your cars computer and read the codes. it kinda sounds like a sensor or electrical problem, low probability that it is a fuel delivery problem.

 

Hi Rogue,
I think the things you said makes sense. But recently there have been more problems. Now my car stops every 10-15 minutes. It does not show overheating problem anymore. It just stops, I let the car sit for couple of hours and it starts again. I took it to Acura dealer for check this time, they first said there was no coolant in radiator (that was because my friend opened up the radiator when it was hot and all liquid flushed out). I told them about it but they were like that was the problem sir. I bring it back from them and the car dies before I reach home. So I take to them again and this time they say it is thermostat, but mind you that my car was not overheating anymore, infact it use to run at normal temperature. But they still changed the thermostat and car still stalls. I think they should have engine error code check facility but I don't know what are they doing.
I agree with you that problem is not mechanical, has nothing to do with heating, might be the previous overheating might have caused some electrical connections around the engine burst out or one of the sensors is bad. I don't know how can they check on the sensors and fix it. I don't want them to replace every sensor one by one and finally that will fix it but that would be lot of money.
The car gives the problem when it is on highway or on local roads, it doesn't matter when I am driving. The 200 rpm problem happens only if I start the car in 15-20 minutes after the car has stalled. If I give it couple of hours and then start then the car starts at 1500 rpm in park and the idle is at 600rpm on drive. Let me know if you need any other information that would help for the suggestions.

 

If you drove the car too far while it was overheated, you could have warped the head...


Now let me understand this... you ran the car without coolant?

 

hello again, sorry for the long posts, (get a cup of joe for this one)

first of all, you would probably have your problem diagnosed by now if you had your mechanic (or mechanical friend) look at your car again. it is so much easier than using a forum...

by the way, IF... the only coolant you lost came out just from opening the radiator cap...you probably didnt lose that much water...when the pressurized cooling system equals out with the surrounding air the water quits gushing.(this SHOULD have only been a few seconds in duration) i have yet to see a car gush itself dry, because once the coolant level gets to about 3/4 full there is no physical way that the coolant can expand enough to even reach the radiator cap. (Just the fact that liquid came out shows that you had a decent amount of coolant, otherwise it would only have been steam.) so as long as your engine now runs normaly some of the time you can be pretty sure that you didnt damage your head or other major mechanical part. but if it now runs like crap all the time , you may have a mechanical problem.

your car only idling at 200 rpms is not uncommon for an older vehicle when it is super-hot(such as fifteen minutes after you turn it off, when all the cooling devices like fans and waterpumps arent turning.) its probably just a sign that it is out of tune and has old and worn out sensors (which could be your problem to begin with)that cant adjust the super-hot air/fuel mixture enough to run well at those temps.. (every older vehicle i have owned runs poorly at those temperatures) but it should improve as you drive. by the time the engine returns to normal operating temp. you should see all your power and idle speeds return to normal....

because you say this happens at norma temp. also... the only way the engine problem could be cooling related is if your temperature gague is not working properly and showing normal temp while your motor is overheating to the point where it cant run well(this is not very probable since cars will still run when they are hot, even to the point of self destruction... unless one of your sensors cant handle it and screws up at that high of a temp....)

if the overheating and stalling are truly not directly related, your problem could be many things, my 91 integra had the same symptoms you describe for two seperate breakdowns.

#1 when the bearing started going out in my distributor. (if you pull off the distributor cap and see what look like graphite shavings in it or see actual damage to the metal connectors this could be what is going on.)

#2 when the ignition switch wiring harness went bad. (if this is the problem your entire car would shut down when it dies, just like if you turned the key to the OFF position, because that is actuall what is happening inside the bad switch. your dash lights, radio, and anything electrical will not work if this happens)

I dont think i nor Anyone else can help you diagnose this problem over these boards. this will require hands on work. I really dont know what else to suggest. but i can leave you with this...

#1 If you discover that the motor is actually overheating when these problems occur(despite what the gauge says), then you have a cooling problem, if you fix that and it still stalls go to #2

#2 if it is at normal temp. and still stalls it could be a lot of things but like I said before, if the motor can go back to normal, then the problem is probably electrical or in the fuel system.( but you might check inside the distributor cap like mentioned above just in case , because that particular problem can come and go during the process of the bearing eroding away)

#3 these problems will require someone to physicaly work on the car(testing the sensors and fuel system) maybe your mechanic just made a mistake and can help you more the second time around. (now that he knows it is not the thermostat)

sorry we couldnt help more, let us know what you find out!

PS there is a lot about honda's motor systems that i dont know yet, so dont believe that my suggestions are the only answers.