1996 Acura Integra Car Overheating Problem

JLCOCHRAN

MEMBER
1996 ACURA INTEGRA

Engine Cooling problem
1996 Acura Integra 4 cyl Automatic 220k miles

Please help, I want to try to pinpoint the problem to save me some money.
I was driving my car and then I noticed steam coming from under the hood. I pulled into a auto parts store (lucky there was one about 50 feet away) and opened the hood and checked the radiator. It was empty so I filled it with water (the resevior was full though). I let it sit to cool off and drove off and about five minutes later it did the same thing but the temp gauge went to hot this time. So I parked it again and filled it up with water again. After this time it kind of sputtered and did it again so I stopped a second time and filled it with water (the gauge went hot again), and let it sit longer. Fortunately I got it home this time before it started running hot again. I should also note that the upper radiator hose was expanded and it looks like the pressure was coming from around the end where it connects to the engine.
Any help will be appreciated.

1 Reply

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Fans coming On, radiator not clogged and thermostat not stuck closed?

Check the water pump

One way to test for a bad water pump is to squeeze the upper radiator hose when the engine is hot and idling. Careful, because the hose will be HOT! If you do not feel much coolant circulating through the hose when you rev the engine, the pump may be bad. The other cause might be a bad thermostat that is not opening properly (remove and inspect the thermostat), or a clogged radiator.

Radiator: Feel across the Rad for cold spots it should be evenly hot across