Why is my car overheating?

Tiny
THANVAS
  • MEMBER
  • 1993 HONDA ACCORD
  • 215,000 MILES
My car is overheating and I can't drive more then a mile without the temperature gauge going to hot. I've checked the fans, coolant level, and I checked for leaks. Everything seems to be okay. I've even tried driving with the heater on, but this doesn't help. The heater first is warm then becomes cool quickly.
Saturday, March 17th, 2012 AT 12:57 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Are the fans working?
Did you check the coolant level at the radiator?

If above are good, most probably you have a faulty thermostat or waterpump.
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Saturday, March 17th, 2012 AT 1:08 PM
Tiny
THANVAS
  • MEMBER
  • 46 POSTS
I changed the thermostat and it's still overheating. How do I check to see if the waterpump is not working? I've even tried driving without the thermostat and the car is overheating.
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Saturday, March 17th, 2012 AT 3:25 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Without the thermostat, remove the radiator cap and start engine. Keep coolant level slightly below the neck and note if the coolant is flowing inside the radiator when engine is running. Rev the engine slightly and note if the coolant is flowing faster.

Other than that, you would need to remove the pump to check.
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Saturday, March 17th, 2012 AT 3:32 PM

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