1995 Acura Integra coolant leak, clanging sound

Tiny
WENDYGARDINER
  • MEMBER
  • 1995 ACURA INTEGRA
  • 4 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 202,300 MILES
My car runs hot when I'm driving slower or idling. It has all new hoses, I got a new radiator in 2005, it's current on water pump and timing belt, and I got a new thermostat about a month ago.

I have to frequenly add coolant to the radiator before extended drives of more than an hour or two. Today while driving some curvy, mountain roads, the temperature gauge went very fast to about 85% hot. I put the car in neutral and pressed the gas enough to bring the temperature back down.

When the car cooled, I added about 7 oz of coolant to the radiator. And about an hour later, I heard a new sound - a "clanging" sound like something was about to fall off from the bottom of my car.

This was not the case, as I looked and didn't see anything. As of the time I'm typing this, my car is still hot so I don't know how much coolant is left. It didn't run hot, just made a clanging noise.

I have my car scheduled for a diagnostics test for $120 at the Acura dealership. I was hoping to have a quick fix instead of getting into another car payment. But it sounds like my car is on its last legs.

Thank you for any diagnosis you can give me.

Wendy
Saturday, August 30th, 2008 AT 6:11 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,937 POSTS
HI there,

You will have to get a cooling system pressure test to find any external leaks, the noise is a bit of a mystery, air locks in the cooling system can make strange noises, I would be getting the cooling system inspected first.

Mark (mhpautos)
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Saturday, August 30th, 2008 AT 6:16 PM
Tiny
WENDYGARDINER
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thank you for the quick reply. I forgot to mention that I recently had a pressure test done at Goodyear and everything came back OK.

I did ask my boyfriend about the noise and he thinks it's a rod that has broken and that a piston is next.

Does that give you any solution to the clanging sound mystery? :O)

Thanks!

Wendy
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Saturday, August 30th, 2008 AT 6:34 PM
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
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HI here,

If the noise is a metallic knock, you will have a real problem, and I would not be driving it at all, you run the chance of totally destroying the engine.

Mark (mhpautos)
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Saturday, August 30th, 2008 AT 6:37 PM

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