h22 Overheating

[raidmax]

My prelude is overheating.... When I drive my car for a short time, "steam" comes out of the blue hose in the pic. No fluid is leaving the container...

I was told it could be the thermostat... I will install the new one today and see if that helps. What else could it be?

 

[Dr Tweak]

Well, the first thing to look for is whether or not the cooling system is full. If you have a small leak then once enough coolant leaves the system, it will start to boil over (which is what's going on when steam starts coming out of that hose). I'm going to assume that you've check the level of the coolant in the radiator and it's okay. That said, a thermostat could possibly be the problem, along with a blockage in the cooling system, a radiator fan that isn't turning on (if your car only overheats in traffic and not on the highway that would indicate a fan problem), or it could possibly be a bad head gasket. (If you start the car up and let it run for a few minutes, and then rev the engine up while watching the blue overflow hose, if coolant/steam sprays out when you rev the engine up then it could indicate a bad head gasket).

-Doc

 

[raidmax]

The cooling system tank (beside the radiator) is full. When I first start my car.... it idles at like 3000 rpms, then it starts going from 2500 rpms down to like 1200 rpms and does this over and over.

After the engine warms up... it stops reving up and down, but then it overheats. I changed the thermostat but that did nothing. It still is overheating.

thanks,
David

 

[Dr Tweak]

Forget about the tank, did you check the level of the fluid IN THE RADIATOR? Did you fill it back up after changing the thermostat?

-Doc

 

[Turbo&Auto]

Is the fan kicking on? Did you purge the cooling system by filling the rad then leaving the cap open, start the car with the heat on full blast, leave it run till all of the bubbles stop floating to the top in the rad. Top it off, cap it, drive it.

 

[raidmax]

I found out there was no hose going down to the antifreeze in the radiator tank.

The radiator was pretty empty. I filled it with antifreeze, drove my car around the neighborhood, and it was still running about 260 deg. It ran around 190 deg warm before. I did notice some air bubbles coming up from the radiator tank now that I installed the hose. I have not drove the car much cuz of work. I'll take it for a spin tomorrow

I bought this car from a guy that had no clue what he was doing and tried to do a h22 swap in a prelude. Sorry for all the noob questions. Im new to the tuner scene also.... I just rely on the great people @ hondaswap to help me fix my problems! Thanks doods!

 

[reikoshea]

#1, you have an aluminum block. I WOULD NOT recommend letting your engine ever getting past 4 marks on the temp gauge (meaning all lit but the red bar and the one before it). At the 260F range you can warp an aluminum block.

#2, is the lower radiator hose cold after you drive the car around?

#3, do you notice any drips after you park the car?

#4, If that is your turbo H22, is there an AFR gauge. If so, what readings are you get (im hoping he has both a wideband and a narrowband sensor installed).

#4b, If your engine is turbo charged, how are you tuning it?

#4c, If your engine is turbod, put a dump tube on the damn wastegate. That thing lets out hot exhaust raising the engine bay temperature (and most likely the block temperature).

#5 (should probably be #4), bleed the coolant system for air bubbles.

If you do all these things, and you still have problems, come back and ask more questions.

 

[raidmax]

Thanks reikoshea!

I drove my car to a friends house today and this is what I noticed:

#1) Driving in town.... my car has all lit but the red bar and the one before it on the temp guage. My pod temp guage reads around 260 deg.

#2) Check back...

#3) Check back...

#4) I do not have a A/F guage. I dont know if I have a wideband or a narrowband sensor installed?

#4b) It has a P06 ECU chipped and tuned (the guy I bought the car from told me), Apexi V-AFC II,

#4c) I have a dump tube on the wastegate... lol Thats an old pic. It goes down beside the downpipe...

#5) Will do...

 

[raidmax]

Is the fan kicking on? Did you purge the cooling system by filling the rad then leaving the cap open, start the car with the heat on full blast, leave it run till all of the bubbles stop floating to the top in the rad. Top it off, cap it, drive it.

The fan is kicking on and I purged the cooling system. My car still runs around 260 - 270 deg.

 

[reikoshea]

hmmm....id almost think it was you running lean and detonating if your lower radiator hose is warm (it should be warm. not super hot, but not close enough to outside temperature where it feels natural to put your hand on it) and you dont see any leaks when you park.

 

[raidmax]

I checked the fluid in the radiator and it was a little low.... I filled it back to the top with antifreeze, and also filled the tank back up. Now the temp guage stays around 200-210 deg warm.

I dont have any leaks when I park the car.... but losing antifreeze somewhere.

 

[Dr Tweak]

Any white smoke coming out the exhaust? Any milkyness in the oil?

-Doc

 

[raidmax]

no white smoke... and oil is good.

 

[Dr Tweak]

Well keep an eye on it, it must be going somewhere. A very small leak can evaporate without ever dripping on the ground, keep an eye out for that.

-Doc

 

[Turbo&Auto]

Open the rad cap and blip the throttle, if you see it bubbling in there, prolly a small head gasket leak.

 

[reikoshea]

i dont think its the headgasket. id say 200-210 would be normal for a shady tune on an h22 turbo. i run at 190 on my NA h22. So i dont think it is gonna be too big of a deal.

 

[Dr Tweak]

200-210 is normal for an H22 from what I've seen.

 

[reikoshea]

yeah, thats right. i have a 180 thermostat.