95 Accord overheating,

I have a 95 Accord LX with auto trans, 156,000 miles.
A few weeks ago it started exhibiting cooling system problems so I
took it to a family friend who does all kinds of auto repair. He had
it for a few days and told me the radiator had developed a leak so we
replaced that and both hoses and he said there were "corroded"
connections, something to do with radiator fan(s).

The dash temp guage used to go to about 1/4 inch below the mid mark on
the guage and stay there, that was what I believe was normal.

I got home yesterday after some short trips and everything seemed ok.
I even let it idle in the garage until I saw the fans go on.

The problem that started those weeks ago, and now seems to have
returned, is that if I drive to work (approx 20 miles non-stop on the
tollway, 65 mph, after about 10-12 miles the guage starts to creep up
higher than what I believe is normal.
Then, the last mile or so coming off the toll way and into the parking
lot, the guage continues to rise slowly until I turn the car off, but
not quite getting up the half way mark.

Could this be just a thermostat? It's driving me crazy!

 

Yes. Sounds like a thermostat is very possible.

Also, did you use OEM Tranny fluid? Is it completely full in the radiator
and up to the max mark on the overflow bottle (when cool)?

Since the radiator was just changed, I would certainly check the fluid
level. Often, air can get trapped in there, and it will need to be topped
off after a short while...

 

Why trans fluid? What's the connection?

I'll check the coolant levels when (if) I get home. Do I check it
cold or hot and where should it be?

 

Sounds like an old thermostat. 1/4" below the half-way mark is too low.

 

I bought the car with 24,000 miles on it. Since day one up until
recently it's always come up to temp and sat the needle about 1/4
inch below the mid line on the guage. I'm thinkig that's normal since
it always did it exactly the same way (except one time when the thermo
failed stuck open and I couldn't get cabin heat, after it was replaced
it went right back to the same place) and it never does come up to the
exact half way point. Are you saying it should be at the half mark
and it's been off all these years?

 

Your owner's manual says that any time you've had the rad / cooling
system serviced, you're supposed to fill the rad to the top and coolant
reservoir to the MAX mark, and you'll have to check it next evening when
it's cool again.

Your MECHANIC should have told you this.

If there's no coolant in the reservoir, there's nothing to displace the
AIR that's trapped in the system.

Use Honda premix. No tap water. It's called HONDACIDE.

Move the owner's manual to the 'reading room' for a while..

'Curly'

 

It's good that your fans ARE working.

I hope you used a HONDA thermostat(OEM),not some aftermarket stuff.
(and installed it in the right direction)

And used the right antifreeze mix,and some here believe in only using HONDA
antifreeze,not the usual stuff found in stores.

When I replaced the OEM TS on my Integra,the new OEM Acura TS had the motor
a little bit hotter that the old one,from the reading on the dash
gauge,maybe an eighth of an inch more.Not enough to matter.

 

None, except that I had just replied to another thread in which the Tranny
fluid had recently been changed on a car, and my relative lack of sleep
transposed that word to my reply in your thread... ;-) I MEANT coolant.
It is highly recommended to use OEM fluid. Many of the others are not
well suited to a Honda.

Check it cold. The radiator should be completely full, right up to the
cap. The overflow should be right up to the max line.

 

Probably the biggest problem with owning a Japanese car is that most
backyard mechanics have little to no real experience with working on them,
and apply detroit standards to them. It amazes me how much different they
are in some respects, and I have only had a Honda for a half a year.

For instance, someone intimately knowledgeable about American cars would
probably fill the coolant to the min line in the overflow when cold.

 

Where are you measuring the 1/4" from? The very end of the needle? From
directly across the little thermometer picture?

 

I'm eye-balling it, looking at the tip of the needle and the little
horizontal bar on the left side of the guage.

Yesterday, after the car cooled down for several hours, I took off the
rad cap and could not see any coolant. The recovery tank was also
empty. Having nothing else at my disposal I put about a 2 qts of
water, total, into the rad and the recovery tank to bring things up to
where I understand they should be. I know, I know, I shouldn't use
plain water but I had no choice.
Well, dang if it didn't act a while lot more like what I'd call normal
on the way home. That improved the situation dramatically.
When I got home and let it cool down again, the rad was now full to
the top and the recovery tank only needed about a pint. Things are
looking much better.
The drive in today actually seemed like the normal I described
earlier.
I'll check the recovery tank again and top it off if necessary and
i'll drive the car a few days like this to see if coolant is
disappearing or if it was the "air in the system" problem others have
suggested.
Somebody had suggested possibly a head gasket problem. Possible?
Symptoms?

If the cooling system is not losing coolant (if it ever was) and it
still seems to be working properly, I will definitely get the Honda
coolant and have the system drained and refilled and I'll also get an
OEM thermostat too.

 

not usually, head gasket mostly retains fluid, just blows bubbles in it.
early stages anyway. more likely leaky hose, leaky rad or leaky
water pump.

good.