high idle and no heat

Discussion in 'General Motoring' started by theo.chan, Nov 30, 2005.

  1. theo.chan

    theo.chan Guest

    I recently flushed the rad in my 1990 Honda Civic wagon and replaced
    all the coolant as well. I put a pellet of leak stop in there as well
    as I seemed to be losing a small amount of coolant over time but could
    not determine where the leak was from.

    After flushing the rad, I've noticed
    i) the heater on my car is not as powerful as it used to be
    ii) the idle on the car, even after the engine has warmed up is around
    1100-1200rpm.

    Any ideas what may be causing this and how to remedy either of the
    above problems?

    Thanks again for all of your help. My previous problem with the gas
    tank was that it was corroded in the neck and the expansion of the cold
    fuel managed to break the tank. I've since replaced the tank and no
    longer have a gas leak.
     
    theo.chan, Nov 30, 2005
    #1
  2. theo.chan

    Bruce Guest

    Sounds like you might have some air in the system. Did you use the
    bleeder screw to let air out as you filled it?

    If it's been losing coolant without any noticeable leaks, it might be
    spitting out of the overflow bottle as you drive. This could be from an
    ill-fitting rad cap (if it doesn't hold the coolant at the correct
    pressure, it lowers the boiling point which in turn forces coolant out
    as it vaporizes), get a new OEM cap at your Honda dealer, about $15-20.
    If this doesn't work, it could be a leaking head gasket, either
    allowing combustion gasses to enter the cooling system or allowing
    coolant to leak elsewhere in the engine.

    I know the coolant temp sensor doesn't work correctly when it's not
    submerged in fluid, so this might be sending false readings, telling
    the computer the cars still cold.
     
    Bruce, Nov 30, 2005
    #2
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