1990 LS overheat problem

maverik_44

New Member
wussup yall im new to this site and my car for that matter. so just to fill you in it has 255K miles on it. originally i bought it for gas but i have grown to love the car. i realize it might be doomed w/o a new engine but regardless i wanted to get some more opinions on it. so the overheating only occurs when my car is idled for more than 15 min or so or what i just realized, running it in 1st gear as well for longer than about 15 min. too. i've looked around and found it might be my radiator fan not kicking in. not only is this my first integra this is my first car. so im not very mechanically saavy i guess you could say. im by no means a complete idiot i do know basic terms..please keep the lingo "noob friendly" lol. Ill also list all the other minor problems i have that might be relevant to this problem:

  • squeak from the engine figure its a belt, sound increases when the rpms do. more like a whine
  • acceleration sputters, not sure if thats from increasing in a low gear or something more serious
those are the main problems including the overheating i would appreciate any sort of help if u have more ?s ask
 

purp_db7

New Member
sounds like the radiator fan pretty easy fix. when the car gets warm the fans suppose to kick on. wait till it heats up and then see if the fan comes on or not
 

maverik_44

New Member
k so i warmed it up and looked. does the radiator have two white fans right behind it? if so those both were not running at all. could be the switch but how can you tell?
 


heritage36

New Member
Probably just needs a thermostat, good cheap place to start for an issue like this, and make sure you let the coolant cycle for a good while after replacing it.
 

maverik_44

New Member
Would a thermostat have a direct problem with why the two radiator fans arent kicking on? I dont know exactly when they are supposed to turn on and I should probably look to see if they kick on in different circumstances, (long drives, etc.) I have checked after fulling warming the engine and the two fans were not working. and also the thermostat would be like the switch or something to do with it right?
 

TannerG

New Member
maverik_44 said:
Would a thermostat have a direct problem with why the two radiator fans arent kicking on? I dont know exactly when they are supposed to turn on and I should probably look to see if they kick on in different circumstances, (long drives, etc.) I have checked after fulling warming the engine and the two fans were not working. and also the thermostat would be like the switch or something to do with it right?
Click to expand...
no but its a good idea to replace the thermostat as well, check and make sure the fuses arent blown/disconnected and the connection is still together.
 


SteelerDan

New Member
First thing you should know about this engine.
the timing belt is used to drive the water pump.
if the water pump goes, so does your belt, and the next in line is your valves.
the proper coolant must be used to keep the water pump lubricated.
The electric fans should come on when the coolant temperature reaches 180.
Start the car in the driveway, and leave it running, just sit there and watch the temperature gauge.
if the fans do not come on at all...then it's either the sending unit, or the fuses, or the fans themselvs.
they should turn freely if you spin them by hand.
also, the radiator should be clear of debris or scale build up.
your thrmostat is a valve in essence and it opens when the temperature of the coolant reaches around 160,
check your manual......you DO have a manual? don't you?
if not , Get one.
also, when the car gets hot, turn on your heater, it's essentially a small radiator, open the windows and crank on the heater it will help.
 

Pos2gacura

Superslamx
connect the two wires from the temp sensor in the back of the motor so that when you turn the ign on the fan runs constantly if it still overheats replace the water pump, if it still overheats check rad for leaks , if its not leaking then it the HG easy fixes all the way around
Edit:
Btw if you think your thermo isnt working just take it out put it on the stove with some water and boil it, my teg has over 250k on it has the original thermo in it still works great
 
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