Cooling / Overheating at idle only

wite2nr

New Member
I have an overheating problem in my car. 1993 LS, stock B18A. When the rpm's are at idle, the car will get hot and the temp sensor will go right up to the red but not into it. When I am driving, at any speed, as long as the rpm is above 1500 then the temp sensor stays just left of the middle on the cluster where it should be. At city speed and at freeway speeds there is no overheating. Waiting at a stoplight / idle the car will overheat.

Now for the strange part. If I am waiting at a stoplight, if I press the gas and hold the rpm at anything above 1500 (usually hold it around 2k) then the temp stays normal. But, if i let off and let it go back down to idle, then the car gets hot. So, whenever I am driving around the city and get stuck in traffic i have to sit there holding my rpm at 2k so I wont overheat. seems kind of counter intuative. any ideas?
 

patrick4588

Integra God
not much you can do other than change it at this point. do a leakdown test to make sure, but im about 99% sure thats what it is. if you have an air compressor, you can do a leakdown test. borrow a tester from your local auto shop. take out your spark plugs and put the tester down into the cylinders and put about 200psi into them. you will hear air leaking out. if it is going into the oil pan, its rings leaking. if you hear the valve cover, its valves and valve seals. if its in the radiator, its your headgasket. also, you should only have 15% or less leakdown. i would say less than 10, but your motor has aged a bit
 


danda2

da-dan
its most likely not a head gasket it would if you are leaking coolant or you let it overheat to much but i think its the thermostat that is stuck close or a clogged radiator or it could be your temp sensor
 

patrick4588

Integra God
danda2 said:
its most likely not a head gasket it would if you are leaking coolant or you let it overheat to much but i think its the thermostat that is stuck close or a clogged radiator or it could be your temp sensor
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nope, nope, and nope. the reason is cools down when you rev up is the water pump runs off your timing belt and crank. therefore the higher the rpms, more pressure forces water through the system. if its not the headgasket, its a bad fan. do the leakdown test like i said. another thing you can do is take your radiator cap off, fill the radiator with water and start the car. if any water or coolant shoots out of the radiator, its definitely blown. this doesnt always happen with a small leak like i think you have, but if it happens; you can bet your ass its blown.
 

DB2 B17A1

Corner Junkie
i had the same EXACT problem, but mine was due to a bent radiator near the bottom. and a faulty leaking hose
 


heykosal

Angkorian
I'm almost 100% sure its the head gasket. Check for coolant leaks around where the block and head meet.
 

patrick4588

Integra God
heykosal said:
I'm almost 100% sure its the head gasket. Check for coolant leaks around where the block and head meet.
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since it doesnt overheat all the time, i think its not completely blown yet, just leaking. you probably wont find any coolant leaks. please do the leakdown test and share back
 

patrick4588

Integra God
yeah i guess so. for it to leak, the seal has to be bad, it be cracked, or blown out at a point. cracking isnt very likely because of the way a headgasket seals, but its possible. btw, if you do replace the headgasket, take the head to a shop to get milled. chances are its warped by now, since its gone through so many heat cycles not sealed right.
 

spooledu24

New Member
check the coolent level if its low then it prob a head gasket. or u can check the rad for oil and the oil for coolent, and if it were leaking to the combustion chamber u would see smoke white=coolent blue=oil. if those check ok its a fan or fan relay or thermostat. a leak down test can be hard to do if u dont know what u are looking for and dont have a stethoscope.
 

patrick4588

Integra God
spooledu24 said:
check the coolent level if its low then it prob a head gasket. or u can check the rad for oil and the oil for coolent, and if it were leaking to the combustion chamber u would see smoke white=coolent blue=oil. if those check ok its a fan or fan relay or thermostat. a leak down test can be hard to do if u dont know what u are looking for and dont have a stethoscope.
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what are you talking about? a stethoscope? really? all you need is a leakdown tester and an air compressor. if you can change your own spark plugs, you can do a leakdown test.
 
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