1994 Acura Legend Overheating at Idle

1994 ALL OTHER MAKES ALL OTHER MODELS
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TINASHAW77
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Hi,
I have a 94 Legend - 196k miles on it. It runs fine till I idle for even a minute. Then the temp gauge starts to rapidly go to "hot". I have tried turning on the heater to cool it down, it doesn't work. However; while I am driving on the highway, it often will cool off, just to get hot again even on the same highway. I haven't seen steam or anything from it, but, I do smell a little something when I get out of the car. I have plenty of antifreeze & water. Not sure if this matters or not, but the speedometer only works off & on. Any help is appreciated! THANK YOU! Tina :)
Jan 9, 2007 at 6:59 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
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You say there is plenty of coolant, but does that mean it is always full or have you had to top it off and couple of times. Any visible leaks? Has the car ever gotten REAL hot? First thought that always comes to mind is to replace the thermostat. That often fixes it, but if the fluid level is dropping and no leaks are apparent, I would suspect a head gasket.
Jan 9, 2007 at 7:19 AM
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TINASHAW77
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Wow, I am so excited that I got an answer, & so FAST TOO! Thank you! Yes, it does show "really hot" sometimes, however, I have only added Antifreeze (1/2 gal) 1 time & the little overfill bottle is full of water. Autozone sold me a Temp Sensor SU4006. Could that possibly be the problem? I don't have much money & I will have to rely on a friend or someone for the repair. Thanks again!
Tina
Jan 9, 2007 at 7:23 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
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It could be a temp sensor but that would indicate that the car was not really overheating. I would watch the coolant level closely. Not everytime will the overflow work to suck in the extra coolant. I would keep tabs on the level of the coolant Also, when your friend makes the repair, have them crack open a bleeder on the cooling system once the vehicle is warm and try to have it let out any extra air in the system. Follow the top hose from the radiator and you will see a bleeder near the valve cover. Using a #10 wrench, slowly open the valve to release the air. Don't open it too far or fast. Do it several times. Again, watch the coolant level. I would surmise that the guage will still run up to the hot level.
Jan 9, 2007 at 7:31 AM
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TINASHAW77
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Thanks Bruce,
I printed out your instructions. So, do you mean if gauge still shows hot that it's the head gasket?
Jan 9, 2007 at 11:43 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
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It means that it should be within the realm of consideration. There could be a small leak somewhere that should be found. A small hole in a radiator can slowly seep for quite a while before noticed and leaving any drips. I suspect the level of the fluid is the cause of the overheating but for a less than $20 cost, I would replace the thermostat. That could be sticking and causing your problems. I would like to eliminate the simple and very expensive solutions first. Keeping the fluid level full will help for awhile. Replacing the thermostat is rather straight forward and easy.
Jan 9, 2007 at 1:54 PM
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TINASHAW77
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Ok, I'll have the thermostate replaced. Do you know of a free site that gives the directions & possibly photos of how to do that & other repairs? Or is the online version that's $9.99 the best thing going? Thanks again!
Tina
Jan 9, 2007 at 3:41 PM
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BRUCE HUNT
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Tina,

I would do it for you but I doubt we are even close in geographic proximity. If you live in a fairly good sized town, check out the public library for car repair manuals. You can often find one there. If you plan to keep the car for a while I would suggest going to the parts store and buying a repair manual. Often they are about $20. A good investment.
Jan 9, 2007 at 11:52 PM

Suggested Repair

Keep the cooling system full and watch for a slow coolant loss or small leak. Bleed air from the bleeder near the valve cover once the engine is warm, and replace the inexpensive thermostat first. If the level drops with no visible leak, consider a head gasket; a faulty temperature sensor could also cause a false hot reading.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 1994 Legend with 196,000 miles says the temperature gauge climbs rapidly at idle, sometimes cools while driving, and there is a slight smell but no steam. Coolant was added once and the overflow bottle is full; the speedometer also works intermittently. The expert recommends monitoring the coolant level, bleeding trapped air, replacing the thermostat first, and considering a small leak, faulty temperature sensor, or head gasket if the level drops without visible leaks.

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