Honda Car Forum

Group;

My 89 Legend coupe I;ve had since 1990 is overheating all of a sudden. The
temp is hot and the fans don't go ON unless I turn on the A/C and the FAN
switch. Then it cools down immediately. My mechanic says just to drive it
with the fans on. My A/C quit working about a month ago, maybe 3 weeks
before the overheating. Also the car won't start when it's hot; I have to
wait a few minutes and then it starts.

What kind of gremlins am I looking at? I love this car.

doug

--
Doug Holtz
dholtz@wi.rr.com

The most likely cause of the fans no going on by themselves is that the
temperature sensor in the radiator that triggers them is bad.

I don¹t know where it is on your car. On my '96 Odyssey, there were two
sensors, one on the engine near the upper radiator hose and the other placed
near the lower hose. One of those went bad once and caused the fans to only
work with the AC. Some cars have the sensor screwed directly into the
radiator. Find out where is on your car have it (them) tested. The sensor
is relatively cheap. About $40 from the dealer.

I suspect the AC going out is a different problem that only indirectly
relates to the overheating. As long as you were using the AC, the fans were
running because they are wired in to the AC. This would mask the problem of
the thermostatic fan switch being bad (because the fans were on all the time
anyway). Perhaps you stopped turning on the AC after it quit working?

If the car is overheated, it is reasonable that it will be hard to start.
Things expand and compression gets really good, causing it to take more
effort to turn it over. Is it still hard to start if you have been using
the fans? If not, the problem should go away when you get the fan sensor
fixed. If the fans have no effect on the hard starting, then I would check
the age and condition of the battery.

On 7/27/03 6:27 PM, in article BdZUa.40336$7O4.859538@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com,
"Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote:

> Group;
>
> My 89 Legend coupe I;ve had since 1990 is overheating all of a sudden. The
> temp is hot and the fans don't go ON unless I turn on the A/C and the FAN
> switch. Then it cools down immediately. My mechanic says just to drive it
> with the fans on. My A/C quit working about a month ago, maybe 3 weeks
> before the overheating. Also the car won't start when it's hot; I have to
> wait a few minutes and then it starts.
>
> What kind of gremlins am I looking at? I love this car.
>
> doug

A G;

Where will I find the main relay info in the factory repair manual (under
what chapter)?

Re. the Radiator Fan Control unit under the dash, above the accelerator, I
took this out and reinstalled it after visual inspection. I don't know if
it is the problem or not; the fans start ONLY if I turn on the A/C and the
blower. If I turn off the A/C the fan stops. Of course, when the engine
gets turned off, the fans stop as well, which is wrong IMHO. I was thinking
the oil temp switch on the back valve cover. That or the radiator fan
control. What do you think?

TNX

Doug
"Acura God" <djshort@NOSPAMlightbound.com> wrote in message
news:9lZUa.78$Uc3.67041@news.uswest.net...
> No start sounds like main relay problem.
>
> The fan problem has the symptoms of a bad radiator fan control unit. It
too
> can cause A/C to be inop.
>
> David Short
> Acura God
>
> "Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:BdZUa.40336$7O4.859538@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> > Group;
> >
> > My 89 Legend coupe I;ve had since 1990 is overheating all of a sudden.
> The
> > temp is hot and the fans don't go ON unless I turn on the A/C and the
FAN
> > switch. Then it cools down immediately. My mechanic says just to drive
> it
> > with the fans on. My A/C quit working about a month ago, maybe 3 weeks
> > before the overheating. Also the car won't start when it's hot; I have
to
> > wait a few minutes and then it starts.
> >
> > What kind of gremlins am I looking at? I love this car.
> >
> > doug
> >
> > --
> > Doug Holtz
> > dholtz@wi.rr.com
> >
> >
>
>

E M;

Your reply is logical and follows a lot of what the factory manual says. I
haven't tested the radiator-based temperature sensor. I need to jump the
electrical connection to test. I do get electricity to the switch.

You are correct about me not using the A/C because it wasn't working. I now
have to make sure it is on - the little green light in the switch doesn't
come on most of the time, so I have to use my fingers to make sure it is
depressed.

The overheating is a mystery. Seems the radiator overflow pumps out the
antifreeze into the overflow container and it shakes and spits until the fan
comes on, at such time the antifreeze gets sucked back into the radiator. I
don't have air in the bleed valve.

Doug
"E. Meyer" <e.meyer@ieee.org> wrote in message
news:BB4ABF93.710C%e.meyer@ieee.org...
> The most likely cause of the fans no going on by themselves is that the
> temperature sensor in the radiator that triggers them is bad.
>
> I don¹t know where it is on your car. On my '96 Odyssey, there were two
> sensors, one on the engine near the upper radiator hose and the other
placed
> near the lower hose. One of those went bad once and caused the fans to
only
> work with the AC. Some cars have the sensor screwed directly into the
> radiator. Find out where is on your car have it (them) tested. The
sensor
> is relatively cheap. About $40 from the dealer.
>
> I suspect the AC going out is a different problem that only indirectly
> relates to the overheating. As long as you were using the AC, the fans
were
> running because they are wired in to the AC. This would mask the problem
of
> the thermostatic fan switch being bad (because the fans were on all the
time
> anyway). Perhaps you stopped turning on the AC after it quit working?
>
> If the car is overheated, it is reasonable that it will be hard to start.
> Things expand and compression gets really good, causing it to take more
> effort to turn it over. Is it still hard to start if you have been using
> the fans? If not, the problem should go away when you get the fan sensor
> fixed. If the fans have no effect on the hard starting, then I would
check
> the age and condition of the battery.
>
> On 7/27/03 6:27 PM, in article
BdZUa.40336$7O4.859538@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com,
> "Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote:
>
> > Group;
> >
> > My 89 Legend coupe I;ve had since 1990 is overheating all of a sudden.
The
> > temp is hot and the fans don't go ON unless I turn on the A/C and the
FAN
> > switch. Then it cools down immediately. My mechanic says just to drive
it
> > with the fans on. My A/C quit working about a month ago, maybe 3 weeks
> > before the overheating. Also the car won't start when it's hot; I have
to
> > wait a few minutes and then it starts.
> >
> > What kind of gremlins am I looking at? I love this car.
> >
> > doug
>

In the 89 coupe book, it's on page 11-77 under the fuel section.

"Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote in message
newsolVa.56411$6a3.1162011@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> A G;
>
> Where will I find the main relay info in the factory repair manual (under
> what chapter)?
>
> Re. the Radiator Fan Control unit under the dash, above the accelerator, I
> took this out and reinstalled it after visual inspection. I don't know if
> it is the problem or not; the fans start ONLY if I turn on the A/C and the
> blower. If I turn off the A/C the fan stops. Of course, when the engine
> gets turned off, the fans stop as well, which is wrong IMHO. I was
thinking
> the oil temp switch on the back valve cover. That or the radiator fan
> control. What do you think?
>
> TNX
>
> Doug
> "Acura God" <djshort@NOSPAMlightbound.com> wrote in message
> news:9lZUa.78$Uc3.67041@news.uswest.net...
> > No start sounds like main relay problem.
> >
> > The fan problem has the symptoms of a bad radiator fan control unit. It
> too
> > can cause A/C to be inop.
> >
> > David Short
> > Acura God
> >
> > "Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote in message
> > news:BdZUa.40336$7O4.859538@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> > > Group;
> > >
> > > My 89 Legend coupe I;ve had since 1990 is overheating all of a sudden.
> > The
> > > temp is hot and the fans don't go ON unless I turn on the A/C and the
> FAN
> > > switch. Then it cools down immediately. My mechanic says just to
drive
> > it
> > > with the fans on. My A/C quit working about a month ago, maybe 3
weeks
> > > before the overheating. Also the car won't start when it's hot; I
have
> to
> > > wait a few minutes and then it starts.
> > >
> > > What kind of gremlins am I looking at? I love this car.
> > >
> > > doug
> > >
> > > --
> > > Doug Holtz
> > > dholtz@wi.rr.com
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Have you been maintaining your cooling system, sounds like a partial
blockage somewhere.
"Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote in message
news:itlVa.56413$6a3.1163205@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> E M;
>
> Your reply is logical and follows a lot of what the factory manual says.
I
> haven't tested the radiator-based temperature sensor. I need to jump the
> electrical connection to test. I do get electricity to the switch.
>
> You are correct about me not using the A/C because it wasn't working. I
now
> have to make sure it is on - the little green light in the switch doesn't
> come on most of the time, so I have to use my fingers to make sure it is
> depressed.
>
> The overheating is a mystery. Seems the radiator overflow pumps out the
> antifreeze into the overflow container and it shakes and spits until the
fan
> comes on, at such time the antifreeze gets sucked back into the radiator.
I
> don't have air in the bleed valve.
>
> Doug
> "E. Meyer" <e.meyer@ieee.org> wrote in message
> news:BB4ABF93.710C%e.meyer@ieee.org...
> > The most likely cause of the fans no going on by themselves is that the
> > temperature sensor in the radiator that triggers them is bad.
> >
> > I don¹t know where it is on your car. On my '96 Odyssey, there were two
> > sensors, one on the engine near the upper radiator hose and the other
> placed
> > near the lower hose. One of those went bad once and caused the fans to
> only
> > work with the AC. Some cars have the sensor screwed directly into the
> > radiator. Find out where is on your car have it (them) tested. The
> sensor
> > is relatively cheap. About $40 from the dealer.
> >
> > I suspect the AC going out is a different problem that only indirectly
> > relates to the overheating. As long as you were using the AC, the fans
> were
> > running because they are wired in to the AC. This would mask the problem
> of
> > the thermostatic fan switch being bad (because the fans were on all the
> time
> > anyway). Perhaps you stopped turning on the AC after it quit working?
> >
> > If the car is overheated, it is reasonable that it will be hard to
start.
> > Things expand and compression gets really good, causing it to take more
> > effort to turn it over. Is it still hard to start if you have been
using
> > the fans? If not, the problem should go away when you get the fan
sensor
> > fixed. If the fans have no effect on the hard starting, then I would
> check
> > the age and condition of the battery.
> >
> > On 7/27/03 6:27 PM, in article
> BdZUa.40336$7O4.859538@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com,
> > "Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Group;
> > >
> > > My 89 Legend coupe I;ve had since 1990 is overheating all of a sudden.
> The
> > > temp is hot and the fans don't go ON unless I turn on the A/C and the
> FAN
> > > switch. Then it cools down immediately. My mechanic says just to
drive
> it
> > > with the fans on. My A/C quit working about a month ago, maybe 3
weeks
> > > before the overheating. Also the car won't start when it's hot; I
have
> to
> > > wait a few minutes and then it starts.
> > >
> > > What kind of gremlins am I looking at? I love this car.
> > >
> > > doug
> >
>
>

Thanks Jafir.

Doug

"Jafir Elkurd" <jafir@nospam.no.spam.hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:vibpf04evvmr09@corp.supernews.com...
> In the 89 coupe book, it's on page 11-77 under the fuel section.
>
> "Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote in message
> newsolVa.56411$6a3.1162011@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> > A G;
> >
> > Where will I find the main relay info in the factory repair manual
(under
> > what chapter)?
> >
> > Re. the Radiator Fan Control unit under the dash, above the accelerator,
I
> > took this out and reinstalled it after visual inspection. I don't know
if
> > it is the problem or not; the fans start ONLY if I turn on the A/C and
the
> > blower. If I turn off the A/C the fan stops. Of course, when the
engine
> > gets turned off, the fans stop as well, which is wrong IMHO. I was
> thinking
> > the oil temp switch on the back valve cover. That or the radiator fan
> > control. What do you think?
> >
> > TNX
> >
> > Doug
> > "Acura God" <djshort@NOSPAMlightbound.com> wrote in message
> > news:9lZUa.78$Uc3.67041@news.uswest.net...
> > > No start sounds like main relay problem.
> > >
> > > The fan problem has the symptoms of a bad radiator fan control unit.
It
> > too
> > > can cause A/C to be inop.
> > >
> > > David Short
> > > Acura God
> > >
> > > "Doug Holtz" <dholtz@wi.rr.com> wrote in message
> > > news:BdZUa.40336$7O4.859538@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
> > > > Group;
> > > >
> > > > My 89 Legend coupe I;ve had since 1990 is overheating all of a
sudden.
> > > The
> > > > temp is hot and the fans don't go ON unless I turn on the A/C and
the
> > FAN
> > > > switch. Then it cools down immediately. My mechanic says just to
> drive
> > > it
> > > > with the fans on. My A/C quit working about a month ago, maybe 3
> weeks
> > > > before the overheating. Also the car won't start when it's hot; I
> have
> > to
> > > > wait a few minutes and then it starts.
> > > >
> > > > What kind of gremlins am I looking at? I love this car.
> > > >
> > > > doug
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Doug Holtz
> > > > dholtz@wi.rr.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>