I just moved down to Louisiana from Connecticut with my '93 Accord. It hasn't given me any problems except for the transmission sometimes sticking from 1st to 2nd gear, but today I was driving through downtown Baton Rouge when I heard a loud hissing. I pulled over immediately, thinking I had a flat tire, and then realized the hissing was coming from under the hood. After opening the hood up, there was a bunch of whitish-gray steam coming from the car, which lasted for about a minute before stopping. I thought it was overheating, so I let it cool down and drove it straight home. It's now parked out in my driveway, and I have no idea what to do with it.

Is it safe to drive the car around, or should I just bring it to a mechanic? The temperature outside today is in the high nineties -- I'm hoping it was just a one-time thing caused by the heat. I plan on checking fluid levels when the car is completely cooled. My biggest concern is bringing it in to a mechanic, as I'm pretty broke right now and afraid I'd be ripped off! I'd really appreciate any suggestions and help. Thanks!

you have to fix this problem or you'll be more broke, overheating will kill your engine.

do you remeber where exactly steam was coming from?

It was coming from the bottom of the car, towards the front. My boyfriend's father is going to come over tommorow and have a look at it. If he can isolate the spot, I'll post a reply here saying where the steam was coming from.

I also think I might bring it to the shop regardless, though -- from what I hear, this kind of thing can really futz up the car's engine. I just paid $2,000 for the car, I don't want to put another $1,500 or whatever into it so soon ^^;; The worst part is that I haven't been able to find work, and rent is due the first... augh! If you have any more ideas, I'd love to hear!

i'm not 100% sure but i think it can be two things; hole in lower radiator hose or hole in radiator.
in there any green puddles under car?
if there is, would be it closer to engine or closer to front of car?

It was coming from the bottom of the car, towards the front. My boyfriend's father is going to come over tommorow and have a look at it. If he can isolate the spot, I'll post a reply here saying where the steam was coming from.

I also think I might bring it to the shop regardless, though -- from what I hear, this kind of thing can really futz up the car's engine. I just paid $2,000 for the car, I don't want to put another $1,500 or whatever into it so soon ^^;; The worst part is that I haven't been able to find work, and rent is due the first... augh! If you have any more ideas, I'd love to hear!


The most common cause of this is insufficient coolant in the engine. The coolant was boiled due to unable to handle the amount of heat.

Couple things you can check:

1. Was the temperature meter at hign area when the steam came out? If yes, then it's overheating. Otherwise, you may have some other problem.

2. Check the engine oil, make sure it's at the normal level.

3. You said the steam came out from the bottom of the car, hmm, it's a little bit strange. Normally the steam gose up. If it comes out at the bottom, that means your engine has almost no coolant in it. Does the car loose coolant? Check the resovoir, does it have any coolant in there? Open the radiator cap when the engine is cool, see any coolant there? If not, bring the coolant to the normal level and start the engine see if the same problem happens. If not, then it's caused by low coolant level. If the coolant level keeps lowing over the time, then you have a leak. Check under the radiator and engine. If you see coolant on the ground (maybe green), that's it.

4. When the engine is at normal working temperature, let it idle. Does the cooling fan come up from time to time? If not, check the wiring and relay for the fan.


My suggestion is, since you are short of money and you probably don't know any honest mechainc there, do some diagnosis yourself and ask around first. If the problem keeps happening, then consider bringing it in a shop. Don't be too worried about overheating. as long as you have enough coolant and engine oil, it won't do too much harm to the engine if it only happens couple times and if you stop the engine and let it cool down.

My boyfriend's father came over last night, and after futzing around with the car for a while we've determined the air conditioning system must have blown out. The radiator is in great shape, according to him, and it is still full of coolant. The air conditioner doesn't work at all, though, which is kind of a bummer living in Louisiana. He's told me the car is fine to drive, which makes me happy, as I'd looked a bunch of things up online about overheating and most of them were scary.

So, I guess a few more questions! Is the car really okay to drive with a blown-out air conditioner? Is it worth having it fixed? I had actually just fixed the air conditioner a month ago at a cost of $300, and now I have my doubts about having it fixed again. I've heard that I could just try filling it with more freon -- but if I did that, wouldn't the freon just leak out again? I'd bring the car back to the dealer that fixed it, but they're about three days' worth of driving away from here now. We've checked for loose hoses and things like that, and everything seems to be in there okay... are there any parts that tend to leak/cause problems on this car, and if there are could I try replacing those myself? All of this car stuff is a lot to deal with ^^;; Anyways, thanks for your suggestions (now I'll definitely know what to do if my car does end up overheating somehow!), and more advice is appreciated as always!

Ok, so it's not overheating! Good. And, bad.

Yes, the car is safe to drive with broken AC.

Now, what I suspect is that the dealership which fixed your AC didn't do the job right. And, if it's only a month or so ago, it should still be under warranty. Do you know what they did to fix it? Did they replace the compressor? I doubt someone overtightened a screw and tripped the threads. And the joint just popped open under pressure. And, you really don't have to drive back to the same dealership. Any dealership should honor the warranty. Call American Honda customer service, 800-999-1009, and ask them what warranty you are entitled to.

My suggestion is that you find out what went wrong first and if it's related to the repair before you bring the car into a dealer. Few dealers are honest, all they wany is your money. If the problem is related, then ask a dealership to repair it under warranty.

Normally you won't be able to handle the AC system yourself without special equipments. But there are some checks you can do to diagnose the problem. Let me know if you are interested.

I would be very interested to know what the dealer did to fix it. Can you share the info?

FYI.

Time and Mileage Limits
Except for batteries and mufflers, automobile parts supplied by Honda Automobile Division* of American Honda and purchased from and installed by an authorized Honda Automobile dealer are covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles from the date installed, whichever comes first. Honda parts distributed by American Honda and purchased from, but not installed by, an authorized Honda automobile dealer are covered for 12 months from the date of purchase. Replacement batteries are covered for 36 months from the date of purchase. Replacement mufflers have a limited lifetime warranty.

This Warranty Does Not Cover:
Parts distributed or sold outside the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Parts installed in vehicles for racing or competition.
Any part for which applicable proof of purchase date, installation date, and vehicle mileage at time of installation is not presented.

Any parts that are considered normal maintenance items, which are replaced, cleaned or adjusted as normal owner maintenance unless they are defective in material or factory workmanship.
Parts replaced under the New Car Limited Warranty.
Deterioration of any part due to normal use and exposure.
Parts installed in a car in which the odometer has been altered, or on which the actual mileage cannot be determined.

To Obtain Warranty Service
The defective part, or the car it is installed in, must be returned by the purchaser to an authorized Honda automobile dealer during normal service hours. You must provide a receipt that shows proof of purchase as well as the installation, date and mileage at time of installation, if the installation was done by an authorized Honda automobile dealer. If the car is not driveable because of a defect covered by this warranty, call the nearest authorized Honda automobile dealer for towing assistance. You will not have to pay for towing if the defect is covered by this warranty.
If you cannot get warranty service, or you are dissatisfied with the service or a warranty decision, speak with one of the dealership's managers. Generally, problems can be solved most effectively this way. If you need further assistance, ask your dealer for the number of the Honda Customer Relations office that serves your area.

Warranty Coverage
Honda Motor Co., Inc. will repair or replace, at its option, any genuine Honda part that is defective in materials or workmanship under normal use.
Parts except for batteries and mufflers, that were sold and installed by an authorized Honda dealer will be repaired or replaced without charge for parts or labor; parts, except for batteries, purchased from but not installed by an authorized Honda dealer will be repaired or replaced without charge for the parts, but labor charges will be your responsibility.

A defective replacement battery will be replaced free-of-charge during the first 12 months. If the battery fails after the first 12 months, you will be given credit toward the purchase of a new battery, figured at 1/36 of the current suggested retail price for each month remaining in the 36 month period.
No cash reimbursement will be made. Any service or installation charge will be at your expense except during the 12 months free-of-charge replacement period.
All parts supplied under this warranty will be genuine Honda parts, and all parts replaced become the property of the Honda Automobile Division.

oh, problem fixed i take it, if it WAS the coolant, how come you guys didnt think of radiator overflow....it would come from the bottom towards the front, thats where most overflow hoses lead anywayz.