raidiator question

[vtecntrldSI]

how would u know if a radiator was workin well on my si hatch i wonder if its still workin cuz i bearly hear the thing turn on and somtimes my vtec valve cover is scorhchin hot! so just wanted to know.. civic experts reply with answer please.....

[shorthand]

You know your radiator is working if the water temperature is correct. Do you have a water temperature gauge?

As for the valve cover getting hot - that's a bit of an odd description. It should get somewhat hot. On certain cars, that could be really hot. Is it hotter than it used to be?

The valve cover is in contact only with the oil. I guess its possible that oil temp could be up and the radiator still be working fine, but I can't imagine why.

A very cheap way to increase the effectiveness of your current raditor is to add a surfactant (a water wetter). Most part stores will have one. I use redline's in mine, not that it makes much difference in a new car, but I have noticed the water temp is a tad lower even in winter.

[Rice-Rocketeer]

If your temp needle stays below half-way, don't worry about it.

[nemesls_2000]

Originally posted by shorthand
A very cheap way to increase the effectiveness of your current raditor is to add a surfactant (a water wetter).

Come on now, don't tell all the "little secrets"......

[ric]

right dude, try touching my valve cover after i smash vtec to 7500 a couple times. you could cook a 16oz sirloin on it in 15 minutes. and factory water temp gauges are inaccurate to say the least. when i got my autometer water temp gauge i wanted to use the factory sender but i found out the thing only has 4 returns, something like cold, warm, operating temp, and meltdown. i never fully trust factory gauges except for the speedo. i think the only reason they are there is to put the normal user at ease. i doubt anythings wrong with your car at all. if your that concerned about it just sit there with the car idling for a minute or two, if the fan turns on your good, if it turns off after a minute then your good again.

[sparq]

Oh god Rick, love the new signature! Ahahahaa....

But yet, because your hood basically traps all your heat from the engine, ANYTHING under the hood will eventually get pretty hot and I wouldnt suggest putting your body parts in contact with it unless you are looking to burn on a "VTEC" mark into your skin

Your radiator still works when it holds fluid... if its empty, well how is it going to work? What could have happened though is a blown thermostat, a broken fan, something along those lines could cause your car to run hot (not sure if it is but im guessing) but like Rice-Rocketeer said... if your needle stays near half way you aint got nothing to worry about!

[jOYRiDe]

wots 210 degrees farenheit in degrees celcius?? im stoopid, when i bought the water temp gauge, i bought the farenheit instead of celicus (im aussie )... is that temperature normal?? the needle usually sits on 180 deg F but also at 210.... should i get a larger radiator???
the radiator on the car right now looks like a single core and looks useless... im thinking of gettin a crx or lude radiator instead or maybe a better thermofan (if i put a/c back in)

[Rice-Rocketeer]

200 F should be 100 Celcius. So it's a little over 100C. That's more than what it should be but not in the damaging zone. Your thermostat should open fully at 180 deg F and temps shouldn't go over 200 F. But hot days and "spirited" driving tend to slightly overwhelm the stock system. The rad isn't useless, it's just the bare minimum the car needs to not overheat itself. If you want to get a rad from another Honda, get a del Sol or Integra radiator. A better fan would be good but expensive. And getting a thermostat that opens at 160F would be good too.

[jOYRiDe]

thanks for the tip :bigthumbup
i might make a switch (or remove some wires) to have the fan blowing constantly....i dunno, decisions decisions