"Phederico" (Phederico) 08/05/2014 at 15:45 • Filed to: None

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Alright my fine ladies and gentlemen. I have recently purchased a 1999 Honda Accord Coupe LX V6 3.0 Auto (156K on odo, pictures forthcoming) for my stepson to D.D. I have already experienced the dancing needle of the temperature gauge which gave me a relatively mild although noticeable case of "sphincterus pucker-upus" on my drive into the office this a.m. On a second drive to have the vehicle insured the needle sat right where i believe she should be. :: shrugs :: How about a heads up of common issues, concerns and even perhaps some reference sites for service manuals, etc. from any of you who have previously or currently own one of these automobiles. My understanding is that the crank sensor, cam sensor have been recently replaced. The transmission was also recently rebuilt and the power steering pump was replaced although I notice a disconcerting "whine" emanating from under the hood when at a stop. Anyhow..give me what you got....GO!

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > Phederico 08/05/2014 at 15:52

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Could it be the temp gauge itself is a bit wonky? Or is it digital?

Phederico > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 08/05/2014 at 15:56

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Naww, it's Honda's standard analog temp gauge. Went from just below half to straight to "H"ot in a matter of seconds...then back down...no overheating...fans not on full blast and no C.E.L. so...I'm thinking electrical or one of the temp sensors might need replacing.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Phederico 08/05/2014 at 15:58

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I had the dancing needle issue on my old Celica before blowing the radiator, but a dancing needle (assuming it's an analog gauge) is a symptom simply of either low coolant or low coolant pressure, not a specific problem. The needle rises until boiling coolant causes pressure to build up and flow to be restored, at which point the needle drops. Then the open thermostat causes pressure to drop, and the process begins anew. Check your coolant level, then check for leaks.

Phederico > Aaron M - MasoFiST 08/05/2014 at 15:59

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Thanks Aaron Marks...it's definitely on my "to do" list today. Being at work and that the car may have ran hot I haven't had a chance to look inside the rad. filler cap. The overflow tank is right on the line for MAX...so wont' know for sure till I get home. Sound advice, thanks for chiming in!

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > Phederico 08/05/2014 at 16:02

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Have you checked to see if it's throwing any codes?

Phederico > McChiken116 - Patrick H. 08/05/2014 at 16:03

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Naww, haven't plugged it in yet. No C.E.L. indicator but it wouldn't hurt to see if there's some codes still recorded.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Phederico 08/05/2014 at 16:05

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In my case pressure was the key rather than coolant level, so making sure the filler cap is secure/sealing and checking your hoses will be key.

If it only happens the one time (i.e. you can't recreate it), there's one possible, very innocuous cause: the car's coolant level was running low when the seller was getting ready to give you the car, so they just dumped some coolant in and didn't burp it. The resulting air bubble caused an issue with the sensor/gauge sender, creating what you saw. I'm not saying not to check anything, just that if this never happens again, there is an explanation that isn't a lurking problem you have to deal with.

Phederico > Aaron M - MasoFiST 08/05/2014 at 16:08

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10-4 I don't know if this model has a "bleeder valve" on the thermostat housing or not..but if it looks low I'll definitely start there. Thanks!

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > Phederico 08/05/2014 at 16:10

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My Honda doesn't always show the CEL for minor codes

jariten1781 > Phederico 08/05/2014 at 16:13

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Air bubble was already mentioned and it's a good thing to check. My mom had one of these V6s and had the same symptom. Turned out that it was the sensor that fed the gauge. On hers, there were two sensors, one that fed the gauge and one that fed the computer. Hooking up a scangauge you could see it sitting pretty right in the middle of the temp range when the gauge would spike to full hot. I replaced the sensor and went ahead and did the thermostat/drain&fill coolant at the same time. Never had the problem again.

Phederico > jariten1781 08/05/2014 at 16:15

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Yeah, that would be a simple thing to do and even worthwhile just for the simple fact that arizona summers are HOLY CHEET hot! So did you do the ETC sensor which I think feeds the gauge, or the Water Temp Sensor that's actually ON the thermostat housing?

jariten1781 > Phederico 08/05/2014 at 16:25

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I don't remember...this was like 7 years ago, haha. I remember getting in there and realizing there were two then having to call around and figure out which one was bad. If I remember correctly there was a 2 wire sensor which I did not replace and a single wire one that I did. I'm pretty sure it was the smaller of the two...but don't quote me on that.

Phederico > jariten1781 08/05/2014 at 16:53

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NO worries, I'll look through there, but thanks for the insight Jaritten!