i recently purchased a tokumbo 1996 honda civic with a D14A4 engine which i runs extremely cold. I'm suspecting the thermostat has been removed because i saw a thermostat inside the pigeon hole. I don't know if i was removed entirely or replaced but the engine temperature hardly reaches the quarter mark on the temperature guage. The radiator fan also runs once the key is on ignition. My dilemma now is how do i restore it back to factory setting. My elcheapo mech will not be willing to assist since he's already saying "it's good the engine runs cold, no need for thermostat". Nairalanders what's the way out?

pix 1 and 2... i believe that's the location of the thermostat
pix 3... the thermostat i saw in the pigeon hole

P.S. The thermostat is stuck fairly open. i don't if that's how it supposed to be but i tested it using a pot of hot boiling water and it opened slightly. when i removed it, it closed slighty to it present position on the pix.

you needm to open the thermo housing and from the pic thats the one just take of the 10inch bolts it should open

remember you need a sealant or gasket

as for the fan running you need to find the electrical wires connected or bridged to wires that goes to fan motor

ZIMDRILL:
you needm to open the thermo housing and from the pic thats the one just take of the 10inch bolts it should open

remember you need a sealant or gasket

as for the fan running you need to find the electrical wires connected or bridged to wires that goes to fan motor

I found this wire, I believe it's responsible for making the fan run once the ignition is on. Lemme source for a thermostat and 10 inch spanner then we can proceed with the DIY. Thanks ZIMDRILL.

ZIMDRILL:
you needm to open the thermo housing and from the pic thats the one just take of the 10inch bolts it should open

remember you need a sealant or gasket

as for the fan running you need to find the electrical wires connected or bridged to wires that goes to fan motor

I found this wire, I believe it's responsible for making the fan run once the ignition is on. Lemme source for a thermostat, sealant/gasket and 10 inch spanner then we can proceed with the DIY. Thanks ZIMDRILL.

i had a similar problem with my 2000 accord exl.
have you been able to resolve your issue?
you ll have to replace you thermostat and maybe your fan switch if it has gone bad.
i could walk you through a couple of steps to help you isolate the problem with the fan switch.
the fan switch is what that blue connector in the first picture you posted connects to. its situated on the thermostat housing and helps determine the temprature of the coolant. when it gets too hot the fan should come on. roadside mechanics short this connection to have the fan on at all time
*note- the fan will always be on when the ac is running.

I disconnected the wire in the last pix and connected the switch. The fan does not run even with the AC switched ON. However, I drove the car for about 20 km (40 minutes drive) within the city but it didn't overheat. I noticed that the RPM which usually rises to 1500 and later idles at 1000 is now idling at about 500-600. Dunno if there's any correlation. The pix below shows the engine temperature after the trip. is this the ideal engine temperature of a 1996 honda civic? I'm yet to get a thermostat but will continue searching for one tomorrow.

danadam:


I found this wire, I believe it's responsible for making the fan run once the ignition is on. Lemme source for a thermostat, sealant/gasket and 10 inch spanner then we can proceed with the DIY. Thanks ZIMDRILL.

just to make sure pull out that bridge wire and start the car and see if the fan runs

if it does then you got it

then connect the plug to the where its supposed to connect

danadam:
I disconnected the wire in the last pix and connected the switch. The fan does not run even with the AC switched ON. However, I drove the car for about 20 km (40 minutes drive) within the city but it didn't overheat. I noticed that the RPM which usually rises to 1500 and later idles at 1000 is now idling at about 500-600. Dunno if there's any correlation. The pix below shows the engine temperature after the trip. is this the ideal engine temperature of a 1996 honda civic? I'm yet to get a thermostat but will continue searching for one tomorrow.

it was idling high because it was reading the engine temperature as cold, so to compensate the ECU increase the idle (more fuel ) so that the engine temperature will raise to the operating temperature, then the idle drops abit


you saved your engine from forming slug and also weaking of the engine block and other componets


the ONLY THING that are changed when car is imported from different region (climate environment) is the the type of OIL

check this user manual oil guide from honda for honda crv 1997- 2000

ZIMDRILL:


just to make sure pull out that bridge wire and start the car and see if the fan runs

if it does then you got it

then connect the plug to the where its supposed to connect

I did pulled out that bridge wire and drove the car for about 20 km without noticing the fan switching on.
This night, I decided to check it out very well. I switched on the car, switched on the AC but only the condenser fan came on. I then firmly depressed the switch i removed the bridge wire from, to ensure it's firmly secured and viola...... the radiator fan came on. I then switched off the AC, stayed back and observed the fan switching on and off in a period of about 10 minutes. With the aforementioned observation, I believe there's a thermostat in the thermostat housing. The one I saw in the pigeonhole is probably the faulty one that was replaced with a functional one.
What's next? I will watch the temperature closely. It now rises to the level displayed in the last pix within 5 minutes. I will keep y'all updated on any development.

the fans are not designed to be all at all time.. when you drive at speeds of about 50km or more the fan will always be off cause theres enough air blowing through the radiator at this speed to efficiently cool the system.. the fan is designed to be on when there is none sufficient air flow.. that's why most cars overheat in traffic jam cause there's not enough air blowing through the radiator and due to some fault with the cooling system the fan doesn't come on.the fact that you drove your car for a couple of miles without it overheating doesn't mean everything is ok.

ZIMDRILL:


it was idling high because it was reading the engine temperature as cold, so to compensate the ECU increase the idle (more fuel ) so that the engine temperature will raise to the operating temperature, then the idle drops abit


you saved your engine from forming slug and also weaking of the engine block and other componets


the ONLY THING that are changed when car is imported from different region (climate environment) is the the type of OIL

check this user manual oil guide from honda for honda crv 1997- 2000

Thanks. I will switch to 5w30 @ next oil change. I strongly believe 20w50 was used on the engine after it was purchased from cotonou because i paid only 3000 Naira for the oil.

OP, you should be abel to DIY a thermostat install.

Buy a new genuine Honda thermo with the accompanying gasket (I don't use sealants, personal preference), buy a new radiator fan switch (regardless if the existing switch works but it;s cheap security to bang a new one in).

Good luck.

from the temprature guage in the photo you posted your car appears to be running a little bit cold. the guage should be exactly half way.
i ll briefly explain how the cooling system works to help you understand me more.
the engine has an optimum operating range at which efficiency is at its maximum.what the thermostat does is it stays shut when the enigne is cold to restrict the flow of the engine coolant so the enigine can warm up quickly.once the enigine gets to the low point of the operating temperature range the thermostat opens and the coolant starts to flow but the fan stays off, thus slowly cooling the engine and keeping it within the operating range. when the temperature is about to exceed the maximum operating temp the fan comes on and cools it down a bit. when the car is in motion there's enough air flowing through the grill and the radiator of the car to effectively cool the radiator.
that said, what you need to do now is remove that short wire from the fan switch and connect the switch directly to the fan switch sensor, make sure theres good contact then let the engine run with the hood open. keep watching the temperature gauge in the dash cluster when the guage is exactly halfway the fan should come on. if it doesnt the fan switch is bad

HARDEYEBER:
the fans are not designed to be all at all time.. when you drive at speeds of about 50km or more the fan will always be off cause theres enough air blowing through the radiator at this speed to efficiently cool the system.. the fan is designed to be on when there is none sufficient air flow.. that's why most cars overheat in traffic jam cause there's not enough air blowing through the radiator and due to some fault with the cooling system the fan doesn't come on.the fact that you drove your car for a couple of miles without it overheating doesn't mean everything is ok.

OK... Noted. I will search for a thermostat tomorrow while I observe how cooling system works.

danadam:


Thanks. I will switch to 5w30 @ next oil change. I strongly believe 20w50 was used on the engine after it was purchased from cotonou because i paid only 3000 Naira for the oil.

dont switch because i mentioned it

1st check the user manual, what it say about the type of oil to use for climates like nigeria

CityNG:
OP, you should be abel to DIY a thermostat install.

Buy a new genuine Honda thermo with the accompanying gasket (I don't use sealants, personal preference), buy a new radiator fan switch (regardless if the existing switch works but it;s cheap security to bang a new one in).

Good luck.

I search around town today for the thermostat but all I could get was a used one. All the sellers were looking at me like "weirdo" asking me what do I need it for. I was told the don't sell new ones but they can get one for me from a tokumbo/used engine for 500 naira. I will get one tomorrow then proceed with the DIY, I just pray I get it right.

i agree with "CITYNG", its just easier to change the thermostat and the fan switch.. even if the old ones are still functional they are probably weary and on their way out already.
pay close attention to your dash cluster afterwards, thats the first clue to knowing if something is not right.

danadam:


I search around town today for the thermostat but all I could get was a used one. All the sellers were looking at me like "weirdo" asking me what do I need it for. I was told the don't sell new ones but they can get one for me from a tokumbo/used engine for 500 naira. I will get one tomorrow then proceed with the DIY, I just pray I get it right.

This is one of the part that I'll never buy a used one.

Do yourself a favor, park the car for now. Jump on eBay or Amazon, get factory Honda parts and ship to ChinoSXL in the US for onward shipping to you. You could be back on the road inside of a week it timing is right.

You can change a thermostat by yourself from watching YouTube videos.

I don't want your next thread to be "How much is a used engine?".

HARDEYEBER:
from the temprature guage in the photo you posted your car appears to be running a little bit cold. the guage should be exactly half way.
i ll briefly explain how the cooling system works to help you understand me more.
the engine has an optimum operating range at which efficiency is at its maximum.what the thermostat does is it stays shut when the enigne is cold to restrict the flow of the engine coolant so the enigine can warm up quickly.once the enigine gets to the low point of the operating temperature range the thermostat opens and the coolant starts to flow but the fan stays off, thus slowly cooling the engine and keeping it within the operating range. when the temperature is about to exceed the maximum operating temp the fan comes on and cools it down a bit. when the car is in motion there's enough air flowing through the grill and the radiator of the car to effectively cool the radiator.
that said, what you need to do now is remove that short wire from the fan switch and connect the switch directly to the fan switch sensor, make sure theres good contact then let the engine run with the hood open. keep watching the temperature gauge in the dash cluster when the guage is exactly halfway the fan should come on. if it doesnt the fan switch is bad

Sir u are wrong. The picture of the temperature posted is the normal temperature a 96 civic should run. Not all cars have their normal temperature at the halfway mark, Hondas particularly. The norm temperature of a VTEC or I VTEC engine is always a tad below the halfway mark.

danadam:
I disconnected the wire in the last pix and connected the switch. The fan does not run even with the AC switched ON. However, I drove the car for about 20 km (40 minutes drive) within the city but it didn't overheat. I noticed that the RPM which usually rises to 1500 and later idles at 1000 is now idling at about 500-600. Dunno if there's any correlation. The pix below shows the engine temperature after the trip. is this the ideal engine temperature of a 1996 honda civic? I'm yet to get a thermostat but will continue searching for one tomorrow.

At this temperature ur car is running normal and I see no reason to replace the thermostat. Honda civic's normal temperature doesn't have to be at the halfway mark, its got to be a tad below it.

Check the link posted.


http://honda-tech.com/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/poll-where-you-temp-gauge-2958915/page2/

CityNG:


This is one of the part that I'll never buy a used one.

Do yourself a favor, park the car for now. Jump on eBay or Amazon, get factory Honda parts and ship to ChinoSXL in the US for onward shipping to you. You could be back on the road inside of a week it timing is right.

You can change a thermostat by yourself from watching YouTube videos.

I don't want your next thread to be "How much is a used engine?".

I have been watching alot of YouTube videos on thermostat installation. I believe i can do it but i just wanna watch out how events unfold. The car will be parked for now until i'm certainly sure that the cooling system is operating optimally.

abatically:


At this temperature ur car is running normal and I see no reason to replace the thermostat. Honda civic's normal temperature doesn't have to be at the halfway mark, its got to be a tad below it.

Check the link posted.


http://honda-tech.com/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/poll-where-you-temp-gauge-2958915/page2/

I checked the link which confirms my temperature to be in order. I checked the fan again this morning and it was working as it should, switching on and off when the need arises. I still want to monitor how fast the temperature guage rises, i think it takes more than 5 minutes to reach the temperature i posted in the pix.

I just acquired a Nigerian used 1993 honda accord 1.8i ls. The problems I've noticed so far are;

1 Idle at high rev(2000rpm) when it's started in the morning

2 Erratic idling when I race the vehicle if the rpm does not operate at below 1000.it starts idling between 1000 and 2000 rpm.
3 Thermostat has been removed.
4 Overheating in traffic
If there's anyone's specialist in the house I'd like them to help me, as my mechanic is clueless.

eherbal:
I just acquired a Nigerian used 1993 honda accord 1.8i ls. The problems I've noticed so far are;

1 Idle at high rev(2000rpm) when it's started in the morning

2 Erratic idling when I race the vehicle if the rpm does not operate at below 1000.it starts idling between 1000 and 2000 rpm.
3 Thermostat has been removed.
4 Overheating in traffic
If there's anyone's specialist in the house I'd like them to help me, as my mechanic is clueless.

#
explain the overheating because some thing that the mark being halfway it is over heating

ZIMDRILL:

#
explain the overheating because some thing that the mark being halfway it is over heating

the mark is 1/3.funny thing being that the indicator is stable while the radiator reservoir books over. Also overheats when the Ac is turned on.
Can you help with the erratic idling I complained about? Thanks bro

abatically:


Sir u are wrong. The picture of the temperature posted is the normal temperature a 96 civic should run. Not all cars have their normal temperature at the halfway mark, Hondas particularly. The norm temperature of a VTEC or I VTEC engine is always a tad below the halfway mark.

good morning everyone,
sir am sure you must have taken note that i wrote the car appeared to be running a "LITTLE BIT COLD".. its true the needle is supposd to be just below the half way mark when the car is fully warmed up. i said exactly half way mark because if you don't observe the gauge closely it ll appear to be at the half way mark.
but the needle in his photo is not exactly that close to the half way mark, that's why i said it appears to be running a little bit cold. i have never owned a civic, maybe they are designed to run at a colder temperature because of the smaller 1.8l i4 engine but every honda i hv owned have their needle really really close to the half way mark and arguably on the halfway mark on a really really hot afternoon with the AC on.

danadam:


I checked the link which confirms my temperature to be in order. I checked the fan again this morning and it was working as it should, switching on and off when the need arises. I still want to monitor how fast the temperature guage rises, i think it takes more than 5 minutes to reach the temperature i posted in the pix.

that's good to hear, it appears you fan switch is in order since your fan is operating properly.
what you should do now is find out if your thermostat is working properly or if there is anyone in there at all. there's a simple way to find out without opening the thermostat housing.
#1 with the engine cold, preferably in the morning open the hood and feel the upper and lower radiator hoses with your hand, take note of how it feels.then run the engine and immediately feel the hoses again. they should feel the same way, if you can feel water flowing through them that means you thermostat is stuck open or is totally missing.
if it feels the same way it felt before you had the engine running wait till the engine is warmed up preferably after the fan comes on the first time. then feel the hoses.water should be flowing through them at this stage, if it doesn't the thermostat is stuck shut or your water pump is bad which is rarely the case.most times its the thermostat.
if the thermostat is also working fine and you still have overheating issues that has got to be a leaking or clogged radiator.
does your car have a radiator reservoir?
if it does take note of the water level in the reservoir, you might have a bad radiator cap.

[quote author=eherbal post=29426118]I just acquired a Nigerian used 1993 honda accord 1.8i ls. The problems I've noticed so far are;

1 Idle at high rev(2000rpm) when it's started in the morning

2 Erratic idling when I race the vehicle if the rpm does not operate at below 1000.it starts idling between 1000 and 2000 rpm.
3 Thermostat has been removed.
4 Overheating in traffic
If there's anyone's specialist in the house I'd like them to help me, as my mechanic is clueless.

sir its normal for your car to idle at high RPM in when the engine is cold, that why you notice it idling at high rpm in the morning. it should stabilize by itself after the engine has run for a couple of minutes. i believe your car is idling high for too long because you have a missing thermostat.
the reason the car idles high when cold is to help the engine warm up quickly but with a missing thermostat water immediately starts to flow when you start your engine. so the engine is trying to warm up but there's water cooling it down at the same time. you should replace your thermostat or start saving up for a new engine.
check the operation of your fans, check for leaks in your radiator and also check the operation of your radiator cap if you have a radiator reservoir. if you can get all this parts working right that should be the end of your overheating issues.

as for your erratic idling, it most likely is due to a dirty throttle body.you can clean it with carb cleaner. check online for videos on how to do that it shouldn't be a big deal. you ll be done within 10 to 15 mins.
try to replace your air intake filter periodically to prevent dirt from getting into the throttle body in future.

2000 revs that no longer idling but proper reving