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Car Forum / Honda Cars / August 20061989 Accord DX Coolant Leak
I came home today after driving and had coolant in the driveway originating from the left side front dripping near the oil pan bolt. I put the car on ramps and tried to find the leak. The leak does not occur when the car is running, only after you shut it off (which is common for a water pump). I saw some fluid leaking from the pipe that goes into the back of the water pump which is sealed with an o-ring. Has anyone ever seen this seal go? The car has 160,000 miles. It could be the water pump but it doesnt look like it is weeping from there but it is hard to tell. The pipe that comes from the water pump has other pipes connected to it, but it doesnt look like they are leaking. It looks impossible to get at the pipe that comes out of the back of the water pump. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I plan on taking the shroud off so that I can get a better look at where the leak is.  SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > I came home today after driving and had coolant in the driveway > originating from the left side front dripping near the oil pan bolt. I > put the car on ramps and tried to find the leak. The leak does not > occur when the car is running, only after you shut it off (which is > common for a water pump). I saw some fluid leaking from the pipe that > goes into the back of the water pump which is sealed with an o-ring. That's the thermostat-to-water-pump pipe. > Has anyone ever seen this seal go? Yes. Due to either 1) neglected coolant changes, or 2) rust, or 3) age drying out the O-rings. #1 and #3 are most common. > The car has 160,000 miles. It could > be the water pump but it doesn’t look like it is weeping from there but > it is hard to tell. The pipe that comes from the water pump has other > pipes connected to it, but it doesn’t look like they are leaking. Those hoses feed certain engine controls. They don't usually leak. At least not catastrophically. > It > looks impossible to get at the pipe that comes out of the back of the > water pump. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I plan on taking the > shroud off so that I can get a better look at where the leak is. Do that. The pipe can be removed once you take off the thermostat housing. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ The pipe doesn't seem to go to the thermostat housing, it looks like it connects to the lower radiator hose. How is the o-ring held in, it looks like the bolt that holds the pipe in place is the only clamp? I looked at an exploded view on a honda parts site. > > I came home today after driving and had coolant in the driveway > > originating from the left side front dripping near the oil pan bolt. I [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ > www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > The pipe doesn't seem to go to the thermostat housing, it looks like > it connects to the lower radiator hose. How is the o-ring held in, it > looks like the bolt that holds the pipe in place is the only clamp? I > looked at an exploded view on a honda parts site. You are not checking carefully enough. The lower rad hose terminates at the thermostat housing. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>The pipe doesn't seem to go to the thermostat housing, it looks like >>it connects to the lower radiator hose. How is the o-ring held in, it [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > You are not checking carefully enough. The lower rad hose terminates at the > thermostat housing. It does? UPPER rad hose goes directly to the 'stat housing on my 3gee Accord... >>>The pipe doesn't seem to go to the thermostat housing, it looks like >>>it connects to the lower radiator hose. How is the o-ring held in, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > It does? UPPER rad hose goes directly to the 'stat housing on my 3gee > Accord... Check again. Follow the lower hose carefully to its connection at the engine. The engine end of the upper hose only looks like a thermostat housing. It's not. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ The pipe that goes to the back of the water pump on the carb version of the 1989 Accord DX goes to the lower radiator hose. I verified it on the car and in the factory service manual. I spoke to a local honda dealer to see if they have the o-ring, and he said that it common for the pipes to corrode and leak. Is it common? From what I can see, the pipe looks ok, with a little surface rust. He suggested that I purchase a new pipe. > >>>The pipe doesn't seem to go to the thermostat housing, it looks like > >>>it connects to the lower radiator hose. How is the o-ring held in, [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ > www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > The pipe that goes to the back of the water pump on the carb version > of the 1989 Accord DX goes to the lower radiator hose. I verified it > on the car and in the factory service manual. The thermostat housing is the big aluminum thing between that pipe and the lower rad hose. It must be removed in order to replace the pipe. > I spoke to a local > honda dealer to see if they have the o-ring, and he said that it > common for the pipes to corrode and leak. Is it common? From what I > can see, the pipe looks ok, with a little surface rust. He suggested > that I purchase a new pipe. So long as you can find O-rings that are the right size and of a material that is compatible with antifreeze, you can just replace the O-rings. That presupposes that the pipe will be in sufficiently good condition to reuse. My general advice when it comes to cooling system components is not to skimp. Too much risk to the engine from skimping. I'd be inlcined to get a whole new pipe, myself. By the way, make sure the seats in both the water pump and the thermostat housing are clean and smooth when you perform the service, and lube the new O-rings with antifreeze prior to installation. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>The pipe that goes to the back of the water pump on the carb version >>of the 1989 Accord DX goes to the lower radiator hose. I verified it >>on the car and in the factory service manual. > > The thermostat housing is the big aluminum thing between that pipe and the > lower rad hose. It must be removed in order to replace the pipe. There is no "big aluminum thing" on the lower rad hose on the carb'd 3geez. The hose clamps directly onto the pipe. The thermostat housing is diretly behind and exactly level with the distributor on these cars. >>>>The pipe doesn't seem to go to the thermostat housing, it looks like >>>>it connects to the lower radiator hose. How is the o-ring held in, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > The engine end of the upper hose only looks like a thermostat housing. It's > not. I don't need to check it - I've changed the 'stat on this car twice, once when the one it came with died, and once when the "fail-safe" unit I replaced it with failed CLOSED (grumble grumble)... trust me, the upper rad hose connects to the thermostat housing. The lower hose, BTW, connects to a pipe that runs along the back of the engine under the intake manifold, and feeds the water pump. My previous Accord was the same. First one, I couldn't say, because it never in over 300,000km had a problem with the cooling system. I'll go take pictures, if you like... > I'll go take pictures, if you like... No, I believe you. It's just that the lower hose position is universal these days, and many people seem to think their thermostat is in the upper hose when it's not. Guess yours must have been the last of the old style. And wasn't '89 the last year for a carb in North America? SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>I'll go take pictures, if you like... > > No, I believe you. It's just that the lower hose position is universal > these days, and many people seem to think their thermostat is in the upper > hose when it's not. Guess yours must have been the last of the old style. > And wasn't '89 the last year for a carb in North America? Probably... AFAIK, Honda introduce EFI to the NA Accord with the 3geez (86-89), so I wouldn't be surprised if carbs were simply phased out through that series. In any case... there's a tidbit for your FAQ: thermostat housing is at the end of the UPPER rad hose on carb'd 3gee Accords (and probably carb'd versions before that as well). > > And wasn't '89 the last year for a carb in North America? > > Probably... AFAIK, Honda introduce EFI to the NA Accord with the 3geez (86-89), > so I wouldn't be surprised if carbs were simply phased out through that series. Pretty close I think. I know my 89 accord is the last year for carbs in the accord. Starting 1990, all accords were EFI. They did sell the EFI version for 86-89, but added the "i" to the name. IE: the accord LX EFI version was the LXi. Or I think anyway.. Mine is just a regular LX, so it's got the 2bbl carb. MK Getting back to the original problem of the coolant leak, it turned out to be a pin-hole leak in the metal water pipe that comes from the water pump. It does go from the water pump to the lower radiator hose. On the 1989, the thermostat is in the upper radiator hose. I ordered a new part. Thanks for all the help. > > > And wasn't '89 the last year for a carb in North America? > > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > it's got the 2bbl carb. > MK SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > Getting back to the original problem of the coolant leak, it turned out to be a > pin-hole leak in the metal water pipe that comes from the water pump. It does go > from the water pump to the lower radiator hose. On the 1989, the thermostat is in > the upper radiator hose. I ordered a new part. Thanks for all the help. Yeah, TeGGer, told ya so :P Nyah! Just kidding :) >> Getting back to the original problem of the coolant leak, it turned >> out to be a pin-hole leak in the metal water pipe that comes from the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Yeah, TeGGer, told ya so :P Nyah! You're a meanie. I'm telling Mom on you. >:( SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>>Getting back to the original problem of the coolant leak, it turned >>>out to be a pin-hole leak in the metal water pipe that comes from the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > You're a meanie. I'm telling Mom on you. >:( Mom always did like you best. :'( >>>>Getting back to the original problem of the coolant leak, it turned >>>>out to be a pin-hole leak in the metal water pipe that comes from the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Mom always did like you best. :'( That's because *I* took out the garbage when I was told to, unlike you... >:^Þ SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>>>>Getting back to the original problem of the coolant leak, it turned >>>>>out to be a pin-hole leak in the metal water pipe that comes from the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > That's because *I* took out the garbage when I was told to, unlike you... Yeah, well *I* wasn't the one who let her buy a f... f.... F*RD. > The pipe doesn't seem to go to the thermostat housing, it looks like it > connects to the lower radiator hose. that is the thermostat housing. honda have it on the return, not the feed like most other manufacturers. > How is the o-ring held in, it looks like > the bolt that holds the pipe in place is the only clamp? it's held in by the thermostat housing being positioned correctly. the only thing that's sealing it is the o-ring. > I looked at an > exploded view on a honda parts site. [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] >> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ >> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
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