both radiator hoses are originals in the car. the top hose busted the other day. got it replaced and could feel the hose hot once the car was up to temperature. a friend whom was around and had done radiator work before suggested I go ahead and replace the thermostat and the lower hose. it was explained that sometimes when a hose blows it could indicate the thermostat not working properly. also, obviously, the age of the hoses in this car would one day need replaced anyway, etc. the thermostat was replaced due to the temperature guage fluctuating back in '05. looking at things i thought there would be a gasket at the thermostat housing but have come to think there is just the gasket around the thermostat for reinstallation. it was suggested i use permatex when i remount the housing.
how long does a thermostat last? where in preventative maintanence would one change out the thermostat? is the thermostat at the motor where the bottom hose connects? my shop manual shows replacement but it isn't really clear if it is the top hose housing or bottom. -thanks
Before I posted I searched and read alot of posts. I saw another say, and, my Chilton repair manual speaks of following the lower hose to the engine and there's where the thermostat is. The advice I got from this friend about changing out the thermostat is what I wondered about and wondered what others thought. Also this friend pointed out the top hose housing at the engine as where the thermostat was. (I'm thinking at this point he's just mistaken for this car. I'm not familiar with other car setups, but in reading about how the thermostat works, it kinda makes sense the coolant heats up around the engine then the thermostat opens for circulation into the bottom radiator hose.) I could imagine you don't need to replace a thermostat until things are going wrong and you find it's the culprit. I've never had cooling issues with this car and regularly my temp guage sits right in the middle at %50. Since the top hose change, temp is/has been right back at %50 like usual and nothing so far has been different.
Ok, got it. The bleeder valve is on the housing with the thermostat, this -is- where the lower hose connects to the engine. Think I'll go ahead and replace that bottom hose since it's the original as well. Thanks for reading.
Yup bottom radiator hoses I think always connect to the Thermostat housing on Hondas. Try throwing your thermostat in boiling water to see if it will open up, you might not have a bad one, but sounds likes whats going wrong.
Yeah, looks that way. Between the Honda Shop Manual, Chiltons, and Haynes, Chil/Haynes both spoke of the bottom but is in the sections where it's not exact model specific. The posts saying so got me to really not want to have to take off the top and find out it's the bottom. Noticing in the shop manual diagram the bleeder's on the housing, that's the one connected to the lower tube. Noticed how the original tube has the second level of insulating around the part going straight down, others I've looked up at local shops (autozone, advauto, orieley's, etc) only have replacements that don't, wonder what this is all about. The replacement bottom hose I have now doesn't either have that double thick section, couldn't find one to get. But, going to put it in w/the new thermostat. After, I'll do that, and check out if the old thermo is funky. thanks for the reply sg.
Done. Right on. Shop manual says let things warm up through 2 fan cycles, this came at 15 then 20 min's, got the system bleeded, thanks for your reply sg.
Oh dude no problem. Sorry for such a late reply, moved into a new place had to get interwebs back up. Glad you got it figured out
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