AndyPL22

Hello everyone,

I own a 2008 Honda Civic. About a year ago my local mechanic flushed the coolant system and put in new antifreeze. Yesterday, I was getting the oil changed at one of those quickie oil changing stations and the guy remarked that my coolant was low, and suggested that the previous mechanic might not have used the recommended "type 2" synthetic coolant recommended by Honda. Although my first suspicion was that he was trying to upsell me on a needless fluid replacement, he also noted that as soon as my engine started that my fan came on.

So my questions:

1. Is it normal for the fan to start as soon as I turn on my engine? Can the fan's cycle (i.e.: when it starts, how long it runs) be a sign of coolant issues?

2. Otherwise, how can I tell if there is an issue with the coolant?

3. If there is an issue, what are the likely culprits? Is there a chance that the mechanic who performed the flush a year ago did something incorrectly?

4. Does the 2008 Civic really need a specific kind of coolant or was the oil change guy just trying to sell a certain brand?

The original mechanic is a pretty honest guy, and if there was an issue with his workmanship I believe he would make it right without charging me extra. I'd just like to be able to determine whether or not that's the case before I go see him.

I appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Andy

mcnoople

Yes it is normal for the fan to start seconds after the engine starts. If the AC or defrost is on it will turn the fan on within 10 seconds of start.

What color is the coolant? Honda coolant is blue since mid 2004 model year. As far as I know Honda is the only company (OE or aftermarket) that has blue coolant.

It is not uncommon for honda to use a small amount of coolant during their life, but more likely the flusher did not get the system all the way bled out. When we flush them we generally will fill the resevoir past the full mark to compensate for any trapped air that might not get purged during the service.

ezone

Several manufacturers use or have used blue.
Color is not an indicator of any particular coolant type though.

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

On my 2010 the 1st days of ownership heard my compressor cycling in one of the modes it should not be(and no A/C indicator lit)

Did the secret code procedure that allows you to disable the compressor, and no more cycling in non A/C modes.

I recently added coolant to my 2010 that I gave to my son. Bottle was brought to full line about a year ago. Was pretty low but still some in reservoir. I blame it on evaporation of the water..... and they run the hell out of the A/C & seems to make a difference. (never dropped that fast when I owned it)

Honda Type II 50/50 premix.

ezone

But this is normal, correct, and the waythe engineers intended it to be. The secret code for more manual control choices is cool though, that was one of the first mods I did to my car too.

OP, the coolant TYPE has no bearing on the fluid level changing or dropping.
The type of coolant used may be a factor when it comes to water pump seals and corrosion protection of the various materials used in the engine and cooling system.

The radiator cooling fans are supposed to run whenever the AC compressor engages.
If the HVAC panel is set to any of the front defog position settings that will enable the AC compressor to operate without the indicator light on. This is probably explained further in the owners manual.
Now if the AC is running even though the HVAC panel is completely turned OFF that would be a problem that needs addressed.

On the coolant issue, someone needs to check the car over for leakage or consumption. Pull the oil dipstick and see if it looks like a chocolate milkshake instead of plain oil.
Refill the radiator, burp the system, fill the reservoir to the MAX line, drive it to see how long it takes for the bottle to be emptied.

If your mechanic replaced the coolant and (he and you) did not triple check the levels after a few warmup cycles it could easily have become low as remaining air was slowly purged out over those several warmup cycles. Top off the radiator and reservoir to the correct levels, and drive.

emich

What is the secret code procedure?

ezone

Check here

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/181-8th-9th-generation-civic/287641-honda-defroster-reprogramming.html

emich

Thanks