Rep Power: 812

this has me puzzled. its a 92 accord, has a leaky waterpump that requires adding coolant every so often (it doesnt leak all the time, just drips out sometimes after parking). thermostat is a year old. all summer there were no issues, temp gauge was 1/2 way up. now we get the first day of 30F temps, and the engine starts to overheat after warming up. temp needle stays at 3/4 and i dont risk driving to see if it keeps going to hot. its happened several times already and im not sure what to make of it. heater blows very hot air, no air bubble sounds in dash. the thermostat seems to be working since top rad hose is very hot, and bottom hose is warm (not cold or hot), indicating that thermostat is open to let coolant out, and radiator is working to cool it. i guess a slightly clogged radiator could cause problems, but why would it suddenly happen when weather is cold. the car is physically getting too hot, i can tell with the hood open that its abnormally hot. so its not a sensor malfunction. last winter it was fine even with the leaks. can water pumps just fail to turn, even tho they are connected to the drive belt? almost seems like poor circulation.