# 97 Accord overheats during idle

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** accord, fans, honda, radiators\
**Created:** [July 27, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064 "2009-07-27T00:12:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jimmy37](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@jimmy37](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jimmy37)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064/1 "2009-07-27T00:12:24Z")

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The radiator looks full. When I am in gear, the gauge is normal, below middle. When I idle or coast, the gauge goes up to 3/4. It never did this before. My fan now keeps running after I shut ignition. I didn’t really think about this until I had to replace a battery. One more symptom. When I put the heat on, it takes a few minutes to warm up.  
  
  
  
 Is it a stuck/broken thermostat? Do I need a flush?

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**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064/2 "2009-07-27T03:18:34Z")

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Is the fan running when the engine is idling and the gauge is reading 3/4?

If so, it could be a thermostat that’s not fully opening, or maybe a partially blocked-up radiator.

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**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064/3 "2009-07-27T13:50:13Z")

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“My fan now keeps running after I shut ignition. I didn’t really think about this until I had to replace a battery.”

Probably a bad fan control module.

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**Author:** ![jimmy37](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@jimmy37](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jimmy37)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064/4 "2009-07-27T14:35:57Z")

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I thought about this. But my car, like others, apparently allows the electric fans to continue running even if the engine is shutdown if the temperature is too high.

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**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064/5 "2009-07-27T15:37:25Z")

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My '88 Accord did this too, but the OP implied the fans ran until the battery was run down and ruined.

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**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/97-accord-overheats-during-idle/34064/6 "2009-07-28T00:58:11Z")

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Does the fan have one or two speeds? If the latter, does it run at high and low speed?