elmmx5

Honda says you can use their type II coolant for up to 10 years, the green stuff in the year 2000 models is good for 2. Personally I plan to change my Type II every couple years, it's cheap and easy enough to do.

The Hoth

I have the 2002. That means I have type II coolant in my car?

elmmx5

I believe so, it's what Honda specifies for that model year at least.

mxt_77

Seriously... I've never seen 4 bars. Even at autocrosses or track days in 90-100+ degree temperatures.

cdelena

Tests on my '00 car show 4 bars at about 100C (212F) so it should not necessarily be damaging. A number of people that have experimented with grills have seen four bars without any apparent damage.

I have never seen over three bars on my car except when I was experimenting (with low coolant) to find the temperature range of the bars.

The thermostat should be fully open at 90C (194F) so it would make sense there is a margin before damage occurs. If 4 bars really meant 235F (113C) there just would not be much warning. Over five bars (estimated 110C or 230C) is clearly where damage could occur.

Vanos954

212 shouldn't cause any harm. My bike (now I realize it's not the same engine but it's the same basical aluminum/aluminum head/block combo idles at 220 on the streets in summer and that is normal. I wouldn't say 4 bars or 212 in the S2K will hurt it as long as it's not done on a day to day basis for hours on end. It's not ideal but doesn't seem astronomical.

WarrenW

212F is the point at which straight water boils. With a 50/50 mix of water & coolent/antifreeze, the boiling point will be higher, though I don't know what that temp is.

Under pressure, as a normal cooling system is, the boiling point becomes even higher.

Warren

CaptainMike

I saw 4 bars several times on my MY00 in S. Florida stop and go traffic, in summer (Air temp 100+ /road surface temp much higher) it would drop to 3 bars when traffic got moving and back to 4 when it got clogged up. After the first time it happenedI borrowed a laser thermometer from work and didn't see a temp anything over 220F anywhere on the engine (While reading 4 bars) (except the exhaust manifold) so I just quit worrying about it.
Engine was still running great when I traded it on my 04.

RazorV3

i thought hondas in general had "fail-safe" thermostats, meaing that it would be stuck OPEN if anything did go wrong. someone please enlighten me on this topic. thanks.

Ro_Ja Boy

When you guys say "coolant," are you referring to the radiator fluid?