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Sloshing in Dash and Air in Radiator

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nicandtina

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hello all. This is my first post. I appreciate all the help I have received in this forum.

We have been noticing a sloshing sound when pulling up into the garage. It sounds just like a half empty water bottle. My research has turned up that it is likely air in my coolant system and heater core. I have tried to bleed the air twice now. First time over 45 minutes and second time almost two hours. The second time I followed the Honda recommendation by keeping rpm at 1500 and cycling between heat Max and heat off. I used a funnel on the radiator and added fluid as needed.

I was never able to get the air completely out although it did improve quite a lot. Unfortunately the slosh remains though.

Any thoughts? I’ve heard head gasket could be issue but I dont have other symptoms like white smoke from exhaust.

any help is appreciated!!
 
#4 ·
Well, then the coolant should not have been touched. I wonder why it was low? Did somebody talk you into changing it at some point? Hondas come with long life coolant that lasts 10 years or 120,000 miles. (although it does usually get changed with the timing belt service) Only genuine Honda long life coolant should be used!

I think the sloshing sound could be condensate from the A/C system failing to drain. Do look for a puddle behind the front passenger tire after parking. The hose can get clogged. There is another behind the rear passenger tire for the rear A/C. In an Odyssey the A/C operates even in the winter, especially when defrost is selected.
 
#6 ·
Discussion starter · #7 ·
I know I am getting a puddle behind the plasenger front tire. Let me check the rear. Also I don’t see any coolant on the ground. I do have the rear heat on for the burping. Is it odd that I couldn’t get every last bubble out in nearly two hours? Also I bought the car used so I’m not sure if anything had been done with the coolant previously. Overflow tank was in between the marks. I brought It up to top mark.
 
#8 ·
Strange. I have done mine in about 10 minutes. Are you sure there is air still in the system?

Try raising the front end, then do the burping. That may encourage any air bubbles to the radiator neck.

Dave
 
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#9 ·
nicandtina said:
I know I am getting a puddle behind the plasenger front tire
Click to expand...
That is the location of the AC condensate drain (there is another one behind the rear passenger tire for the rear AC system). That should be clear water and is not a concern.

-Charlie
 
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#10 ·
ah, I remember back in the day I got sloshing sound behind my dash. Those were the days I knew nearly nothing about cars.
The problem is that your AC drain is clogged, and its the front drain. Get under the car and either blow compressed air or fish string trimmer line into the drain tube.
Be ready for a water fall.
 
#11 ·
The original poster has already said they were getting condensate on the ground behind the the front tire. It was may suggestion to look there to check if the line was clogged. I have never had that happen, but I live in Southern California and rarely see slushy, snowy conditions. I suppose it is possible the line is slightly clogged, allowing some condensate to drain and some to slosh around.
I also wonder is the sound is just being misinterpreted. Could it be a fluddering sound of a HVAC blend door?

OK, I just decided to reread the original post. Do you suppose this could be the sound of gas in the fuel tank? The tank in an Odyssey is very wide and shallow. It is possible to hear it sloshing around when not completely full. I would test this by listening for the sound when coming home right after filling the tank.
 
#12 ·
egads said:
The original poster has already said they were getting condensate on the ground behind the the front tire. It was may suggestion to look there to check if the line was clogged. I have never had that happen, but I live in Southern California and rarely see slushy, snowy conditions. I suppose it is possible the line is slightly clogged, allowing some condensate to drain and some to slosh around.
I also wonder is the sound is just being misinterpreted. Could it be a fluddering sound of a HVAC blend door?

OK, I just decided to reread the original post. Do you suppose this could be the sound of gas in the fuel tank? The tank in an Odyssey is very wide and shallow. It is possible to hear it sloshing around when not completely full. I would test this by listening for the sound when coming home right after filling the tank.
Click to expand...
I saw your suggestion, but it seemed to be ignored.
Here is a critical question, do you hear sloshing sound when you do turns. When this happened to my car, the sound was very reminiscent of ocean waves with sand and waves.
I was flabbergasted, it sounded so real. Took it to the dealer under warranty and they blamed it on old cabin filter, even though I was replacing new filters on MM schedule.
They just blew the drain with compressed air and it has been fine since.
I have done it myself on a few cars since.

To answer your question, it could be that the car is draining little condensate, but not the entire pan, which still causes the sound.
Stuck HVAC doors tend to make more of a clicking noise.

Never heard slushing noise from inside the car for any other issue.
 
#14 ·
It could just be the sounds of the AC expansion valve doing its work. The AC can be on even in winter for de-humidifying purposes (both for defrost or generally).

-Charlie
 
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Discussion starter · #15 ·
Hey guys I have been pretty busy. I am going to work through all the suggestions tomorrow and give an update. I am also going to try a video and put a link to it so you guys can hear it too. Thanks so much for all the input.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
So the car has stopped making the noise. I’m going to hold off until it starts again (I pray it doesn’t) and then try the other suggestions. Thanks for everyone’s input. Much appreciated.

I just posted another issue called transmission rattle. Hopefully some of you can tell me what this is!
 
#17 ·
Everyone needs to check this every so often just to make sure there's no fluid or vapor leak in the cooling system. On a cold engine, remove the radiator cap to verify the radiator is full. Now observe the coolant surge tank and see that the cold level is no lower than the cold level line on the tank. Add a little coolant mixed with distilled water if needed. On a hot engine directly after driving, observe the coolant surge tank to see that the coolant level has risen with expansion approximately to the hot coolant line. If the radiator is not full, fill it, then add to the tank if needed. At this point, you know something is up so you need to check it every day until it either stabilizes or you know it is definitely losing coolant.
This basically completes the check unless the system has been worked-on recently. in this case, it will take several cycles to get all the air out of it and you will have to add coolant mix several times. Once the system gets all the air out, you should not have to add coolant within 12 months. If you do, you are losing coolant. When you pull up and park and get out of the car, its not unusual to smell coolant without being able to find a leak and the levels in the surge tank are not really dropping much if at all over a 30 day period.
On my turbo SUV, I think the water jacket seal on the turbo leaks coolant vapor after coming to a stop, even when I take it easy after getting into my area so the turbo can cool down. I might have to add a few ounces a year but its not something that needs fixing.
If you have to add coolant more than this, there definitely is leak whether its internal or external engine.
 
#18 ·
Honda use premixed long life coolant. It should not be touched until either the water pump gets replaced during the timing belt service or 120k (the actual interval. It should only be topped off with real Honda fluid. I know this sounds crazy, but the correct fluid is not more expensive. It is rare for a Honda to need topping off anyway.

By the way, I think I was right about this instance. The sloshing sound was from the gas tank. There was never an issue with the coolant. Original poster never said if anyone ever opened or changed the coolant. Never said if it was low when he started looking into it. Seems to have just assumed the slosh was from coolant and stated messing with that.

To others reading this in the future: You are better off with the original Honda Long Life Premixed factory fill of coolant, left in there to over 100k than to let some Bozo talk you into changing it as preventive maintenance. Follow the MID and it's sub-codes. Oil life % is real. Codes are set when the oil life gets to 15%. If you want to do extra, change the transmission fluid at least every 30k (normal drain & fill)
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
Hey guys. Just to follow up, as I got an email saying this thread had new comments. A few more facts to help describe the situation I had. Purchased the vehicle used so I do not know if anyone had messed with the coolant prior to me. It did not appear low when I opened cap or looked at the exterior tank but as I did the burping procedure I got several large bubbles and probably ended up adding nearly a quart of the Honda coolant. I feel confident it was not the fuel tank being that it made the noise at all levels and is now not making the noise at all levels.

Unfortunately I do not know where the air came from or why the sound went away a few days after I burped the system. I’m not convinced it was the coolant either but I don’t know why it stopped. Hopefully it won’t come back though!
 
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nicandtina
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