water sloshing on startup?

Martin Riggs

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Common problem in Civic. Had it in a 2002 Civic LX. Prob something with heater core.
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kwaalude

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yeah, i have the same issue. honestly, it doesn't really bother me... i just saw this thread and became curious as to what it might be. for reference i'm in NC and have a '17 ST hatch.

i'll try and make a mental note as to what situations it occurs.
 

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I took it to another dealer last Saturday. Brought up the issue and pretty much the same thing the mechanic couldn't really duplicate. I did tell him it the A/C water wasn't draining probably. They did find that to be an issue. I can still hear the noise but just not as constant. If other keeps talking about it, then I don't know if it is normal or not?
 

SCcivic

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I have the same issue as of recently (within the last 3 weeks) it only happens on cold start or if the car has been sitting for a few hours. its seems common after I've used the heater or the air with A/C off. My 2012 corolla did the same thing and my 1990 Nissan Z32. I'm pretty sure its just the left over fluid from the heater core draining back into the system? not sure, can anyone give me some feedback?
 

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we had this exact issue with our previous Toyota Camry and it turned out that our coolant was low and causing a bit of a slosh in the heater core. Wasn't dreadfully low, just needed a quart and it went away completely. Perhaps a similar issue with the Honda?
 


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Same problem with an old 2003 Honda Accord. Check coolant and brake fluid of all things.
 

ABO

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Iā€™ve had the same issue on my 2018 ST hatch.

About a year ago I had a radiator replaced on a Toyota Camry. The shop trapped air in the in the system in the process. The fix for that car was to top off the radiator fluid with the engine cold then idle the car in neutral with the radiator cap off until the engine gets hot enough to open the thermostat. When the thermostat opens, the coolant (and the trapped air) circulates and the air bubbles are released rather than recirculated because the radiator cap is removed. When the bubbles stop, so should the sound. Adding coolant to the reservoir might avoid the need to top off during this process. I would expect a dealer to be able to bleed the system to address this issue more directly, but I didnā€™t want to incur the cost on the old Camry.
 

SportHatch77

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Iā€™ve also been having this issue... Havenā€™t been able to find anything after scouring the internet either. Any updates on if the sound went away or if anyone has figured it out?

Iā€™ve got a ā€˜19 ST hatch in manual and it has less than 3000km on it. Iā€™m located in Southern Ontario in Canada for reference.
 

CastorX

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I took it to another dealer last Saturday. Brought up the issue and pretty much the same thing the mechanic couldn't really duplicate. I did tell him it the A/C water wasn't draining probably. They did find that to be an issue. I can still hear the noise but just not as constant. If other keeps talking about it, then I don't know if it is normal or not?
Hi! Any news regarding the splashing sound? Mine does that too when starting the engine. Coolant is OK, A/C is working properly, I have no idea what can cause it.
 

PowerPerLiter

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Iā€™ve had the same issue on my 2018 ST hatch.

About a year ago I had a radiator replaced on a Toyota Camry. The shop trapped air in the in the system in the process. The fix for that car was to top off the radiator fluid with the engine cold then idle the car in neutral with the radiator cap off until the engine gets hot enough to open the thermostat. When the thermostat opens, the coolant (and the trapped air) circulates and the air bubbles are released rather than recirculated because the radiator cap is removed. When the bubbles stop, so should the sound. Adding coolant to the reservoir might avoid the need to top off during this process. I would expect a dealer to be able to bleed the system to address this issue more directly, but I didnā€™t want to incur the cost on the old Camry.
This.

The sounds you all are hearing are air pockets in the coolant. Once the car is warm the coolant expands changes whether you notice it again that day or sporadically.

A low coolant level can cause this but also if the system isnt completely purged of air when being filled (at the factory or otherwise)
 
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CastorX

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This.

The sounds you all are hearing are air pockets in the coolant. Once the car is warm. The coolant expands changes whether you notice it again that day or sporadically.

A low coolant level can cause this but also if the system isnt completely purged of air when being filled (at the factory or otherwise)
So I have to remove teh air and ... problem solved.
 

dj2819

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I heard this noise too and didn't know what it could be until I watched this animation of the 1.5L engine:


It looks like exhaust manifold is water cooler so possibly when the engine is started we hear the water moving around.
 

CastorX

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I heard this noise too and didn't know what it could be until I watched this animation of the 1.5L engine:

It looks like exhaust manifold is water cooler so possibly when the engine is started we hear the water moving around.
I'm not sure, but I think you souldn't hear the sound of water when it's not mixed with air... at least not that far away from the driver.
 

civicls

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I've had this problem in numerous cars, notably my brothers Audi A6. I replaced the lower intercooler as it was leaking coolant and refilled the coolant, but turns out there was a bubble there that would sound like water sloshing around. Dealer bled the system and all was a-ok.

As a side note, German/Swedish cars to me are much easier to work on than their Japanese counterparts. Specifically, most parts are aluminum and do not rust. Precise engineering means less dirt into the engine bay = cleaner job = less curse words invented :)
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