overheating problem

[noddy]

Hi guys

I've got a civic sport 2004 and I love it but its giving me a bit of trouble atm.
It keps overheating after driving it for a while.

It isnt the headgasket as a mechanic did a test on it so I dont know what it is. The management light is on aswell. I would take it to honda but they are pricey :/.

Basically when i drive it the temperature gauge will gradually keep going up until steam comes out of the radiator. Then i stop to let everything cool down.

really annoying, can anybody help???

cheers

 

[young_]

Sorry you're having trouble, overheating is never fun.

There are lots of possibilites, you could have a stuck closed thermostat, you could need to replace your radiator cap, you could simply be low on coolant, you could need to bleed your radiator, or you could have a clogged radiator.

We need a little more info to start with.
Are you leaking anywhere? When was the last time you changed the coolant, flushed the radiator, etc?

 

[steve.21]

My guess is the thermostat is stuck closed.. One time I was low on coolent and my car was fine on the freeway.. Good luck finding the source though.

 

[noddy]

I took it on quite a long test run and it was fine. I topped up the radiator and put some antifreeze in it aswell, but i have done this before. :/ It confuses me.

I havent flushed it out yet mainly because i dont know how lol The heaters are working aswell so apparently if that works it isnt the thermastat from what I've been told

this car is really confusing me !!! lol

 

[00siboy]

Where exactly is the steam coming out of? If you are seeing steam from under the hood then coolant is leaking somewhere. Any drips on the ground after you park it?

 

[noddy]

The coolant level hasnt dropped though and there is no visible leak as i checked the other day (its raining here now) so thats why its confusing.

The steam is coming from the radiator cap where you pour it in. :/

 

[00siboy]

Is your overflow tank overflowing(haha)? Seems like you are building up too much pressure in the system. Replacing your t-stat would be the cheapest and best thing to do first. If its not that, then try flushing your radiator or heater core, but Honda hasnt had much problems with either of those, so t-stat would be the first thing I would try.

 

[noddy]

can anybody link me to the part i need (thermostat) do they sell them on this site?

 

[00siboy]

I don't think this site sells OEM ones. Try majestichonda.com or local Honda dealer for an OEM t-stat, or local auto parts store, like Napa, Autozone, Oreilly, etc. Just tell then your make and model and that you need a thermostat.

EDIT: what is your submodel I will look it up for you if you want.

 

[RonJ]

You need to make fixing this problem a very high priority. Otherwise, you risk destroying your engine, which will be very costly.

The heaters are working aswell so apparently if that works it isnt the thermastat from what I've been told

No, this is absolutely wrong. The heater would work just fine if the thermostat is stuck closed.

And you want to bleed the cooling system, not flush it, to see whether air is trapped in the cooling system and causing the over heating.

Questions:
When the engine is hot, does the radiator fan run?

When the engine has overheated, is the lower radiator hose hot or just warm?

Is the coolant in the reservoir or radiator off colored or does it have bubbles in it?

 

[00siboy]

^^Ron you always come in when I'm trying to help someone and show me up! Your right but when I said flush I meant that he could try it to see if his radiator was clogged, and if it was then he would need a radiator. You still need to bleed the system even after the t-stat is replaced. Correct me if I'm wrong, but since the t-stat is on the lower hose, isn't both radiator hoses hot even before the t-stat opens?

Also, wouldn't bubbles mean exhaust gasses from a bad headgasket? He said that a mechanic already checked it for that and said that wasn't the problem.

I'll just start being more thorough so as to not waste posts lol. Thanks Ron.

 

[noddy]

Answers

When the engine is hot, does the radiator fan run?
YES

When the engine has overheated, is the lower radiator hose hot or just warm?
IDK its 1 am here so will check in the morning

Is the coolant in the reservoir or radiator off colored or does it have bubbles in it?
no it looks the same, no bubbles

 

[00siboy]

I still say thermostat.

 

[young_]

I still say thermostat.

That's my guess as well.

 

[noddy]

ok so here is an update.

I have had 2 headgasket test done now (with the fluid that changes colour) and they have picked all but nothing
I have had a mechanic look at it and he said the coolant wasnt going into the radiator because it was clogged and he has 'fixed' it :/
but I'm stil overheating and it appears that pressure is still building and blowing steam (not loads but quite a bit) out of the radiator cap

Any ideas, really annoying me now because I cant go long distance. (management light on but apparently it was for the blockage) 'apparentlty'

cheers guys

 

[RonJ]

I have had a mechanic look at it and he said the coolant wasnt going into the radiator because it was clogged and he has 'fixed' it :/ but I'm stil overheating and it appears that pressure is still building and blowing steam (not loads but quite a bit) out of the radiator cap

(management light on...)

What exactly did the mechanic do? Give us some information to work with.

Did you check whether the lower radiator hose gets hot?

Do you mean the CEL light is on? Of so, pull the code(s) and post it.

 

[noddy]

I'm not 100% on this as its 3 am in the morning but I'm pretty sure when I checked the lower hose on the radiator it was cool after just after the overheating. I will get the fault codes this morning too.

Plus I will check properly to see if it does stay cool in the daylight. (lower hose)