'96 Civic Ex-5 Speed; overheating issue

[johnny l. patterson]

Having over heating issue with my 1996 Honda Civic Ex 5Speed Manual; any help with this in finding a solution would be very much appreciated.

 

[5SpeedEJ6]

More information would definitely help.
Does it overheat when you sit in traffic? Have you started to diagnose anything yet?
Any other info you can provide would be beneficial at this point.

 

[johnny l. patterson]

More information would definitely help.
Does it overheat when you sit in traffic? Have you started to diagnose anything yet?
Any other info you can provide would be beneficial at this point.

No, ive not began to do n e diagnosis..I just did a clutch and flywheel installation and drove it home. On the way, within 30 minutes of driving, the thermo gage was at high overheating mark; I pulled over and checked the radiator after 5 minutes of letting the steam blow out of the plastic nozzle, beside the radiator cap, I refilled my radiator with water. After that I checked for n e visible leaks and found none. Within another 20 minutes of driving I made it home and same issue. I filled the radiator with 50/50 Pennzoil coolant this time and drove it again for another 20 minutes, pulled over did another check under the good and coolant was spraying out the same nozzle again for about another 5 mins and it's been parked since. Didn't have this issue before the instillation..but hooked everything up same as I took apart all.

 

[Turbo_Freak]

What nozzle are you talking about?
Does the fan come on?
have you checked if the thermostat works?
have you checked if the radiator and hoses have any visible leaks?

 

[johnny l. patterson]

And to answer your question of whether it overheats while sitting n traffic,no, mainly it just builds up pressure while driving. I failed to bleed air outta the system during reassembly. I don't know where that nozzle is located to bleed the air out..would you happen to know the location for the nozzle to bleed out the air in the system? And I appreciate your help immensely.

 

[johnny l. patterson]

No visible lesks, and I have the fan hooked up directly to the battery from the sensor because it won't kick on by itself and I believe the thermostat and sensor are bad. At first I hooked up a toggle but it seemed simpler and better to hook the fan up so that it engaged once the ignition is turned on for now anyways.

 

[johnny l. patterson]

My coolant also disappeares...I just put a gallon of 50/50 n it drove 30 mins..n had to refill..no visible leaks and no trace of the missing coolant n e where...

 

[mc360]

96-00 d series motors don't have a bleed valve, read the fsm and it will tell you how to burp the system, it requires lifting the front end of the car and running it with the cap off for so long. Also is your car smoking while driving at all? Could possibly be a blown head gasket if you don't see any coolant leaks

 

[johnny l. patterson]

Thx for your insight and what is the FSM?

 

[HeX]

I shortened your title from "1996 Honda Civic Ex-5Speed; I'm having an overheating issue and have no idea what is causing it;" because thats way too long.

Also, please specify or post pictures of what you refer to as a nozzle because there is no such thing on these radiators. If youre speweing out of the cap then the seal is worn so you need a new cap. If coolant is shooting out from the hose joints then tighted it. You definitely need to research how to air bleed the coolant system either way.

 

[johnny l. patterson]

No longer spewing..overflow hose was plug on wrong joint and it was a joint I was referring too when I said nozzle..just didn't know the technical term. Still having an overheating issue tho. Drove it for 30 mins and it burned off half a gallon of new 50/50 Pennzoil coolant; guess that means its getting way too hot running,right? And n e idea why it would run th st hot; or what may b causing it too do so? Also, when I take off n 1st gear it's sluggish and eventually catches up but basically has no strong acceleration during initial take-off from first gear...appreciate ur insight tho either way; I've been replacing work parts with new since I bought the car 2 mths ago.ECM,Alternator,Main Fuel Relay Assembly,Flywheel/Clutch/Pressure-Plate,etc.

 

[daperez13]

Are you performing all the work yourself? Are you following the guidance of a Haynes manual at a bare minimum or are you taking parts off and putting them back together based off memory?

To my knowledge, coolant/antifreeze does not evaporate (maybe at really high temps) and more than likely the issue is a leak somewhere (could be internal). Check your oil for signs of coolant. The poor performance (sluggishness) with the car may be related to a blown head gasket and possibly a warped head.

Perform a compression test on all 4 cylinders and check your spark plugs for signs of oil and/or coolant.

 

[johnny l. patterson]

Yes, I'm performing all work myself, with assistance from my younger brother. I base my movements off advice and insight I gain,mainly from input here and all I read and learn thru questioning local family,friends,and certified mechanics. This advice and input u just provided, it is very helpful and seems very logical and eational,too me. I've checked my dipstick for signs of coolant in my oil. I've previously hex that milky I'll issue with a Pontiac grand prix I owned last year. No coolant,water mix in oil present,based from my assessments. The consideration to an internal leak is absolutely a wise consideration; what is the best and most accurate way too assess that? The compression test,I'm familiar with and seems the best and most accurate approach at this point. Thank u for your help and advice. I very much appreciate it. I bought this car a little over a cpl mths ago and have been investing my personal time and $ into it as I'm able and capable. This is the only vehicle I have for me n my woman and newborn, and am trying my best too get it bad into top condition,as best I can. I've learned a lot up too this point in regard to mechanics; something that is family grown. Up til now it's something I've not learned .

 

[Bradley Robert]

96-00 d series motors don't have a bleed valve, read the fsm and it will tell you how to burp the system, it requires lifting the front end of the car and running it with the cap off for so long. Also is your car smoking while driving at all? Could possibly be a blown head gasket if you don't see any coolant leaks

wow man thats a neat tip thanks buddie!

i would also look into the head gasket issue typical for 6 gen especially if your near 200,000

 

[daperez13]

Yes, I'm performing all work myself, with assistance from my younger brother. I base my movements off advice and insight I gain,mainly from input here and all I read and learn thru questioning local family,friends,and certified mechanics. This advice and input u just provided, it is very helpful and seems very logical and eational,too me. I've checked my dipstick for signs of coolant in my oil. I've previously hex that milky I'll issue with a Pontiac grand prix I owned last year. No coolant,water mix in oil present,based from my assessments. The consideration to an internal leak is absolutely a wise consideration; what is the best and most accurate way too assess that? The compression test,I'm familiar with and seems the best and most accurate approach at this point. Thank u for your help and advice. I very much appreciate it. I bought this car a little over a cpl mths ago and have been investing my personal time and $ into it as I'm able and capable. This is the only vehicle I have for me n my woman and newborn, and am trying my best too get it bad into top condition,as best I can. I've learned a lot up too this point in regard to mechanics; something that is family grown. Up til now it's something I've not learned .

I definitely encourage people to perform most of their car maintenance and fixes themselves, I've come across my share of shady mechanics (dealers are the worst) and I despise dishonesty in exchange for my hard-earned money. However, you cannot just wing it - that's how you can cause more damage to the vehicle and possibly injure yourself. But I completely understand your dedication and willingness to fix your only means of transportation. Kudos to you.

Head out to our local auto parts store and purchase a repair manual specific for your car, Haynes makes a decent book but it does have it's typos and errors. While you're there, you can rent a compression gauge set and other tools that may come in handy for future troubleshooting. Follow the steps for performing a compression test and compare those values to the specified ranges given in that chapter.

Poor performance can be caused by a lot of things, it's best to start with the simple things and least expensive. You may want to start looking for a reputable mechanic just as a backup, read their reviews on their site or yelp and look them up on the BBB (https://www.bbb.org/) to check their history.

Please note that I'm not a professional mechanic or certified technician, simply an average person tired of getting ripped off by dishonest and unethical people. I did learn a lot by getting my hands dirty on my own cars and sometimes breaking things...it happens. Also, through a lot of research. The internet is filled with a lot of information, just be weary and don't believe everything you read here.

Good luck, let us know your progress and feel free to ask additional questions, hopefully we can help you get her back to normal.

 

[Bradley Robert]

I definitely encourage people to perform most of their car maintenance and fixes themselves, I've come across my share of shady mechanics (dealers are the worst) and I despise dishonesty in exchange for my hard-earned money. However, you cannot just wing it - that's how you can cause more damage to the vehicle and possibly injure yourself. But I completely understand your dedication and willingness to fix your only means of transportation. Kudos to you.

Head out to our local auto parts store and purchase a repair manual specific for your car, Haynes makes a decent book but it does have it's typos and errors. While you're there, you can rent a compression gauge set and other tools that may come in handy for future troubleshooting. Follow the steps for performing a compression test and compare those values to the specified ranges given in that chapter.

Poor performance can be caused by a lot of things, it's best to start with the simple things and least expensive. You may want to start looking for a reputable mechanic just as a backup, read their reviews on their site or yelp and look them up on the BBB (https://www.bbb.org/) to check their history.

Please note that I'm not a professional mechanic or certified technician, simply an average person tired of getting ripped off by dishonest and unethical people. I did learn a lot by getting my hands dirty on my own cars and sometimes breaking things...it happens. Also, through a lot of research. The internet is filled with a lot of information, just be weary and don't believe everything you read here.

Good luck, let us know your progress and feel free to ask additional questions, hopefully we can help you get her back to normal.

its people like you why i joined this site full of good info............................