Hello - I have a 1995 honda civic. I replaced the radiator on it about a month ago becuase it was leaking and it's been fine - till this week. On Monday I noticed that the temperature guage went up to the 3/4 mark - normally it's below the 1/2 way mark. I checked the reservoir and the water was near the min mark so I left it. I checked the radiator and it had water but decided to add water to that anyway - about half a cup of water. I also change the fuse becuase I noticed that the fan wasn't turning on. I thought that was the problem and it seemed to be fine. That was four days ago - and today I drive it home and the temperature guage spiked up again (great!). I thought it was the fan so on the way home I bought some replacement fuses but it turns out that the fan is working. I don't see any leaking anywhere, nor do I smell anything funny nor do I see white smoke. I did have a blown gasket (cylinder gasket head) about 2 yrs back and it was fixed and the car has been fine since then. Can anyone give me any insight? I hate taking my car to a mechanic because I never know what type of response I'm going to get. Being a girl I have a feeling they may just tell me anything and everything but not really diagnose the problem... .any help is appreciated.
overheating 1995 honda civic
- Thread starter jai_tee
- Start date
thermostat
that would be my opinion to give you also. Its the only thing left that makes sense, unless you did more damage from overheating and the head is bad.
its possible, but change the thermostat first and see what that does for you. If that doesnt work, flush your cooling system completely.
x2 on the flushing the cooling system completly. mine had that issue to. make sure when you after you flush, make sure you correctly add fluid in your radiator. wait for fan to kick in. top off. try searching for it. its not too hard and im sure it will fix it right up.
ok - so after my car cooled down a little bit I opened the radiator cap to see how much fluid was in there... and um - there wasn't a lot. Could it still be a thermostat problem? I'm having someone take a look at the thermostat tomorrow so I'll see if that's it then... did I mention I hate car problems?!?!?!?!?!?!
your loss of coolant could be because its been overheating, itll spew out of the overflow. unless you do have another blown headgasket. something isnt cooling right with the rad. something seems clogged up. if you turn your heat on and the temp goes down, something in the rad isnt working right. hope that helps
it's most likely a bad thermostat, but a good flush wont hurt anything.
does your fan turn on after a while?
Hmmmz!
-Check your cooling temp sensor is plugged in all the way and/or not faulty.
-Check your cooling fan switch is plugged in all the way and/or faulty.
-Check for another blown head gasket.
-Faulty thermostat?
-Water pump, was it replaced when the headgasket was replaced?
-When you filled the coolent did you purge the cooling system from air bubbles? If you follow the top rad hose back to where the hose meets the head there's a little valve that you open to let air bubbles out of the head and cooling system.
These are things to check out due to your vehicles malfunction
Hope this all helps you out, I'm picky when it comes to this stuff, some people say it is not necessary to bleed the cooling system using the bleeder valve. Some say it is necessary. I do it anyway just for my own peace of mind.
Let us know how it all turns out!
-Neeko-
-Check your cooling temp sensor is plugged in all the way and/or not faulty.
-Check your cooling fan switch is plugged in all the way and/or faulty.
-Check for another blown head gasket.
-Faulty thermostat?
-Water pump, was it replaced when the headgasket was replaced?
-When you filled the coolent did you purge the cooling system from air bubbles? If you follow the top rad hose back to where the hose meets the head there's a little valve that you open to let air bubbles out of the head and cooling system.
These are things to check out due to your vehicles malfunction
Hope this all helps you out, I'm picky when it comes to this stuff, some people say it is not necessary to bleed the cooling system using the bleeder valve. Some say it is necessary. I do it anyway just for my own peace of mind.
Let us know how it all turns out!
-Neeko-
If the engine got hot before adding any coolant, I doubt bleeding the system will do jack s**t unless there is a leak.
Like I said ^^^
Ya never know, if there might be air trapped somewhere, just trying to throw out some suggestions ! !
I agree with you on bleeding the system if the op removed a hose or there was a leak. I bleed mine every time I change the thermostat or open the system beyond the radiator. Wasnt trying to call bullshit or anything.
hi
I had the same issues with my 93 2dr civic.. i would advise you to get the water pump changed as it could be on its way out..... all you need is the water pump and the timing belt and a mechanic can do the work will cost no more than $100
since i had the repairs done to mine she has bee running sweet ever since.. ( 196.000 kms )
I had the same issues with my 93 2dr civic.. i would advise you to get the water pump changed as it could be on its way out..... all you need is the water pump and the timing belt and a mechanic can do the work will cost no more than $100
since i had the repairs done to mine she has bee running sweet ever since.. ( 196.000 kms )
ohh forgot to mention DONT uses water in the radiatior .. use 50/50 coolant ... if not the water pump will burn out again..
Tony.Civic
Tony.Civic
wow - thanks guys for all the replies. I haven't been able to take it to a mechanic but will do so this weekend. Hopefully it's not a blown gasket (boo!) But I have been monitoring it and I am losing coolant. The fan turns on and everything else operates as it did before - with the same temperature as before so I'm really crossing my fingers (toes, arms and eyes) that it's not the gasket. I can't see a leak anywhere. Nothing is leaking from under the car either so I don't know where the leak would be coming from. Times like these I wish I was a mechanic...
Interesting . . .
Your loosing coolant but no visible leaks . . .
More things to check . . .
Are you burning coolant? (White plumes of smoke out of the exhaust? Since there was no mention of this I take it as a no. Well, you can still burn coolant if there is seepage with no visible smoke, hmmmz! Anyway I'll continue on.)
How much coolant are you loosing? What's the timeframe? ie: Say you fill it monday how much do you add and when did you add more?
When you take your radiator cap off is there a "slimy" deposite on the bottom of the radiator cap? If so it's oil mixing with antifreeze, that's a sign of a blown head gasket.
***NOTE*** When you check be sure the engine is cooled off, hot antifreeze on the skin and in the eyes isa no goood!!!!!!!!!!
This is going to sound bazarre . . . but
Open the oil filler cap and check for excessive build up of white 'mayonaise' deposits or 'mulsh'. A mixture of oil and water suggests head gasket failure - although a small build up due to condensation and weather mean that mulch can appear on the rocker cap without the gasket
going.
OK with that said . . .
Have you done an oil change recently?
If so, is your oil a normal tan transparent golden color? Like the color of plain oil?
OR
A tan, cloudy, discolored, foamy, chocolate milky soupy color? It's antifreeze mixing with oil, another sign of a blown head gasket. Like this VVVV
If you havent done an oil change recently than the colors would be darker.
Let us know wassup,
-Neeko-
Your loosing coolant but no visible leaks . . .
More things to check . . .
Are you burning coolant? (White plumes of smoke out of the exhaust? Since there was no mention of this I take it as a no. Well, you can still burn coolant if there is seepage with no visible smoke, hmmmz! Anyway I'll continue on.)
How much coolant are you loosing? What's the timeframe? ie: Say you fill it monday how much do you add and when did you add more?
When you take your radiator cap off is there a "slimy" deposite on the bottom of the radiator cap? If so it's oil mixing with antifreeze, that's a sign of a blown head gasket.
***NOTE*** When you check be sure the engine is cooled off, hot antifreeze on the skin and in the eyes isa no goood!!!!!!!!!!
This is going to sound bazarre . . . but
Open the oil filler cap and check for excessive build up of white 'mayonaise' deposits or 'mulsh'. A mixture of oil and water suggests head gasket failure - although a small build up due to condensation and weather mean that mulch can appear on the rocker cap without the gasket
going.
OK with that said . . .
Have you done an oil change recently?
If so, is your oil a normal tan transparent golden color? Like the color of plain oil?
OR
A tan, cloudy, discolored, foamy, chocolate milky soupy color? It's antifreeze mixing with oil, another sign of a blown head gasket. Like this VVVV
If you havent done an oil change recently than the colors would be darker.
Let us know wassup,
-Neeko-