Ohmster

I got a '95 Honda Civic EX with 142K miles on it and have been driven to the brink of insanity lately by my car. I need your help. please! Here is the problem:

This is Florida, it is July, and it is freaking HOT here, horribly, terribly, wretchedly hot as blazes in this State from Hell! I have lived here for over 20 years, go outside now during the day and your T-Shirt is drenched in sweat in 10 minutes, this is no joke. The car runs well, the air conditioner works, albeit the car is a bit difficult to start now, might be the gas, others are complaining about lousy running cars with too much alcohol in the gas that the ECU needs to be reprogrammed for it. My mom's Nissan is that way, 2nd oxygen sensor is causing her CEL to come on, Nissan posted a bulletin about it. But once started, the car runs well. I have replaced all radiator hoses, then had a heater hose burst near the end, cut it, put it back on, and replaced all 4 of them at first opportunity. So what's the problem? This dammed coolant has to be checked every 2 days now or else I end up on a highway somewhere with my temperature gauge pinned at H and I have to stop or risk blowing the motor and get the radiator cap off, top off the coolant, squeeze the lower radiator hose to get the air bubble out, cap it, and top off the reservoir. Every 2 days at least half of the reservoir water is gone and I will be sucking air and overheating. This sucks! I cannot find any dripping water and had no idea of where this water is going. No milky oil, no water in the tailpipe, no rotten running engine, just water gone all the time. Today my lawn guy sees water dripping under the car and I look. It is clear water dripping out a rubber hose from the passenger compartment, the air conditioner evaporator drain. Rats! But, while looking under the hood, he spots green stains running down the back of the engine.

A closer look shows coolant leaking and drying, staining the rear of the engine all green and the source appears to be the thermostat housing. I cannot see where it is coming from, the engine is cool now so no water is coming out but the evidence is there. My Honda friend says to change the thermostat and gasket, not a big job, but I am afraid that if I do this and do not spot where the water came from, I did all that for nothing! How do I pin down this leak? I did put my digital camera down by the engine on macro and snapped a few pictures, you can see the water and where it appears to be coming from in the pictures. Both radiator hoses have been changed and all four heater hoses are new. So where do I look for and how do I find this leak and put an end to this hell on earth of overheating, once and for all? I cannot take this anymore, I do not want to get out of the car in the heat of the day and have to put more water in the cooling system. Here are the pictures, can anybody please help me with this?

(The first picture is the best, it shows the green water and right where it begins, right by the green and black wires, and the bolt on the left of the water stains. This one picture really shows where the water trail begins. Picture #2 is also good, it shows the beginning of the water trail, but a different angle and I think that #1 shows it the best. 1-3 are taken from the side, showing the water stain and #4 is from top down, not showing much. Just wanted to give you all a reference, #4 shows what the thermostat housing looks like from directly overhead.)

Thank you.










Modified by Ohmster at 10:30 PM 6/29/2008

1CaMw0nDeR

Looks like its a 99% chance that ur thermostat housing gasket has gone bad on you... Either that or the hose has a hole in it on the underside and just leaks to underneath the housing...

Ohmster

An answer!!! Oh please oh God, know what you are talking about, dude! Okay, I got all new hoses in there, well, at least I think that all hoses are new. I put two radiator hoses and 4 heater hoses in the car myself, but, the thermostat I did not mess with at all. So maybe my Honda buddy was right and I change the thermostat and the gasket and I am done? I can buy that stuff, it can't be more than twenty bucks for that stuff so tomorrow I will go buy the parts, dump the coolant into a bucket, and have at the thermostat. I can change that myself, I don't think that the thermostat has anything to do with the leaking water but no sense in leaving an old one in the housing, I will put a new one and a new gasket. Do I need Permatex or anything like that for the gasket? That blue silicone stuff that you put on gaskets is good, no? And a new gasket? How to tell if that is where the leak came from? Look real good at the gasket when I get it apart or try heating the car up on a run, and then quickly taking a look at the housing to see if I can see water coming out when the car is hot and the radiator hose is hard as hell? I should try that, no? If I could see a spray or drip coming out of the darned thing, then I could be sure. Maybe use my electronic inspection mirror to get a look underneath when it is hot and hard. Then I would know.

Thanks for your help and your answer, dude. I really need some experienced folks to look at this post and give me some opinions and ideas to go on. 142K miles and as far as I know, no thermostat change or gasket. The previous owner of this car took care of it like crap. The transmission fluid was never changed and came out all black with plenty of chips on the magnet. Tranny was slipping a bit there for a while but has not done it in a long time since changing the fluid now, oil very black and dirty. Alright, I will go buy gasket and thermostat and maybe grab a packet of that blue stuff for the gasket. Keep them ideas coming boys, you are all doing a great job!!

1CaMw0nDeR

Well to make you even a little more happy, i think well it not only cost under $20, you should be under $10 bucks out the door

I've had this happen before, i just took the two 12mm screws holdin on the thermostat off, pop that sucker apart scrape off old gasket, throw on new gasket, new thermostat, re-screw it in, walaaaaaaaaaaah..!! GL dude...

Ohmster

Way Kewlll!

Okay, tanks dude. Will have at it and get back to yous all.