Disappearing Coolant?
07-29-2008, 07:06 AM
#1
Function>Fashion
Thread Starter
Disappearing Coolant?
I have been having a problem for a while now. I have to fill and burp my radiator every week, and it's time I fix this problem..
I have ~150k miles, and my car seems to be either burning or leaking coolant. I don't think it's leaking, because I never see any puddles under the car, and I never see smoke coming out the exhaust from burning. The coolant and oil isn't mixing together, and my coolant doesn't turn brown soo I'm not sure i have a blown headgasket either..
If anyone has had a similar problem, please help me out. I have been searching around for a few months and I can't find my exact problem. I was on the way home from Nahsville for Import Alliance, and my car's temp gauge started jumping up and down (does this once every month or so.) I let the car sit and continued to drive it. The temp gauge would go up to 3/4 then back to normal, a couple times it went all the way to H. I had the heat blasting, which didn't seem to change anything. Finally I let the car cool all the way down and add coolant, it takes about half the bottle to fill it up.
Can someone please help me out? The car is running normal now, but the coolant is already starting to get low. I keep coolant in my back seat to add when it gets low
I have ~150k miles, and my car seems to be either burning or leaking coolant. I don't think it's leaking, because I never see any puddles under the car, and I never see smoke coming out the exhaust from burning. The coolant and oil isn't mixing together, and my coolant doesn't turn brown soo I'm not sure i have a blown headgasket either..
If anyone has had a similar problem, please help me out. I have been searching around for a few months and I can't find my exact problem. I was on the way home from Nahsville for Import Alliance, and my car's temp gauge started jumping up and down (does this once every month or so.) I let the car sit and continued to drive it. The temp gauge would go up to 3/4 then back to normal, a couple times it went all the way to H. I had the heat blasting, which didn't seem to change anything. Finally I let the car cool all the way down and add coolant, it takes about half the bottle to fill it up.
Can someone please help me out? The car is running normal now, but the coolant is already starting to get low. I keep coolant in my back seat to add when it gets low
07-29-2008, 08:36 AM
#2
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: East Amherst, NY, 14051
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Disappearing Coolant? (Harlowe)
I think its the head gasket. I have a 2004 civic turbo'd with 65,000k on it. and this just happened to me the other day...I was whippin my car on the thruway and all of a sudden the temp gauge went all the way to H.....So I called my buddy who also has a civic...and he said that it is the head gasket...Does your gauge move if you let your car sit for a while...I let my car sit on for about 20 min and it was 3/4 the way up there...this means the headgasket is blown and you need to fix it asap....
Trending Topics
07-30-2008, 06:44 PM
#8
Re: (Harlowe)
Most repair facilities will have the necessary tools to diagnose your problem. They should pressurize the system and check for external leaks. If none are found, suspect an internal leak and test for a failed head gasket. If a failed head gasket is found, make sure when the head is removed that it is inspected by a machine shop for cracks or warpage. Those blocks are pretty tough and probably wont crack or warp.
07-31-2008, 03:23 PM
#11
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rochester, NY, USA
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dum dum dum, it's definitely your headgasket. I wouldn't waste time doing any tests. Just pull the head and replace it. The longer you wait, the worse it will get.
08-01-2008, 04:29 PM
#14
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rochester, NY, USA
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: (phootbag)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phootbag »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow, don't waste any time doing tests? Just pull the head and replace it? 
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah, because I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to d17's.
What else could it possibly be? He's losing coolant. There are no drips on the ground. Where is the coolant going to go? Only one place, the cylinders. Only one way for it to get there, through the headgasket. What are you going to test for? The engine is not that complicated.
</TD></TR></TABLE>Yeah, because I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to d17's.
What else could it possibly be? He's losing coolant. There are no drips on the ground. Where is the coolant going to go? Only one place, the cylinders. Only one way for it to get there, through the headgasket. What are you going to test for? The engine is not that complicated.
08-02-2008, 08:55 AM
#15
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: somewhere in WA
Posts: 665
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: (andyman97)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by andyman97 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Yeah, because I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to d17's.
What else could it possibly be? He's losing coolant. There are no drips on the ground. Where is the coolant going to go? Only one place, the cylinders. Only one way for it to get there, through the headgasket. What are you going to test for? The engine is not that complicated.</TD></TR></TABLE>
haha.
Yeah, because I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to d17's.
What else could it possibly be? He's losing coolant. There are no drips on the ground. Where is the coolant going to go? Only one place, the cylinders. Only one way for it to get there, through the headgasket. What are you going to test for? The engine is not that complicated.</TD></TR></TABLE>
haha.
08-02-2008, 06:51 PM
#19
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rochester, NY, USA
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: (Harlowe)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phootbag »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you saying the head can't be cracked or warped? I might only work at big o but I'm not an idiot.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I've done extensive damage to d17's, broken blocks, extreme overheating. A slight loss of coolant is not going to crack or warp the head unless it is overheated and neglected. He said he hasn't had that problem and he watches his coolant level carefully. I would bet a million dollars that once he replaces the gasket, his problems go away.
I've done extensive damage to d17's, broken blocks, extreme overheating. A slight loss of coolant is not going to crack or warp the head unless it is overheated and neglected. He said he hasn't had that problem and he watches his coolant level carefully. I would bet a million dollars that once he replaces the gasket, his problems go away.
08-02-2008, 07:34 PM
#20
Re: (andyman97)
Well, we are also asuming he is using the correct type of coolant, the correct concentration. If there is too much water in the coolant the boiling point lowers and you can get extremely small hot spots that don't make the car overheat but will cause a head or block to crack. And, just because you don't see any on the ground doesn't mean there isn't an external leak. He's the one who is going to pull the head. It is easy for us to tell him what's wrong when we won't have to answer for being incorrect.
08-03-2008, 05:37 AM
#23
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rochester, NY, USA
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: (phootbag)
If it's an external leak, he should smell it. As for not being held accountable, how can you hold anyone accountable for your own car/work/knowledge or lack thereof?
08-03-2008, 07:22 AM
#24
Function>Fashion
Thread Starter
I'm going to go with andy, he knows his D17's. After being through quite a few 
. If worse comes to worse I can get a low mileage one for like 600 dollars, lol.
. If worse comes to worse I can get a low mileage one for like 600 dollars, lol.
08-03-2008, 01:04 PM
#25
are there any signs of water being sprayed out of the reseviour? usually with a BHG on these cars it'll do that. As for a leak down or compression test. It wont tell you squat, unless you have the motor at full operating temp, it wont show any leaks. These head gaskets are very temperamental. So, though phootbag is right about needing to diagnose things before you start throwing parts at a car, Andy, and myself, have been through a handful of these things already. The signs are usually pretty clear..