natedsilva

I see no coolant leaks anywhere under the car.. Car does not start up properly and it takes a lot of time. White smoke blowing from the exhaust.. Blow head gasket?

lowlife9

most likely yes have a chemical test done i hea re advanced auto does this for free. or you can do it yourself on the cheap

vutaikt

My 2005 Honda Civic Ex has 150000 Miles and is overheating. If I fill up the coolant the temp needle will go to 'H' and then suddenly drop down. it will overflow in the overflow tank. After that it will still overflow out of this overflow tank too.

juarezd

I have a 2003 honda civic coupe motor 1.7 tech. I changed the thermostat, radiator , and put new clean repaired head gaskets .. and ot doesnt overheat all the way it does like 70 percent up . It went up today and the speedometer stops working and also the radio was going of ... so my question. Is what is wrong with my car?

lmd118

My 2005 Civic; 105,000 miles, began overheating. My husband checked the radiator, burped it, I thought that it was fixed but unfortunately it was not. Took it to the dealer... said bad head gasket. Since it had over 100,000 miles time for a new timing belt and water pump too they said. Quoted me over $1700.00 for the fix. Didn't have the work done because we thought about trading it in for a new Honda since it was almost 10 years old. Went online and saw too many posts that stated the replacement of the head gasket worked briefly but for some, 700-800 miles and it started overheating again. So that obviously wasn't the fix. Went over the border to Canada and had to wait at customs. It overheated again. Once we got through my husband had me pull over and he checked the fans and if they were working properly. Did the heater/air conditioner off and on process. Guess what? They were not working as they should have been. My husband spent under $40, switched the temperature control switch, NAPA part number TS 5618, that sits on top of the thermostat housing, did a back flush on the radiator and burp and I haven't had a problem since. Have put over 1500 miles on it and it hasn't overheated once. When I received an email from the dealer saying that I really should have the listed issues repaired I replied that it only took a few hours in the driveway and a less than $40 part to fix the problem and not over $1700 repair that obviously it didn't need. Maybe their professional mechanics should look a little further to fix the problem correctly than try to get work done that isn't needed. The mechanic that looked at my car at the dealership became excited when I said instead of spending the money to get it fixed we just might buy a new car... hmm... I wonder if they get bonuses for trade ins that they initiate. Oh well, the car is fixed, I'm happy and I hope to get another 200,000 miles on it to match my last civic.

johnunger1001

Hello friends, I have a 2001 Honda Civic 1.7. I have a very unusual overheating problem. I have read lots of trends on here but none seem to fit my problem. My car will run perfectly most of the time when it's cool outside or at night but in the heat of the day, over 90° S, every now and then the 10th will go from the normal spot up to three quarters even all the way too hot sometimes. It will not do it all the time just every now and again. This fans or working I have replaced the radiator I have replaced the radiator cap temple sending unit thermostat

johnunger1001

I have replaced what seems to be everything but the water pump. I took the top hose off the radiator and started the engine. I got good flow through the motor through the pop so I feel the waterpump is working. I'm lost on this one.

1991_crxsi

iTrader: (1)

I think you mean "temp" not 10th, and "The fans are working" not "This fans or working" and you mean "temperature sending unit" not "temple sending unit". If that is correct, then I think I got you. Seeing as you have already done so much work, it sounds like you have an air bubble in your system or your coolant mixture is incorrect. If you are sure that your coolant mixture is correct then just get rid of that air bubble. Follow the procedures exactly on how to get it out and be patient. Also make sure that your overflow hose is in your reservoir and that you have some fluid in there in case there is a vacuum condition the radiator cap will pull in fluid and not air. Oh yea, and if the thermostat you installed has a bleeder valve in it, (like a little jingling pin sitting in a hole) make sure that it is facing UP. I had the EXACT problem in my old ZC Civic, and that is what it was. GOOD LUCK!

4dooritr

Hey all, got a little problem here and want to know if anyone else could share some info.

So my 04 Civic has had a small problem and it has gotten worse over time, It used to take about 2 weeks for the overflow to fill up, now it only takes 20 minutes of driving.

I have tried a new radiator cap with the same result

Comp test:psi
1:205 2:207 3:195 4:205

Leak down
1:17% 2:18% 3:35% 4:18%

So something is going on with the #3 cylinder, even the spark plug hole seal on the valve cover rolled out on the #3.

during the leak down test I did not see any bubbles coming out of the radiator.

any ideas?

darcane

Still probably the head gasket. Mine showed the same symptoms (#4 cylinder though) and I'm in the middle of replacing the gasket now. Had to get the head resurfaced.

Mikeyfr3sh

Okay so I have a 2002 honda civic ex 5 speed manual and Its overheating and I have no idea what the problem is. There is coolant all over the hoses but I can not find a leak! It usually only over heats when I have the a/c on or when it's blazing hot outside and I'm riding for about 30-40 minutes. I've filled up the radiator 3 times in the past week (including the overfill tank) I've let it cool down and then started it up and let it run for 10 mins with the ac on after filling up the coolant and can't seem to figure out what's wrong... Someone please help!! Praying it's not a head gasket lol

leflore

Do you know anybody with a kit to pressurize your system? Make sure the fans are working. Check your oil and make sure it is not milky.

timmbo

Mikey it is your headgasket replace it. It may have been ok the first time it overheated, but it is done now. These headgaskets are very weak.

akronoh77

My 2003 Civic has 285,000 miles and is having overheating problems. Doesn't happen while driving, only seems to happen while idling.

Checked thermostat with boil test and that was good. Checked compression of cylinders, those came back good as well (all 170-180). Both fans are working properly. There is no white smoke and the plugs didn't have any residue or deposits of any kind. Oil is clean and so is coolant.

The problem is that coolant seems to be leaking. One shop told me it is the head gasket. Another told me that it's definitely not the head gasket and could by thermostat (it wasn't) or the radiator since that seems to be leaking. I've noticed that the coolant does bubble however so it could be head gasket I'm thinking. I just want to make sure I get the right work done and don't end up wasting money on a repair that doesn't fix it.

Dan Saunders

temp gauge show the car is hot, Fans stop working.

EM2LX01

I just picked up a decent em2 lx and its been mostly great. I have been driving it about 70 miles round trip almost everyday since i bought it about 2 weeks ago. I've noticed it's starting to overheat... but not when i'd expect it. Today for instance I drove for a few hours running some errands and it drove just fine until i was about 1 minute away from my house and that's when it started heated up pretty drastically.. I pulled over and checked fluids and it all looked fine. But i noticed there was liquid sort of splashed all around the radiator and around the coolant reservoir. It could be hitting the fan and splashing it everywhere, but Im confused at how the coolant is even getting out. My first thought was the thermostat until I saw the fluid splashed... I'm just lost and I'm definitely no mechanic so I'm not sure where to start. It could be a leak, but idk why it would only leak sometimes and only sometimes heat up. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

2004CIVICLX180K

I bought this used 2004 Honda Civic LX with ~170K miles and it appears to have been well maintained, but I couldn't find record of the timing belt so I had a local shop do a service to replace to the timing belt/water pump/belts/thermostat and put a new valve cover gasket and spark plugs in it.

About 3 weeks after this service, was on my normal 55 mile highway mile commute when I noticed the temperature gauge was running high (3/4+ temp). I pulled over to check my fluids and everything looked good so I put a little water in the coolant reservoir and monitored it the rest of the drive but it remained at normal temperature (1/2 temp) until I was parking it and it shot back up to H. Given that it generally stays cooler at higher speeds, most signs indicated that the radiator fan man no be switching on.

I have tried burping the radiator,replacing the ECT temperature sensor, and replacing the radiator fan switch, but the problem persists. I have yet to replace the radiator cap as it looks fine and shows no signs of leaking.

The car will run normal (1/2 temp) for most of the high speed ride and even through slow downs, but at the end of the 1 hour/55 mile commute it will heat up in stop/go traffic and overflow the reservoir. I try to run the AC to keep the fans running, but it still overheats, which is leading me to think that this may be a bigger issue such as a blown head gasket even though I'm not seeing any signs of white smoke.

There are no signs of leaking fluids, but I have noticed that there appears to be a crack in the exhaust manifold at a previous weld that appears to have opened back up, not sure if that could be related?

Any input advice would be appreciated as I am likely going to have it diagnosed at a mechanic this weekend.

Thanks!

mountaineer fan

whenever i go on a trip over an hour, my coolant seems to all flow into the reservoir and boil over causing the car to over heat when i begin to slow down - in stop and go traffic or stop the car for any reason.

so far, i've changed the thermostat, the fan switch, and radiator cap. each of these seemed to work until the next road trip.

so, i figured it was a head gasket... but
i did an engine block test - no gases showed up, the liquid stayed blue. and i did a compression test and everything came up right at 180 or so.

any ideas what it might be? other ways to check if it's the head gasket before doing all the work / $$$$?

also, are there any good "how to" youtube videos for changing out the head gasket for an 05 Civic or any pointers you guys have. I've never done one and don't think I can afford to have a garage do it.

thanks

HondaCivicEx01

Go check your head(cracks), cylinders(scratchs or cracks causing heat grooves), and gasket check(make sure it's not your head gasket, can be a miniscule crack to cause over heating, which sounds to be like your irradic timing in which it overheard), also on top of those get your cooling system pressure checked(just to check for leaks, 60 or so for the check at your local shop) should be a small price for the check... For head not so much(due to the fact the labor will be high roughly 90$+ for most shops)... But it's a start... Tell them to check for all of those problems, and be very specific when telling them...

EM2LX01

Update:
Just changed the thermostat. Hopefully that helps. It looks like a lot of people are having similar issues with these em2's let me know if anyone finds anything. Thanks!

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

The creation of this thread was simply out of the quantity of problems the D17 has with its cooling system. They're exceptionally prone to headgasket failure, and have many shortcomings along the way.

toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I know about the D17-series of engines. There are several types of D17 out there. And, no, it is not isolated to JUST the A2. Its across the entire generation of 1.7L D-series engines. The combination of internal changes, a new intake manifold arrangement, and altered cooling system components make this generation of the D-series platform a flawed design.

Metalzone

So my car over heats.

Not the thermostat
Not the Fans/Cooling Fan switch
Not the water pump
Not the radiator
No leaks
Not the radiator cap

Whenever i fill up my radiator with coolant, and go for a drive, i need to refill it again because the coolant is gone? there are no leaks so idk what the problem is.

The engine oil shows NO signs of head gasket problem.
There is no white smoke coming out of the exhaust either.

Basically, the engine builds pressure and sends it to the radiator, and then into the reservoir.. which then overflows and spills everywhere!

Is it the head gasket?


I also did a dry compression test and my readings were:
Cyl1:125 Cyl2:130 Cyl3:130 Cyl4:140

(sorry for the grammar, I'm writing this in a hurry)

PLEASE somebody help

2004CIVICLX180K

I had the same exact scenario as you, Metalzone. See my previous post.

Sorry to report that it sounds like you might have a small leak in your head gasket like I did.

My mechanic ended up pressure testing the radiator and found no leaks. Then we did a gas test on the bubbles coming up through the radiator to test for exhaust gases. The bubbles from the radiator pass through a liquid and changes the color from blue to yellow if exhaust gases are present. The bubbles were indeed exhaust gases (which shouldn't be making it into the radiator), so it was concluded that I had a small leak in my head gasket. He looked into his database and apparently this make/model of civic seems to have head gasket issues (to our dismay). The head gasket isn't compromised enough to show the tell-tale signs of oil in the coolant water, milky color in the oil, and white smoke in the exhaust... ect.

I had my head gasket replaced, but there was no crack in the head or warped valves which makes it a little less costly. Prices for the work ranged from $1200 to $1700 (mechanic + machine shop to resurface the head) if the head isn't cracked. Add roughly $400-800 more if you have to get a new head.

I don't recommend it, but if it is a small leak some people run a sealant
through their coolant that was developed for this scenario of a tiny leak in the head gasket. I heard that this can work as a cheap and dirty fix, but it can garbage up your machine (fouled waterpump, ect) so I don't think it is the right thing to do unless you don't really care about the integrity of your machine.

Good luck,
Will

Metalzone

Thanks for your input Will!
I ended up buying a JDM D17A with 45k miles for $500! A shop is only charging me $200 to install because I know the owner of the shop.

Only concern now is that I will be running the engine on a stock non-Vtec ECU (EM2 04 LX).
Well anyway, thank you! I really appreciate any help that I can get. ^_^