sttatik

hi i'm having issues with my 03 civic lx 1.7

below is everything i've already replaced or checked. i'll go ahead and post some pics as a reference too.

replaced: timing belt, water pump, drive belts, seals, thermostat, radiator cap, radiator, spark plugs.

tested: pressure test for leaks, Carbon monoxide detector for failed head gasket. fans turn on

all these have passed.

whenever i drive 20+ miles and then get off the highway and hit a light my gauge jumps to the point of redlining. from there i have to pull over and let the engine cool. this has been happening for the last month. below are pictures i attached of anti-freeze leaking from somewhere.. i hope these pictures are help. if you have any questions please let me know!

thank you



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toyomatt84

iTrader: (1)

See here: https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-2001-2005-78/01-05-civic-cooling-system-q-overheating-fans-inoperable-etc-2889523/

civichxtreme2

Air in the lines.......Ru it at idle for about 5 minutes with the radiator cap off and watch the bubbles fly out......Run it til you stop seeing bubbles

rmdevo

I have the same problem .It appears the pressure builds up t o the point that the coolant is forced out of the reservoir . The fan then blows it onto the hoses and engine. I've replaced the radiator cap and the thermostat. Also had the system pressure tested and it passed. I also know the radiator fan runs and I did not overfill the system. My temperature gauge has spiked at times also.
This week I smelled coolant while I was driving , but the temp. gauge did not spike. I waited until the next day (12 hrs.) before I checked anything. First thing I noticed was the dried coolant spots on the engine. I removed the radiator cap and could not see any coolant inside. Then I noticed the reservoir was full up to the cap. When I remove the cap the coolant shot out . My mechanic tell me the raddiator cap must be bad - its supposed to relieve this pressure. What is going on ? The next thing I was going to do was to test for CO2 in the coolant but after reading your post it may be a waste of time. I was also told to run it without the radiator cap on to see if there are air bubbles. I also read here r there us a better radiator cap (1.3 Mugen ?) What do I do next ?

sttatik

will try it... car is to hot right this second... thanks for the info.

sttatik

i just got home... when my car cools down i will attempt to leave the car idle with the cap off.. and see if any air bubbles are visible.. i dont understand where these bubbles would even come... and not to mention why my heat gauge spikes when i come off the highway... if you come across any answers PLS post them.

sttatik

well i ran the car without the rad. cap.. to make sure all the bubbles got out... i did figure out where the coolant is coming from... its coming from the expansion tank.. and spraying lightly onto the engine bay..

what does mean?

sttatik

this was the outcome.. verdict?

[youtube]zueE61n1aTc[/youtube]

rmdevo

OK. SO where is all this air coming from. Does it mean blown head gasket ? You said you had it tested or carbon monoxide in the coolant , right ?

sttatik

correct.. it has been tested twice under 2 different shops.

i believe its a blown head gasket.. but i'm stumped after its been tested twice...

Bxjay16

im having the same issues but im doing the timing and head gasket and water pump all at the same time, i change the radiator and the thermostat, the thermostat sensor, and still so im pointing at the head gasket. good luck

sttatik

thanks man.. i was going to replace the thermo switch and fan relay tomorrow.. but at this point i think its a lost cause...



keep me posted if u come across any news

civichxtreme2

Its prolly just air in the system....its just like any other closed system like brakes or a clutch....If it gets air in it it has to be bled. If you idle it for a while it may eventually stop bubbling. Ive seen it many times, that basically is a ghetto ay of bleeding the air out and it works 99% of the time to solve the problems

EM2abe

Replace the head gasket and check if the head is warped. If it's warped, get it resurfaced and put back on. You also might wanna change out the belt tensioner, since you'll be in that area. Replenish the coolant and burp it up. If you do these things, you're good to go. Promise. Even if the monoxide test is negative, that doesn't mean exhaust fumes aren't seeming into the cooling system. It'll be a pain in the *** to do all this, and it'll be pricey unless you can do it yourself or know someone that'll do it for a case of beer or something, but hey, the problem will be fixed.

It Wasn't Me

There's no reason to use a Mugen radiator cap. If you need a new one, buy an OEM replacement.

Test the coolant for exhaust gases. (combustion leak test)

Usually, the reservoir overflowing is due to a bad head gasket. (usually)

It Wasn't Me

Why are you using straight water? You should be running coolant, not water. Water is not sufficient.

sttatik

i had nothing but coolant in the system... but with the loss of coolant id rather test for air in the system using water.. i didnt want coolant to be all over my driveway.. typically i do the 50/50 but in this case it was just water.

thanks

sttatik

ya i can already get a deal through a friends 'family shop' @ 500.00 with me including the head gasket set.

i'm just iffy on coughin up the cash if there was no sign of monoxide from 2 test done @ 2 different locations

EM2abe

Being that all else failed, I think you should go with your friend's shop... you cant go wrong with it. Yea it's a lot of money but it wont happen again, you know?

sttatik

I gotcha - i'm running a couple more tests at this moment.. if they fail.. "off with the head".

thx for the info.

sttatik

i replaced the thermo cooling fan switch.. curious if that'll help.

Bxjay16

how do you know if a head is warped, jsut curious becuase i dont want to resurface the head if i dont have to.... but is it safer just to get it done anyway ?

EM2abe

Doesn't really matter. it's a cheap and easy replacement. So why not? ahaha

You don't 100% know for sure 'til it's completely off, but if air keeps getting in there and the reservoir keeps overflowing because of the built up air pressure, even after you "burp it," then where else would the air come from other than the warped head allowing exhaust fumes into the coolant..? you know what I mean?

sttatik

ha exactly EM2... unfortunately still the same headache.. drive 20miles on the HW.. get off .. hit a light.. overheat.. pull over... wait a bit... drive home lol.

i did the CO test again.. and still passes.. off to the shop it goes.

Bxjay16

ok im just going to get it machined then just to take it off the list of possibility.