aikasan431

Hello.
I own a 94 Honda Civic, Auto. Its got 255k miles on it.
When I first purchased the car, the previous owner had been using JBweld to seal the top of the radiator. At the time, I wasn't very car savvy and just decided to get the car anyway.
About a year later, I almost lost my engine in an overheat. I purchased a new radiator, installed it myself (everything went smoothly), and for a long time after that, I had absolutely NO problems... until now.

I drove from chicago, IL to detroit, MI to visit some relatives before my wedding (yay.) and things were great. However, last night, I went to a rave with one of my brothers and his friend and on the way back to their place, I noticed my temp gauge kept rising (usually stays about 1/4 of the way up at all times, unless I've been running all day on extremely hot days--then the gauge will be at, oh, a smidgen above half.) Afraid I'd loose my car again, I pulled over immediately to check it out.

I turned my car off and heard this weird, bubbling type of sound and steam coming out from under the passenger side of the hood. (mind u, this is at like 5am in the morning, I had no sleep the prior night and no sleep this night, and having been dancing, I was pretty tired.) I started freaking, flipped my hood open to see my coolant reservoir was [I]boiling[I]. I waited till it cooled down and stopped hissing before I pulled it open to see there was absolutely NO coolant in there.

My brother's friend, who is a bit more car savvy, looks at it and wonders if either:
a.) bad thermostat
b.) bad hose/ clog
c.) air pocket (huuuge air pocket)
d.) bad water pump

I have a feeling that its "a" but i don't know. Which is why I created an acc. on here to get some helpful answers. I'm at my family's until july 6.. so i have some time, but getting it done sooner is better.

Thanks!
~Aika

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Blown headgasket.

aikasan431

Perhaps, however, I had just replaced that last summer. made sure I followed everything to the T.

When it was the headgasket that tore, I was not only having issues with starting my car (due to the crud build up around the engine) and just being able to stay about 30mph, it was burning oil and creating smoke out the back. oil, water and coolant were mixing as well.

In this case, I'm not burning oil out the back, there's no smoke. check engine light didn't come on.
It's just that hissing/boiling action going on.

Former User

This^ tells you that there's been a cooling system issue for some time. In general, the temp gauge needle should not reach the halfway mark. It should be just below the mark.

When you replaced the head gasket, did you use a precision straight edge to check whether the head and block mating surfaces were flat?

You could try replacing the thermostat and then bleeding the cooling system, but if the problem persists, then you need to consider the possibility that the head gasket blew again.

aikasan431

Thanks. Yes, I will be replacing the thermostat and bleeding my system. Though, again, it was rather messy when my head gasket blew and it wasn't boiling my radiator reservoir. but.. better be safe than sorry, right? if that's the case, I'll have to take my car in. I don't have the neccesary tools here for the gasket. Sadly =(

jbpnoman

Keep in mind that head gasket problems don't always present in the same way. You had a nasty blowout the first time around, this time it could be more of an annoying leak.

motegicivic

Do the thermostat, bleed it and look in the radiator to see if there is excess bubbling that does not stop, bleeding take about 25 mins running, also what the temp gauge.

Top off the radiator, and in the overflow tank do not put too much coolant in it.

Then run the car for a days and see if it happens again.

aikasan431

Hey everyone,
Thanks so much for your advice. I checked the headgasket (wasn't torn, no leaks) and installed a new thermostat. After bleeding it and refilling, I took the car around the block a few times. The thermostat went just a quarter under half and went back down--and STAYED down even while revving and taking my car a little harder. The radiator fan kicked in and things have been smooth since. I think I'm in the clear.

Aika out~

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

How did you possibly do that without removing the head? It's visually impossible.

furious94ls

lmfao.... super xray visions.

Former User

Good luck. Let's hope that was the fix.

aikasan431

@furious94ls and grumblemarc:
Sorry, I didn't make things clear. Its true I didn't have MY tools here in MI, but I forgot I had an old friend who had the tools and THANKFULLY he was home today (and in a good mood.) So, we had removed the head, checked the gasket and its seal. Things seemed to be in proper order. Slapped it all back together, then checked out the thermostat. That was my problem. The thermostat was stuck like you wouldn't believe it.

Put that new sucker in.. and well, you know the rest.

lmfao.. x-ray vision?? i wish. make things so much easier.

redm3turbo

wait....you pulled the head off Prior to checking the thermostat?

next time you'll want to scratch the things off the list that take 30 seconds, like the thermostat before you spend 2 hrs removing the head of your motor. Most people work easy to hard, you know for that reason

civicexkid1

iTrader: (1)

if it looks like bubbles that dont stop comingwhen you have the car on with the cap off then its a headgasket. was there any coolant in the reservoir or was it full. if there wasnt any in there then you might have been low on coolant. which means one of 2 things either you mixed the coolant your self and added way to much water and that finally all evaporated or you have a bad head gasket and your losing it in your block. is the oil milky or watery if so blown HG. id fill it up with premix 50/50 from autozone in the rad and res and then bleed it. if you didnt bleed it the first time then it didnt get to your heater core and all and thats why you were low and if you used a/c or anything on the way home that could also cause and over heat cuz its be sending coolant over a longer path

aikasan431

@redm30turbo:
To all the people who know me. I am a girl who's prone to do things the hard way. It didn't take me 2 hrs to get through a headgasket job since I made it a two person job with my friend there to assist me.

After we put it all back together and went after the thermostat, he looked at me with a 'I so want to slap you' face. What can I say, I'm a blonde. I love working on my car and understanding its functions, but as for which ways to do things I am a complete and total ditz. I only know how to change a tire, my oil & oil filter, break pads off the top of my head.

Even for the first time I replaced my headgasket, I had a friend help me do the more heavy lifting of the project while I got in the tighter spaces with my small, slender-fingered hands..

Whatever he couldn't get to, I got to. I guess there are some advantages to being female....

@:civicexkid1: since I don't trust myself to dilute my own, I go for the 50/50 premixed. and the oil wasn't milky or watery. It was normal. I did fill it up but didn't bleed it the first time. This time I did do that, so it did get to the heater core. Unfortunately, I don't have AC. (I mean, I do, but its broke. I'm thinking about just removing the unit, it would make my car a little lighter.. but eh, been so busy with other things just haven't gotten around to it.)

Former User

Do you want to sweat or be cool during this global warming period? What's wrong with the A/C and why don't you fix it?

aikasan431

there's a leak or blockage somewhere on the pipes that run along the lower front end of my car. its not holding pressure. you can try to recharge it, it will blow the cold air through for a while, but it won't last.

i'm not sure if, other than comfort, the A/C is really good for mechanical issues.. I never knew anything about that. I was more focused on things more imperative just to be able to drive.

In this weather, I take my breaks and have plenty of cold water. I'm used to having no A/C so hot weather really doesn't bother me that much as it would someone else.

Former User

If it loses pressure, then there's a refrigerant leak.

If you decide you want it to work in the future, add one can of R134a that contains a leak detecting dye. Where the dye appears is where the leak is. This is often at points where two hard lines come together, which indicates the O-ring needs to be replaced. But let the appearance of dye tell you what needs fixing.

Then repair the leak. Replace the receiver dryer and have the system evacuated, leak tested, and recharged.

Then you'll be cool.

aikasan431

Thanks for the info. I will for sure keep it in mind. I really do appreciate all of the input I've received today. I'm really glad I found this forum.

motegicivic

The only thing is you take off the head again, you can stretch the bolts and not get proper torque. I am hoping your friend had a torque wrench?

aikasan431

yes. we did have a torque wrench and I had my bolt pattern as well. so everything went back on the right way with the proper pounds of pressure on each bolt.

civicexkid1

iTrader: (1)

idn if its been answered but do your fans work and if you have changed your thermostat did you use oem? i no some autozone-ish places that you buy thermostats have them go bad. but your car might have just had a bad day.

dicknixon

glad you got the cooling system problem worked out, i have changed many thermostats and have helped many friends who were lost/scratchign their heads by showing them to boil the thermostat to test it, you can use a food temp gauge to see when it starts to open to fully open if it opens at all. easiest way to rule it out and not wasting money if it is good

aikasan431

Yeah, my fans do work. at first I wasn't sure if they would kick in, but after a while they did. I didn't get a OEM, but a Duralast thermostat. Its been holding for a while now. (Much better than my old thermostat.)

aikasan431

Yes, I did do that. It was shot. Thanks for the tip though