trevor72

92 CIVIC DX Hatch

A while back I got a code 9 and so I've since replaced the distributor.

Problem now:

1. A pressurised coolant system in the morning after a good 13 hours sitting. I opened the rad cap and there was a substantial RUSH of air that escaped allong with a small mist that left frekles from the exhasut mani to the power steering pump.

2. Additionally prior to replacing the failing distributor, I had noticed a poor initial running condition upon startup. I thought this was JUST the distributor. After replacing the distributor, the car ran fine for one day (finally got her going after being parked for 3 weeks waiting mostly on distributor). That was yesterday. Today the poor running condition following startup returned. I ran the car for about a 25 minute trip and then shut it off. I started it again ~2 mins later and the rought idle / stumbling returned.

3. I had previously replaced the thermostat after having a one time only severe temperature spike; looking at the old T-stat, it looks to be "skicky" once its in the closed possition. Since replacing the T-stat, (~one month ago - remember its been parked the last 3 wks) the coolant level has used about a pop can's worth of coolant plus the possibly the amount up to the "MIN" on the overflow tank (can'r remember for sure if I filled that or not??).

4. I have smelled anti-freeze in/around the car. Once, with the door open sitting parked with my head close to the door speaker; and again when turning on the heater fan. Someone suggested to me that it may just be the heater core, but I think not.

5. Feels slugish on tip in, not as crisp as it used to be.

Gut feeling says head gasket all the way. But having just spent half a paycheck on brakes, distributor shipping, and new slave cyl., that would just be a kick in the *****

Thanks for all the imput I can get guys!!! I'd like to possitively id this suspect by tomorrow so I can order a headgasket and a timing belt and GET-AT-ER, to have the car again by tues/wed. My sis is relying on me for a ride and I'll be letting her down but hopefully not for very long

Trevor


Modified by trevor72 at 12:53 AM 6/5/2006


Modified by trevor72 at 1:04 AM 6/5/2006

E46Kid

check the oil cap, if you see a milky white residue, its a blown head gasket

. r i c h 9 9 0

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EkSi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
check the oil cap, if you see a milky white residue, its a blown head gasket </TD></TR></TABLE>

my car had a mixture of oil and coolant under the oil cap when my headgasket went. brownish gunk describes it well.
yea my engine was pumped tho. had to weld a crack in the head, and skim head. replace pistons and rings and crank bearings. oh and replace the head gasket.
wow.
i'v pretty much got a new motor inside now.

didnt mean to threadjack btw

nota-eg

I have the same problem for the most part. Do you get any white smoke when you're engine breaking or driving hard?

I also get the burnt coolant smell in the cab, especially when the fan is on.

I was told my problem is probably my #1 piston rings.

Pull your spark plugs after you've run it and see if any white smoke comes out of any of the plug holes.

trevor72

Well there was nothing out of the ordinary when I looked under the oil cap. I also couldn't find any indication of 'milky-ness' on the dipstick either. I used to get white smoke but just in the mornings, and I think that was just me seeing the steam because it was cold out.

I did pull the plugs; it was the first thing I did even before I changed the T-stat and the distributor. Plugs were all dry and I don't recall any steam. My thinking is that if it is a HG then it must have been due to the temp spike with the failed/sticky T-stat, and I may just have "caught the HG in its early stage of disrepair".

One more thing to add that leads me to &gt;&gt;the other possibility&gt;&gt; when the plugs were out (T-stat replacement time), I did a compression test and got 150+- 5psi for all cyl's.

&gt;&gt;NOW after some searching in the archives deep into the early moning, I read about the intake gasket as a possible source of failure. What up with that? How to check for this as the fault??????

Should I just do the HG anyways? That way I can do the timing belt at the same time (I'm close to due on this front as well) and then just have a look at the inake gasket while its out/just replace that too while I'm at-er??

Thanks guys,
Trevor

instructor74

easiest way to tell is do a compression check on all 4 cyl. if any of them are under 100 psi you will need to do the head gasket. you will prob see some were in the 30 to 40 psi range with a blown gasket. Most of the time on a Honda the oil and coolant don't mix. unless the head is warped or cracked!!! One last thing that I had happen was after refilling the radiator fill the over flow tank to the max level mark. Drive the car for about 1/2 hour pop the hood and look at the overflow tank if the level is higher then were you filled it to let it cool overnight and see if the level drops back down if it does it s a head gasket

SovXietday

The overflow bottle is a dead give away, if it fills up and then goes back to normal after cooling, the headgasket it blown.

If you're doing a timing belt, might as well as pull off the head and replace it while you're at it anyway. It's only a few more bolts and draining the coolant.

&lt;-- Just replaced blown headgasket and stuck thermostat two days ago.

JDM-97CX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EkSi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">check the oil cap, if you see a milky white residue, its a blown head gasket </TD></TR></TABLE>

You can get a milky residue buildup on the cap without haveing a blown head gasket.

Pressureize the cooling system and let it sit for a half an hour. Did you lose any pressure? If so, how much? Are you losing coolant?

Does your carpet smell like antifreeze? Turn your heat on to defrost and put the fan on full blast. Let the car run like this in your driveway for 45 minutes or so. If you have a bad heater core you will see antifreeze on the windshield.

trevor72

should I replace the water pump while i'm in there too?

JDM-97CX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by trevor72 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">should I replace the water pump while i'm in there too?</TD></TR></TABLE>


Only if the head gasket is bad. Don't waste your time and money on something that is pointless.

Check the things I told you to check. I don't play guessing games and it really gets annoying when people just throw parts at a car to fix it. Because then those cars eventually come to me and they are a mess.

I'm only trying to save you time and money.

trevor72

My car is at home and I'm at work, so I can't do your tests until I get home (~630 tonight). Thank you for the suggestion about the heater core test, that sounds like a good thing to test it.

I totally understand your frustration with people throwing parts at a car to try to fix the problem. Let me assure you this is not the case here. All I mean is that the car is very valuable to me in terms of BEING ABLE TO USE IT. I am a very busy guy with one car, and trust me buying useless parts is not on my list of fun things to do (especially being a student with limited funds!!)

I am just thinking in terms of at future pain in the *** if the car has to go "down" again to fix something that probably hasn't been replaced ever or at least not at all in the recent-ish history of the car (say at least the past 100,000k). I have a folder of paper work that came with the car and don't recall seeing anything in there about the WP being replaced.

I seems to me that these are things that go, or am I wrong? Ever seen a factory original WP last 277000 km? More? If so then maybe it is 60 bucks best unspent.

The WP may be good but atleast it would be one less potential time killer as she racks up more miles for me

I mean No disrespect JDM-97CX, I thank you and everyone else for they'r comments and please comment futher.

One Question for SovXietday or anyone else who has done a head gasket lately; how long did it take you? Can this be acomplished in say 6 hours? Tha'd be ideal.

trevor72

As I said earier in this tread, I found some older threads on here that suggested an intake gasket could be at fault. I will check my compression again today at home before I do anything, but when the T-stat was replaced it was between 145 and 155 on all 4 cyls.

Has anyone ever had an intake gasket go bad on them ? I'm just curious.

Thanks guys,

Honda-Tech rocks!!

Trevor


Modified by trevor72 at 5:09 PM 6/5/2006

94hatchling

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by trevor72 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">should I replace the water pump while i'm in there too?</TD></TR></TABLE>

if you are replacing the timing belt for its schedule mantainence, then i HIGHLY recommend you change the water pump at the same time. cheap insurance.

plus if the water pump goes out, you have to tear down to remove the timing belt again. and this is if the pump doesnt lock, then ruining your somewhat new timing belt.

trevor72

Just got home. Thanks, that was my thinking exactly. I bough it and I'll try to take pics as I go just in case it could be of any use to someone else down the road. Going to do a compression test....will be back in a few.

OK Back...compression tested 1-4 as follows: 145, 145, 140, 135 approx to closest 5 psi.

here are some pickd of the underside of the VC:






HMMmmmm.... still going to do the HG as this is too suspicious.

Trev


Modified by trevor72 at 9:09 PM 6/5/2006


Modified by trevor72 at 6:56 PM 6/7/2006