adjectival

Oh this car.
I've a '92 auto DX.
Now, I'm a college student with very, very little experience with cars beyond the basics--oil, fluids, air in the tires. I'm learning, since I don't want to be that girl. But it's a good idea to talk to me like I'm stupid, just in case.

The problem: I think my radiator head's sprung a bitty leak--at least I think that's the term for the very large boxy bit that my coolant cap and overflow assembly are on top of--and I'm not sure if I need to get it replaced/how to replace it/what to inspect to diagnose the problem/how to convince my crazy uncle that a raw egg in the coolant tank won't plug the hole.

The History:
Several months ago, a mysterious light-brown splatter showed up in my engine. Wasn't sure what it was or where it had come from. A guy at O'Reilly's pointed out that it looked like my coolant had explosively leaked at some point, but I didn't notice when it happened and it hadn't happened since, so I didn't think about it.
Couple days ago, my coolant sprung a leak that I did notice. It stunk up the car while I was driving (not the burnt oil smell) and was smoking when I stopped. I saw exactly where the leak was coming from--tiny, tiny little thing, from where the top bit of the radiator meets the rest of it. That seam, on the right hand side facing the engine. It stopped really quickly, engine didn't and hasn't overheated; I didn't freak out because my stepdad had apparently overfilled my coolant, and no one else was really concerned.

The same smoky thing happened again last night, but it was dark so I couldn't get a good look at what exactly was going on. Smelled the same, though.

Despite all of this, the coolant overflow doesn't seem to have any more coolant in it. I'm not sure the hose is pressurized when the engine's running, either. The cap works just fine, though. Is it possible that the overflow hose is plugged, somehow? Do I need to fix this as soon as the auto shop opens, or will my engine stand up to a little more driving around the city? Will fixing the overflow hose keep me from needing to replace the whole radiator, even though this leak has already happened twice? Is there a way to plug this ittybitty hole from the outside so I can hold off on the cost of fixing the whole thing? How likely am I to break my car if I have to replace my radiator myself, given that I know my way around a toolbox but not a car?
I need this car to live. Keeping it running would be good.
Thanks in advance. I'm worried enough that I can't sleep.

Tony S.

This is something that needs to be fixed since you don't want to overheat the car. That seam of the radiator is a common place they leak from when they go bad.
If you keep the overflow topped off you will be OK for a while like this but the radiator is pretty cheap (less than $100) so you should get it replaced as soon as you can.
The overflow hose isn't pressurized at all. It will just add/remove coolant when the fluid expands or leaks out.

adjectival

Okay, thank you. I really appreciate the quick reply.

HondaPartsHero

Yeah replace it ASAP, you can get one any where for around $100. Advance has coupon codes and probably the best price if you use them.

http://m.retailmenot.com/view/advanceautoparts.com

DIY (yes it's 96-00 but will be very similar)
http://car-repairs.knoji.com/how-to-...4-cyl-engines/

TekTekBesar

I personally haven't had to replace my civic's radiator, but in almost all cases changing parts it's best to go with an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) part http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-does-O-...6279812/g.html . A quick google search list: https://www.google.com/#q=1992+honda...iator&tbm=shop . Some are OEM, some are OE (Original Equipment replacement). It's a bit confusing and generally (but not always) an OEM part is going to be more expensive, but better quality. Hopefully others will chime in to lead you in the right dirction of which brand to buy.

Some radiators are repairable through welding, but it depends on the location of the leak. The price for a weld repair can be as much or more than a new one in some cases. Used and/or reconditioned radiator's are available on-line or at your local junk yard, but probably not the route you want to go.

If you buy a new one and replace it yourself or with the help of a friend the coolant should be replaced and burped (remove air bubbles). There's several threads here that can guide you.