tdockweiler

I just "fixed" my 93 civic with Head Gasket fix and had been driving it for 4 days non-stop with no problems. Basically it sounded like a new car.

I was at a red light stopped and heard a loud "boom" from the front right of my car. Smoke started coming out from under the hood and then the smoke stopped very fast. Sounded more like a boom instead of a loud pop.

No changes in the sound of the car. I managed to stop off in a parking lot and had to have it towed. I didn't want to risk anything and see if it was drivable!

I noticed lots of puddles everywhere of liquid, which seemed like transmission fluid and not oil. There is liquid leaking out of where my hood shuts, but it doesn't appear to be leaking from any area I can see.

All over the inside of my hood is oil everywhere (at least it looks like it). The oil cap is still on and my radiator seems fine.

I did notice that within 2 minutes of my car blowing up the upper radiator hose was VERY limp.

After it did all this it still starts up and sounds perfectly normal! No signs of overheating.

I did not yet check the tranmission fluid levels yet, but oil is full. Not sure about coolant.

I guess i'll take it in, but this is a total mystery.

BTW there is a reservoir under my right passenger seat. What is it? There appears to be a hole, sort of like there is a plug missing. It's more of like an oval shaped hole, but I'm assuming this is normal.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

First off, never use that head gasket fix ****. It does more harm than good, as you are now learning the hard way. Second off, you just blew up your cooling system. Stop driving the car. Stop trying to RUN the car. Pull the motor, tear it down, have the block professionally cleaned by a machine shop, have the head cleaned and decked by a machine shop, and rebuild the engine properly.

tdockweiler

I had to use that head gasket fix because I don't have the money to fix it. I think it was worth the risk. Haha, unless that is really the cause. The car is probably not worth more than $500. Before I used it it was sitting in my parking lot for 2 weeks. I can't replace the head gasket myself or else I would.

I don't think the cooling system is blown, but you might be right. The car still turns on and acts "normal". I haven't tried driving it yet. Maybe I will tomorrow. It has none of the previous signs it had before using this "fix". Previously it would be in "tractor mode" and idle very rough. Doesn't do that at all now even after it "blew up".

One idea I have is that I overfilled the transmission fluid and it was blowing up and all over the inside of the hood. Maybe in the morning i'll see if I still have the dipstick attached. I hope I didn't lose it. I'm going to feel stupid if this was it. Going to be a good lesson.

Thanks for the advice and I hope you are wrong! I'll find out more tomorrow.

Also, one more thing is that when I opened the hood it also was not hot at all. The radiator hoses going "limp" kind of worries me though.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

No. Don't try to drive it. Check your radiator. You said your radiator hose was "limp". That means it's collapsed, which means your cooling system is damaged. The only thing you'll accomplish by trying to drive it at this point is further damage. If you don't have money to fix it properly, then you obviously don't have money for a new car - save your pennies until you can fix the car properly, and until then, start catching rides, or get a bus pass.