zx2gotboost

Hello,

My buddy has a 95 Honda Del Slow, i mean Del Sol, That He is paying me to fix... its a SOHC Vtec motor

He says its the head gasket.
Tonight he dropped the car off at my shop and I took a look at it.

Heres what I did:

Checked Radiator for coolant.... there was non in there, SO I started the car, filler her up wioth water and let her Idle

While it was idling I noticed a CEL...

So I do a CEL test and I get code 4 CKS-- Crank angle sensor

So i look at his wires on the Dizzy and see that a blue wire is tapped into the connector... I assume thats for his Ricey Monster Tach he has.......

After I did all that I looked at the gauge and its still cold.....
** Note** His A/C **** broke off so his heater was on, and looks like it stays on all the time.

So I took her for a test drive.... Drove around the block, did some first and second gear pulls.... Drove it hard for a lil while

Then I notice it started to "missfire" slightly

Pull her back at my shop and kept it idling and checked the exhaust... Nope no smoke, no condensation at all.....

popped the hood:
Felt Rad cap for hottness, nope shes still cold
( Gauge reads middle)
Pulled off Rad cap...
Yep still full of water....

SO...... TO check the missfire problem
I turned the car off and pulled each plug
They all looked normal.. Kinda black from carbon buildup
Noo coolant on plugs or anyother material
Look down in the cylinder... looks okay to me.....

Started the car back up and seems liek his Battery is almost dead.. Took a lil bit to start her. But thats the battery problem

So anyway, I let her Idle for a few minuits again, and noticed the RPMS Dropped dramatically then when back to normal


My buddy "says" that he Just filled it with coolant, But I dodnt noticer a drop of coolant in the radiator, even after I filled it with Water.

So... I need help here....

From what ive told you, What do you think???
I know he needs a new battery, and plugs.....

But whats the coolant problem?

When I had him drive the car to my shop, he had to pull over and let tyhe car cool down cuz he says it was over heating.....

1995Civic

Did you check the exhaust for a "sweet" smell, or blowing any kind of smoke? Did the oil have a watery look to it w/ coolant? How about a check on the thermostat? Wow im really tired...

zx2gotboost

As stated above.... NO smoke at all!

I havnt checked the oil .........
Thermostat is fine .. Like I said, I filled the RAD with water.. I drove it, let her idle and she didnt over heat while I had it...... Ill drive it a lil longer....

vandersmissenc

I had the same problem with my car overheating and i would put coolant in the radiator and it would leak out i guess because i would have to refill it constantly, during the hurrican rita evacuation down here my car overheated and oil pressure built up so high and i couldnt turn it off because i was in traffic and it died , my uncle who is a mechanic said that the overheating could be the thermostat and it wasn't that he also said maybe head gasket , that was a problem , the head gasket was blown. I had been getting misfiring earlier before my car finally died, so your friends problem could be the head gasket and hopefully that saves his car if he has the same problems as me because now im forced to buy a new engine. then again i cant complain too much D16B8 to a B16 SiR-II .

most likely if it is overheating and misfiring and it isn't the thermostat it could be the head gasket even though there aren't visible signs, i couldn't tell that was the problem until i took out the gasket and checked for cracks. I also had rust in my cylinders though ... not sure how that happened, i had jsut bought car so former owner was probablly too rough.

my advice, check head gasket it only takes a few hours to do and reassemble and it could save the car if it's the problem.

spoonef

my car sounded like a wrx with an exhaust system when it was on its way out

zx2gotboost

Well, thats why I posted in honda-tech.com... I wanted to see if it actually WAS the head gasket.....
Doing the gasket is no problem, ive done it 4 times already in other Civics, so it takes me a bout 3 hours AT THE MOST to do it.
Juts wanted to clarify it WAS in fact the gasket......

zx2gotboost

anyone have any suggestions, ideas etc..? I have to have the car done by tommarow...

trannyxpert

symptoms say it is the head gasket.......he filled the coolant and its out..said car overheated..how did the exhaust smell? drain the oil..check it for coolant..if theres coolant in it replace the head gasket

civic_driver

i just read the first post so i might be biased..

check the thermostat... also, check out the alternator

ROK801

check the coolant overflow reservoir for oil?

oily coolant and coolanty oil is 90% of the time HEAD GASKET.

zx2gotboost

ok, Finally got around to checking it again.... Damn work.... Anyway, I dont have the symptoms of a blow head gasket,
I think im pretty sure I found the problem...
Its the Water pump!
So im doing water pump, Timing belt tommarow

Sux, cuz he bought a head gasket and he opened it and now he cant return it.... anyone wanna buy it>? HEHE

zx2gotboost

no milky coolant, no milky Oil Oil was balck,, time for an oil change? lol.... Im about 85% sure its the water pump......

insomniac791

may want to do a quick compression check on it too... That is always a good place to start.
matt