dude_uuk

Hi. I have a Honda Civic '96 model A/T D16Y8(i think). I am just wondering why my water reserve disappear overbight after I use it. It is like this, in the morning I fill the water reserve on the right level and use it the whole day. When I arrive at night and check the water level it is low a lil bit. but when I check it again in the moring the water is gone. I have checked for leaks while engine is off but I could not see any leak from any of the hoses. Can anyone tell me what maybe the problem or can anyone suggest anything that I should do or check.

thanks in advance guys.

94EG8

the level in the resorvior will fluctuate to some degree. when the engine is warmed up coolant gets pushed into the resorvoir, when the engine cools down it goes back into the cooling system.

LANCEalot

hahahah sucks

superfast666

maybe because your using water and it evaporates

OMGWTFBBQ!

Your resovoir might be cracked like mine is.

dude_uuk

Hi. I have checked the hoses and the reservoir for leaks but I can't find any. I have even obeserved it for 2 hours after coming home from work but I can't see any leak. I am using coolant together with water. This ain't happening before just recently that I noticed this problem. I am not sure if this has any connection to my engine block? do you guys think that I may have a leak inside my engine?

I am at a lost so please if you can give any advise...thanks

OMGWTFBBQ!

If you're losing coolant to the cylinders then you would have alot of white smoke I believe. You can also smell it, it has a sweet scent in the exhaust. You also may want to check your water pump, its designed to start leaking coolant when its going bad.

Former User

The coolant level in the system may be low. When the engine is cool, remove the radiator cap and top off the coolant level there. Then top off the coolant in the reservoir. You possibly should also bleed the system.

D16SiHatch

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by OMGWTFBBQ! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you're losing coolant to the cylinders then you would have alot of white smoke I believe. You can also smell it, it has a sweet scent in the exhaust. You also may want to check your water pump, its designed to start leaking coolant when its going bad. </TD></TR></TABLE>

orlly?

if you have a headgasket blown you wont necessarily see any white smoke, or smell anything funny out your exhaust. If your water temp is fluctuating a lot between hot and cold while you drive it than that would be a bigger hint that the hg is your problem. You should certainly try bleeding the air out of the system first and see what happens. Also check under your radiator cap and see if there is any buildup of crud. When hg's go, hydrocarbons get into the coolant system and end up leaving nasty deposits on everything along the way

OMGWTFBBQ!

I think he'd be seeing white smoke if hes losing the entire overflow bottle, which is a pint I believe, per day. Thats a crap-ton of coolant and it has to be going somewhere.

D16SiHatch

I lost that much in my mustang in a day, if not more, and i had no visible white smoke out the back end, and no sweet smell either. All i had was a fluctuating water temp, no heat in the car, and an overflow tank that kept disappearing. And nope my oil didnt turn to a milkshake either.

Former User

I think it is early at this point to concentrate on a blown head gasket, even though further troubleshooting could eventually lead there. Start simple. Top off and bleed the cooling system and go from there. Watch for engine overheating and, if the coolant continues to be lost, start looking for possible leaks. If none are found, then possibly consider compression testing cylinders etc. in search of evidence for a blown head gasket.

dude_uuk

Hi guys really appreciate al your inputs. I went to a mechanic for the compression test and all four are working ok. No fluctuating of temp either.

The mystery is that why the water from my reservior disappear even when engine is not running? Supposedly it should disappear while the car is running.

sorry for all the questions but I know little from troubleshooting a car engine so I ask your expertise. thanks in advance.

superfast666

like i said if it boils off it will be gone

raf_vtec

Yea I tried that in my civic too. I drive a 98 SiR. Exact same problem as yours. Turns out I had a crack on my radiator. I had to change it. Luckily the garage had an extra radiator from an EG that I was able to use. Now everything seems to work just fine.

WHy not check your radiator to see if its working well. Or like the others said, try bleeding it. I read that there are possibilities of hydrogen and oxygen that are mixed, and thats not good. correct me if I'm wrong though.

TheJGB3

The pressure in the cooling system does not build until the car is shut off at operating temp. The overflow tank is there to catch the coolant that "boils out" and as the engine cools, it will suck back in what it released when warm. Since the reservoir level is dropping, coolant is being "lost" somewhere. I would pressure test the cap, and the cooling system (1.1BAR=16.17lbs.) I would also remove the reservoir and test it for leaks too. Just because you see no puddles or wet spot on the ground does not mean that "steam" isn't escaping somewhere.

OMGWTFBBQ!

Like I originally said, you probably have a cracked coolant resevoir.