grungefork

Hey Guys,

I have a 1998 Honda Civic EX that has 181,000 miles and the car just failed CA smog.

1. It failed because PPM No (2000+) when Max was supposed to be like 400.

2. It was running fine now the engine overheats

3. The engine sounds like a lawnmower

4. The 3rd spark plug wires pops out sometimes

5. When I ran it today, underneath the handbrake, smoke was coming out

6.Should I try to fix it or junk it?

7. Its an automatic


If you guys can help me I would really appreciate it. The car burns up oil and it has all stock parts.

Former User

The overheating is the cause of the smog failure.

Has the engine severely overheated?

Losing coolant? Coolant leak?

Have you replaced the thermostat?

grungefork

Im in the U.S.A and I'm in CAlifornia. The car has not severely overheated...I drive to the side and shut off the car before it reaches the red line of the heat gauge. I'm not losing coolant and I have not switched out the thermostat.

The Car smog check reads like this...
15mph

HC (PPM)
Max: 66
Measured: 42

CO(%)
Max: 0.57
Measured: 0.01

NO(PPM)
Max :487
Measured: 2508

Failed Gross Polluter

Former User

Replace the thermostat and bleed the cooling system.

grungefork

would you think that will also help me pass smog?

Former User

grungefork

Ill get that done right away...what seems weird is the smoke coming from the muffler/piping underneath the hand brake like right smack in the middle of the car. What was that about?

Former User

What is the smoke? Burning coolant, oil, or exhaust?

grungefork

it was coming from the exhaust where the cat and the muffler meet underneath the middle of the car

Former User

Does the smoke also come out of the tail pipe? Or just that area?

DieMaster

iTrader: (1)

NOx must be measured under load. this is why it gets placed on a dyno to load the motor down. also if the car has a EGR (exhaust gas recirculate) check this is working correctly as it directly controls combustion temp. and thus NOx emissions.

grungefork

Car doesn't have EGR only the IAV....what do you mean by under load? When the car heats up it loses lots of power and feels like something is holding it back...could this be the case?

Former User

Get in your garage and solve the overheating problem.

grungefork

I already installed a new thermostat and the car is still overheating. New plugs, new wires as well. The fan seems to be coming on when its about to hit the redline for heat.

I noticed that when it gets hot there is a hissing noise and air is coming out from the valve cover where it connects to the engine/heads.

Sounds like something familiar?

Former User

Where exactly from the valve cover is the hissing noise coming? Post pictures.

grungefork

Right along where the line is and where the thermostat housing is as well.

Former User

Remove the oil cap from the valve cover. With the engine running, does this eliminate the hissing and does a lot of air flow out the cap hole?

grungefork

I did i removed the cap and air was blowing from the oil hole...the hissing only comes up when the engine overheats. Should i remove the thermostat and hard wire the fan to keep the engine cool?

DieMaster

iTrader: (1)

air form the oil fill hole is not normal right? blown head gasget? compression pressure leaking into oil?

grungefork

Thats called blow by right? It's normal I think from what I read on these forums.

I took off the thermostat but the mu-fffffufa still gets hot!!!!!! Could the cat be clogged thats why its causing this or what can it be? The radiator, the water pump? The main hose to the thermostat is hot and the one to the engine too.

What can this be? Don't forget that it failed emissions...before the spark plugs were change the code read read P0301 and P0304 and P0302 . After the wire and spark plug change and reset they haven't came back.

Any suggestions? Please honda gods come forward!

tony_2018

Oh no, we will never forget.....

grungefork

Sarcasm at its best from a person with 4000 posts cmon....talk about a troll.


Well guys whoever will help...I drained the coolant again and bled the system and now I know where the hissing was coming from and where the coolant was going. OI just dont know what the part that needs to be replaced is. This picture shows the hose from where it's leaking and causing the car to overheat.

Former User

He was being neither sarcastic nor a troll. He was being honest.

It's a heater hose.

grungefork

Thanks man,

If it wasn't sarcasm I'm sorry. Could this heater hose be causing CEL P0170 and P0171?

Former User

Are the codes thrown or is this a speculative question?