So I had a problem a few days ago with my thermo getting stuck shut, I overheated the car though

I removed it completely and sealed the housing. Since then I have foudn a small rad leak, leaks like a slow drip, cant really tell where it coming from, no white smoke at idle or anything and the car drives fine, so Im sure I didnt blow the headgasket

My question is though, I go for a drive, I was out for maybe 25 min last night just cruisin around and just as I pull back in the gauge started to go up to 3/4

Get out and theres water bubbling in the overflow

Now I know I have a leaky rad and I ned a new one. But if that got low on fluid and you kept driving, would it force water into the overflow?

Thanks

 

What you are describing sounds just like a headgasket leak . You may have lifted the head and allowed cylinder pressure to escape into the coolant jacket and the excess pressure is forcing the coolant out into the overflow. When the temp gauge suddenly spikes it usually means there is air present in the system. That air was introduced because the head may have lifted up. You might wanna retard your timing a bit more in turboedit.

 

This is what you did.

The thermostat got stuck shut (normal with age). It creates pressure on the top part of it (block, upper rad hose and upper rad). You probably cracked your PLASTIC rad then, not good. If it was me, I would of ripped it out and a new one would of been in ASAP, but then again I wouldn't let a thermostat get caught shut like that (I change my after every winter, no sense in risking it for a 5$ part!). You slowly, but surely, leaked enough fluid (or didn't breath the cooling system after pulling the t-stat) to make an air bubble inside the engine, and it overheated. The overheating, steaming if you want, engine simply bubbled the water inside the coolant into your overflow, which means you have about 13-16PSI worth of pressure in there, not good my friend, not good.

Replace your rad, do a leakdown test for the headgasket, use engine degreaser around it to clean it up nice and simply drive it. Look at the headgasket for any signs of anything coming out. If nothing came out, and the leakdown test turned out good (pressurised the rad, no leaks, check comp, it's good type thing), then you should be good to go.

Overheating is the Honda engine killer, alluminum warps in high heat.

 

PAYBACK
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ludesrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">(or didn't breath the cooling system after pulling the t-stat) </TD></TR></TABLE>

You have a blown head gasket there friend. A leakdown test will confirm. The bubbles you are seeing are compression escaping into the cooling system. If you're lucky it is the gasket, not so lucky warped head, cursed cracked sleeve.

You could try opening the rad cap and crank the cold engine with it rigged not to run. If the engine is cold that will dispell any, "heated air pocket" theories. If you don't see any bubbles using just the starter, connect an air compressor to the spark plug hole. The rad will bubble.


Modified by JohnnieChimpo at 9:30 AM 8/18/2006

 

Headgasket definetely isnt blown lol

 

When my waterpump went, mine overheated and caused the overflow to bubble. It was boiling tho, there wasnt bubbles coming out of the overflow pipe.

 

That's a classic symptom of a blown head gasket. Have you done a compression test to verify that it isn't blown?

 

Head gasket. do a leak down and see if it bubbles under pressure. if it does, replace headgasket, maybe resurface head

 

yeah mine was also boiling in the overflow next day water pump went

 

no circulation, maybe the cooling fan isn't coming on.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Now I know I have a leaky rad and I ned a new one. But if that got low on fluid and you kept driving, would it force water into the overflow?

Thanks</TD></TR></TABLE>

If you have a leak in the cooling system, pressure in the system will drop down. When you lower the pressure, you also lower the boiling point. The coolant could be boiling over inside. I would not jump to the conclussion of a headgasket before you fix the leak.

Alsso bleed the system, air bubbles can cause very weird things to occur

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crx1.8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no circulation, maybe the cooling fan isn't coming on. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What circulation, the coolant or air ?

 

coolant of course. Your coolant circulation thought the motor, check make sure your fan comes on. But like he said pressure test the system. Don't go beyond what 1.1. Watch the level on the gague make sure it doesn't drop or a slow steady drop. You will find your leak.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crx1.8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">coolant of course. </TD></TR></TABLE>

But how would the fan have anything to do with the ciculation of coolant ?

 

Well I went out for another short drive, maybe 15 min total, was gonna go out for the drive and stay out of boost but I seen some hot *** ladies and couldnt help it.

Both my manual temp gauge and my stock temp gauge read the car at standard operating temp

yet when I got home and stopped the overflow was 1/2 full and the water bubbling for almost 30 seconds

Bottom of the rad appeared to be dry

Rad cap still?

 

Rad cap will cause that, if its not holding pressure

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jeremydde &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What you are describing sounds just like a headgasket leak .</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ludesrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Replace your rad, do a leakdown test for the headgasket</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JohnnieChimpo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have a blown head gasket there friend. A leakdown test will confirm. The bubbles you are seeing are compression escaping into the cooling system. If you're lucky it is the gasket, not so lucky warped head, cursed cracked sleeve.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 91SiZ6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That's a classic symptom of a blown head gasket. Have you done a compression test to verify that it isn't blown? </TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Garage 808 Hatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Head gasket. do a leak down and see if it bubbles under pressure. if it does, replace headgasket, maybe resurface head</TD></TR></TABLE>

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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Headgasket definetely isnt blown lol</TD></TR></TABLE>


Let me just say LMAO. Let us know when you pull your head out of the sand and do a leak down test, what the results are.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 90blackcrx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Rad cap will cause that, if its not holding pressure</TD></TR></TABLE>




To bad I cant even find a rad cap to fit the expletive 1/2 sized eg rads

Is there a reason Canadian Tire doesnt carry them? Do the 1/2 rads not come on any canadian civics?

 

you have a blown head gasket. for like the the 10th time do a compression test

 

After the fluid leaves the engine, it passes through a heat exchanger, or radiator, which transfers the heat from the fluid to the air blowing through the exchanger.

 

Then why after 20 min of driving would the car NOT overheat, both gauges show fine temps, zero white smoke, zero oil in coolant, zero coolant in oil

Ofcourse I cant find a ******* rad cap here and its pissing me off

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crx1.8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">After the fluid leaves the engine, it passes through a heat exchanger, or radiator, which transfers the heat from the fluid to the air blowing through the exchanger.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, but that has nothing to do with the coolant circulating. The water pump circulates it.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 91lx998 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you have a blown head gasket. for like the the 10th time do a compression test</TD></TR></TABLE>

If he is not burning anything, what is a compression test going to tell ?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JohnnieChimpo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Let me just say LMAO. Let us know when you pull your head out of the sand and do a leak down test, what the results are. </TD></TR></TABLE>

10 people say the headgasket, then it must be......

 

yes it does, remove your radiator fan and all its going to do is move coolant through the system and overheat. The fan has every part of the circulation process.

But yea the water pump circulates the liquid. haha. iam just being difficult.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by crx1.8 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yes it does, remove your radiator fan and all its going to do is move coolant through the system and overheat. The fan has every part of the circulation process.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The fan cools the circulating coolant, it does not circulate it though. My fan never ever comes on in my car, and it never over heats.

 

if i were you I would make sure you bleed the system properly. First before pulling the head and going buy assumtions. Because like a few people said sounds like you have air traped in the system. It is defenitly not the headgasket. I promise you.

 

hahaha. read that carefully. I know. but i don't beleive you that you fan never comes on unless your going short distances or highway driving which then your using the air from outside.