I gotta 91 Honda Civic Dx Sedan. The car has been great for the past 4 years that I've had it. The car has 190k miles now and recently has been acting up lately. Which is understandable, but it's making want to just get rid of it and start over with another car. I know it's probably relatively easy to fix, but I'm in the mood for a toyota tacoma pickup to trailer my bike to trackdays. Anyhow, my radiator is cracked from the top and is seeping coolant when I drive (not a lot though). It's overheated one time almost, but since then it hasn't. But I know this crack is going to cause some issues down the road. I was told to replace my stock one, with a 95 honda civic stock radiator. Is that possible/recommended? My other problem is oil is leaking somewhere (not on the ground though). My oil seems to be going really fast nowadays and twice I've been caught with really little oil in my car (hopefully nothing major has been damaged because of that). What could possibly be the problem with that? How should I diagnose this (without knowing too much about cars?). My third problem is my 3rd gear when accelerating sounds like its bearings are spinning on something and makes this weird (sort of like supercharged sound). But only in third gear while accelerating. What could this be? Is it my clutch or transmission? Any help would be apprecaited. Also, where can I get really cheap stock parts in the SF Bay Area? My car is ALL STOCK. I don't want any performance parts, just cheap parts to get my car back running smooth for my daily commuting. Thanks again.

 

stock radiator is your best bet...you'll gain nothing from the '95 one

and at 190k it's perfectly acceptable for the car to burn oil. hondas can continue in this condition for years when still properly maintained. just check it regularly.

tranny....good question

as for parts, i'd ask around about a good local junkyard.....or use local automotive websites to seek out what you need. good luck, don't give up on the 4dr

 

Yeah, stick with a stock sized radiator.

Your car could be leaking some oil, mine was leaking at the valve cover/distributor and it didn't drip onto the ground, but I'd wager that it's burning oil. Not really a problem as long as it doesn't run out, and not worth fixing.

The third gear problem surely isn't your clutch since it only happens in third gear. probably your tranny. Until you get a new tranny (if you do?) just don't use third gear? That's what I'd do if I didn't know how to change a tranny and the car was a beater.

Good luck, Maybe you want to get a Toyota Tacoma. But I think you should almost keep your civic, too. Gas is expensive, drive the civic around except when you need a truck. If the civic breaks down, then drive the truck.

Have fun with it.