1989 Civic Si

I noticed the engine temp begining to climb slightly, but it maintained slightly elevated. I watched it as I continued home, about 10 miles. it fluctuated a little bit up some, down some.....Thermostat? maybe....

I open the hood with the engine running, there is some steaming escaping from the overflow tube, coolant is likely 90% water......

I shut off the car, let it sit and cool. Add about 1/2 gallon to the radiator until topped off. This is where it gets weird. Try to start the engine, and I hear a clunk.....then again and the engine just turns over and over, occasionally sputtering....finally after several 10 second intervals, it starts sputtering, and after flooring the gas, it starts to build engine speed. The engines runs, roughly for about 30 seconds,....then it idles and drives normally.....this repeats itself 2 more time in 2 days (water and starting).....no water in the oil, no steam in the exhaust.... where is the coolant going and why the hard start after adding H2O?

 

My best guess is that your head gasket is in need of replacement. What your describing sounds like it has radiator fluid/water leaking into at least one of the cylinders. I would NOT DRIVE IT, in that condition. If you do, the moisture will just tend to wash the oil off of the cylinder walls and then the rings will break.

From what your describing, you will need the head gasket replaced, minimum.

If you pull the spark plugs out, one of them is probably going to be all fouled, but it it's what I've described, the only way to fix it is to replace the head gasket, at the minimum.

 

Check your plugs first, After that make sure you bled the air out of the coolant system. Get back to me with results...go from there,

If head is overheated too long it warps. Its only aluminum!
Never drive when overheating, Pull over and let it cool down. Play it safe

 

Oh yeah, "several 10 second intervals" WILL FLOOD YOUR ENGINE and you flooring the pedal makes it worse.

 

Forget about the water washing off the oil in the walls, WHats about not being able to compress water!!!!! Thats when your hear a nice bang followed by usually a rod poking a small hole through your block

 

I have'nt driven the car. I turned the key, and the engine did not turn over. The oil dipstick did not show any milky presence.

I pulled the plugs half expecting to find water. Instead the plugs were very oily. On the tops, and on the electrode.

Last time I had the hood up with the engine running, I noticed the vaccum line to the PCV was flattened out. I bought a new PCV. I will also replace the sparkplug seals on the underside of the valve cover, since I used some shitty aftermarket ones the when I replaced the head gasket back in May of this year.

I can't think of anything else that would cause oil to get in around the sparkplugs. But if you can,....post up.