Hi!

My 05 Civic overheated one hot day and I took it in to get an oil change and the shop guy said my coolant was low. So I went to the dealership ..got the coolant and I tried to add it myself. I poured some into the reserve tank..and it filled up almost instantly...I barely added any. It seemed like it was already full. I think I might have even over filled it now, its almost up to the cap! So I started to add some to the radiator and it very slowly would go down, it would take forever to keep adding some and wait for it to go down. Is it supposed to take long to go down into the radiator? Does it take much?

I took a flashlight and I saw the reserve tank..but I think its all the way full..and my radiator seems like it cant take anymore.

I dont know where to go from here other then take it in somewhere.

Help...thanks!

I

 

You're never supposed to fill the overflow tank. You're supposed to fill the radiator.

 

Boom goes another headgasket.

 

blown headgasket my friend...

 

Sorry for the brainless response...but, really? It's better to fill the radiator directly?

I've though if I ended up on the side of the road it would better to avoid waiting for the radiator to cool down to add directly and just fill the reserve tank.

Is this a bad idea because the valve between the two may be closed and not allow you to add enough coolant?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by strtpls3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sorry for the brainless response...but, really? It's better to fill the radiator directly?

I've though if I ended up on the side of the road it would better to avoid waiting for the radiator to cool down to add directly and just fill the reserve tank.

Is this a bad idea because the valve between the two may be closed and not allow you to add enough coolant?


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It's not called a reserve tank. It's called an overflow tank. If you're overheating and have to pull over to the side of the road, it's best to let the engine cool off before opening the radiator and putting more fluid in. Putting fluid in the overflow tank won't do anything, because there's really no pressure forcing that fluid back into the radiator.

 

but is it normal when pouring it into the radiator for it to like...seep slowly down into it? i havent had any overheating problems since i filled it a little bit and i usually drive it an hour back and forth to work in this heat even..so i think that did the trick..but ive been watching my thermostat like a hawk. i'm gonna take it in if it starts overheating again.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by daisies_382 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but is it normal when pouring it into the radiator for it to like...seep slowly down into it? i havent had any overheating problems since i filled it a little bit and i usually drive it an hour back and forth to work in this heat even..so i think that did the trick..but ive been watching my thermostat like a hawk. i'm gonna take it in if it starts overheating again.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's perfectly normal for the overflow bottle to have some coolant in it. It's bound to happen, since some radiators have overflow lines close to the fill point.

 

My car overheated again today on my way home from work. I need to take it in, it's only a 2005 so it should be under warranty. Does anyone know how I go about using this warranty? Do I have to call some number and they have to set it up with the dealership or do I just make an appt with the dealership and they fix it for free? I have no idea. I'm just a girl with an overheating car.

Help..thanks.

 

Go to the dealership that sold you the car, and they should have your warranty information on record. Even if they don't, I would bring what information you have on your warranty, with you. Then, just explain what is happening, and they'll look into it.

 

UPDATE -

Sooo I took it to the dealership last Tuesday and they changed out the thermostat and also some sort of switch that operates the fans. I figured after all that it should be great. They even did some sort of compression test and all came out normal. So I was driving it home from the dealership and the needle started rising up toward the red mark.. then it leveled off a few minutes later..so I thought it was just like..getting used to the new parts? I dont know about this stuff!

So it runs fine for the rest of the week..no signs of overheating or the needle moving up and down. Then on Sunday in the middle of the day in the hot sun...hubby and I were on our way to church and boom....the car starts overheating again...like the needle was all the way to the red mark and we had to blast the heat and pull over until it went down. Same thing on the way home.

So i'm taking it back into the dealership on Wednesday..does anyone have any ideas what it might be??? I dont think its a blown head gasket..they wouldve noticed that when they checked it out earlier right?

Help, thanks.

 

Take it back to the dealership!! those bastards!

 

dude sounds like your **** was just low man, i think your ok

 

are you going up in smoke? have them take actual temp readings near the thermostat. the system might not have been bled correctly, and has an air pocket

 

SEE MY UPDATE ABOVE...

I think if the coolant was too low they wouldve said somehting at the dealership or at least took some out for me. They said that the thermostat was junk and so was that switch thing..so obviously something is wrong other then coolant levels. I dont think they found the issue yet..maybe they just tried those two things cuz it was the cheapest fix..we'll see about that.

I think paranoia is a good thing when you're car is overheating and its 2 yrs old...and the dealership says its normal

 

absolutely not normal. Do you see water spots in a spray pattern on the motor and other things under your hood that seem to be coming from the overflow bottle? If so, it is the headgasket. I have yet to see a dealer properly diagnose a blown head gasket on a 7thgen. probably because we have rubber coated multi-layer metal head gaskets that have a tendency to reseal themselves between drive cycles. Eventually the failure starts occuring more frequently, but compression tests and as we found out, cylinder leakage tests will not detect the failure because these tests are performed with the car cool, and parts 'resealed'

 

keep us updated

 

Wow..you sound like you know what you're talking about...I will definitely mention your comments when I take it in tomorrow.

Yes, when I went in with a flash light I noticed like..whiteish spots all over everything. Also..there is a bad burning smell every now and then. Smells like burning antifreeze or oil..I dont know the difference, but something is burning.

Does anyone know what causes a blown head gasket? I had one in my 98 Grand Prix GT 2 years ago and it was ridiculous $ to fix...then when the guy fixed it..it either blew again or he never fixed it in the first place.

I mean..why does this happen?

So I have an appt with the dealership tomorrow morning...i'll post something after that. Thanks for all the help!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by recaroem2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">dude sounds like your **** was just low man, i think your ok</TD></TR></TABLE>

You might want to be sure of what you're posting in future. If you don't know (which you clearly don't) then dont tell someone he's ok when he isn't.

 

Im a girl

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by daisymae &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Im a girl </TD></TR></TABLE>

haha...

BURN...

everyone thought she was a guy...

now everyone say sorry...=P

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by daisymae &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Im a girl </TD></TR></TABLE>

Ooops, my bad!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EM2_UK#1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Ooops, my bad! </TD></TR></TABLE>

get some

 

i had kinda the same issue added coolant problem solved. i was only putting in my personal advise. no need to get our **** all up in a bunch.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by daisymae &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wow..you sound like you know what you're talking about...I will definitely mention your comments when I take it in tomorrow.

Yes, when I went in with a flash light I noticed like..whiteish spots all over everything. Also..there is a bad burning smell every now and then. Smells like burning antifreeze or oil..I dont know the difference, but something is burning.

Does anyone know what causes a blown head gasket? I had one in my 98 Grand Prix GT 2 years ago and it was ridiculous $ to fix...then when the guy fixed it..it either blew again or he never fixed it in the first place.

I mean..why does this happen?

So I have an appt with the dealership tomorrow morning...i'll post something after that. Thanks for all the help!

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repeat gasket failures happen because people dont clean the deck and head surfaces or check them for flatness. If you put two warped surfaces together, they wont seal very well. I dont know what couldve caused yours to fail, but I know mine went out from boost and abuse. I know all the symptoms of a blown head gasket, very well. Another thing I forgot to ask, does your heat work inside the car when it overheats?