I've searched for the particular problem i'm having, but it seems like no one else is having it

I have a 96 civic hatch with a GSR motor and i'm having the strangest overheating problem. I've trying bleeding it, flushing it, and changing the thermostat, but nothing. When i'm bleeding the coolant, I have the car turned on and let the air bubbles out and wait til the fan cycles 3 times. I recently bled it again, and waited close to 20 mins and the fan didn't turn on, which is a first. I dont know if it was the cold weather outside plus the wind that might of caused that.

Also, while bleeding it, I left the heat turned off and the car started surging and overheating, and the thermostat wasn't opening (lower rad hose was cold). I turned on the heat to high and it went back to normal and the thermostat opened (lower hose got hot).

Now the WEIRD problem is, that it overheats REALLY bad whenever I brake hard or I am downhill I ALWAYS drive with my heat at full blast, but if I have to brake hard and stop, the temperature shoots up and there is this sweet smell also. And if i'm at light downhill, the temperature shoots right up as well. Could this be a water pump? Maybe a head gasket? I hope not, there's no smoke coming out from the back.


CLIFF NOTES: Car overheats, changed thermo, bled coolant, always drive with heat on high, car overheats REALLY BAD when downhill or I have to break hard.

Thanks

 

Seems like it's not a common problem then?

 

that my friend is a head gasket. good luck on the project.

 

Exactly what I DIDN'T want to hear

 

its the head gasket, if there is like a somke coming out of ur exhaust smells sweet than gas than yup that is it

 

If you rev the engine and see fizzy water, thats also a sign of a blown head gasket.

I was in denial about my head for a couple of months, and replaced everything from the cap and thermostat to a new radiator. I finnaly took it to the shop, and it was a bit warped. That likely was due to an old thermostat, but once it overheated bad once, I think it warped the head, and there was no turning back.

Good luck!

 

Tell ya the truth, I hardly even go into VTEC on that motor. Maybe once in a blue moon and I haven't even taken it to redline.

I guess i'm just gonna go ahead and bite the bullet and change out the head gasket. I was a little reluctant at first b/c I've never pulled off a head, but now that we're doing my brother's, it's not as hard as I thought.

Also, if the head is warped, can a machine shop save it? Or is that head done, and time to get a new one?

 

deppends on how much meat is on the head you should do port and polish while you have it off worth it since you have to pull the head anyways

 

I wasnt talking about V-Tech, I meant: cold engine, open the radiator cap, start the engine get it to open the Thermostat, and rev it a bit, if the water has a 'fizz' to it, then its a blown gasket, or warped head.

Good Luck

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 51-50ej7 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">deppends on how much meat is on the head you should do port and polish while you have it off worth it since you have to pull the head anyways</TD></TR></TABLE> Any cylinder head shop can resurface your head relatively cheap; probably around 100 bucks. it should still have enough "meat on it." I recently did all that plus a port and polish on mine. if you want to do that youre going to need to remove the valvetrain resurface + port and polish = somewhere around $500

 

good luck