what does it mean when your radiator needs to be filled with water? this happened like twice within a four months period. and this happen only when i took the car for a little road trip like an hour away from home. there's no leak. i'am scared to take my car for a long road trip. i want to know what the problem is and get it fix soon.

 

it means you have a leak of some sort..

 

When you take off your oil cap is there a white film?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shadhman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When you take off your oil cap is there a white film?</TD></TR></TABLE>

no. looks pretty clean.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by skcivic4life &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it means you have a leak of some sort..</TD></TR></TABLE>for safety; you think i should go ahead and replace the radiator? can't find the leak to prove that it leaked though.

 

dont replace it just yet, it could be leaking from elsewhere...do a pressure test to check for a leak

 

Check your coolant and see if looks milky or bubbly. Also check your oil for milkyness as well. Also remove your spark plugs and look into the cylinders for any wetness.

 

ok guys, i ended up having a shop do the work. i wanted my friend to work on it, but he's too damn busy for me. my "home" mechanic wouldn't be able to check it til monday. so i ended up having this shop that smogged my car twice fixing it for me. if it's not the thermostat, i would work on it myself.

he was going to charge me $75 for parts and labor(cheap parts.) i said i wanted oem parts and just charge me labor, he said $60 for labor. is he trying to rip me off? i managed to bring the labor down to 40. my home mechanic was gonna charge me 30. so off i went to the honda dealer and bought thermostat($18), antifreeze/coolant-type 2($15), radiator cap($16).

i was watching him real close. other customer were interfering with him and he looked real pissed and it seem like he didn't do a good job on the car. it sucks not knowing how to fix some of the things to let others [freak] it up or not doing a good job on it. i ask him to bleed air out for me and he didn't even do it for me. i don't even think he took out the bottom hose for me. he said no need to bleed? is he correct guys?

he said before i go on the road trip(i told him i'm planning to take my ride to central cali) be sure to replace the other 3-4 hoses. wtf?! now he tells me. i ask how much labor on that?
**** said $70 and buy coolant again. damn man!

what i really wanted to know is; is it necesarry to replace those hoses that he was talking about? and he did not bleed air out for me, what would happen?

i never let anyone else touch my car besides myself, my friend mechanic, and my home mechanic.

i hope my ride makes it.