Hey guys,

I got a 93 Civic DX with about 155000 KM on it. It went into storage last winter, while it rotted and the floor rusted thru. The next summer it wasnt touched and come fall the floor was repaired.

Anyways, now the car is overheating.
Symptoms:
-Overflow tank boils like crazy
-Idle is somewhat rough no rpm dipping but you can hear its not a steady run
-I changed the rad cap a while ago to a "performance" cap(Skunk2). That eventually some how destroyed itself and melted all in my rad.

If I add prestone, I can go 2-3 days wiothout it overheating. But if there is a lot of stop and go or if I go thru the gears then it over heats.

I changed the rad at some point, the new rad was used with skunk2 cap and melted.

When its hot, prestone squirts out of top of rap cap and overflow cap. TO much pressure?

Ive tried another rad cap (0.9).

And finally, after running car for a while, I feel no actual liquid in the rad. tubes. If I pinch either one all the way down I dont really feel anything.

Thermostat was changed before going into storage.

Thanks
Matt

 

You said you have installed a radiator? A new one or a used one?
Let's just hope the radiator is the problem..but if you aren't leaking coolant on the ground it probably isn't.

Does the car smoke a little white from the tail pipe?
Is the car really hard to start?
Check your oil and pray it doesn't look like choco milk or have streaks of mayonnaise in it.

It's entirely possible that you have a blown head gasket..even if it's just lightly blown. If this is the case you'll see hardly (if any) white smoke coming out the tail pipe, and it'll start with minimal cranking. It's mostly derivable like this, but it overheats easily because the engine is blowing coolant back through the lines every compression stroke.

If it IS blown, you'll need to take the head and get it resurfaced with new valve seats ground in and new valve seals. Most shops can do this for anywhere from $80-$200
when you install the new gasket, make sure to follow exact procedures and torque specifications!!!
USE NEW HEAD BOLTS

In the mean time tryto bleed the coolant system if possible. here is the bleeder screw circled just in case...I doubt this will fix your problem, but it will make it a little more driveable..slightly. I'm sure you have a little air in the lines.

 

change your t-stat make sure your fan is kicking on. you may also have a bad valve or your timeing could be off. bad head gasket

 

Very interested in the results here. I'm inheriting a 95 DX with similar problems, but haven't got it to my house yet to check the oil/bottom of the rad cap.

 

haha, yes! take out your thermostat and boil it in a pot of water to see if it opens!

Rad fan should kick in when the car gets to operating temp.

It sounds like a head gasket with the whole water boiling out of the reservoir..but keep your fingers crossed and don't get your hopes up.

 

same problem i was having...i changed the thermostat and temperature sensor, after that problem was fixed...hopefully this helps

 

I hope I'm that lucky - hell of a lot easier than a head gasket (which is worst case scenario - I think).

 

If your oil is clean and clear you're probably fine

Just boil that thermostat and see if your fan runs at operating temp. takes no time at all and you'll hopefully find your problem

 

Thanks everyone for the replies.

My car starts alright 2-3 cranks and it starts.

I changed the rad with a new one.

There is white smoke that does come out of the tail pipe.

Like I said I changed the thermostat prior to storage, It prolly has less then 2000KM on it.

MY fan works. Its been tested it goes on, but it will not go on after 15-20 minutes of idleing.

I changed the waterpump before (mechanic said it could be this) and when we did the timing, ghetto styles might I add. We "timed" it by have the farthest left cylinder at its highest point. My mechnic told me that this was the first cylinder. Now looking at the Haynes book, the first cylinder is the farthest right.

With the fan not kicking on at the right time, the tempurture sensor might be broke, but there are probably other problems.

Im not at home right now so I cant double check, but Im pretty sure the oil looks like oil. But ill check again.

 

did you check your fan sensor? its on the thermostat housing, it tells your car when to turn on the cooling fan, if the sensor is bad, then your fan wont turn on, heres how to check it, let your car run till normal operating temp, rev the engine till the needle creeps past half before it reaches the H, by now the fan should have kicked on, open up your hood and see if its on, if its not, unplug the sensor and cut a small piece of wire and jump the wire on the harness side, your fan should start spinning once you jump it. If your thermostat is not functioning, it should have a fail safe built in and your car shouldnt overheat from that, it should actually take longer to heat up your car cause the coolant is circulating all the way non stop.

 

This is a blown head gasket. replace the gasket, machine the heads (yes you will need to running it like you do)

Check the fan, see if it comes on, watch your gauge, see if it will go half way and stay.

now, the reason your car takes two to three times to crank it is this: residual pressure left over from the water pump and on the top end of the cooling system leeks into the cylinder(s) while its not running. to operate correctly, it can not be in there ( it messes with the air/fuel mixture. pushes it out and introduces the correct amount of fuel and air into the car. the white smoke is from the coolant continuing to leak into the cylinder. its a minuscule amount, but can be burned at the right temperature.

 

Alright thanks for the info guys.

I just want to get something straight. WHere exactly is the needle supposed to sit at normal operating temps. Ever since I got the car, it would sit around 1/4. SO the needle is sitting right under the Temp. symbol in the dash.

I attached a photo from the interwebs to show you where it normally sits.

 

Bump!

 

Alright, well Ive made some room in my garage to fit my car so that I dont have to work in the cold/dark.

As said in previous posts, my car is overheating and the problem is most likely the headgasket, since if the thermostat was broke and the fan isnt going on, my engine wouldnt eat prestone.

Ive assisted and watched people work on my car and I know a couple things, but a headgasket is something new.

I was quoted 5-600$ for the job so eff that Ima do it myself.

Now I come here to know what tools I would require to change the headgasket.

I have a ratchet set, Im going to borrow a torque wrench, other then that what else do I need?

I plan on taking off the head then getting one of my local car parts store to send it to a shop to check if its cracked or warped. BUt other then that is it just removing the head then changing the gasket and slapping her back on?

And as for my fan not going on, could it just be the temperature sensor that is broken? Because the fan works, but just doesnt come on. I guess Ill just change the temp sensor and the thermostat just to be sure.

 

Page 3 Yay

 

FYI I was super lucky. My mom was complaining that it was overheating, checked the coolant resevoir only. The rad was so low that it wouldn't pull from the resevoir. Filled it, ran it, it seems to be fine now. Oil is clean, no oil residue under the rad cap, coolant level is good, and doesn't overheat.

 

[QUOTE=Abius;40487183]

I changed the waterpump before (mechanic said it could be this) and when we did the timing, ghetto styles might I add. We "timed" it by have the farthest left cylinder at its highest point. My mechnic told me that this was the first cylinder. Now looking at the Haynes book, the first cylinder is the farthest right.

[QUOTE]

I would recheck your timing... if you set it for # 4 cyclinder timing, it will also cause overheat
Did you bleed the air out?

 

Also would not having the proper mixture of prestone to water casue overheating?

But in the end, my car is still taking prestone, its high and dry in the rad and the overflow.