Hi all,
1996 Civic w/ 111K mi. Apparently, the original radiator failed whilst my wife was driving in
DC rush hr stop n crawl traffic. The Triple AAA driver who brought the car home said that the hoses
appeared intact and that the radiator looked to have failed catastrophically dumping its coolant on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
He said there was no sign of oil in the dumped fluid. He started the car when he took it off the flatbed to back it into its parking
space. Started right up w/ no hesitation, jerkiness, joltiness, misfirings, choking, puking etc. Sounded smooth as usual.
This, he said, was the goods news. The bad news, he said, was that he was keeping my wife.
Questions:
Can I use an aftermarket radiator or should I stick w/ Honda?
Can a failed thermostat lead to this issue?
Can a failed radiator fan lead to this issue?
How about the ETC switch?

Thanks.

 

Over time the plastic tanks get dry and brittle, it's not uncommon to see them explode. It could've been low on coolant, the little air in the system could've built up a lot of pressure and the weak plastic just gave way. A new radiator from the part store is alright, fill it up with fresh coolant and distilled water and follow the bleeding procedures in the FAQ.

 

I'd just put another stock-type plastic one in. Like the other guy said they are prone to eventually break, but will almost always work for several years first.

Check that the small hose from the radiator cap to the white plastic reservoir tank is not blocked.

 

I third using an aftermarket OEM like radiator. They work just as good as OEM and unlike the radiator you get from Honda, you can get them with a limited lifetime warranty (they assume you won't have the car long enough for the radiator to burst again).

The warranty is a nice extra peace of mind you won't get from going to the dealer and over paying for their radiator.

 

^^^ everything above is

 

replace the hoses too, kind of stupid not to

 

Back when I did my B18 swap, I could get an all metal radiator from Performance Radiator. It lasted from 2002 until 2014, not bad...

 

I just went through this recently with my 96 Civic as well! The side seam, not the plastic ends, the right side weld at the pinch line began to leak. Hey what do you want for 20 years? lol. I replaced it with another Honda radiator, since if I got 20 years out of the first one, I think Denso makes a good one (they make the Honda one). I also had the radiator fan switch go bad on me, and replaced it with a Honda one. Why Honda? Well I ordered up some aftermarket ones, and both were not assembled correctly. The pins that the harness plugs into were all on an angle! FROM EACH OTHER! lol.. one was tilted up the other down. I am getting real sick of these aftermarket parts and their lack of quality.

But back to you, you should be ok with an aftermarket radiator if you can't afford the Honda one.You could try Spectra if you didn't want to get the Honda one. They make my distributor and it seems to be working well.

What lead to this? Simple.. It's called AGE. Your radiator died, it couldn't cool anymore equals overheating. I would check the compression on the engine to make sure you didn't warp the head or block.

When you do replace the radiator, get new hoses, a honda thermostat, and get a new radiator fan switch (on the upper hose/engine housing) needs a 24mm socket to remove it. I got one from Lowe's, 6 point socket.

also.. I'm sorry to hear he kept your wife.. at least you got the civic instead!

 

You could buy a parts store radiator for about $50, or for only four times more you could get a mishimoto high performance, dual core all aluminum radiator.

 

Looks like they go for ~ $200? Distributor Spectra TD55 Fits 92 95 Acura Integra 1 8L L4 | eBay

 

 

UPDATE
AFter checking the radiator in daylight, the upper plastic split wide open along
about a 12 in front! TEsted the rad fan and relay and both are good. Was planning
on replacing the upper/lower rad hoses and clamps as well as the ATF cooling hoses
and clamps. I replaced the thermostat and gasket in June but will replace them
anyway. Ordered the Spectra PRemium radiator from Rock Auto along w/ t'stat and
gasket. Will order hoses, clamps and some sundries from Majestic. Will also
get the ETC switch there.

The overflow reservoir was filled w/ normal looking coolant and upon checking the oil
for presence of coolant, I found simply normal oil consistent w/ having been driven 1500
mi since the last oil change in early June. Looks like I won't see 3000 mi by the next
oil change in Nov!

Thanks for all replies.

 

Hi all,
1996 Civic DX, 2dr, 111K mi. No bleed screw/bolt on either the thermostat housing or at the upper radiator hose block connector.
Now that I am ready to install a new radiator following the bursting of the old radiator in stop n crawl
driving, the question of re-charging the system w/ coolant is raised. If we assume that most (if not 90%+?)
of the coolant was ejected, is there a way to introduce coolant into the block BEFORE turning the engine over?
I know the standard burp method but will that allow sufficient coolant into the block before the thermostat opens?
Thanks.

 

The car should be parked on level ground or facing uphill, but do not drive without coolant to move it. Pour as much coolant into the system, through the radiator, as you can before starting the engine. Then go through the air bleeding procedure.

 

Hi,
Is it possible (beneficial) to introduce some coolant via the upper radiator hose engine block jet and/or the by-pass hose prior to
filling the radiator, then initiating the air bleed procedure?
Most likely, I am going to have to jack the front end of the car up to get the radiator fill port to the highest point wo/ moving the car to perform
the air bleed procedure.
Thanks.

 

Forgot to mention, put the heater control on full hot so the heater core fills up too. When you pour into the radiator it should also run into the engine through the upper hose. Once you have the system mostly full it is OK to drive a little to turn around and re park.

 

Gotcha. Thanks.

 

I think most thermostats have a small bypass hole in them that should allow you to fill your system on level ground.

This is a good time to do a cooling system flush!

 

There is nothing to flush! It was all dumped on the Key Bridge in Georgetown!

 

FInal outcome:
1. Replaced radiator (Rock Auto)
2) Replaced t-stat and gasket (Rock Auto)
3) Replaced coolant temp switch
4) Replaced upper and lower radiator hoses plus clamped
5) Replaced bypass hose plus clamps
6) a Replaced radiator cap (incl. w/ radiator)
(all other parts purchased from Majestic Honda)
Since the cooling system was entirely devoid of coolant, before I sealed the system at the upper radiator
hose, introduced coolant directly into the block. Sealed system and finished coolant addition via radiator
fill port. Car has run fine as far as this radiator issue is concerned. Bought new 2017 Accord 2 wks
later so the Civic is a back-up vehicle.

 

Thanks for the update.

 

OEM is great
except when you buy from the dealer ��

 

Never had an issue with an oem radiator...

 

You wouldn't. But you also don't get a lifetime warranty. That's the only advantage of aftermarket radiators.

They work the same, but you get added peace of mind.

 

If your civic is a primary vehicle then I reccomend parts store spectra radiator. Lifetime warranty and cheaper than paying for next day shipping.

If you can spare a few days and you're on a budget rock auto or online can save money.

If your radiator neck is turning light brown around the neck and you need a kick in the *** to.change it, the $33 ebay dual core aluminum radiator is a stout replacement that really cuts down on how much the factory fan kicks on during a normal commute.

I've done all 3 scenarios, I prefer the third route.

Auto parts store emergency



And on my own leisure as an upgrade before it pops, my preferred route