• Hi guys so this has been an ongoing issue for me since the beginning of winter. Last summer i drove my '94 honda accord a little too hard one day out of town and it overheated. From there the issues began and ultimately lead to where im at now with it, completely wont start. So, getting it back to town that next day was difficult i had to keep stopping it was over heating constantly but i made it. It was recommended i replace the thermostat so i did and it improved dramatically. I could actually drive it point A to point B without it overheating while idling but there was still lingering issues like when i drove it somewhere i would have to wait about an hour for it to start successfully, otherwise it would catch but then just give out and die.
  
  Then when winter hit it just wouldnt catch at all. Completely dead. It would try but just wouldnt. I kept looking at it trying to figure out the problem then a month or two into winter it suddenly started one night. The only thing that was different was it warmed up a little bit outside, temperature wise. But just as fast as it started up it quit on me again the next day. I thought possibly the fuel pump was the issue, and sprayed starter fluid in but it didnt do anything. Upon checking the oil once again i noticed water in it for the first time. It hadnt been there before so clearly thats a blown head gasket right? but would that cause it to not start at all? Now the weather is warmed up and still not starting. Could it be a fuse somewhere too or something simple on top of a blown gasket? any help is very much appreciated guys thanks.

 

Fix what you know to be bad first. And yes, a blown head gasket can keep it from starting.
Sounds like you may also have an overheating problem too. Can we have some details on how that happened?
Also- how many miles on your current timing belt?
Are you planning on doing this work yourself, Zip?

 

Sounds just like what mine did when it was running. I bought it with a blown head gasket and drI've it. On the highway going to town never had a problem, even in summer. But I couldn't drive it in town in traffic or it would overheat. Once it started to run even a little bit warmer than on the highway it was a downward slope to super overheat land. Once it got to almost the top of the guage it would start missing and smoking. As it got hit I am guessing the gasket swelled and it opened the break allowing a compression loss. If I shut it off it wouldn't restart until it cooled off some. I am pretty sure you have a mildly blown head gasket.

 

so i would have to fix the head gasket in order to get it to start? see the weird thing is its fired up a few times and ran for days at a time. I definitely agree i have a blown gasket i just am trying to figure out if thats why it wont start. I have some of that blown gasket sealant stuff which i know is a temporary fix but i wanted to use it until i get her into a mechanic. at least to avoid tow cost. but the sealant wont work unless i can get the car started. it has to idle. is there any possible way i can get this thing started?

smithers: the overheating problem initial started last summer when i drove it a little too far out of town. this was like a few hour drive. i thought it wouldnt be a problem because i had driven it up into the mountains before with hour long drive one way but for some reason this time just pressed it too hard. i think its cuz it was flat land and i was going too fast. It overheated in the desert and took me the entire next day to get it back. it kept overheating on the way. i replaced the thermostat after that and it helped the overheating problem. the needle rarely went up after that but it wouldnt start if i drove it somewhere, turned it off and tried to start it up again right away. it needed a cool down period.

i have no idea the miles on my timing belt. i can only assume alot i havent changed it.

i do plan on doing the work myself as i cant really afford a HUGE mechanic bill but im very new to this stuff so im trying to learn as i go. ANY help and guidance is appreciated

 

You are correct about gasket in a bottle being a temporary fix...I tried it on mine and I don't think it actually helped at all. You need to get a good service manual, and start watching videos on YouTube. There is much good information to be picked up there.

 

Do not use the the temp fix. It will gum up other crap. Do a compression and leakdown test, confirm that that gasket is bad and then depending on how much you over heated that engine you may need the head mating surfaces resurfaced prior to new gasket install.

 

I just went through this with my son's '94 LX (F22B2 engine), although mine morphed into complete engine rebuild along with new coolant system (radiator, hoses, pump). A minor head gasket leak egged the #3 cylinder bore and probably contributed to the waterpump failure (though I can't prove the latter- and it could have been the other way around). You are a short hop away from being there- but here's hoping you don't have to go that far!
1. Sounds like you did fix the overheat issue with the new thermostat. So don't worry about that for now.
2. Like they said (and you said), your issue now is the head gasket. You can confirm that with the test sequence (e.g. here) but coolant in the oil is a giveaway. It could also be a cracked head or block. BTW, I never had coolant in my oil- it was a combustion gas-to-coolant leak.
3. Dry and Wet compression check is important, as you may have also damaged (annealed) the rings or warped the block with the overheat. Your minimum dry compression is 135 psig, and max variation is 28 psig across the cylinders. See this thread: link. If the dry compression is bad, and wet compression is good, that's really bad news- the problem is in the cylinder-to bore seal, which is lower unit (below the head gasket).Just a head gasket wont fix this. That may push you to engine replacement.
4. If you don't already have a Haynes (or other) manual, you probably ought to get one to get you through the head gasket change. Or, Google "Honda Accord CD7/CD9 Manual" and download the service manual. It covers the VTEC (B1) and non-VTEC (B2) engines. Haynes is easier to navigate and is hardcopy, and service manual is more complete and accurate.
5. This is not a horribly intricate job, so don't be scared, but it's pretty involved. You're gonna learn a LOT about your car and be pretty pleased and proud when you're done. Once you get the head off, you can take it to a machine shop for the more complex valve seating etc- that's what many repair shops do. Take lots of pictures BEFORE disconnections- it will help you on the reassembly.

The timing belt lasts 90K-100K miles- and if it hasn't been changed, yours is also 23 years old. If it breaks while running, the valves stop moving and the cylinders crash into the open valves...=really bad stuff. You should look to do this one too either with the head gasket or soon after (and replace the waterpump while you're there).

 

Do not get the haynes or Chilton's manual. you will regret wasting the 20$ it costs. Get the true FSM (Either electronic or paper)

 

OP, you need to compression test to see if the head is sealing. If not, then you have to get the head resurfaced, which means they will take a little bit off to make it square again.

 

OP, I've had something similar happen (94 accord f22b1) and can't figure it out either. After replacing the water pump it ran great for almost a year. One day after work I was heading home (22 miles) and it slowly overheated less than 2 miles from the house. Here's where our situation sounds similar. Got it home and let it sit for an it until I had time to work on it. When I went to start it, nothing cranked like crazy. This went on for a bit till it finally started. Changed thermostat since I'm sure it was original. Took it for a drive (20-25 miles) round my town and sure enough about 2 miles from the house started overheating. Again, I let it sit and haven't been able to work on it since. However, it magically starts every time now, well with a little gas pedal assistance. So I'm curious to see what you find is your problem.

 

You most likely also blew the head gasket. It is surprising how well the car can run with a blown head gasket.

 

jollyhonda, while I don't disagree it's a possibility, it really boggles my mind however. I've since been starting it and leaving it run at idle for say 20-30 mins and not once has the temp needle moved. I also lnow all my fluids look pretty decent as well. Should I still be leaning towards a head gasket? Finger crossed it isn't but then again I was turning this into my project so I guess it's a good a time as any.

 

Again, here's the head gasket leak test procedure I used: LINK . Compression test is cheap, easy, and answers many questions. The combustion leak tester is a loaner tool at Autozone- all you buy are the chemicals, less than $10. [And FWIW, the compression test did NOT confirm my blown head gasket, and neither did the other tests. It was the combustion leak tester (test 4 in the link) on a thoroughly warmed up engine.]

I suppose you could just tear into it and swap the head gasket based on speculation... Do the tests and end the guessing

 

A leakdown test will show where its leaking from (It pushes air from the cylinders out)

 

My car had no problem with the compression test when it was cold. It would once it was warmed and hot. The head gasket actually had 2 failure points...it is a multi layer steel gasket, and once I tore it apart you could see 2 small failures in just 1 of the 3 layers. Mine never got to the point of not running completely. The major problem was once it got hot enough to act up it didn't idle good, and if I let it die or shut it off, it would have to cool off in order to restart.

 

What were your numbers cold vs hot ?

 

Never checked it hot...I don't like pulling plugs out of an aluminum head when it is hot, let alone scalding. I didn't need a compression test though to tell me there was a compression issue...the water disappearing out the exhaust told me what I needed to know.