loewent wrote:
> OK. Finally got to change the thermostat and coolant in this car. It
> still overheats. I'm pretty sure its the head gasket. All I did was
> start it up and drive up on some ramps, turned it off and when I went
> to open the rad, it was under a lot of pressure. So I'm guessing that
> exhaust is getting into the coolant. The old coolant was pretty dirty
> as well, and the coolant resevoir kept filling up, though it never
> overflowed that I could tell.
>
> Not sure if I want to tackle a head gasket on this car... any
> pointers? There's a guy down the road from me that works at an Acura
> dealer and fixes stuff in his home shop on the side. Gonna go talk to
> him to see what he thinks...
>
> thanks
> t
>
>
> On Apr 1, 9:13�am, Tegger <teg...@tegger.c0m> wrote:
>> loew...@gmail.com wrote in news:7be0fc0f-66b6-4fba-9abb-
>> 82877f795...@a23g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Good morning all,
>>> Well my sis has finally decided she doesn't need a car. �More like
>>> she's finally realized there is no way (or need) for her to afford
>>> insurance and maintenance on a 9 year old vehicle and a bad driving
>>> record.
>>> She bought the car in 2001 with 120000kms on it from a reputable Honda
>>> dealer. �However, on my initial inspection (she bought the car before
>>> I was able to inspect), noticed that the maintenance that had been
>>> done to it up to that point was obviously not done at the dealership.
>>> The battery was A/M (not a huge indicator but nonetheless), the t-belt
>>> was A/M, the tires were all the wrong size (instead of P185 65R14,
>>> they were P175 70R14, and really bad tires too). �The car just did not
>>> give me a great feeling.
>>> Of course I told her to ask the dealership if the t-belt had been
>>> done, and also what they did to it to get it saleable. �Sounds like
>>> they pretty much washed it and put it on the lot.
>>> She started getting CELs about 3 years down the road. �P01857. �She
>>> still drives with the CEL on to this day.
>> You mean P1857? No such code on Hondas.
>>
>> DTCs are one letter and four numbers. You have an extra digit in there.
>>
>>
>>
>>> Also, at about 170000kms, the timing belt snapped. �Shouldn't have
>>> happened, but without the actual work history on the vehicle, it was
>>> the roll of a dice. �They fixed the car (she was married at this
>>> point), 3 new valves, timing covers and crank angle sensor. �$1700.
>>> About a year or so after the t-belt repair, she started complaining
>>> that the car was running hot, and that the rad was boiling when she
>>> pulled over. �The rad needed regular fill ups, but the coolant bottle
>>> never overflowed. �There is no coolant in the oil, but there does
>>> appear to be a little oil in the coolant. �Also noticed that the
>>> little rubber hose that goes to the bottom of the coolant overflow
>>> bottle was not connected.
>> Uh-oh. Coolant was being pushed out but could not go back in again. Very
>> very bad.
>>
>> Is the hose from rad cap to reservoir cap intact?
>>
>>> I have reconnected it now. �Not sure how
>>> many times she overheated the car. �Very frustrating... who drives a
>>> car that is overheating?!?!!?!
>> A lot of people. So long as the car keeps running, they keep driving.
>>
>>
>>
>>> OK, so based on my novel above, here is the info I am looking for:
>>> 1. �Cooling system issues - any pointers on diagnosing this issue are
>>> appreciated. �It could be aheadgasket, and it is suspect since it
>>> was replaced a couple years ago, but not all the symptoms are present,
>>> and it seems sporadic as to when it decides to overheat. �Rad cap is
>>> new, thermostat has not been replaced. �When I step on the gas with
>>> the rad cap off, it definitely bubbles up, but I don't know if this is
>>> an indication of badheadgasket, or just normal operation.
>> Is the thermostat aftermarket?
>>
>> When the engine is overheating, can you make the temperature decline by
>> turning on the interior heater and fan full blast? Or do you need to rev
>> it to get the temperature down?
>>
>> Does it overheat in heavy traffic? When idling? Anytime?
>>
>> Specific details on the exact nature of the overheating will help in
>> diagnosis.
>>
>>
>>
>>> 2. �P01857 - Evaporative system fault. �Please let me know what I need
>>> to look at on the evap system to repair this. �I have checked for
>>> vacuum leaks, found nothing. �Is there something simple I am
>>> overlooking here?
>> Recheck that code number. It's formatted incorrectly.
>>
>>
>>
>>> Thanks for everyone's help.
>>> Terry in Winnipeg (trying to cross post, but am at work and do not
>>> have a news reader!)
>> You've successfully x-posted to two groups.
>>
>> --
>> Tegger
>>
>> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQwww.tegger.com/hondafaq/- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>


definitely sounds like head gasket. you can do it yourself, but it's
not for the faint hearted or inexperienced. you'll need some special
tools as well.

that said, i recommend it if you want to save some money and enjoy
working on your car. allow /plenty/ of time - this is not a quickie
job. or alternatively, price simply replacing the motor with a low
mileage used one from japan. the economics are very competitive.

google this group for some write-ups on doing this job. and one more
thing almost no shop will ever tell you: avoid getting the head skimmed
if you can possibly avoid it. almost all shops skim as a matter of
course because it makes /their/ job so much easier, but it's bad for the
head, [it's never finished like the original and so starts to leak again
after a while] and it slightly alters both the cylinder compression and
valve timing. the head won't be warped if it wasn't over-heated, and
it'll clean up ok with judicious use of spray-on gasket remover and a
fine blade scraper. do NOT use abrasives in the cleaning process. they
end up residing in the cylinder, wearing the cylinder wall and rings,
and wearing out your motor double-quick.

the write-up in the honda workshop manual is the best you can get.