Honda Car Forum

hello,

i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there was
no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help. Everytime i am
cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps up and when i
accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some time for the
coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the coolant i have
about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.

any ideas?

RON wrote:
> hello,
>
> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there was
> no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help. Everytime i am
> cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps up and when i
> accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some time for the
> coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the coolant i have
> about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>
> any ideas?
>
>
fill to the top, then look for bubbles in the fluid when the engine's
running. suspect blown head gasket.

"jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote in message
news:3MmdnXwAsYIWxV3ZnZ2dnUVZ_sOdnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
> RON wrote:
>> hello,
>>
>> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
>> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there
>> was no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help.
>> Everytime i am cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps
>> up and when i accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some
>> time for the coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the
>> coolant i have about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>>
>> any ideas?
>>
>>
> fill to the top, then look for bubbles in the fluid when the engine's
> running. suspect blown head gasket.

so if there are bubbles the head gasket is blown? is this something hard to
replace??? a price? can i drive a 200 mile trip without a head gasket?

thanks for any and all advice

RON wrote:
> "jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote in message
> news:3MmdnXwAsYIWxV3ZnZ2dnUVZ_sOdnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
>> RON wrote:
>>> hello,
>>>
>>> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
>>> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there
>>> was no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help.
>>> Everytime i am cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps
>>> up and when i accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some
>>> time for the coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the
>>> coolant i have about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>>>
>>> any ideas?
>>>
>>>
>> fill to the top, then look for bubbles in the fluid when the engine's
>> running. suspect blown head gasket.
>
> so if there are bubbles the head gasket is blown?

'fraid so. assuming the systems not just expelling air block. fill it
completely, run it till hot, and watch for continued bubbling.

> is this something hard to
> replace???

it's a huge pita, not so much for the strip-down but the prep for the
new gasket.

> a price?

you're looking at $500+ to have someone else do it. call around for
quotes. parts are cheap, it's all labor.

> can i drive a 200 mile trip without a head gasket?

if it's boiling inside 5 miles, /definitely/ not!!!!

>
> thanks for any and all advice

RON wrote:
>
> hello,
>
> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there was
> no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help. Everytime i am
> cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps up and when i
> accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some time for the
> coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the coolant i have
> about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>
> any ideas?

---------------------------------

Top up the reservoir to MAX and check it when the engine is cold. Keep
topping it up until it stops 'sipping' from the reservoir when it cools.
It may just be displacing AIR which has gotten in, (unless you've truly
screwed up you engine).

'Curly'

RON wrote:
> hello,
>
> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there was
> no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help. Everytime i am
> cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps up and when i
> accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some time for the
> coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the coolant i have
> about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>
> any ideas?

Is the radiator fan working? If it's not working, you can run the
heater on high to keep the engine cool enough.

RON wrote:
>
> hello,
>
> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there was
> no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help. Everytime i am
> cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps up and when i
> accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some time for the
> coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the coolant i have
> about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>
> any ideas?



Sounds like a malfunctioning radiator fan.

Prolonged overheating will get you into deep doo doo...

JT

RON wrote:
>
> hello,
>
> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there was
> no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help. Everytime i
> am cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps up and when
> i accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some time for the
> coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the coolant i have
> about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>
> any ideas?

When you added coolant to the radiator did you open the bleeder valve for
the coolant system first? If you did not do this, then there will likely be
trapped air in the system which could be causing your continuing problems.
Wait until the engine is cool, open the bleeder valve, and then top up the
cooling system closing the bleeder valve only after there's nothing but
coolant coming out of it, i.e., no air bubbles.

What that said, the question remains as to why your cooling system was so
low to begin with. Is there a leak? Common problems are a leaking water
pump or a bad connection at a hose fitting. Less common is a bad radiator
but Honda used a rubber o-ring to seal the radiator drain plug and sometimes
these go bad. If the leak isn't obvious and you can't find it, then you may
have to get your system pressure tested.

Eric

94 Civic, same problem, cause was blown head gasket. Cost $800. Do not
drive it like that.

G-Man


"RON" <ron@none.invalid> wrote in message
news:mCYvg.13726$Xf.9802@trndny05...
> hello,
>
> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating up
> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there was
> no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help. Everytime i
> am cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it creeps up and when
> i accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take some time for the
> coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the coolant i have
> about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
>
> any ideas?
>
>

It may be something at simple as a sticky thermostat. I'd start by
replacing it



"RON" <ron@none.invalid> wrote in message news:PSYvg.784$Wf.396@trndny01...
>
> "jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote in message
> news:3MmdnXwAsYIWxV3ZnZ2dnUVZ_sOdnZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
> > RON wrote:
> >> hello,
> >>
> >> i've got an older civic and today noticed that the engine was heating
up
> >> going up to H, got to a gas station and stopped and noticed that there
> >> was no coolant......bought some coolant and this seemed to help.
> >> Everytime i am cruising it is fine it is when i stop at a light it
creeps
> >> up and when i accelerate that it creeps up for a bit. Does it take
some
> >> time for the coolant to make it everywhere and work? After adding the
> >> coolant i have about a 5 mile ride home and it was still acting funny.
> >>
> >> any ideas?
> >>
> >>
> > fill to the top, then look for bubbles in the fluid when the engine's
> > running. suspect blown head gasket.
>
> so if there are bubbles the head gasket is blown? is this something hard
to
> replace??? a price? can i drive a 200 mile trip without a head gasket?
>
> thanks for any and all advice
>
>