Honda Car Forum

My friends 94 Honda Civic is having an overheating problem. He had a leaking water pump which would drain the coolant, and it would than overheat. He overheated the car a few times. I replaced the water pump and timing belt, and it doesn't leak any more. Also replaced the thermostat. When he starts the car now, it still overheats. Blocked coolant passage maybe? Any ideas on what is wrong?

Maybe a coolant hose developed a leak.Maybe the head gasket went byebye - Check the oil and if you see coolant - good bye engine.

There is a good chance the engine has been damaged from the previous overheating problem. A blown head gasket or cracked head is classic on a Honda. There is a simple test most shops can do to check for a blown head gasket. Other than that, make sure the fan is working, and the thermostat is installed correctly. If all these check out OK, the radiator being plugged could be the problem.

Double check to make sure the thermostat is not put in upside down. It might not be the problem but it is the first thing I would check.

check for clogged radiator or faulty cooling fans

Ok-first thing to do-with the engine cold,fill cooling system.leave off the radiator cap and start the engine.while you start it,watch the radiator where the cap fits-if you see coolant immediately shoot out with some force,a head gasket or a cracked head.also look for water in the oil.this will be evident by droplets of water on the dip,or oil that resembles a chocolate shake from mcdonalds.also you may see milkshake on the inside of the oil filler cap.(all bad news)! but be of good cheer-these engines are pretty tough. if none of these then you may have the t-stat in reversed.also if the t-belt is not exactly on the money,this will mess up the timing and also make it overheat. also make sure both fans work or the fan works 2 w/ac 1without. also blockages in c/s . good luck