I have a 99 Honda civic LX 4 cyl. There is an oily residue in the coolant reservoir an on the fill tube but when the radiator is opened the coolant is clean. The car is using oil but not running rough or hot. There is no tailpipe smoke or evidence of leakage. I am planning to do a compression check and look at the plugs.
View 5 Replies1999 Honda CRV. Just took a 3-hour highway trip. Before trip I topped up coolant reservoir which was a little low, but radiator was full. I did notice some dried white spots on the front of valve cover and spark wires. Wasn't sure what it was, but now realize it was coolant residue. Probably only 1-2 cups were missing from the reservoir, so the leak had just started.
After 3 hour trip, checked engine compartment again. This time the reservoir was totally empty (radiator still full) and the engine was well sprayed with greenish coolant residue. The radiator was cool by the time I checked it, so the leak source wasn't obvious, but it looks to be coming from the seam where the plastic top meets the aluminum.
I will replace the radiator when I get home, but first have to drive the 3-hour return trip. Will it be OK as long as I start full of coolant and keep an eye on the temp gauge?
My 1998 Honda Civic has oil in the radiator. And even stranger, the oil winds up in the overflow coolant reservoir. What is the most likely cause of this?
View 10 RepliesI have 2003 Civic, 125K. I am having an issue that the hose that connects radiator and coolant reservoir keeps disconnected at the top of radiator. I am sure this is due to pressure build up in radiator, and radiator cap functions. I also have seen lower level of coolant in my radiator but reservoir is full (of course the hose I mentioned above is connected!). I took my Civic to a shop and they bled radiator but didn't fix the problem. I am certain there is a blockage somewhere in between reservoir and radiator. Would flushing the cooling system fix the problem? I just want to give bit more specific information to my shop.
View 12 RepliesMy 2001 Civic sedan coolant reservoir was full after a long drive - with coolant blown out from the top. I am trying to isolate the problem.
1) I Did not notice if temperature gauge rose above the mid-point on the gauge.
2) I Discovered issue after 120+ drive on a hot day (90 degrees plus).
3) The car has almost 230,000 miles.
4) About 1,500 miles prior to this incident I removed my drive belt and replaced it with the shorter drive belt to circumvent the A/C compressor as it or the compressor clutch crapped out on me.
5) The morning after this occurred the coolant reservoir was still ful.
6) I removed the radiator cap and ran the engine for about 15-20 minutes. During this time I noticed the coolant in the radiator begin to rise into the fill neck area of the radiator - no bubbles or movement other than up into the neck area. The top hose was warm and then got hot but it seemed the bottom hose remained cold. I then throttled the gas briefly and nothing happened to include the radiator remaining off. The temperature gauge read just below the mi-point. I then throttled up to about 3,000 RPMs and coolant blew out of the radiator – about 1/2 to 1 liter of coolant came out. At that point, I shut everything down, installed the radiator cap, and cleaned up the coolant. I noticed the bottom hose appeared to now be much warmer than before the coolant blew out. The next morning the coolant reservoir was empty.
7) Today, about one week later, I applied power at both fans and both worked. I checked the relays and both registered no continuity across terminals 1 and 2 - as they should. I checked the radiator fan switch for continuity when cold and there was NO continuity across the contacts - as it should. I ran the engine for about 20 minutes with the radiator cap installed. The temperature reading rose to just below midpoint (normal) and stayed there. Radiator fan had not come on yet. I throttled up and nothing. Idled for several minutes and the temperature gauge rose to about ¾ of the way to “H.” I throttled the engine to look for smoke from the tailpipe – there was none (there is no history of any kind of smoke coming from the exhaust of my civic). I throttled up again, the temperature gauge dropped quickly below the mid-point, and the radiator fan came on for the first time. After the fan kicked off the temperature gauge again rose to ¾. I hit the gas, the temperature gauge dropped quickly to below mid-point, and then the fan came on again.
I was thinking this could be a blown head gasket but now I am questioning my initial thoughts. As of right now there is no coolant in the reservoir. One would think if the head gasket was blown that I would continue to get fluid in the reservoir even with the lost ~1 liter from my earlier test. I checked my engine oil dipstick and it looks clean - just oil. Nothing unusual visible when oil fill cap removed. Wy my coolant reservoir would have filled, blown over, not empty when cooled, only to empty out by the next morning after blowing 1/2 to 1 liter. This has been a loyal car (other than the recent loss of A/C) and I would like to see if I can get 250,000+ miles out of her with no serious maintenance.
So my civic has been running hot this week. Had plenty of antifreeze. Oil.changes and tuneup are up to date. Started running hot monday so I went ahead and changed the radiator cap and replaced the thermostat. Still running hot at this point and im losing all my fluid from the coolant reservoir. I run my heat as a guide to when I lose all fluid. Once the heat turns cold I pullover and refill it up. Oil isnt milky and no white smoke. Could it still be a bad head gasket? Possible water pump? Plan to flush the radiator tomorrow.
View 4 RepliesI have a '98 Honda Civic with 230K miles on it. Last month, I suddenly saw few drops of coolant on my garage floor. I opened the hood and saw coolant splashed over the engine. I opened the coolant reservoir and it was empty. Surprisingly, the car never overheated and neither did the temp needle go up. I took the car to the mechanic (Honda shop) and they said that the radiator is leaking. I replaced the radiator and after driving for couple of weeks, the same issue re-occurred.
The coolant ran low in the reservoir and there was coolant splash over the engine. I took the car back to the shop and they said that the hose was not properly installed. They fixed it and said there is no sign of leak. I have been driving for a week now and check the coolant routinely. I have noticed that the coolant level has again dropped significantly. But, after the last fix, I do not see any visible sign of leak. There is no evidence of coolant anywhere under the hood. I am not sure if there is something else going on now. Is there something else I should check?
1999 Honda CRV. Took it in for an oil change last month, then next day took a long road trip. After the first half of the trip, I opened the hood and saw colored fluid sprayed all over the front of the engine. It seemed to be coming from the top of the radiator. I assumed the common failure mode of these radiators, ie that the joint between the plastic top piece and the aluminum radiator body was beginning to fail. The overflow tank was empty, but the radiator was still full.
But before I drove the return trip home, I replaced the radiator cap with a new one just in case. When I got home, I checked the engine compartment again. No more coolant spray. So I thought the new radiator cap had solved the problem.
So I added fluid to the overflow reservoir, up to the "minimum" line. A few days later after some local driving, checked again. Again, coolant sprayed around, seemed to be coming from around the cap, overflow reservoir empty, but radiator still full.
Now I just leave the reservoir empty, instead of filled to the "minimum" line. The radiator is not leaking, because I've checked the level several times since and coolant is always near the top of the neck. The only problem is when I add fluid to the "minimum" line in the reservoir, which results in coolant being sprayed out (apparently through the radiator cap, both the old cap and the new one). Now I suspect the oil change mechanic also checked my fluid levels and added coolant to the overflow reservoir, which resulted in the original "spray" episode during my highway trip.
So the question is, why is this happening all of a sudden? Never did this before. Now I just leave the reservoir empty and check radiator level occasionally. But I would like to know why any fluid added to the reservoir when cold causes the radiator cap (apparently) to blow out the excess coolant (it is NOT leaking from the overflow reservoir).
When the car has been running awhile the coolant reservior and radiator make a boiling sound. It really only does it when it's been at idle for a bit. Radiator is full. Fan doesn't seem to come on after it has been running awhile but does when you turn on air. At what temp should it come on? The temp gauge never goes above the middle point so it stays in normal range, even when the tank are radiator are gurgling.
View 2 RepliesMy 2000 Accent with 164,000km is not overheating but is dumping coolant into the reservoir so that the radiator is about a quart low. I did have a few problems with it overheating in the past month, but that was solved by thermostat removal (always above 80F here). I stopped before the overheats reached the redline and allowed the engine to cool before continuing, no known adverse performance during the overheats. No water in oil.
Failed troubleshooting:
Drained and replaced coolant x3
New radiator cap
* No thermostat.
So my Honda Civic has been flashing my check engine light, which is telling my my cylinders are misfiring. I checked the ignition coils by removing them while the car was running and cylinder 2 and 3 I can remove and it doesn't change how the car runs. I put a new ignition coil In and that doesn't work so it isn't the ignition coils, what it could be?
View 8 RepliesI have a 2007 Prius, my coolant is always overflowing to my reservoir. It doesn't have any overheating problem, if I will fill up the radiator I could see bubbles coming out, How can I resolve this problem?
View 8 RepliesI checked the coolant level on the reservoir and it was low.
I decided to add coolant by removing the radiator pressure cap, however, the coolant fluid is full under this cap.
So my question is where should I add coolant? through this cap or the reservoir?
I have oil in the little plastic resevoir of my 2000 Honda Civic. It does not overheat and I noticed that their is no foam in the oil dipstick (no water in motor). Somebody told me that it is my radiator.
View 7 RepliesI have a 2006 Lexus GS430 w/ 100k miles. I've been trying to solve my coolant issue for the longest and I've been doing research like crazy!!! The issue that I'm having is that coolant from the radiator is blowing back into the reservoir causing the reservoir to be overfilled and splattering all over the engine bay. Also, when this happens the fluid in the radiator drops significantly ( I have to keep dumping the lost coolant from the reservoir back into the radiator). Under normal driving the fluid wont blow over to the reservoir that much (just a little) but, when I drive long distances or if I floor it that is when the coolant from the radiator really pushes over into the reservoir. When the car cools, I find out that the coolant from the reservoir does not draw back into the radiator. (I'm guessing due to the air in the cooling system?)
Checklist on what has been done to the car:
- NEW Water Pump (Installed by Lexus)
- NEW Timing Belt (Installed by Lexus)
- NEW Thermostat (Installed by Lexus) (I also tested the thermostat in boiling water and it opened and closed)
- NEW Radiator (Installed by Lexus also was pressure tested and passed)
- NEW Radiator Cap (Genuine Toyota 1.1 bar)
- Coolant Flush (flushed radiator and engine block with water hose)
-Bled System with my Lisle Spill Free Funnel and Heater on MAX HOT Full blast! Heater is working good!
(Did this 3 times for 30 min+ to get rid off all the air bubbles)
- Performed a Block Test to see if any combustion gasses were in the cooling system, to determine if it was a blown/failing head gasket (passed)
I dont know what else to do at this point other then do a compression test and a leak down test. There is no coolant in the oil and no coolant leaks. Car drives solid and strong! Is there a bleeder valve on the GS430 somewhere or does it have a bleeder valve? Is it something I'm doing wrong?
I'm getting a weird code on my engine it's p1298 which is electric load detector circuit high input and I'm also getting 3 misfire codes but the car runs great what can I do to fix these.
View 10 Replies92 Honda Civic, it has been steaming under the hood when i drive it and it's going into the overflow tank. When I pull the cap off after it's cooled down and then refill it. I watch to see if it's flowing and it's not. My initial thought was maybe a bad water pump, however I spoke with someone today that said it could very well be the head gasket. I am tending to lean this way now as well, as there is fluid on the ground after I park it. I put down some cardboard so the next time I drive it, I can see where it's coming from... Before I spend any money I want to exhaust the basics. I know I can get a combustion leak test kit to ultimately determine it.
View 9 RepliesAbout a month ago, I smelled a very faint smell of radiator fluid inside the car while the air was on. This happened twice, once on the highway when RPM's were running fairly high/engine temp was slightly higher than usual, and once on sidestreets when I was driving at high RPM's/in lower gears than normal (manual transmission). When I stopped the car it cooled down to normal level immediately and smell went away. I added coolant to the reservoir.Then I noticed nothing for about a month, so I figured everything was OK.Last week, my engine was running hot (usually is at 50% on the temp gauge, it was at 75%, where 100% is red zone), driving at low speeds.
About 5 minutes before that, I had the heat on but noticed the air blowing in the car was not heated even though the engine was warmed up (I assume due to lack of radiator fluid flow through the engine). The car did not overheat, because I pulled over and added water, and later added some coolant. During that incident I did not notice any smell inside the car. At the end of the week, I noticed the car running slightly hot and checked the reservoir. It was low--most of the coolant I added had disappeared in just one week.
Usual things to check:-radiator and all hoses are new-no leaks under the car-no white exhaust/smoke or smell outside
Other things about my car: It is a 1997 Honda Civic. Has never had any major problems, and it's running smoothly, but it does burn oil. The first time I noticed the smell, it was just after I had driven on the highway with slightly low oil level (still on the dipstick, but slightly below the bottom dot. Not too far on the highway--about 20 minutes). Not sure if that could be related.
A few weeks ago my car over heated and stopped. I had it towed and the mechanic changed the water pump, timing belt, gasket cover and more. About two weeks ago I noticed antifreeze on my drive way. Took it back in and the mechanic changed a clamp on the radiator. it continued to leak antifreeze. I took it to Pep Boys for a pressurized test, they couldn't find a leak, but did say my radiator hoses needed changing and they suspect the radiator cap is the problem. That was a week ago. I just got back from vacation and the reservoir keeps getting low every day, but not at the minimum line since the first mechanic filled it to the top. There is not apparent leak under neath the car. No smell when I start. Oil is not milky. Called first mechanic he said sounds like a blown head gasket....
Car is Honda Accord 1999, 138K miles.
when it began overheating, and to be specific it is a 2003 Honda civic ex, automatic. I took it back to them after having to pay towing expenses. They said they didn't know it had issues (bull) they said it was due to a radiator, so they installed a new one. When I got it back it drove fine then it began exhibiting the same symptoms soon after. I decided since I loved the car I wouldn't even bother with the people I bought it from, big mistake and I should have just returned it...I didn't because I was sick of looking for a car and school was about to start. This began the routine of having to fill it with antifreeze every day before and after class, if I didn't it would most certainly overheat and then I'd have to blow hot air all day.
So I took it to another mechanic who figured it must be something wrong with the cooling system and said the fan was acting slow, so he replaced the fan-switch and thermostat and said that it wasn't the water pump. I was hoping this would do it, but it did not. He then tested the head-gasket twice and it came back negative. Then they tested the catalytic converter, came back negative. This mechanic, then proceeds to tell me the people who sold it to me may have put a sealant in which gummed up the engine and is clogging things so it can't function correctly, or put on the head-gasket wrong or any number of things to the engine. Although, wouldn't this still make the head-gasket test fail? He tells me I may need a new engine because to figure out if it truly is an engine problem that would cost as much as a new engine. I don't know what to do or where to go I am at a loss here. Spending my money just to have mechanics tell me there is some mysterious "undiagnosable" problem with my car is the most frustrating thing ever. No one can fix this car it seems.
I have replaced a head gasket on my 2001 civic LX recently. I have drain the coolant and put it back on again. Now I have idle issues, the car starts fine with high RPM (because it is cold) about 5 min latter the RPM changes, it revs low and high (about 2000 rpm) when it should be idling normally. I have taken the radiator cap (before i start the engine) and run it a while with the cap off to purge any air pockets, no luck. Another thing I have realized that there is a pressure build up in the upper and lower radiator hoses when it is running with the radiator cap on. How to fix this problem?
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