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1998 Honda Civic Repair Question


Topics covered: Coolant, Radiator, Gas.
Mileage: 179,000 miles.

Asked on June 25, 2012

Why does my car over heat after getting off the freeway

Replied on August 10, 2012

Overtorquing can cause the threads to be stripped for this engine and it would depend on the head gasket condition. If problem had been there for quite some time and with steel type gasket, it is not going to help much.

If the overheating occurs under the conditions you mentioned with the fans working continously, I would say the problem is more likely to be cooling efficiency. If the coolant is being sucked back into radiator and with no signs of air trapped in system after engine cools down, that would confirm my suspicions.

However if there are signs of air in system, I would say the head gasket is bad.

Tiny Answered by KHLow2008 (expert)
39,862 answers provided
Replied on August 11, 2012

would it be the catalytic converter or muffler?

Tiny Answered by alik
0 questions asked
Replied on August 11, 2012

What has the exhaust system got to do with overheating?

Tiny Answered by KHLow2008 (expert)
39,862 answers provided

Replied on August 26, 2012

Hey KHLow2008,

Recently i have replaced the radiator on my car again, to a oem radiator an replaced all hoses under the hood and the cap. Now i have got pressure in the radiator but, its seams to run over pressure, and it blows all the antifreeze to the overflow. Until it all the coolant is gone the car will run just fine, as soon as it blows all the coolant to the overflow, then it will heat up. It will also not pull the coolant from the overflow to the radiator over night and seems to still have pressure inside the system. I have replaced all parts that can be, does it seem like it just might be a blow head gasket?

Tiny Response from kickjon1985
1 question asked
Replied on August 26, 2012

Oh and i have conducted 3 block tests on it and the fluid always stays blue. No coolant in the oil, no oil in the coolant, and no white smoke out the exhaust. I have also had someone else start it and smell the exhaust from cold to see if it might be only pulled into the cylinder during a cold engine. But there is no coolant loss, except for what gets boiled over when the overflow fills up all the way....

Tiny Response from kickjon1985
1 question asked
Replied on August 26, 2012

Too much pressure in system and coolant not being drawn back into system from recovery tank is usually a head gasket problem.

What block test kit did you use? Maybe you should try a different brand to confirm. How much driving time are you able to get before the coolant gets pushed out to the recovery tank? Does the cooling fan run and stop under normal engine operations?

Is the radiator cap good?

Tiny Answered by KHLow2008 (expert)
39,862 answers provided

Replied on August 26, 2012

The block test is the only tester that is around where i am. Its manufactured by oem. I can get aprox. 30 minutes drive time. This is city driving also, but highway driving i can get only 15 minutes, before the overflow is full and starts to overflow. Yes thefan and everything runs normal alunder normal conditions, it will slowely start to run longer and longer as the radiator runs out of coolant. It stays cool until the system runs low of coolant. The overflow bubbles constantly durring operation in the overflow.

Tiny Response from kickjon1985
1 question asked
Replied on August 27, 2012

You definitely have a compression leak.
When you remove the head, ensure the head and cylinder face is checked for warping.

Tiny Answered by KHLow2008 (expert)
39,862 answers provided