1998 Honda Civic Got timing belt replaced, now head gasket

Tiny
KATEINCALI1986
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 HONDA CIVIC
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 15,000 MILES
I got my radiator replaced about 7 weeks ago by an independent mechanic, plus some regular maintenance (though he did not replace the thermostat) for about $400. A few weeks later, the water pump burst. I guess he left an air bubble in. He did not replace the thermostat. I broke down far from home, and just managed to refill it with enough coolant (with the help of a mechanic who helped me on the side of the road) to to get it to a honda dealership which was luckilly near where I broke down. The water pump burst. The first mechanic assumed no responsibility. I paid about $600 here to get the thermostat, water pump, and timing belt replaced. Now it is 3 weeks after that, and my check engine light went on and I had trouble starting. I called the dealership and they said to bring it in, so I was planning to go to the one which was local to me, and it overheated! I had to pay for triple a ($90) and get it towed to the honda dealership. Now I understand from talking to my friends that the timing belt may have caused the burst head gasket (which I specifically asked to have checked at the first break down at the dealership far from my home and they said were fine) but the dealership will find a way to blame me and charge me for the head gasket. I have no more money available for non-essentials ( just graduated college and am in debt, and have about $700 which I need for rent, food, bills etc. And the economy is bad and I'm having trouble finding a job), and I have heard the head gasket can be thousands of dollars, and maybe I should just cut my losses. Unfortunately, I am moving next week back to my hometown, which is 1,000 miles from where I currently live, and I was planning on taking my things with me- now I don't know how to get home!
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 AT 12:52 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Hi kateincali1986,

Sorry to hear of your plight.

What was the reason for replacing the radiator? If it was cracked at the top, then it most probably was due to some leaks in the system resulting in insufficient coolant.
After replacement of the radiator, did you have issues with the cooling sysem, such as needing to top up the coolant level? Overheating?

Timing belt does not cause overheating. Only lack of coolant or malfunction of the cooling fans and thermostat.

If the difficult starting is due to compression losses due to overheating, then the minimum you need to do is replacing the gasket. It can range from $600 to over $2000 depending on what needs to be replaced and repaired.

When engine is cold, remove the radiator cap and check the coolant level. If it is low, top it up, water would do for now, and try starting without closing the radiator cap. If coolant shoots out the cap area, the head gasket is bad.
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Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 AT 9:41 PM

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