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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: uh.. let me check the hotel key
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wierd cooling system problems 2003 civic
I have a 2003 honda civic... its a beater..
Great MPG and has run like a champ until tonight. I went for a food run and it started to overheat.. so I dashed home before the gage went into the red. I turned on the heater to full hot just to help a bit but the air came out cold... Now Im thinking.. did I run out of fluid?! The drive was short. maybe 5 min but the temp was fluctuating up and down, trending into the red. When I got home the coolant was topped off and the oil was fine. Any ideas what to check next? besides the fridge for more beer? thanks
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04-02-2010, 06:36 PM
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Its the headgasket isnt it..!? oil isnt milky.. no oil in the coolant..
could it still be?!
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04-02-2010, 06:42 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Valencia Pa.
Posts: 8,846
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Maybe the first ugly signs of a head gasket letting go. Just starting to let combustion gasses into the coolant, but not sucking coolant into the cylinders yet.
I use a block tester, but I think any shop with an emissions machine can test for co in the coolant . You may be able to smell it as well. I have never seen a water pump impeller break on a Honda. May want to check/ replace your thermostat as well.
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04-02-2010, 06:46 PM
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Cars & Coffee Killer
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: State of Failure
Posts: 32,246
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Bad water pump?
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Some Porsches long ago...then a wankle... 5 liters of VVT fury now -Chris "There is freedom in risk, just as there is oppression in security." |
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04-02-2010, 07:19 PM
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Control Group
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Broken radiator, can't guarantee it, but it is what was wrong with my integra with the same symptoms. Plastic and aluminum, cracks where they are bonded together.
Easy fix, $400 for the radiator, upper and lower hoses about, buy a Honda one. Took me about an hour by myself.
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04-02-2010, 08:34 PM
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Still Doin Time
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nokesville, Va.
Posts: 8,225
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If there is no loss of coolant only four things could possibly be. 1) Cooling fan(s) inop 2) t-stat stuck closed or partial closed - it does happen 3) Head gasket leaking cylinder pressure into the cooling system upsetting the balance 4) Waterpump impellar failed - although I have never seen this on this car -
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04-05-2010, 07:49 AM
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Banned
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,930
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My guess. Part clogged radiator. Could be head gasket... its not a 3.2 ford so I doubt it.
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04-05-2010, 08:05 AM
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could not replicate the next few drives out....
makes me think the t-stat is sticking....
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04-06-2010, 07:49 AM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Had several Accords and they go through radiators every 7-10 years... found one on the internet for a good price and was back going in a couple of days for a reasonable price.
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2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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04-06-2010, 08:31 AM
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Certified Pre-Owned
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Nanny State
Posts: 3,132
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With the engine warm gently grab the upper radiator hose and rev the motor. You should feel coolant circulating indicating a functioning water pump. If not, water pump or t-stat.
Why would you guys diagnose a plugged radiator? All of the sudden it just "plugged" one day and pegged the temp gauge? And usually when they crack they leak coolant... C'mon...
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04-06-2010, 09:35 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Irvine, CA
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I also vote for stuck thermostat since you aren't getting hot air from the heater. Cheap thing to try first.
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04-06-2010, 09:46 AM
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Son of a Son of a Sailor
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Birmingham, Al
Posts: 945
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Had an '85 Civic several years ago. Could idle it all day and it would run cool. Get on the interstate and do a long run and it would overheat. # of different mechanics could not figure it out, did all sort of stuff to it, even jive-rigging the cooling fan to run continously.
A little guy at a radiator shop that I just happened to run across in a hot dog joint over heard me telling a "knowledgeable" person about my problem. He immediately told me that I had a clogged radiator despite seeing and feeling coolant moving through it. Those things have very few flues for the coolant to circulate and if a couple get clogged it'll run hot. Obviously the people who worked on the car were less than swift. Maybe not your situation, but I'm just sayin'.
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04-06-2010, 03:50 PM
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Hell Belcho
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 9,249
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Had the same problem on two Civics. Clogged radiator.
The radiator on these cars is laughably small and prone to this sort of thing.
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04-06-2010, 03:56 PM
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Control Group
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Mine cracked on the top, lost very little coolant, of course I stopped when I saw my temp gauge acting funny.
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04-06-2010, 08:37 PM
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canna change law physics
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My '93 Accord had similar issues. The car would overheat going up hills in the warmer months. I never noticed the issue in the cooler months. The car had aluminum cooling fins, and they were corroded. I changed the radiator, and went to an "upgraded" one that had all copper construction.
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04-07-2010, 03:41 AM
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Seen it on a couple cars I've owned (Nissan/Honda)...bad thermostat on the fan.
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04-07-2010, 03:55 AM
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It was the radiator cap. It was letting coolant into the expansion tank but not back into the radiator..
It was the first part I threw at it!
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07-29-2010, 11:46 AM
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Quote:
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poof! gone |
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07-29-2010, 11:50 AM
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2004 Mazda Miata
1970/1982 Porsche 914-6/911SC 2.7 RS
1983 Porsche 911 SC ROW 3L
