Keeping Overheating Car

[cscott784]

Hello all. You probobly already read my thread I posted couple days ago about me selling my civic for $600 because it was overheating. http://page.auctions.shopping.yahoo....?aucview=0x70. I read some more threads and realized that there is worse that can happen to my car. What I am basically trying to say is that I am gonna end the auction and keep the car. I have little knowledge of cars and I think keeping this one and working on it myself should boost what I know, then I can answer more questions that users in the fourm has. So thanks for everyone having car troble and posting it. Kinda motivated me yu know.

Thanks

Scott

P.S. Do you think its worth it to keep it?

[H4Bangin]

Originally posted by cscott784

P.S. Do you think its worth it to keep it? [/b]

um YAA

[cscott784]

Good to hear. So now heres my problem. This car must see alot of sexy girls because it keeps getting HOT!!!. I can't drive 12 mins without the needle going up past the "H". When I check under the hood, the reserve (little white bottle on the front right side) for the radiator is bubblng and spilling even with the cap on. It hits a hot part of the car and steam/smoke is produced. What methods do I have in checking out this overheating problem?

Thanks

Scott

[Marc-OS]

I have a very strong feeling it's the water pump.

[civickiller]

its does sound like the water pump, but it could also be yoru radiator. both are expensive parts.

first id make sure i dont got a loss of pressure somewhere, like a loose or cracked hose, bad radiator cap, or something like that. then i would do something cheap and easy like replace the thermostat. if that doesnt work then id go to work and figure out if the water pump is bad. heres what i do, i take off the upper radiator hose and i put a pipe on it and run it out of my car, then i run the car. so if the water pump is bad, then it wont flow or there will only be alittle big of flow after the thermostat opens. but if u havent replaced yoru water pump in a long time, might as well change it if u got extra money, replace the timing belt too unless u just did recently. if it still overheats then its your radiator. and if it still overheats, then check your heater, cause sometimes the heater can rust and then that causes lost of pressure therefore car over heat, but u should smell coolant in the car.

[sciamop]

BHG (aka Blown Head Gasket)... A chunk of the HG has deteriorated; now exhaust is mixing in with your coolant (causing the tiny bubbles in your reservoir), and the coolant might be mixing into your oil (oh, f*ck!). Since antifreeze isn't the best lubricant, you do NOT want to continue driving the car (even 12 minutes at a time).

Might as well do the t-belt, thermostat, waterpump, tensioner pulley while you are replacing the HG (you said you wanted to learn about your car). Time to buy a Helms manual. If the head/block doesn't need resurfacing, you can DIY for $200-300... It's at this point that you ask yourself, "Can I sell this car for > $1000 after I do the repair or can I just get someone to give me $700 today."

or maybe it's time to do the ghetto tuner weld-in B18A...

Todd
91 Si w/ B16A

[civickiller]

the reason why its bubbling in the reseivor is because the coolant is boiling, the engine is so hot that its boiling the coolant. thats happen to my car before when i had cooling problems