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2001 Civic DX heating up


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TJ Honda
Novice

May 12, 2014, 6:00 AM

Post #1 of 15 (1804 views)
2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

I own a 2001 Honda Civic DX, 4 doors, 1.7L, hope I can get some help here. My car is heating up and I don't know what else to do. I'm at a point where I have to fill it up with coolant every week because it runs out and there are no leaks detected, had an oil change and the oil was clean. It started 2 years after I purchased it when I took my first long trip, from SD to SF and back, it happened on the way back in the LA traffic. Background:
  • current millage: over 250k
  • got it at 140k miles and changed the radiator (used), time band, 4 engine supports and worked fine for about 2 years
  • I've been consistent on oil changeds and services.
  • around 200k it started heating up in trafic and idle after a 30 min or so drive, no problem when going constantly over 60 mph
  • had the radiator flushed 4 times in 2 years, liquid still keeps coming up brownish/dirty
  • changed the thermostat over 4 times because it kept getting stuck
  • changed the radiator cap (small gray one where the fluid goes into) 4 times because it kept getting stuck
  • changed the radiator cap (long black one that covers the whole radiator) because it was rotting and had a diminutive crack.
  • changed the radiator hoses' locks (don't know the english name for the things that hold it to the tubes) because they were giving away
  • changed the water pump and time band, water pump was way overdue.
  • The fans perform their regular cycle, they're accting as they should
  • the four radiator guys and my trusted mechanic (neighbours for 2 generations and family friend) I've taken the car to say the radiator seems fine. The liquid seems to not be brownish anymore, but now it's heating up daily but it's not loosing liquid now, it used to bee weekly and it lost almost all liquid.
- haven't replaced the hoses, radiator, head gaskets or catalytic converter


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 12, 2014, 9:24 AM

Post #2 of 15 (1786 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

At this point it's probably a blown head gasket but a shop will have to do some chemical tests to determine thaqt.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



TJ Honda
Novice

May 12, 2014, 10:50 AM

Post #3 of 15 (1779 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

Thanks Hammer Time, I'll have that checked out, hope that does it.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 12, 2014, 11:10 AM

Post #4 of 15 (1776 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

Believe me, that wouldn't be good news.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 12, 2014, 11:47 AM

Post #5 of 15 (1772 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

Another thing you could try is to take all the spark plugs out and then pressurize the coolant system with a cooling system pressure tester. Then let the vehicle sit overnight with pressure on it. Next day look down in the cylinders and see if there is any coolant laying on top of the pistons.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 12, 2014, 12:25 PM

Post #6 of 15 (1769 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

I seriously doubt it will hold pressure for more than 15 minutes.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



TJ Honda
Novice

May 13, 2014, 9:34 AM

Post #7 of 15 (1739 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

Thanks Discretsignals, but it wasn't that.

HammerTime, I know costwise it's not good news, but I recently changed the shock absorbers and motor mounds, and all the above described parts, I feel that by fixing this the car won't give me issues for a while.

I checked with a Machine Shop and the whole job can go for $550 (spark plugs, oil, head gasket kit, head rectifying and brushing, and labor), in case it has any cracks it will be extra, but they have a repaired head for $225, so in case it has a crack it can be replaced instead of fixed, so minus the rectifying and brushing plus the head it will end up being $600.

I'm not a mechanic, but I believe $600 is a good price for an extra 2 years of car life and the possibility of selling it at what the car is going for instead of half price.

Don't know if you have any thoughts on this.


(This post was edited by TJ Honda on May 13, 2014, 9:35 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 13, 2014, 11:28 AM

Post #8 of 15 (1729 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

I've seen a few of these Honda blocks get warped on the deck surface. You really need to check for that while the head is off if you go through with this.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

May 13, 2014, 12:03 PM

Post #9 of 15 (1726 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In


Quote
I'm at a point where I have to fill it up with coolant every week because it runs out and there are no leaks detected



Quote
Thanks Discretsignals, but it wasn't that.


I don't understand then. You stated your losing coolant. If it isn't in the oil, leaking from the outside of the engine, or leaking from a hose or the radiator, the only other place it can go is into the cylinders. Pressurizing the system with the plugs out should have told you if the head gasket was leaking.

You need to find out where the coolant is going before ripping the head off.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 13, 2014, 12:06 PM)


TJ Honda
Novice

May 13, 2014, 12:33 PM

Post #10 of 15 (1722 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

you're right Discretsignals, it was going to the cylinders, sorry for the missunderstanding.

New development, the block is not only warped, it has damage, my mechanic gave me two options.

1) brush and rectify the head and use the car until it gives out

2) change the engine


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

May 13, 2014, 12:36 PM

Post #11 of 15 (1721 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

Find a good used salvage yard engine. Make sure it has a warranty. Don't slap the reworked head on a junk block. It won't last that long and you'll end up with a mess.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 13, 2014, 12:38 PM)


TJ Honda
Novice

May 22, 2014, 7:22 AM

Post #12 of 15 (1682 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

Thanks for all your help guys, found an engine with 112,533 miles from a rearended car, with a 2 month warranty, for $600 dlls including installation, it was actually cheaper than fixing the head. It was installed 4 days ago, and I had an issue the first days with it occasionally shutting down when getting to a sudden complete stop, the torque was very loose and the revolutions were going down to nothing when idle, they tightened it up and it's been working better than ever.


(This post was edited by TJ Honda on May 22, 2014, 7:24 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 22, 2014, 7:36 AM

Post #13 of 15 (1678 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

Including installation???????

The installation alone is worth that. Who is putting it in............... Goober's car fix?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



TJ Honda
Novice

May 22, 2014, 7:37 AM

Post #14 of 15 (1676 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

might've been good to mention I live in Tijuana, BC, Mexico, the junk yard has it's mecanic and they install it and keep the old engine


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 22, 2014, 7:56 AM

Post #15 of 15 (1674 views)
Re: 2001 Civic DX heating up Sign In

That makes a little more sense but still, those Civic engines are in high demand.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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