ToMuchFun

Drove 300 miles Friday and when I got off the highway and started city driving the car started to overheat. Shut it off at 2/3rd temp gauge got coolant, refilled(probably less than a quart went in) drove fine around the city for the 20 miles to where I was going. Drove the car 300 miles back today(ballzy right) on the highway the temp gauge would fluctuate between 2/5 and 3/5. Would usually sit at 2/5 go up to 3/5 then come back down and repeat every 10 or so minutes. Stopped to take a **** get off car gets to 2/3rds but I'm at the gas station and shut it down. At this point the overflow reservoir is 100% full and I had to put in about half a gallon of fluid and left the reservoir stay full like that. Get on the highway and she's fine for 50 miles and the 2/5 3/5 BS starts, get off the highway and she starts to overheat, stop fill her up but it only took about 1 cup of fluid and the reservoir tank is just above the full line now. Make it back to my place and decide to see how long it'll idle before the gauge moves, 2 minutes later it starts moving up and I decide if be smart to redline it. Well redlining her keeps brings the car back to 2/5 so the water pump has to be screwed up, but where did that gallon of coolant go in that 600 miles? I see no leaks under the car, passenger floorboard wasn't damp and I don't think the head gasket is causing fluid loss. Possible the engine is steaming off that fluid once it does get hot and that's where it's going? Or does it sound likes its leaking or getting burnt in the engine somewhere? Any input would be appreciated, I was about to do the pump and timing belt next weekend anyway but the loss of fluid has me worried about putting that $$ into the car when maybe it's ****ed.

ezone

Nope, not the water pump.
We don't have to read any more than the title to tell you that.


EDIT: Read the whole story now. Guess what....

ToMuchFun

What?

ezone

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...reference.html

Phillip123

Would not say it's just the water pump.

Pier7866

Seems to me it is the head gasket. Hope this help

ToMuchFun

Thinking is is the head gasket she's not overheating or losing coolant city driving but I'm thinking the second I do some highway driving it'll start doing it again. Question for you guys, i talked to a mechanic and they said if the head needs to be resurfaced before being but back on it will change the compression and more than likely burn oil, any truth to this? If there is truth behind this in this event I'd probably just buy a head that hasn't and doesn't need to be shaved down. Also he said replacing the HG will raise compression and I should do the piston rings too but I saw in a thread that this is BS and at 160k if this is BS I don't feel the need to do it. As always input is appreciated.

ezone

No, that's an old wives' tale...(I've heard this since before I got into the business)........perpetuated by people who don't fully understand the cause and effect and/or heard the story from someone else and never bothered to learn for themselves some pretty basic engine fundamentals.

If the engine suffers from ring problems after the repairs, either the oil consumption problem already existed or the engine was overheated bad enough to hurt the rings.

Machining the head has zero to do with it...other than it is an indicator of just how hot the engine got during the overheat event(s).

Compression might be raised be a few hundredths of a point as the head is machined, not enough to be significant in the least...as long as the machinist adheres to published specifications.



The "raise compression" part is bullpoop.
As stated above, if it has ring problems, it was either already present or they were compromised during the overheat event(s).

The time to do rings is while the cylinder head is already off the engine though..
Depending on how much oil it already drinks between oil changes, and how long you expect the engine to run mileage wise, now might be a great time to re-ring it....while the head is off.



FYI: the exact same rings are used for the low compression version and the higher compression version of that engine.

ToMuchFun

ahhhhh yes it was the head gasket. Bought a rebuild head for $250 and have the head gasket kit on its way. This is going to be a fun project next weekend..... I'm not going to touch the piston rings though, my last civic had 200k miles on it and nothing major ever had to be done and seeing as this car never even came close the the redline on the temp gauge and I only drive it about 500 miles I don't think any damage has been done and I'm sure she'll go to 200k+ after we take care of this issue. Guess I'm rolling around in my project teggy for the next week