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Problem: My engine is overheating. Whenever I drive in stop-and-go traffic for 30-45+ minutes my car starts to overheat -- in cold weather, hot weather, with the air conditioner on or off, with the air vent on or off (although, I’ve noticed that driving with the air vents on the blue/cool setting will make the car overheat faster than if I dive with the ac on).
Additional Info:
The temperature gauge will almost immediately return to near-normal levels upon turning my heater on. The car doesn't overheat with freeway driving.
My timing belt was just replaced. I have no blockages in the hoses. The hoses are new. The thermostat was also just replaced. The radiator has been flushed. The coolant mixture is balanced to the correct levels and does not fluctuate when my car overheats. My oil levels do fluctuate, however: when my car overheats, the oil levels drop. I don’t have an oil leak, nor is their any sign of water mixing with my oil (i.e. a murky gray film or color on the underside of the oil filler cap) nor does my car begin to smoke or let off steam when it overheats.
The fan seems to be working (when idling, the car will heat up, but the fan will turn on when the temp gauge climbs about to the mid point -- cooling the engine back to the normal temp. However, when I drive in stop/go traffic, the temp gauge climbs to the highest point, and will only drop once I turn on the heater on full blast), but my mechanic still thinks that my fan switch may be the problem. I just had the 100k tune-up.
Knowing absolutely nothing about cars, I asked my mechanic about the possibility of a blown, cracked, or otherwise damaged head gasket (which seems to be the consensus diagnoses in other forums dealing with similar issues) -- he scoffed and said that wasn't the problem. Hopefully, he’s right. That would be a huge kick in the pants.
Anyone have any idea why my car is overheating?
Thanks.
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did you change your water pump? usually your suppose to change your water pump with the timing belt? could just be a dying water pump, i would double check the fan and thermostat since there a lot cheaper to fix first.
__________________ 04 Civic Coupe with aero kit =sold
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Get your coolant tested for emission gasses in your coolant.
Replace your thermostat.
Check your upper radiator hose and make sure its hard when the car is at operating temperature, if not replace your radiator cap.
Do your fans come on?
It's your head gasket not the water pump or thermostat if those went bad your car would overheat a lot faster then you are describing. I would first bleed the coolant system cause you probably have an air bubble in the line once that is out it should stop overheating if it continues then it is definitely a head gasket and it is pushing air into your system
I agree make sure you dont have any air pockets in the system. Put your car nose up and then take off the radiator cap with the heat on and add coolant until its full
i had the same problem with my civic. it would go from in the middle of c and hott and would slowly climb when i was stoped and when i would go down the road it would start to go down then up a little. and when i was at a drive thru it would spike hott.it would get so hott that the thin hose that went from the top of the radiator to the return bottle would pressure up and blow the hose completly off. all i did to fix the problem is i changed the radiator and the hoses and added new antifreeze and my problem was solved.
I agree make sure you dont have any air pockets in the system. Put your car nose up and then take off the radiator cap with the heat on and add coolant until its full
What?
The car does not need to be nose up in fact it is better if the car is level if it is up you can still get air stuck in little cavities.
to bleed the system: undo the radiator cap with the car cold. start the car up and wait sit there with a pitcher of water watching it. if there is nothing wrong with your system the coolant will just sit there if there is air it will push coolant out of the were the radiator cap goes if it pushes any out just fill it up with some water keep doing this till it stops it can take up to a half an hour to do this. If it just doesn't stop that head gasket is fried and you need to change it quick.
usually when head gaskets start to go the only push air into the system at the higher rpms at first cause their is more pressure at the high rpms eventually it gets worse and worse till it just pushes air all the time.
i had the same problem with my civic. it would go from in the middle of c and hott and would slowly climb when i was stoped and when i would go down the road it would start to go down then up a little. and when i was at a drive thru it would spike hott.it would get so hott that the thin hose that went from the top of the radiator to the return bottle would pressure up and blow the hose completly off. all i did to fix the problem is i changed the radiator and the hoses and added new antifreeze and my problem was solved.
Sounds like the old anti freeze in your car congealed I have seen that happen to not as common though and it usually happens when some one or some shop mixes in the wrong anti freeze into the car. basically makes jello in your radiator. funny but not really fun
It still could be your head gasket. Sometimes headgaskets will crack and leak into the exhaust port. Which might or might not be the problem. Just smell your exhaust fumes. If the fumes smell sweet, go get it checked out. If not. Its more then likly one of the simple solutions above.
The car does not need to be nose up in fact it is better if the car is level if it is up you can still get air stuck in little cavities.
to bleed the system: undo the radiator cap with the car cold. start the car up and wait sit there with a pitcher of water watching it. if there is nothing wrong with your system the coolant will just sit there if there is air it will push coolant out of the were the radiator cap goes if it pushes any out just fill it up with some water keep doing this till it stops it can take up to a half an hour to do this. If it just doesn't stop that head gasket is fried and you need to change it quick.
usually when head gaskets start to go the only push air into the system at the higher rpms at first cause their is more pressure at the high rpms eventually it gets worse and worse till it just pushes air all the time.
no the air rises the coolant sinks, its better to have the nose higher so the air can come out.
Sounds like the old anti freeze in your car congealed I have seen that happen to not as common though and it usually happens when some one or some shop mixes in the wrong anti freeze into the car. basically makes jello in your radiator. funny but not really fun
thats kinda what it was. i never changed it since i had got the car and i guess it got clogged somewhere. i had got a radiator off of my friends wrecked 05 civic. it was off a automatic and i have a 5 speed so i had to not use the lines that the oil lines went to on the bottom so i used the hose to cap them off and the car runs fine.
