Rep Power: 0

Hello all, I'm new to this board, but not new to car forums.

Long time http://www.mx6.com and http://forums.probetalk.com and a couple others.

My friend owns a 2005 Honda Civic Lx, 107,xxx miles. Recently, he rear-ended someone, the damage was pretty minimal, in fact, it didn't even bust the radiator, but it did bend it.

Radiator was replaced, and other body work.

Ever since then, the car just randomly overheats.

We've replaced the Thermostat, timing belt and water pump (thanks to RedDawn's nice *** DIY on the timing belt...that helped me a lot!).

It is such a random thing, we've also "burped" the system, I'm beginning to suspect the head gasket, but it doesn't show the typical steam coming out of tail pipe and what not.

I'm now wondering if it is the damn thermo-switch and/or relay for the fans!!

It is so freakin' random! he might go 500 miles with 0 issues, then out of the blue, it overtemps.

About to get it pressure tested, and check the head gasket...but dayumm!!

 
Rep Power: 313

To check the fans turn on the AC in the car and see if they come on, they both should.

To check a head gasket, check for exhaust gases in the coolant system. Most reputable shops will do this for you and it is the absolute best way to check it. A compression test will not tell you if your head gasket is toast, it will tell you if you have lost compression though.

Is he losing coolant? Is the overflow reservoir overfilling? Did you burp the system properly with the heat on full blast and the front of the car jacked up? To me it really sounds like there is air in the system.

A pretty good way to bleed the system is to leave the rad cap off overnight and fill it in the morning. That's after you have done a regular bleed though.

I hope this helps even a little bit. Keep us posted and reply with some answers and I'll try to go from there.

 
Rep Power: 0

I did the front of the car jacked up...but not the full blast heat....never thought of that.

How can you check for exhaust gases in the coolant system?

The fans are working, they turn on with the A/C....The only thing I told him, was that maybe they are randomly not turning on....then causing the overtemping.

Man, this is VERY frustrating!!

The only time he seems to lose coolant is when the damn radiator boils over during an overtemp. The fluid sprays out of the overfill reseviour.

This sucks ***** man....I can do the head gasket...but I'm not a pro...LOL.

Lastly...while I've got the freakin' head off....how big a deal is it to put a DOHC head on it? I know very little about Honda...but I know they can be souped up (obviously you should start with an V-Tech Engine...).

If the head is warped, he may want to pick up a higher performance head.

 
Rep Power: 209

Don't mean to be an ***, but v-tech makes phones. Our engines have v-tec. just an FYI so you don't annoy some people on these forums off.

About your problem, it sounds like you've already checked everything it could be. you might be onto something with the fans not working randomly. maybe a loose connection? sorry I couldn't help, but good luck.

 
Rep Power: 313

He blew a head gasket. By what your telling me I'm almost positive it's not the fans.

Here is a great great video on how to check your head gasket:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA7KVQq9vKA

No DOHC, and no performance head. It's a D17, so unless he is planning to go on turbo you don't need a performance head, I don't even know of anyone that makes one for this engine. It all depends on how bad he overheated it, if he let it run in the red it's probably warped and will need a new head.

Before you go digging at the head gasket replace the rad cap, you might get lucky

Good luck with it.

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks for the input guys.

Regarding the V-Tech vs. V-Tec, yeah, I guess I was just in a hurry typing.

Do people really get douchey about this? LOL.

I'm thinking head gasket too....but we still haven't figured out what caused the initial overheating!! The overheating that would cause the head gasket to go out.

Or do these cars have a tendency to blow head gaskets around 100,000 miles?

 
Rep Power: 0

It is the head gasket. I have 2 theories:

1. When he got the repair done from the body shop (they replaced the radiator amongst other things), someone must have not properly burped it, or initially didn't put enough coolant in it, and allowed it to overheat. Damaging the head gasket.

2. The head gasket was defective, and was about to go out, and just so happened he had a wreck shortly before it went out....

# 1 seems more likely.

Any writeups about how to do this?

 
Rep Power: 313

I'll make a DIY in the morning for you... I'm on nights tonight otherwise I'd do it for you now. I can probably come up with enough pictures on the forum to do a nice DIY. I've been meaning to do it anyway. Before you start, go to the local automotive store and get a Hex 50mm Crank Pulley Remover tool specific to honda. You can't do the job without it.