Rep Power: 0

I helped my son buy a 2002 Honda Civic LX so he could get to his new job 3 weeks after we bought it the transmission went. We went to a junkyard which guaranteed the one they gave us would work we went through 3 till one finally worked. After we finally got the 3rd one to work the car then started overheating so now we have replaced the thermostat, cap, and radiator and still was overheating while he tested it he shut it down. Now it won't even start please help I started out paying $1500 for this car and it is killing me now I expected that it is a used car and things would go wrong but this is ridiculous

Thanks for any help

 
Rep Power: 209

oh boy, sounds like you bought a money pit,

the most common cause of overheating with these engines is a blown head gasket, but would need more info to verify that,

is your rad overflow bottle filling up with coolant all the way to the top?.....if so, that would be more evidence to support my suspicion,

is the rad level going down, and the overflow level getting really high?

 
Rep Power: 229

make sure the fans fire up when it is hot, if they do not you may have a blown fan switch. It is located right under the thermostat. If the fans do not turn on while hot, unplug the fans switch then jump the plug together with a wire, if the fans fire up you know the switch needs to be replaced, if not then there is a wiring issue or the fans don't work. to test the fans hook them up to the battery directly.

 
Rep Power: 0

So I just had this same issue and did some working to get mine fixed. Check the relays for them (Located in the fuse block in the engine bay), check the fuse (same place), Check for power at the plug for both fans, check to see if both fans or if just one turns on. If only one comes on chances are a fan replacement is needed, if it's both it could be related to thermos switch on the water housing (as some one has already stated). I ordered a fan from Rockauto (Cost me $55) and I'm impressed by the fitment and quality of the product and the fan itself is ball bearing as well.

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks to everyone who posted, well my son blew the head gasket while driving it when it was overheating, so add that to the list of things we are fixing. I think to myself is this really worth fixing but you know what we already put all this money into it so why not finish it. I thought Honda's were suppose to be great cars ugggg. My son started working for a Honda dealer after school which made him want this Honda needless to say what a mistake. I love the style of it and so does he but if we can just get it going that would be great. After he fixes the head gasket he needs to still figure out the reason it is overheating to begin with. He is just out of school so he thinks he knows everything lol but he does not. thanks for any help and ideas

 
Rep Power: 209

chances are the blown head gasket is whats causing the overheating

 
Rep Power: 0

I was just about to say the same thing, there's a thing with this gen. civic that the Head Gasket will blow and cause exhaust gases to pressurize the coolant system and into the reservoir.