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Hello everyone I'm sorta new here. My 2003 honda civic ex is having overheating issues. The problem is i'm 8 hrs away from home and 6 hrs away from where the i'm heading. Last night while driving my car started overheating. I replaced the thermostat last week. Also while driving last night when it first started overheating I let it cool down and poured more coolant in the car. The temp guage was fine until 3 hrs later. It started overheating again. I heard that headgasket is a common problem with this vehicle. If so I'm in big trouble.

 
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I think the fan is not working? I don't hear it running?

 
Rep Power: 193

If it's overheating when you're going down the freeway it's not a fan problem. If the fan isn't coming on when the temp gauge starts to rise over where it normally sits it's probably b/c of low coolant/air in the system.

If you are going through coolant and have no leaks I would worry about the HG. They tend to leak more on a long road trip due to sustained high RPM's which increases the pressure in the cooling system.

You can make it another 6 hours, just keep a 2-3 gallons of water in the trunk. Pull over if the temp gauge starts to rise, let it cool off and add water to the radiator.

 
Rep Power: 352

you prob didnt seat the thermostat and its gasket correctly.

did u change out the whole thermostat assembly+the gasket?

i know i had this problem.

you also ONLY want to buy the OEM thermostat at well. dont buy aftermarket.

 
Rep Power: 367

drive back while keeping an eye on temp, stop, let cool and fill in when it rises, and figure problem out when you get home and pray it's not too expensive. most likely it will survive long enough to get you home.
unfortunately, it should have been tested more before the trip, not right after. could get pricey now to run, but you did not give yourself the chance to let it be less pricey.

 
Rep Power: 518

If it gets hot after 3 hours driving, then stop and refill it every hour LONG BEFORE it gets hot.

Yours isn't all that bad. Mine was much worse.

I made a 6 hour trip in an old 1984 Mazda 626....it blew the head gasket while I was there for the week, and I had to drive it back with the blown head gasket.

If the radiator was full when i shut it off, it would hydrolock when I cranked it.

I drove it home stopping every 30 minutes to refill, blowing a huge cloud of steam behind me the entire time.

Did the head gasket the next morning.
Didn't warp the head, never let it get hot.
Rings were toast from the antifreeze, and the 180,000 miles on the engine. LOL

 
Rep Power: 253

Is your heat hot?

It could just be air in the line.

 
Rep Power: 186

Did you make sure the little nipple thing flopping around on the thermostat was in the straight up position?

I asked this because it's soul purpose is to help purge air from the cooling system.

Yeah, I heard they're problem to if you let the engine overheat due to poor maintenance or neglect.