seahorse12

Hello all,
I drive a 2002 Honda Civic EX. I am here to ask some help on diagnosis of steam from my car. I was driving on the freeway, took exit ramp and suddenly saw steam coming out of my hood. I pulled into a parking lot, opened the hood and saw it coming out of the radiator pressure cap. I let it keep going, after that, opened the cap and put more radiator coolant. It took a lot of coolant and then after a while (when it reached certain level) it started steaming again. I was pouring into the radiator and not reservoir.

Checked the dip stick and engine oil is not white or gray. Some gunky material is now around the pressure cap seal area and in the cap. The passenger side fan doesnt seem to work as well (never noticed that before..maybe just went off).

Can someone guide me as to what is wrong? I have replaced the radiator myself 2 yrs back but after that it got bent once in an accident abt 1 yr back.....left it on there as it was still working...Is it the radiator, cap, thermostat, hoses or water pump that has gone bad?

Can you please tell me how to check for these....Im most afraid of water pump as that one is very expensive on labor...radiator and fan I can do myself.

Any suggestions are highly appreciated

Thanks

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

Sounds like your rad cap went bad. Well, the little rubber gasket bit on it. Replace the cap and see if it happens again.

Basically sounds like the radiator cap isn't making a seal, so a pressurized fluid (heated coolant) will find the path of least resistance to relieve pressure: your radiator cap gasket. Under normal operations, if your coolant system pressure gets to high (from say, coolant heating up), the cap acts like a relief valve and dumps coolant into the reservoir.

ezone

10-4

Er, Houston? We gotta problem.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?


Do I say it? Do I say it?
Do I say it? Do I say it?
I says it.....

Head gasket blown, with likely collateral damage to the radiator.
Possible fan problem, but probably not the cause of the head gasket failure.
Someone prove me wrong!

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Search the site for tons of posts about this:
'Overheating', 'head gasket', 'no heat', 'coolant leak'


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Blown gasket typically pushes liquid into the reservoir, causing it to overfill or spill over. Things near the reservoir may be soaked in coolant.
Most people first notice this stuff after a highway drive.

Radiator coolant level is now very low.

Then it overheats.

Now it overheated bad: Coolant boiled, causing steam. You SHOULD have noticed the temp gauge bent in half on its' way to the H mark.

The gunk in the radiator is coolant that has had the water boiled out of it.

The radiator neck and cap are likely damaged from steam erosion.
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Fans should run at the same time, both should feel like they have strong air movement. If the radiator is bent from a crash, that might shave something to do with the fan not working right?? IDK but you need to determine if it is good or bad and act accordingly.

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

How did I miss that O_o