gFused

Hi guys, I have a question regarding replacement of my engine.

TL;DR version: I have a 2004 Civic LX with just under 120K miles. Engine needs to be replaced. Is it worth it? Will the car run without any other major issues (tranny, shocks, struts, etc) for another 2-3 years?

Background:
I have a 2004 Civic LX with just under 120K miles on it. I've been the only owner. I recently started having problems with the engine. The temperature gauge showed that the temp was maxed out, and the cabin would blow out cold air, even with the heat on. When I started driving the car, the temp gauge returned to normal and the cabin started blowing out hot air. Returning to idle (in traffic) the temp gauge would max out and cold air would start to blow out again. The mechanic suggested I replace the thermostat, which I did. It worked fine for about a month, but then the same issue started happening again. I took it back to him, he found air in the cooling system. He did a dye test and found a small leak in the head gasket. He said he could repair it, but it is time consuming and something else could go wrong in the process. He suggested replacing the engine, which would only cost a little more. My question is, is it worth it? Will I run into other issues in the near future? (Tranny, shocks, struts, etc). I would like to get at least another 2-3 (preferably 5) years out of the car. One of the reasons I bought a Honda is for its long life. 10 years, 120K doesn't seem too long.

Thanks in advance!

mikey1

huh? what else could go wrong in the process? any competent mechanic should be able to replace a head gasket without other issues arising


look into your crystal ball, i dont think anybody can answer that question for you

gFused

Thanks for your reply, according to the mechanic, he said that it was very labor intensive and "could" run into other problems while trying to fix it. His recommendation was to have the engine replaced. His quoted price for a new engine was about $2,000.

I know that no one has a crystal ball to look into that could predict the future. What I meant was, are there known issues for major malfunctions that occur around 120K miles and beyond. Is the transmission in the 7th gen Civics known to blow out? I would hate to repair/replace the engine knowing that 10K miles later, I will need to have the transmission replaced. If it happens, it happens. But if its known to happen, then I can avoid it. Does that make sense?

mikey1

if the engine overheated, then chances are the entire head would have to be replaced along with the head gasket,

you never know what you are getting with a used engine, i have heard of many people replacing their engine with a "used" engine, only to find out the head gasket in the used engine is blown,

then they are back to square one, right where they started,

so unless you are getting a really good warranty with a used engine, i would suggest fixing the one you have,

the 7th generations (01-05) do not have a very good track record with transmissions, although i personally believe the transmissions got better in the later years (04, 05) but thats just my opinion

i have an 05 with 180,000 miles with no tranny issues, for what thats worth?

Stock 99

You want to find a different mechanic. Anybody who would suggest replacing a thermostat with the symtoms you had shouldn't be touching your car. It's always a gamble whether its worth dumping money into a car which is why alot of people DIY older cars. Changing a head gasket is a time consuming process that most people think they can't do....until they do it. I changed headgaskets in 2 different Civics when I was only 17 years old. I could have done a better job but I also could have done worst. They both ran for years after.

I also agree with mikey1.....you never know what you're getting with a used engine either.

ezone

It's a car.
You solve the problem at hand, then continue driving until the next problem arises, then fix that.
Repeat.


Most used engines will need a head gasket too, sooner or later.

Seems like there are 2 engines for this series of cars: Those that have already had the head gasket replaced, and those that WILL need the head gasket replaced.



It's a significant amount of work.
If you don't have someone that is capable of doing the work properly, it can and will cost you far more than just the price of a head gasket job.

Bring it to me, I'll do the head gasket.
No, it's not a cheap job but it is cheaper than stuffing another engine in it (or trying to deal with repairing a botched and hacked up job of any type).

The dealer in the next town from me tries to sell engines instead of just changing head gaskets now. Probably a lot more money in doing it that way, but that is not a good service for the customer IMHO.
Maybe they don't employ anyone capable of replacing a head gasket, IDK.

crxmanpat

iTrader: (1)

gFused,

Are you mechanically inclined at all, or do you have any friends that are? I'm not that mechanically inclined, but I just did my own head gasket. There's a great DIY write-up here showing you how to do it, and the parts you'll need:

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...-belt-diy.html

Between that DIY and using the Shop Manual, I was able to do this job over the course of a couple weekends (I took my time as it was the first time I'd done a job this major).

gFused

Thank you everyone for your input and suggestions. crxmanpat, I have worked on my car before with a friend of mine. Nothing too major, just oil changes and brake jobs. I've never worked on the engine before, but I've been reading through the DIY link that you mentioned, and it seems like something both of us put together can take on. I can take some time with it, since I don't need this car right away. It might be something I try out. Thanks again.

mikey1

go for it,

just take your time, follow the steps, do it properly, and double check everything, if you need any help post here,

if you dont already have one, i would recommend buying a haynes manual, there is alot of good info in there with pictures, and also torque specs which are very important

when you have the head off, make sure to have a shop check it out, it might be warped if it overheated, the last thing you want to do is replace the head gasket and install a warped head,

crxmanpat

iTrader: (1)

And if you don't want to shell out for a Haynes manual, you can download the Honda Shop Manual for free here:

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...e-updated.html

I downloaded this to my 8GB USB drive, and either bring the laptop out to the car, or print off the necessary page when I'm doing some work on the car.

ezone

To you and the OP: Better make sure that the manuals you found are actually for your particular car, in the country and market you are in.

I say this because earlier I found at least one of the manual links in that thread (I think it was that thread) was for cars in some European(?) country, not US/Can. I have not rechecked recently though.

crxmanpat

iTrader: (1)

I downloaded that one, and it has specs for USDM, UKDM and JDM.