civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
08-12-2015
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civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
Hey everyone this is my first time post but I have been on here reading for over a month now and WOW whata cool place💜👍I now feel I know more then the mechanics looking at my car.Here it is...I bought this 05 civic si ex in may of 2015 so I have only had it for 3 months😔 the car had 190,000 km on it Iknow a bit high but she is a beauty. I drive it daily and havehad it on the highway for 4 300 ml trips and smooth sailing.last week iI come off the highway and into tim Horton's drive threw and notice my temp gauge peek sailing on up to H and fast so I shut her ddown right there and held up the line.lol.popped the hood and yup coolant red spit out over everything. I cooled her down and came back with water the rad didn't need muchI.iI was able to drive home as it wasn't far and now cool the temp was fine.so the next day I bring it in to a local garage and he did a combustion test on the rad with the blue magic juice and it did NOT turn yellow .his test tube did not have a pressure squeeze ball on the end like Isee on you tube??? DDidn't know if that mattered? So he can't get it to overheat and a negative tube test he said he did a flow test and all good.he sends me on my way and says I think ur thermostat was just stuck ??? OK ??? Still no answer .so I am all over here have probably read every post and am trying all these test on my own super frustrating .I have been driving all around town not ever faster then 80 km and all is good no temp climb no rise in coolant res??? As soon as I give the engine and good go and then slow my speed tto stop itoverheats and the res is full and puking???now here is my frustration I have talked to 2 machanics now who all want to start ripping my baby apart and replacing all the small stuff thermo, fans,fanmotors,sensors ahhhhhhh they doNOT think its the head gasket and IDO!after all of these Same problems same issues on this forum which is AWSOME I believe all of you.the machanic told me to stop researching on this forum? WTF right.my problem is no one can find the problem so there for I have no solution ? Do u guys have any suggestions on my diagnosis ??? I can drive all day around town with no issue no overheating at all so in my mind the thermo is open and OK the pump is working and so r the fans am Ion tthe right track with a small leakage from HG that these dudes can't detect.I love my carand need it as a ssingle mom in nursing school iI am prepared for a high price repair I would just rather not dump $600 in the prosses of elimination game and put it towards the actual problem.sorry for rambeling guess I needed to vent😭😭😭any input is greatly appreciated💜o forgot no white smoke no oil in coolant or vise versa no signs other then overheat after a highway run and a puking reservore😔
08-12-2015
#2
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
he probably doesn't want you finding out what the problem is, when he can not 
your head gasket is blown
on a side note, you need to break that down into paragraphs.....i think im cross eyed after reading all that
your head gasket is blown
on a side note, you need to break that down into paragraphs.....i think im cross eyed after reading all that
08-12-2015
#3
The legs in the public bathroom stall
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
You say it is a Si so I am assuming it has the 2.0 liter DOHC motor. These engines are not known for blowing head gaskets. The much more common 1.7 is known for blowing head gaskets. So my question is which engine does it have?
08-12-2015
#4
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
Since she mentions the car has 190,000 km I am guessing it is a Canadian Si which would have 1.7 liter engine. Since the coolant reservoir is over flowing I would think head gasket. I agree with testing and not guessing. If you search you should find Ezone's directions on how to test for a leaking head gasket. Basically, his method is to pressurize each cylinder with 175 psi air and wait and see if the level of antifreeze in the radiator rises. How long you have to wait would depend on how bad the leak. Some of the people that have run the test with positive results may be able to give you an idea of how long to pressurized each cylinder.
08-12-2015
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This us awesome feedback guys thank u so much .on thing that I'm stuck on is why the car will only overheat after a long run on the highway ???? Like I said I can drive around town all day long and no spike in heat it drives like a dream.on person told me that the resob is with a small HG leak it will take a lot for the pressure to build up in the reserve?? Is this true od r what would be a logical explanation.and yes its a 1.7 liter from Victoria b.c?
08-12-2015
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Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
First thread in the top of this page. If you like to write that much, I gather you will like to read 
Push enter key every once in a while. It helps who reads. Gold rule to great talkers.
Push enter key every once in a while. It helps who reads. Gold rule to great talkers.
08-13-2015
#7
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
The reason is.... It doesn't overheat until the radiator level gets too low.
When a head gasket leaks on one of these, the leak is between a combustion chamber and the cooling system, and as the leak pressurizes the cooling system...... the liquid is displaced from the radiator into the reservoir (which may or may not overflow). When enough liquid has been pushed out of the radiator to adversely affect heat transfer, the engine overheats.
If the head gasket leakage is very very slow it can take several hundred miles before enough liquid is displaced from the radiator to cause a noticeable overheat problem.
If you stop and refill the radiator you can drive a long time again before the overheat returns.
If it's the middle of winter, you may never see an overheat on the gauge but you surely would notice the heater does not work right.
If it's the middle of summer, it's easy to overheat the engine.
If you keep overheating it, or get a severe overheat, there can be significant damage.
HTH
When a head gasket leaks on one of these, the leak is between a combustion chamber and the cooling system, and as the leak pressurizes the cooling system...... the liquid is displaced from the radiator into the reservoir (which may or may not overflow). When enough liquid has been pushed out of the radiator to adversely affect heat transfer, the engine overheats.
If the head gasket leakage is very very slow it can take several hundred miles before enough liquid is displaced from the radiator to cause a noticeable overheat problem.
If you stop and refill the radiator you can drive a long time again before the overheat returns.
If it's the middle of winter, you may never see an overheat on the gauge but you surely would notice the heater does not work right.
If it's the middle of summer, it's easy to overheat the engine.
If you keep overheating it, or get a severe overheat, there can be significant damage.
HTH
Last edited by ezone; 08-13-2015 at 12:24 AM.
08-13-2015
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Ahhh I see this makes sense to me now thank you for all your help.I am going to start my journay on getting estimates and seeing who has some Honda knowledge and would suit the job best as I want it done right.on the sad side I have to wait for my inharitense until I have that kinda money.I will not take it on any long drive or go on the highway.
It won't over heat when I'm just going A-B kids to school
and groceries kinda thing. I hope I can have it fixed within 2 months max.
Do you guys see a problem with me driving short intervals when the car
Isn't overheating at all? Can theses small leaks grow into big ones fast?the last
Thing I want to do is destroy and seize my engine????
It won't over heat when I'm just going A-B kids to school
and groceries kinda thing. I hope I can have it fixed within 2 months max.
Do you guys see a problem with me driving short intervals when the car
Isn't overheating at all? Can theses small leaks grow into big ones fast?the last
Thing I want to do is destroy and seize my engine????
08-13-2015
#9
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
It won't over heat when I'm just going A-B kids to school
and groceries kinda thing.
and groceries kinda thing.
Check and fill the radiator daily.
I don't know when your weather gets cold up there, but if you top the radiator off with plain water----- if the antifreeze gets diluted enough it will freeze and can cause more damage.
08-14-2015
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OK so my first estimate was $1800 Canadian dollars wow!!! The guy told me a bunch of stuff should be done while they are in there.I don't know what the needs are that should be done .I would rather not replace a bunch of stuff that doesn't need replacing .however I do understand doing the stuff that is accessible while they r in there.any help with the main needs I should have done at the time of the HG???
08-14-2015
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OK so my first estimate was $1800 Canadian dollars wow!!! The guy told me a bunch of stuff should be done while they are in there.I don't know what the needs are that should be done .I would rather not replace a bunch of stuff that doesn't need replacing .however I do understand doing the stuff that is accessible while they r in there.any help with the main needs I should have done at the time of the HG???
08-14-2015
#12
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
OK so my first estimate was $1800 Canadian dollars wow!!! The guy told me a bunch of stuff should be done while they are in there.I don't know what the needs are that should be done .I would rather not replace a bunch of stuff that doesn't need replacing .however I do understand doing the stuff that is accessible while they r in there.any help with the main needs I should have done at the time of the HG???
other considerations would be....
- timing belt tensioner
- water pump
- 2 drive belts
on a side note that price seems a bit high
08-15-2015
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Thank guys that helps .ya $1800 seems a bit steep to me as well I'm going to keep getting estimates.I will keep you posted on the final result of everything����
08-21-2015
#16
Dr Krieger of Modification
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
If the rad is on full but still overheats and there is no sludgey, milky residue in the rad. then you may not have a head gasket issue.
If you take it for a rip and get the temperature up, and turn your heat on in the car, and it blows cold then your thermostat is not opening and needs to be replaced.
If you take her for a rip and it heats up and the fans do not turn on it is probably a fuse or the fan switch.
(an easy way to test the fan switch if this looks like the issue, is to unplug the switch and jump the plug while the vehicle is running and hot, if the fans turn on, your switch is fried and need to be replaced... this happened to me).
Check for if your heat blows and the fans turn on before you pay for anything.
If you take it for a rip and get the temperature up, and turn your heat on in the car, and it blows cold then your thermostat is not opening and needs to be replaced.
If you take her for a rip and it heats up and the fans do not turn on it is probably a fuse or the fan switch.
(an easy way to test the fan switch if this looks like the issue, is to unplug the switch and jump the plug while the vehicle is running and hot, if the fans turn on, your switch is fried and need to be replaced... this happened to me).
Check for if your heat blows and the fans turn on before you pay for anything.
08-24-2015
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Thanks Mac 25 but the thing is it only overheats after coming off the highway from a hour or longer trip or if I have put the car under a heavy load like a few huge hills and lots of people in the car???no one has yet diagnosed my problem and I am still driving around doing my daily arruns and it will not overheat but I can't leave town or have to many people in the car. I have heat and My fans turn on when they should .at this point Ifeel it is a small small leak in the hg that takes awhile to build pressure up to come puking out the overflow. That's the only thing that makes sense at this point. No machanic yet can tell me what's wrong .I had one guy think it could be a small leak in the hg but not 100% sure!very very frustrating .Honda dealership gave me an estimate of $1300 for hg water pump and timing ? I feel at this point this may fix my problem as I have heard other members with the same car same issues and the hg job fixed it.????????????
08-24-2015
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No machanic yet can tell me what's wrong .I had one guy think it could be a small leak in the hg but not 100% sure!very very frustrating .Honda dealership gave me an estimate of $1300 for hg water pump and timing ? I feel at this point this may fix my problem as I have heard other members with the same car same issues and the hg job fixed it.????????????
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...reference.html
First off, i never had an overheating except when on the track - i need a oil cooler...
Also, do not post questions here, no one wants to read for 100 pages of the same thing being asked continuously to find actual useful information.
I am currently trying to diagnose if my HG is actually starting to go bad...
Plus the annual influx of overheating threads are starting to raise since spring - talk about winter tires questions during fall, for example
Anyway, the thing is that the Civic engine is not diagnosed as most of the other cars, rarely you will see coolant in the oil, or oil in the coolant, or leakage or any other common diagnose for overheating.
The top culprit is: the head gasket going out. It will slowly let the combustion gases pass through the gasket to the coolant.
What then happens?
1) The gases will heat the coolant
2) The gases will create bubbles inside the engine, reducing heat transfer
3) The gases will push the collant out of the reservoir.
A good giveaway are:
1) if when you open the rad cap there is "air", not coolant.
2) Heater blows only cold air. (could be a dead heater core, though...)
3) Coolant overflows the coolant tank - This is already on the extreme cases.
If these symptons are there, perform a gases test in the coolant - since they are combustion gases, they will be detected.
If positive above, need to change the head gasket.
Now, comes the trick part: If you drove too long with it overheating, you run the chances that the head itself warped due to heat. If so, need to take head to a machine shop to ensure that the mounting surface is even, as to not allow leakage (if warped, the gasket cannot conform to the warped surface and the new gasket will simply let gases pass.
If the noted above is not your case, then start checking for fans not working, leakages, and oh, the radiator cap - use always the honda. Aftermarket ones tend to cause troubles.
If your case is not listed in here please post a new thread with your case and when solved, it will be later updated in here.
There is another thread, but it is more general so i thought it could be misleading - it was not written for hondas.
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/7...ml#post1862929
one iof the last posters did correct the info, so i am posting it with the gasket in the top.
how to test? cheap way 1: Thanks, Scotty!)
Cheap method 2: (Thanks, ezone!, including your "own style" comment :P)
Half of the bad head gaskets I see on this engine will pass every test you guys have mentioned. These almost never leak externally. These almost always leak from the combustion chamber into the cooling system, and that's it. That's all.
My procedure:
Start with a hot engine, pull out plugs and rad cap:
Pressurize each cylinder (@TDC, one at a time) with shop air line pressure 150-170+ PSI. Watch for the coolant level to rise when you get to the bad one. (sometimes this is a slow process)
If no results, then wait for the engine to cool down and repeat this same procedure on each cylinder.
If it passes this test, then it's probably ok right now. see original thread here - more details in there.
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...-ex-coupe.html
If anyone have more insight info, feel free to contribute
regards
Also, do not post questions here, no one wants to read for 100 pages of the same thing being asked continuously to find actual useful information.
I am currently trying to diagnose if my HG is actually starting to go bad...
Plus the annual influx of overheating threads are starting to raise since spring - talk about winter tires questions during fall, for example
Anyway, the thing is that the Civic engine is not diagnosed as most of the other cars, rarely you will see coolant in the oil, or oil in the coolant, or leakage or any other common diagnose for overheating.
The top culprit is: the head gasket going out. It will slowly let the combustion gases pass through the gasket to the coolant.
What then happens?
1) The gases will heat the coolant
2) The gases will create bubbles inside the engine, reducing heat transfer
3) The gases will push the collant out of the reservoir.
A good giveaway are:
1) if when you open the rad cap there is "air", not coolant.
2) Heater blows only cold air. (could be a dead heater core, though...)
3) Coolant overflows the coolant tank - This is already on the extreme cases.
If these symptons are there, perform a gases test in the coolant - since they are combustion gases, they will be detected.
If positive above, need to change the head gasket.
Now, comes the trick part: If you drove too long with it overheating, you run the chances that the head itself warped due to heat. If so, need to take head to a machine shop to ensure that the mounting surface is even, as to not allow leakage (if warped, the gasket cannot conform to the warped surface and the new gasket will simply let gases pass.
If the noted above is not your case, then start checking for fans not working, leakages, and oh, the radiator cap - use always the honda. Aftermarket ones tend to cause troubles.
If your case is not listed in here please post a new thread with your case and when solved, it will be later updated in here.
There is another thread, but it is more general so i thought it could be misleading - it was not written for hondas.
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/7...ml#post1862929
one iof the last posters did correct the info, so i am posting it with the gasket in the top.
^^^ actually the people who know alot have HAD OR are having the problems arent saying much cause this is a common problem and if u DO know what ur talking about like some of us do. THEN u can easily reconize the symptoms and fix the gasket in a coupe hours time.
needless to say that 99% of modified Honda's meaning MODIFIED..(turbo,nos,full built N/A job.etc...) have this problem.
the fastest honda's todate still use oem gaskets and let them BLOW..
its better to have a gasket blow, reconize it, fix it for 30 bucks and move on... then have a heavy duty gasket.. hold up and risk the engine blowning via broken rods, pistons, block... and have to start all over with a new engine.
so THAT IS why so many head gaskets blow..
needless to say that 99% of modified Honda's meaning MODIFIED..(turbo,nos,full built N/A job.etc...) have this problem.
the fastest honda's todate still use oem gaskets and let them BLOW..
its better to have a gasket blow, reconize it, fix it for 30 bucks and move on... then have a heavy duty gasket.. hold up and risk the engine blowning via broken rods, pistons, block... and have to start all over with a new engine.
so THAT IS why so many head gaskets blow..
Good numbers. Well under 10% variation too.
Stick the reservoir hose in a container of water set up where you can see it, watch for bubbles coming up while you let it run?
All you need is a way to see the coolant level change or air bubbles coming up through it. I mentioned the funnel because that is what I use, most convenient for me.
Some of them don't want to leak much until the engine has a load on it, and pressure in the radiator reduces how much gets past the head gasket.
It's like $32, and damn handy if you do any regular work on cars. http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24610-Sp.../dp/B001A4EAV0
Too many will pass this test, yet still have a head gasket problem. Not reliable enough for me.
Correct.
Stick the reservoir hose in a container of water set up where you can see it, watch for bubbles coming up while you let it run?
All you need is a way to see the coolant level change or air bubbles coming up through it. I mentioned the funnel because that is what I use, most convenient for me.
Some of them don't want to leak much until the engine has a load on it, and pressure in the radiator reduces how much gets past the head gasket.
It's like $32, and damn handy if you do any regular work on cars. http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-24610-Sp.../dp/B001A4EAV0
Too many will pass this test, yet still have a head gasket problem. Not reliable enough for me.
Correct.
So blown head gasket it is then
I attached some rubber tubing to where the overflow reservoir hose attaches to the radiator filler neck and immersed the other end in an open container full of coolant. Please see attached video to the see the bubbles:
There are no bubbles at idle but you can clearly see a stream of bubbles when I rev it up.
Is this enough confirmation of a blown HG to warrant removing the head and replacing the gasket?
I attached some rubber tubing to where the overflow reservoir hose attaches to the radiator filler neck and immersed the other end in an open container full of coolant. Please see attached video to the see the bubbles:
There are no bubbles at idle but you can clearly see a stream of bubbles when I rev it up.
Is this enough confirmation of a blown HG to warrant removing the head and replacing the gasket?
Cheap method 2: (Thanks, ezone!, including your "own style" comment :P)
Compression test will not show you this problem.
I would stick a funnel-fill funnel on the radiator
and let it run, watch for an endless slow stream of bubbles coming up.
If the engine seems to never finish burping its air out, then my next step is to put shop air pressure on each cylinder to see and prove which one is leaking.
I'm darn lazy and I don't like pulling a head without definite proof, and that test is proof enough for me.
You have read threads where I talk more about this method, right?
I would stick a funnel-fill funnel on the radiator
and let it run, watch for an endless slow stream of bubbles coming up.
If the engine seems to never finish burping its air out, then my next step is to put shop air pressure on each cylinder to see and prove which one is leaking.
I'm darn lazy and I don't like pulling a head without definite proof, and that test is proof enough for me.
You have read threads where I talk more about this method, right?
Half of the bad head gaskets I see on this engine will pass every test you guys have mentioned. These almost never leak externally. These almost always leak from the combustion chamber into the cooling system, and that's it. That's all.
My procedure:
Start with a hot engine, pull out plugs and rad cap:
Pressurize each cylinder (@TDC, one at a time) with shop air line pressure 150-170+ PSI. Watch for the coolant level to rise when you get to the bad one. (sometimes this is a slow process)
If no results, then wait for the engine to cool down and repeat this same procedure on each cylinder.
If it passes this test, then it's probably ok right now.
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...-ex-coupe.html
If anyone have more insight info, feel free to contribute
regards
08-24-2015
#19
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Re: civic chick overheating after a long trip! 2005 SI EX
No machanic yet can tell me what's wrong .
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