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Hey guys need some help on my car. I replaced the thermostat about 3 weeks ago. Just a few days ago my car starts to randomly over heat when its in idle or at at stop light. It wont always happen but so far once ever few days. However when I start driving it cools down. both fans do come on when. Could it be a bad thermostat? or could it be a head gasket?

 
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Is your reserve/overfllow bottle full and spewing coolant?

 
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If there's no oil in the coolant, i wouldn't think the head gasket right away. If you don't resurface the cylinder head, a cheap headgasket can **** up. Usually if your old headgasket ****s up, it either ****s something up, or something ****ed it up.

Thermostats generally are known to stick. Feel the lower rad hose, is it warm/hot after driving? You're thermostat is working fine.

AIR. AIR AIR AIR. I helped my girl fix her overheating problem like this. She has a 3.8L v6. New thermostat, coolant. She knows cars so I went over it over the phone. Fans working? Lower hose warm? Her timing was overdue so I was suspecting water pump.

NOPE. AIR AIR AIR. Got all the air out? Try the **** again it's probably the air.

 
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The civic probably will not show oil in radiator, or collant in the oil. Why did you replace the thermostat? Probably the engine was not comeing to temp, or the heater is not working. Anyway you can do all the test here, but if you're collant overflow is high and you are having the symptoms you mentioned, there is a head gasket in your future. Do not screw around in denial to long. If you catch it soon enough you may not have to have the head machined.
I have come to the conclusion I am going to change my thermostat as a regular maintenance thing. I have done 4 head gaskets and everyone one started as, hey dad, how come the heat does not work on my civic.

 
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Low coolant level in the radiator?

Most of the common overheating answers were in the thread you originally tried to post in. Someone else moved your post.

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...ml#post4704424