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hi, i recently bought my first Honda in april, LA, CA. it's a 92 civic Lx, manual transmission with over 250K miles on it at the time of purchase. i did a tune-up first thing the nxt day, all the basics. ran gr8 n everything wrkd well until i moved to phoenix 2 weeks ago. one of the rubber hoses started leaking coolant n causing the car to heat. replaced it n a few days l8r another popped while on the freeway causing to overheat. i think it's the summer heat. cuz i can barely touch the steering wheel, the gear, or the dashboard when i leave for wrk at 10:30am! i don't regret buying the car cuz i love my civic n i've always wanted to customize a Honda.
my main questions are that 1) if it's the heat that the car can't take, wat r the things i need to replace for my car to achieve the standard a car needs in this desert state? and 2) wat kind of insulation wrk will help keep the inside of the car cooler when i leave the car out in the sun for a couple hours?
i'm not that gud with parts or DIY, but won't regret getting my hands dirty. i'm also new to this forum and will appreciate it gr8ly for any word of help frm the xperts! thanking in advance for ur time n help.
peace;
3dnan

PS: the car doesn't seem to have any aftermarket parts. totally stock bumper-to-pumper. sad...

 
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Welcome to the forum. I'm not sure why the hoses are going on you except maybe they are getting old? The other question is, its hot but is the car overheating regularly?

Tinting your windows is the best way to protect the interior, and keeping your coolant fresh and properly mixed is the best way to protect your engine from hot, hot days. Nevertheless, many people drive their cars in very hot places and don't have many problems.

Good luck!

 
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I've got a '92 Civic LX and have had a lot of 100 degree days in it with no broken hoses. In Oklhoma it doesn't get as hot as Phoenix, but it does get hotter than most places. I'd guess they were old hoses that were just ready to go. Nothing lasts forever.

 
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thnx for the input. u could be right bout the parts getting old cuz the previous owner didn't do any wrk on the car at all. n the ans to ur Q is NO. it didn't overheat for the first couple of days. the first time it happened n i popped the hood, i could hear a 'hissing' sound like frm a pressure cooker! when the other pipe went out after 2 days, same sound n the car started to over heat. it's ruuning smooth after replacing the hoses, but i'm always worried not knowing when another hose is gonna give up on me. thnx for sharing ur knowledge.
3dnan

 
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yeah, very true. it's jus that i was so anxious on buying myself a honada that i never took a closer look minor details. i've noticed, from the very nxt day of buying the car, that the prvious owner treated he car like a donkey! no offense but thas how it looked! the tires are probably over 3 yrs old. the seats baaad, messed up clutch, etc. etc... i mean the car is a golden opportunity for some1 wanting to practice DIYs on a car! i can't bear to c a honda in such a possition as mine. it's not only embarrassing to me but the car as well, c'mon it's a honda for god's sake!
the thing is that i really don't know how to start maintaining the car. should i wait for something to get messed up n then fix it or pick a part n totally replace it with a new one? i'm planning on doing a paint job, add body kit, n add new seats. u know to get my honda n myself some much awaited att'n frm the ladies! but the thing is that looking good on the out side n sitting in comfy new seats isn't enough. it's gotta run, sound, n feel gud too. won't b a gud scene to c a customized car stranded at the roadside cuz of a busted rubber hose! i want to know what would b the proper way to kick off with wrk on the car? what r the must replace parts on the list? let me remind u again that this car probably never ever had any (if not most) of the parts serviced. heck, frm my exprience i don't even think the car even had a regular tune-up in the past couple of yrs. the owner told me at the time of sale that he used to "check n fill" the oils!
any who, i know i'm being to buggy. it's jus that i'm very desperate need some advice frm the experts out there. oosaaaa... thnx again in advance.
peace;
3dnan

 
Rep Power: 313

I recommend not to put a body kit on it and other unecessary things. It is a 92 after all, spend the money maintaining it and taking good care of it rather than putting expensive aftermarket parts on it. Start by replacing the worn out clutch and such. There is tons of maintenance information on this website that you could sift through and do all the maintenance you need to do. Get the car running right, then get the car looking right. If you have money left over after that... spend it on aftermarket parts.

It's too bad some people just don't take care of their cars. I have some friends that let their car go and all I can do is shake my head.

 
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I'd replace hoses and belts first, including the timing belt since you don't know when (or even if) it's been changed.

 
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Holy poop. I don't mean to be a grammar **** or anything, but holy hell - you have some of the worst txt speak I've ever seen. Ever. In a million years.

To answer some of your questions - before adding any fancy things to the car, get it running properly first - fix your clutch, get some new tires, and fix your aging hoses and cooling system so your car can handle the heat.

 
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yeah, i know how that feels. u'r right about tgetting the car running right then get it looking right. thnx a lot. thas exactly what i was trying to figure out. cuz i was planning on jus jumping into it n do a bit of this n a bit of that. thnx again.
peace;
3dnan

 
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okmic1: I'd replace hoses and belts first, including the timing belt since you don't know when (or even if) it's been changed.



yup, thnx for bringing that up 'okmic1'. i'd completely forgotten about it. i'll write that down on the to-do list. really appreciate ur input, no matter how little the info it helps me in getting my car fixed.
thnx;
3dnan