My black Civic started overheating two summers ago, when I was driving all over the Phoenix area. I figured out that the radiator fan was dead, but as far as I could tell, the radiator itself held pressure.
Then I got a full-time job in a cooler part of the state, realized that my radiator was cracked, but did not worry about it, because I never drove that car further than 1.4 miles.
I did not realize that a car could overheat within a few miles, even if it is cool out. I moved in with Mom and my brother with autism, got a new job, and blew the head gasket driving seven miles to training in 70° weather.
Life is harder if you are stupid.
Can you imagine how much trouble I would have saved had I replaced the radiator and fan two years ago?
I could only put my straightedge straight across the block, right in the middle, but I could not fit my .0015-inch shim anywhere underneath.
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