Team Honda Thread

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by darcane

Damn.

Looks like I may have bad news to report with my Civic too.

Started getting some high coolant temp readings (205-215°F) so it was time to take off my lower grill block. Pulled it off.

The next day I was still getting the high readings. Popped the hood and coolant had spilled a little out of the reservoir. Let it cool down and the radiator is low.

I'm pretty sure that means it's headgasket time....

Oh no! Coolant in the oil?

[Superfuelgero]

Might've just placed an air pocket in it. I thought I popped my hg on my first grill block. Turns out, venting the purge (on the thermostat housing) a few times cleared it right up.

[Fat Charlie]

I hate bad head gaskets.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Oh no! Coolant in the oil?

No...

But D17s are notorious for headgaskets and usually don't show the normal signs. Typically they fail by deteriorating between the combustion chamber and the coolant passages and combustion gases seep into the coolant. This displaces the coolant into the overflow reservoir (which spills out) and the gas pockets lead to odd temperature fluctuations.

I'm picking up a combustion leak test kit tonight which should verify my suspicions.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by darcane

I'm picking up a combustion leak test kit tonight which should verify my suspicions.

I hope it gives you the diagnostic info you need. Update on the results. I'd be interested, as I think it is possible mine is beginning to go... some seal on the valve cover is beginning to show very minor oil leakage (nothing more than a glistening around the bolt). Coolant temps are normal, though.

[darcane]

Fluid turns yellow if a leak is present. Looks like it's head gasket time.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by darcane

Fluid turns yellow if a leak is present. Looks like it's head gasket time.

Grrr....

But at least you have a reliable empirical diagnosis. I like testing, instead of guessing.

[darcane]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Grrr....

But at least you have a reliable empirical diagnosis. I like testing, instead of guessing.

Yeah.

Kit wasn't too expensive either. NAPA had it on sale for $35. It comes with enough fluid for 16 tests or so.

Now I need to figure out if I want to tackle it myself or take it to a shop. Probably myself.

[MetroMPG]

Bummer. I wish I'd been as smart about the only Civic I've ever owned (~1985).

The previous owner told me the temperature gauge was acting weird. It was. I didn't know any better and kept driving it. Blew the gasket in the passing lane of a 6-lane section of busy expressway outside of Toronto. By the time I got it pulled over safely out of traffic, I'd cracked the head.

Good luck with the fix!

[cbaber]

Originally Posted by darcane

Now I need to figure out if I want to tackle it myself or take it to a shop. Probably myself.

If you haven't done anything like this before, it seems like a daunting task. When you get the head off and you are staring at your pistons you will be overcome with a fear that you did something terribly wrong and will never have the engine running ever again.

But then things start to come together, your anxiety decreases. You get the head bolts torqued down to spec, you double check all the connections. And when you sit in the drivers seat and put the key in the ignition all those fears suddenly come rushing back, and you just know the moment you turn the motor over something will blow up and all that time will be wasted. But then it starts right up and you never have a problem with it again.

Or at least that's kinda how it went for me!