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Car Forum / Honda Cars / July 2005'90 Civic hot after 1 hr highway trip, overflowing coolant
I drove my '90 Civic EX sedan 1.6L (180k miles, 5spd) on a 65 mile trip last week (averaging 75mph, 3.5-4k rpm, no AC, ambient temp 85) and about 5 mins after I pulled off the highway, the temperature gauge slowly climbed to 2/3, up from its normal position at just under 1/2. Once I parked, I heard gurgling coming from the coolant overflow bottle. After about 4 hrs, I opened the radiator cap to check coolant level, it was still topped off even though about a cup leaked out of the top of the OF bottle. OF bottle was empty, however. I trepidatiously drove home, this time keeping my speed at 60mph or below, and had no problems. This was the first time since buying the car last fall I drove it at this speed for a prolonged time, have driven several 1/2 hr trips at less than 60mph since and no problem at all. There's no oil or HCs in the coolant, no coolant in oil, so I'm relatively confident there's not a head gasket problem, but who knows? This car's so old and only cost me $1000, so if that's the case it's junkyard time anyway. I plan on changing the thermostat, coolant hoses and rad cap this weekend, and possibly the thermal switch that controls the fan... don't recall ever hearing the fan run so that might be the problem right there (anyone know off-hand where this switch is located?). Perhaps the airflow at 70mph was enough to cool the engine, but after heavily taxing the engine for over an hour the flow at 30mph wasn't enough since the fan wasn't working? Maybe a collapsed lower hose? I changed the timing belt this spring and did water pump change then too... also, radiator is relatively new (according to previous owner). One other problem (maybe related, maybe not): I have noticed an intermittant squeal coming from the front left wheel that is in time with wheel rotation, and is more pronounced when I turn left. It's quiet during right turns, and whenever I apply even light brake pressure. This noise was very pronounced when it was running hot after the first half of my trip last week (only after I got off the highway and was driving for 5 mins at ~30mph on city streets). Possibly coolant leaking on brake pad/caliper? > I drove my '90 Civic EX sedan 1.6L (180k miles, 5spd) on a 65 mile trip > last week (averaging 75mph, 3.5-4k rpm, no AC, ambient temp 85) and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > level, it was still topped off even though about a cup leaked out of > the top of the OF bottle. OF bottle was empty, however. The coolant overflow system did its work. Your radiator may be plugged up, or your water pump may not be working correctly. Either way, your coolant isn't getting cooled by the outside air well enough and the system is overheating. A quick look inside the radiator will tell you if the radiator is getting plugged up with gunk and needs replaced or not. > One other problem (maybe related, maybe not): I have noticed an > intermittant squeal coming from the front left wheel that is in time [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > and was driving for 5 mins at ~30mph on city streets). Possibly coolant > leaking on brake pad/caliper? CV joint is bad. No big deal. Buy a rebuilt axle and be done with it. Gotcha. The radiator doesn't appear gunked up, but it's very possible. The filler neck comes out at an angle and doesn't allow one to look down inside like the rad on my old Toy pickup. No obvious white scaley-looking crap though. I'll probably have it checked/flushed at a local radiator shop after I change the hoses, etc just to eliminate it from the equation. The cap is definitely old and the rubber seals are cracked so I know at least that needs replaced. The CV boots still appear supple, not dried and cracked, and no grease leaking out... I thought a bad CV joint would produce a "clack-clack-clack" sound during turns and not a squeal, but maybe it's just not to that point yet. I think I can get a rebuilt axle shaft for $80 at Pep Boys, so that's not too bad if it stops that infernal squealing. Thanks for the advice... >There's no oil or HCs in the coolant, no coolant in oil, so I'm >relatively confident there's not a head gasket problem, but who knows? My daughter's 95 Civic had a similar problem with overheating, no oil in the water, no water in the oil, reasonably new radiator, timing belt/water pump replaced in the last year, etc. There was a head gasket problem, and replacing it fixed the overheating problem.  SignatureMike Iglesias Email: iglesias@draco.acs.uci.edu University of California, Irvine phone: 949-824-6926 Network & Academic Computing Services FAX: 949-824-2069 First check the top radiator hose. Is it hot when the engine is hot. If not you have a sticking t-stat. Second, unplug the radiator fan behind the fan and go directly from the battery to the leads on the fan connector (the one connected to the fan) and see if your fan turns. If not that is your problem, replace the fan motor. With a car that old, the brushes in the fan motor may be worn out. Recently happend to me. But if it turns then you should check the thermoswitch. Trace the wires from the fan motor to the t-switch and you will find it. should be close to the t-stat housing, at least it is on the accord. Frank >I drove my '90 Civic EX sedan 1.6L (180k miles, 5spd) on a 65 mile trip >last week (averaging 75mph, 3.5-4k rpm, no AC, ambient temp 85) and [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] >and was driving for 5 mins at ~30mph on city streets). Possibly coolant >leaking on brake pad/caliper? > First check the top radiator hose. Is it hot when the engine is hot. > If not you have a sticking t-stat. In my 94 the thermostat is on the engine side of the *bottom* hose. Top hose got hot, bottom remained cool after the point at which he thermostat should have opened. Thermostat was stuck, and I was experiencing overheating similar to what Bruce describes. Try replacing the thermostat first, Bruce--simple, cheap, and why spend good $$ on the other stuff when it could just be the thermostat? ;-) Solved my overheating. Also, remember your heater: it doubles as a radiator when your thermostat sticks. Set the heater/defroster on full blast and watch your temp gauge drop (as long as you aren't accelerating a lot, that is). > I drove my '90 Civic EX sedan 1.6L (180k miles, 5spd) on a 65 mile trip > last week (averaging 75mph, 3.5-4k rpm, no AC, ambient temp 85) and [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > and was driving for 5 mins at ~30mph on city streets). Possibly coolant > leaking on brake pad/caliper? I've got the same overheating problem... I replaced the radiator and thermoswitch last spring and the problem was fixed - or so I thought. Just today, however, I experienced overheating that occurs when sitting at a stoplight for a long period. My radiator fan does not come one. I may re-wire it to always be on when the engine is on. Then you will have a problem of not having an engine at optimal operating temperature as you will be over cooling it. Thus your gas milleage will suffer and if you have to do any smog check, you will fail. >> I drove my '90 Civic EX sedan 1.6L (180k miles, 5spd) on a 65 mile trip >> last week (averaging 75mph, 3.5-4k rpm, no AC, ambient temp 85) and [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > stoplight for a long period. My radiator fan does not come one. I may > re-wire it to always be on when the engine is on. Then you will have a problem of not having an engine at optimal operating temperature as you will be over cooling it. Thus your gas milleage will suffer and if you have to do any smog check, you will fail. ---------------------------------- Stop and think, the fan doesn't control the engine temp, that is done by the thermostat. In older cars,like my 1985 Celica the fan is driven by the alt belt and is always running. Or think about the air moving through the radiator whne you moving. 30Mph forces a lot more air then the dinky little cooling fan could ever move. It would be better to repair the electrical problem that is not starting the fan on demand, but his idea will work. It will also really shorten the life of the fan motor. But in ho tweather it might be worthwhile until he can get the problem fixed. Terry > I drove my '90 Civic EX sedan 1.6L (180k miles, 5spd) on a 65 mile trip > last week (averaging 75mph, 3.5-4k rpm, no AC, ambient temp 85) and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > level, it was still topped off even though about a cup leaked out of > the top of the OF bottle. OF bottle was empty, Replace your rad cap. That's the #1 culprit here. The giveaway is that the coolant sucked itself back in after the car cooled down. If it had been the head gasket, there would have been air in the rad. Use OEM only. Toyota sells the same cap for cheaper than Honda. Ask for an '86 MR2 rad cap. > One other problem (maybe related, maybe not): I have noticed an > intermittant squeal coming from the front left wheel that is in time [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > and was driving for 5 mins at ~30mph on city streets). Possibly coolant > leaking on brake pad/caliper? Possibly rotor perimeter rust rubbing on the anti-rattle spring when the rotors heat up. Pull caliper and check for shiny spots on the pad slide shims where they tuck inside the mount bracket, and on the anti-rattle spring embedded in the caliper. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>I drove my '90 Civic EX sedan 1.6L (180k miles, 5spd) on a 65 mile trip >>last week (averaging 75mph, 3.5-4k rpm, no AC, ambient temp 85) and [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > The giveaway is that the coolant sucked itself back in after the car cooled > down. If it had been the head gasket, there would have been air in the rad. concur. > Use OEM only. concur. > Toyota sells the same cap for cheaper than Honda. Ask for an > '86 MR2 rad cap. same as some subarus too. nippon denso. was in a junk yard this weekend - found all the [good] honda caps gone, all the [good] toyotas gone, but the subarus, plenty of pickings! > > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > shims where they tuck inside the mount bracket, and on the anti-rattle > spring embedded in the caliper. |
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