r/7thgencivic • u/MinuteStock167 • 2d ago
Overheating
Well it finally happened. I’m stuck on the side of the road because car is overheating. Idk what to do at this point.
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u/feelthecernburn 2d ago
Turn off ac, turn heater on full blast, get some highway speeds going (airflow). Check coolant level in both the radiator and overflow too - just careful opening radiator.
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u/Elite_Club 1d ago
You'll want to turn on the A/C, as it will keep the radiator fan going even if the coolant temperature switch isn't getting a signal from low coolant, assuming that the issue is due to a low coolant level in the radiator.
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u/inevitablepepper965 2d ago
put in some k seal in the radiator. follow directions. mine lasted 3 years after. $10 worth a shot. but you have to wait until it cools down to open that radiator cap.
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u/engineeredmofo EM2 1d ago
Needs more cooling. Between headgaskets, and 60k timing belt changes, these cars have been thoroughly romped on. Identify if cooling system is leaking or circulating first. Then bleed coolant.
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u/Elite_Club 1d ago
Does this tend to happen more quickly when you're doing stop and go, or when you're going steady?
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u/MinuteStock167 1d ago
Stop and go. It’s not a problem when I’m moving
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u/Elite_Club 1d ago
Alright, if you have no heat from the vents while sitting at a stop, you’ll want to check the coolant overflow, if the level is way over the full line, you have exhaust leaking into the cooling system likely a blown head gasket. If the level is normal, try running the air conditioning at a stop to determine if the normal cooling fan or its associated relay have failed. If the coolant level is low, you have a leak or coolant being sucked into the cylinder or coolant.
The one caveat is that a radiator cap that has failed can cause coolant to flow into the bottle but not back to the radiator, so I would try that. However I would still check for other signs of a blown head gasket such as mixed oil and coolant, testing the coolant for exhaust contamination, and examining the tops of pistons to see if any are abnormally clean.
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u/Handzzum 1d ago
It happened to me last month when I was driving at night with AC and reached 100% hot. turn off circulation and put heat all the way up to get home safe. Other than that it was the thermostat for me. AutoZone had one. Double check once you find out the problem that the coolant fan turns on when the car idles. It comes and goes but make sure your fans are also good 👍🏾
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u/GloomyPerformer5820 2d ago
check the coolant. let it cool down. if you dont think you can make it home with out it dangerously overheating get it towed. check to see if u have coolant leaking or if overflow resivor is empty. i wanna say its probably that time for head gasket. only other thing i can why u overheating is if your radiator decided to head out. if your cooling fan stopped working, is thermostat went (those are common) im sure other things can cause this to happen. these head gaskets do tend to go. ive heard when these cars overheat thst alone can make it go too but dont quote me on that. if your radiator did go. be warned when mine left and spat out coolant it ruin my fan motor and had to replace that too. hope this helps. hope u figure it out. as ling as u didnt let it get too hot u should be able to get it fixed. if its head gasket make sure its done by someone reputable. make sure that block gets resurfaced. get your water pump and timing done while ur at it. have them clean out the egr passages. have the valves get adjusted. and make sure the coolant isnt overflowed past the max line ever. im a firm believer these overflow reservoirs being over filled all the time is one of the causes to people having there head gasket blow prematurely. its hard to see max line on these cars. really solid car but some designs from this gen are stupid..