I have a 2004 Honda Civic with just under 150K miles. It's been pretty much trouble free, save for a few minor repairs. I started having an overheating problem, took it to a local mechanic, and they did a block test and found a high level of HC in the coolant. They are telling me it could be the head gasket, but since it could also be a cracked block, the only thing they are willing to do is replace the whole motor.


I called a couple of Honda dealers and the consensus seems to be: yes I could have the cylinder head serviced and head gasket replaced, but it would be a gamble and a waste of money if there was a cracked block.


I've searched this forum and much to my surprise (because I've been under the impression that Hondas easily run past 200K miles) there are a bunch of posts from people that have had this problem with even lower mileage than me.


I guess I'm looking for a sense of the odds here. If I invest in replacing the head gasket, what are the odds that I'll end up with a cracked block?


I feel like the cost of replacing the engine with a low miles used, around $5-6K, is probably not worth it. Even replacing the head gasket looks like it will run about $2K+.


I want to note that I drove the car while it was running hot for several miles. The temp gauge was high, but the car never boiled over or triggered a check engine light.


Love to hear from people who have been through this. Thanks!

 

I drove my car hotter than I would have liked because I didn't notice the gauge right away. My mistake. A headgasket fixed the problem and I have not had issue since. If you do it yourself it is relatively inexpensive. If you pay to have it done go to someone that knows what they are doing. Even loosening the head bolts in the improper sequence
can cause problems. Honda is notorious for bad headgaskets. My buddy has several cars that he bought for him and his rather large family and has done HG on every car at one time or another. A weak design, but the rest of the car is relatively trouble free.

Put the gasket on there. Unless you drove it REALLY hot as in it started making noises, you are probably fine.

 

Ed, thanks for the detailed reply based on you and your buddy's experiences. It's good to know that the head gasket is a common problem.


This is not a job I'd tackle, unfortunately. The Honda dealer is quoting around $2000. The car's value on KBB is about $3500, so I'm really torn here. Of course if the head gasket fixes the problem, I could have many more years of driving it without major problems. So, I've got to ponder this awhile.


I'm glad to hear your car was OK even after running it hot. I definitely didn't hear any strange noises or see/hear any signs of trouble with the engine while it was running hot, so I'm hoping it's OK as well.

 

You are quite welcome. If you do get the car repaired, while there have all of your fluids flushed and renewed. The Honda automatic transmissions are the other weak link so fresh, genuine Honda fluid is of paramount importance. I usually tell folks to budget 1000 per year for auto maintenance. Sometimes they spend it, sometimes not, but at least they are prepared. Preventative maintenance, as outlined in the manual, NOT the dealer suggested snake oils and unnecessary stuff, can help almost any car avoid the high-dollar pitfalls. The dealer should be able to pull your VIN and find a maintenance schedule as well. If the timing belt has not been done you are overdue.

Good luck.

Ed