Hi Everyone,

I need help. I own a 2000 Honda Civic CX. The problem is after I drive on the highway for 1.5 to 2 hours and then sit idle the temperature gage in my car starts to rise, 3/4 to hot. I was concerned so I brought it to one mechanic he said "it's becasue the rad is small" (weird). It happened again on my next trip and I this time brought it to the Honda dealership. They said I had a leak in my rad hose and a cracked water pump. I had both replaced and the problem happened again....

Any ideas??????

 

might be air in the system... or a sticking thermostat. did they replace the thermostat also?

and you say they also replace the water pump and your hoses?


BUT ive never had a problem with my 99civic overheating....

but a few other things to look at is your radiator.... look at it from the front of the car thru the bumper.... do the little fins look all smashed over or clean and straight?
it could also be your radiator is preaty old and been hit with alot of road grim or even BIG bugs with them smashing into the radiator at highway speeds they can easily bend over the little foil fins which inturn fold flat which blocks off the air from going thru it and cooling it properly.
but if the radiator looks preaty beaten up you can try to just bend the flaps back to normal and see if that helps BUT if its to bad id just have the radiator replaced.... no telling how much junk is realy inside the radiator tubes... and the more tubes that are all gummed up that will also kill your cooling effiecency....
which would make sense since you say it isnt overheating on the interstate id say your radiator or cooling fan is the problem... cause at high speeds you have enough air flowen thru the radiator and beeing forced preaty good.... but at slow speed or idle stoped ya just dont have enough air pumpen thru the radiator which is either cloged, bent foil or bad cooling fan which would prevent the fluid from cooling properly.



and on a side note... welcome

 

Thanks addiction2bass, I'll take a look at the rad today and see if I can see any bent fins, I do a lot of highway driving so I'm hoping it's just some dead bugs. They didn't change the thermostat so I guess that might be the problem also. Any ideas to how much a new rad would cost for a 2000 Honda Civic?

 

sorry no clue on price... i wouldnt think it would be to much.... but i might be wrong.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search...e=search&fgtp=

thiers a few from a quick search on ebay....

but ya might be able to get it alittle cheaper at your local radiator shop... thats where i always take mine to..... quick service and since its local he should have a nice warente on it. but first thing i would do is change the thermostat out for a new one, new seal also of course... and try bending those metal fins straight.... and inspect the radiator realy good... if ya see any discoloration spots then i DEFINATLY WOULDNT FLUSH the system.... cause if thier WAS a leak from previous owner and they just poured in some stop leak... which if ya flush it you could knock the stop leak loose or totaly out and when ya start driving it could pop out at any time....

but first try those two things and if it doesnt help id say swap out the radiator.... also make sure your cooling fan is comen on.... would be best to replace it also... it might have a dead spot on it or something that would not wanna turn on sometimes....
or it could just be thermostat sticken sometimes or only half open. no telling but they are so cheap... just go ahead and swap it out.