yo guys, i got a 75' civic cvcc and im having the same problem only ive done everything you've told the op. . . what else could be wrong? got a brand new(almost) radiator, new thermostat, new water pump, new hoses, bleed system of air, etc. only one i havent done is the thermo plug. idk where it is. cant find a repair manual for it either... any ideas?

 

wow resurection from the dead lol. well to answer your question, im not familliar with the first gen,

1.) does it overheat all the time or just in the city/slow driving?

2.) if it overheats all the time, you may have a blown head gasket, or maby a clog in the passages?

3.) other wise, i dont know if there is a fan tem switch like the newer ones, you would have to find that out, you could see if this is the problem by jumpstarting the fan to the battery if it runs, then check the fan relay, and if the doesnt work, then the thermo switch,(assuming you have one).

 

thanks man. i think ill just try to find a new engine cuz this one is nasty looking. the block has a thick layer of crud on it and all the carb cleaner in the world couldnt get it off...

 

A thick layer of crud wouldn't be a problem. I know this sounds stupid, but what kind of hose clamps are you using? I reused the squeezy clamps when I did my hoses, which I found out was/is a bad idea.

 

The fan must run when the engine heats up or it will overheat every time you are stopped in traffic. Usually the problem is the fan motor itself. Unplug the fan from the car wiring and connect it to the battery with jumper wires. If it doesn't run, you need a new fan motor. The thermo switch for the fan is one of a few places. It's on the radiator or on the engine somewhere. It may be on the housing at the thermostat, or screwed into the block, usually in the back near the oil filter.

A faulty radiator cap can cause coolant to migrate out of the radiator into the tank and not return. The result is the tank is full or even overflowing, but the radiator becomes low, leading to overheating. What you want to check is the gasket at the top of the cap, around the rim. If it is cracked, the necessary vacuum to pull the coolant out of the tank and into the radiator will not form.

 

Dear HCFers,


I've got a 2000 civic. The car itself starts to heat up just with a trip around the block. Would all the advice you gave pertaining to the older models still apply to a newer model?

I haven't tried boiling my radiator as you stated earlier, but i do keep plenty of coolant in it. Also, I've noticed my rad fan doesn't come on as the car starts to seriously heat up.

Any suggestion or comments would be greatly appreciated

thanks

 

Yes the newer models are the same system as the older ones. Since it heats up so fast, your thermostat is probably stuck closed. Start with a new thermostat. While you have the system drained to change the thermostat, flush water thru the radiator to see if it is obstructed.

 

guys, do we realy need to have a thermostat if we are living in the south east asia?

 

Yes.

Overcooling the engine will lead to more quickly contaminated oil, lower gas mileage, and increased pollution.

 

As well as sucky performance and shorter engine life, because it will always run cold! I know, I live in the Keys and my stepbrother won't change his faulty thermostat. It was stuck cold for a long time and the car would NEVER warm up even in triple digit heat!