I don't know if anyone will be able to help me with this but last night I was driving along an unpaved road with dips in it and I drove through a puddle. Not even a minute after I was some white smoke coming from outta the hood. I drove maybe 2 km to safley pull over put my hazzards on and popped the hood. I checked the hoses and they were all fine for pressure but I swear all I could smell was coolant. I made it home but I am not sure what is up. I let it slide until tonight I went out and whenever I stopped at a red light it seemed tha more and more the car was generating smoke. Engine temperature gage sits at about a half way mark so I decided to leave it overnight and find another way home I figure it may be a coolant leak and if it is I don't want to have to replace the engine. Has anything like this ever happened to anyone? Am I comppletley screwed?? Please help. P.S. I'm such a newbie

 

It might be a coolant problem, but perhaps the coolant issue was present before you ran through the puddle. Sometimes if you drive through a puddle and get enough water up around the engine, part of the block can crack. Ya never know, I know I've seen it before.

 

Check to see if the radiator may have crack. My coolant were dirty which clog up the radiator and cause it to build up pressure which cause it to crack. I did the samething u did when my car started smoking i check all the hose and coolant level and couldn't find the problem until my friend saw that the radiator was crack.

 

So I had left it in a parking lot overnight. This morning I found a pin hole leak in a hose and cut up some tubing from another part in the car to do a quick patch job just enough to get me home. I will definatley liik into tthe crack in the rad thing. But I think it's time for a new car the thing seems like a headache and piece of... well you know. Its an older civic so... Thanks for all your help one more thing. HOw awesome do you really think HOnda is like I mean overall?? What other car would you reccommend?[]

 

..a skyline.. lol, just go buy a newer civic

 

Personally, I prefer RWD or 4WD cars. Unless it's a good deal, I don't really see the point in a FWD car. I know they might be safer to drive, but it just seems weird to me that the rear wheels aren't doing anything but holding the car up. Also, smoke coming from the front tires? That's just straight out weird to me. I like RWD because you can have your own drifter replica or competition drifter and eliminate understeer, or 4WD because it lays down the traction and pulls through the turn. Rally!

So I dunno. If you find a good deal on a Honda, then buy it, especially if it's a VTEC because it's fun to drive, and Hondas are actually very reliable (I see you've been having bad luck with yours...) However, IMHO, I like the 98-01 Subaru Impreza RS or a 240SX with a JDM Sylvia conversion.

 

Okay my civic is like this ugly a$$ 88' white four door lightly dusted with rust. And if you're not laughing yet it's base model with the fuzzy blue interior and not even a cd player folks I got a tape deck the dial even has the old school 80's faded green. Believe me I know I need a new car but I mean it's also what does the job especially when you're a student. I'm hoping to get more familiar with cars so I can make a new or slightly used purchase defin' a car no older tham five years or the day or purchase unless you guys can advize otherwise. Thanks hope to hear from you soon

 

Oh sorry the civic is parked anyways. In the morning when I went ot pick it up and when I started her up it was this tiny tiny pinhole leak spurting onto my engine. Hot engine, fluid evaporates and we get steamy smoke it was coolant as well so I wan on the money with that one. What I ended up doing was unclamping the hose and cutting it off then I took some hose from where you get your extra coolant from andtied it with fencing wire 'cause obviously I have no claps and the hoses were different sizes. I was quite impresed with myself I mean for a girl I sure worked it out. Anyways, I was a bit nervous driving on it 'cause the hose that took the extra coolant was a bit taught but I didn't think old rusty ghetto machine would be tapping into that since I fixed the leak.Very proud of myself !!!

 

Civic are pretty good car. My old granny drive a 88 4dr civic with 240k miles and it still running like it came off the dealer lot even though the exterior condition isn't all that great but the engine still runs great.

 

I would recommend getting a new civic like the 2005 2dr one which look pretty awesome or you can just wait for the new 2006 Si which i heard should be coming out soon. Possible this year.