reasons for overheating

Question:

sounds like the headgasket probably is bad. an easy way to tell is to do a compression test, both with the engine hot and cold. you can do it yourself pretty easily, the test kit is about $25 at your local parts store and it only requires you to pull your spark plugs and crank the engine for a few seconds for each cylinder. Also there is a test a mechanic can do where they check the bubbles you’re seeing for carbon monoxide, a sure sign it’s coming from the combustion chamber. as long as you’re pulling the head you might as well test the thermostat, you can tie a string to it and drop it in a pot of hot water on the stove, use a candy thermometer or something to verify it opens at the right temp. be advised they START to open at the rated temp, they’re fully open at 20-30F higher. usualy a radiator problem is obvious, IE it leaks or it’s really clogged. while you’re at it, have you checked your water pump?

Response:

Firestone doing something right? I hear it happens sometimes (but people see the Nessy monster too, sometimes): My daughter had her oil done there once. Right after that job, the engine blew by seizing and throwing a rod. When I found the oil plug missing and went there to yell at them, the manager said that "99% of the time those plugs don’t just fall out".. At that time I wasn’t sure what scared me more: that they figure that sometimes plugs are supposed to fall out _OR_ that they actually have statistics on it…. They replaced the engine, after much grumbling and arguing on my part. Firestone may have one or two people at their facilities that actually know what’s going on, but most their mechanics there aren’t, IMO. (or/and they’ve never heard of a torque wrench). Remco .

Response:

My 93 honda civic overheats. I took it to a mechanics(firestone) he did pressure test and said that the thermostat and radiator have to be replaced. I had warrenty for radiator from another mechanic so I took my car back to him to fix the radiator. He said that the overheating is not from thermostat or radiator it is because the head gashead is gone. I am confused! what is really happening to my car. I see bubble coming out in the coolant tank when the engin is on! ENR

Response:

> My 93 honda civic overheats. I took it to a mechanics(firestone) he did > pressure test and said that the thermostat and radiator have to be > replaced. I had warrenty for radiator from another mechanic so I took my > car back to him to fix the radiator. He said that the overheating is not > from thermostat or radiator it is because the head gashead is gone. I am > confused! what is really happening to my car. I see bubble coming out in > the coolant tank when the engin is on! > ENR

Sounds like your head GASKET may have failed, and the engine is blowing bubbles in the coolant. One quick thing to try first if there are no external leaks is to replace the rad cap. If it goes bad, coolant will boil, resulting in similar symptoms to a failed head gasket. Rad caps are cheap. — TeGGeR

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