How can i tell whats making my honda civic overheat?

Question

Sometimes i'll overheat quickly and sometime it takes forever and when i push my clutch in it sometimes stops.

Answer 1

First before I say anything else, and you may know this, don't drive it when it's really hot (anywhere close to the red zone or even past 3/4 of the gauge) or you'll blow the head gasket and it will cost a fortune to fix.

Now, you are saying sometimes it's fast and sometimes it's slow. This would mean that it MIGHT be the thermostat. These are simple to replace as long as you don't shear off a corroded bolt. If they don't open when they should, the car will overheat. Eventually the temp will go back down- usually, but not always. If it's this problem, it will usually not go really really hot and you don't normally lose any coolant. It will be intermittent and unpredictable.

Another possibility is a blockage in your radiator. Some piece of crud or corrosion is shifting around and sometimes it blocks the flow, and sometimes it doesn't block it so much. You could try getting your radiator flushed and see if it helps. Keep in mind that if it's an older car, and you pressure test the radiator, sometimes it will create leaks where there were none before. This isn't an altogether bad thing, because if your radiator is that close to the edge, it should be replaced before you get stranded somewhere.

Your fluid flow runs off of the water pump, which runs off the engine. As long as the engine is running, it will run the water pump. The clutch engages the transmission of power to the wheels, but there's really no way it can be tied to your overheating problem unless the engine is being overloaded, and that is only loosely related to the problem, and then it wouldn't be reacting like it is in other ways. My guess is the clutch issue is a coincidence and you are probably giving the clutch several tries until the car starts to cool. I bet it would start to cool at that point anyway.

If you are losing coolant, that's a whole other story, and you'll need to find the leak or have someone find it. A small leak might only be detectable through a pressure test. If you have enough coolant to cool the car most of the time, but it doesn't fill the entire cooling system, sometimes you can get intermittent flow. This happened to me with my supra and it was overheating randomly.

So:
1. Get your thermostat changed and get your radiator flushed. These are both routine maintenence and you should be able to get them both done for less than 100 bucks, if that.

2. Make sure you have enough coolant in your system including the overflow bottle. Make sure you have the right blend for your car - usually 50% coolant, 50% water.

3. If it's still doing it, get a pressure test and find out if you have a leak problem.

None of this sounds like a water pump.

good luck
Kevin

ps. I just read the other answers. The guys that mentioned the relays, and also the fans kicking on at the right time are right on. I had a jeep comanche with an electric fan system and had trouble. The guy that mentioned steam pockets is also very right. Some engines have high spots and they need to be 'burped' by parking them on a very tilted driveway and running the engine while you top off the radiator. - or take it somewhere for a mechanic to take care of.

cooling problems on cars just plain suckdiddlyuck.

Answer 2

Honda Civic Overheating

Answer 3

Looking for help. My Honda Civic 1998 is overheating. The following has been done (1) replaced radiator (2) replaced hoses (3) took off head, had it ground flat, replaced head gaskets (4) Just took out thermostat (in Southern Cal) and it still overheats. What else can I check or what else could it be?

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How can i tell whats making my honda civic overheat?
Sometimes i'll overheat quickly and sometime it takes forever and when i push my clutch in it sometimes stops.

Answer 5

First things to check to ensure there is enough radiator fluid in the radiator.

Otherwise, the most likely cause is a failing electrical relay switch. The relay switch is used to by your car's computer to tell the cooling fans to turn on or off. Think of it as a light switch that is controlled by a computer.

Now most of the time, when the computer "flips" the switch, the cooling fans turn on. However sometimes the computer "flips" the switch and the electricity doesn't flow to turn on the fans.

Also while the car is in motion, air passes over the radiator without the need for the cooling fans, while in slower traffic, you need to cooling fans to draw the air over the radiator.

If you car's beginning to overheat, pop the hood and see if your cooling fans are spinning. If they aren't then you've got a bad fan relay.

The other most likely possibility is the thermostat is sticking. If the thermostat gets stuck in the closed position, it will cause the engine to overheat. However if it's just getting to the stage of not opening at the appropriate time, it means that on days that it's opening appropriately you aren't overheating, but on the days it decides to stick closed it's causing you're overheating very quickly problem.

Answer 6

I have had alot of problems in the past with this kind of thing.

1. Make sure that you have proper coolant/water mixture
2. Make sure that you have a coolant recovery can
3. Make sure that you have the cooling system full
4. Check your coolant temp sender and switch aren't corroded beyond belief
5. Make sure that your fans are running when they should be

I have had a hole in my coolant recovery can that over time made my car run low on coolant.

I have met guys that paid $15,000+ on a racing motor, but wouldn't buy $20 worth of coolant, and just ran straight water,
they bought another $15,000 motor

I have had sensors be so corroded that they were giving false readings

I once had a motor that was hard to get all of the air out of the cooling system and it would form air pockets full of steam, follow the manual for purging your cooling system

And , fan relays that cost $25, can ruin an engine that costs
$4000, this could be your problem, when the car is moving, it doesnt need the fans, so when the clutch is pressed, the clutch switch sends a signal (in some cars) to turn the fans on, so if the car runs hot until the clutch is in.........look at replacing your coolant temp switch.......it regulates the fans,
the coolant temp sensor usually runs a gauge

Answer 7

when it takes forever to climb up are you on an open road with no cars in front of you? because the airflow will cool it, but I'm not a civic expert. I just know my s-10 radiator leaks, and when it goes empty that heat loves to jump up.

Answer 8

my 2002 civic just overheated checked fluids reservoir was empty but only a little out of radiator, change radiator & thermostat less than a year ago

Answer 9

if it stops when clutch is pushed in wich sounds wierd. if your clutch isn'tslipping thats not your problem first check your over flowtank [resivore] see if there is any dark or black looking substance in side if so it my be your head gasket.allso if you take off your radiator cap and if pressure is blowing water out you have abad water pump if none of the above . then change the thermastat thermthats what it sounds like good luck

Answer 10

thermostic sticking or water pump is going out belt not tight or leaky hose or some thing clogging the flow of they water or a blow head gasket cracked head?