LS swap it.
CK5
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Need advice with my DD civic
- Thread starter Dabba
- Start date
Such a leak would show up in a leak test, no?
I know this does sometimes happen, but I would consider any car that loses a head gasket before 100k miles to be a certified lemon.
No. You can't add air to a system that is full of water without displacing the water. If you are actually getting more air in the system (and not simply burping out air from the water pump job), and you're continuing to be able to add coolant, the water is going somewhere. If you pass the pressure test the problem may be with the cap (though it's unlikely that you'd get two bad caps in a row.
). Does this car have a pressurized overflow bottle or an unpressurized bottle? A leaky unpressurized bottle will lose coolant every time the car runs hot, and also not show up in a pressure test. 
Such a leak would show up in a leak test, no?
I know this does sometimes happen, but I would consider any car that loses a head gasket before 100k miles to be a certified lemon.
Not really...
Many vehicles driven in cities and on only short runs often,will develop a head gasket failure sooner than one that is used to commute for longer distances--at every cold start up,warm up period,till it reaches normal operating temperature,the engine and head expand at different rates ,especially if it has a cast iron block and aluminum head(s)...this eventually "tears" the gasket,also corrosion from the coolant & water eat away at a metal shim style head gasket,on engines that sit idle a lot..this can lead to head gaskets failing in less than 100,000 miles..
All it takes on many newer engines with aluminum head(s) to get a head gasket to fail,is to have it overheat once--a stuck thermostat that didn't open soon enough,letting it get low on coolant,etc,will warp the head or bake the gasket enough for it to fail..back in the days when engines were all cast iron,you could get away with overheating one severely more than once,before you had that kind of trouble..
If the water pump leaks at the seal on the shaft,you should be able to see it dripping with the coolant pressurized with a pump up radiator tester...sometimes one only leaks with the engine off,--with it running,suction from the water pump can mask a slight leak there..
Dabba
1/2 ton status
No. You can't add air to a system that is full of water without displacing the water. If you are actually getting more air in the system (and not simply burping out air from the water pump job), and you're continuing to be able to add coolant, the water is going somewhere. If you pass the pressure test the problem may be with the cap (though it's unlikely that you'd get two bad caps in a row.
Its an unpressurized overflow. Before burping I make sure the overflow is at the proper level. So far, after I burp it, the heat at idle lasts for a week or two. However the overflow begins to... overflow. It seems air is pushing the fluid out and up to the cap and its evident its coming out while I'm driving. Eventually I lose heat at idle again. At 3k rpms you can see the bubbling in the overflow.
All this started after a timing belt/ waterpump job. Replaced radiator cap with aftermarket. Going to try a honda one next. No leaks evident when the system was pressurized 15lbs. Chemical test came up negative. The test should have sniffed it because it turned color when I cupped my hand and blew my exhaled breath into the tester.
If the headgasket was blown the test should have seen it. If the pump was leaking the pressure test should have seen it.
She likes to be quirky but this is crazy! Hoping it's a second bad cap.
Man...that sounds *exactly* like something that should be failing a chemical test.
If your cap was leaking/opening prematurely, you would slowly boil the radiator dry, but you wouldn't have any dry air going from the radiator to the bottle (just steam). Air could possibly get into the system when it cooled, but only if your bottle is failing to deliver coolant back to the radiator. If you're finding that air is appearing inside the radiator while the coolant bottle is overflowing...I can't think of any happy answers.
Dabba
1/2 ton status
I have no idea either. I expected the test to come up positive. The cap is cheap I'll try it for the hell of it.
Keep in mind this is the same car that has had a spun bearing in the transmission for the last 100k miles. (It's a stick) She still happily drives away.
Keep in mind this is the same car that has had a spun bearing in the transmission for the last 100k miles. (It's a stick) She still happily drives away.
Again been there done this on a 97 civic was pushing anti-freeze up through overflow. Ran great at idle no leaks etc, drove car after making it nice for my mom and 150 miles later said let's check double check fluids one more time. I opened hood and saw coolant sprayed over pass side compartment, took back home tried burping,swore wasn't cap got new cap, and still same problem then did chemical test and had another tech of 35 yrs check it and yup blown head gasket. I tore it apart that day and sent head out!
