Overheating: Radiator, Headgasket, or something else? - Honda Prelude Forum

chester · 07-02-2007, 04:28 PM

So a few days ago I'm driving along at 45mph with my A/C on. The engine felt as if it was losing more power than it usually did, so I shut it off and went to windows. I come to a stoplight and it's idling fine. When the light turns green, I go to hit the gas and the engine starts misfiring really bad. I revved it up to about 4,000rpm and it went away. After I get up to 45mph it 4th, it starts doing it again. I go into 3rd and hit the gas pretty hard. Once again, the problem goes away. Not a minute later, I notice a hissing noise that's getting louder and louder, and then it sounds like someone just poured a bucket of water all over the road. I glance over and notice my temperature rising quickly. When I look up, I see smoke coming from the engine bay. I pull off to the side of the road and there's coolant leaking all over the place. It's not green like it should be, but a very light tan or dirty green color. I figured it was the headgasket, since the leaking was coming from towards the rear of the motor. I couldn't get a good look and because of traffic, I didn't want to be leaning in front of my car for long. I have it towed back to the house. That night I start it up and it runs fine. It reached operating temperature quicker than normal and just from driving around the block. I drained the oil a few days ago and it was the same black is always is and there wasn't any more or any less oil than normal. So I reach up to drain the radiator and hardly anything comes out. At this point, I'm stumped. A few days prior to the incident, I noticed a rust color on the insides of my front tires when I was rotating them. I figured it was the brakes since they are bad, but it's the same color as what was leaking out of my car. The color is apparent all over the top, side, and parts of the rear of the radiator. It's also visible on the underside of the vehicle, mainly the exhaust. The overflow for the radiator has been empty for a bit and I saw some nasty sludge in the bottom of it today. I pulled the spark plugs this morning and they're basically shot. That could contribute to my misfiring, but again, I'm not sure. At first I thought the headgasket, then the radiator, and now I have no clue. I did some searching, but I haven't found anything that I don't already know. What should I try next? Can I fill the radiator with water instead of coolant to check for visible leaks?

petern101 · 07-02-2007, 06:10 PM

you can fill the rad. with distilled water.

as far as problem, i don't know.

TruNinja619 · 07-02-2007, 09:25 PM

I would fill up the radiator up first, run it w/ the a/c on, and check for any visable leaks first. Probably one of the heater hoses started to leak (since you did mention about the leak coming from the rear of the motor).

sounds like you also havn't changed your coolant for a while now, from the kind of color you mention about the coolant...

chester · 07-02-2007, 11:10 PM

I'll give that a shot in the morning.

I haven't changed or added coolant since I've owned the vehicle (one year 25,000 miles). Who knows when it was done last. I'm bad about that.

Dragazn · 07-02-2007, 11:17 PM

Yes fill up with water and see if there is any leaks.
check all hoses for any leak, if you cant located them then drive around a bit to bring the temp to normal conditions. When temp are in normal conditions rad fan should kick and if there is a leak it will start and the water will boil, since its pressure in the radiator it will shoot water or bubble out.

If the leak are on plastic top or the plastic at the bottom, you can get plastic weld in any autozone and patch it up, then patch over with JBweld (leave car in and don't drive for 24hr for). Used this method for temp fix until your new rad gets home. I did this for weeks driving to school and work, just make sure you stay out of vtec and boost (yes very boring way to drive)

chester · 07-02-2007, 11:33 PM

I've been driving my backup Civic for a week now. It feels weird pushing the gas to the floor and nothing happening. Hopefully it's just a hose that I can replace in a day.

slipknot95758 · 07-03-2007, 01:32 AM

sound slike oil cooler hoses to me if its from theback they have huge bends in them and i changed mine when i did the oil cooler oring cause the were balooned like no other

chester · 07-05-2007, 10:09 AM

slipknot, my friend, you were right(I think). I filled the radiator up today, let it sit for a few minutes, started the car, and heard the hissing noise. Looked under the IM and there my leak is.

If it would just quit pouring, I could get it replaced. It's the hose that's coming right off of the red part I have circled, on the bottom of it.

EDIT: Now that I get a closer look, it's leaking from that piece that I have circled (or a tube that's on the bottom that I can't see. Two of the three bolts that hold it on are rounded off, so it's stuck. I'm about to say to hell with it and having it towed. Every other bolt on this ****ing car I can't get off because someone else has ****ed it up in the past.

slipknot95758 · 07-05-2007, 11:58 AM

the ones i was talking about were 9 and 10 but after 190k alot of hoses are swollen. you shouldnt need to take that off just the house

chester · 07-05-2007, 12:15 PM

Well, it's the metal hose that connects to the bottom of it.

chester · 07-07-2007, 11:01 AM

It was the metal pipe that connects to the bottom of the thermostat. After working on a busted bolt for at least 4 hours, I got it off. The upper part of the pipe that goes inside of the thermostat was cracked and ripping around the oring, which was also going bad. I've got new orings, thermostat, and I'm going to pick up the pipe right now. Should have it up and running this evening!