car overheating + not running right

[najdi]

hey guys i have 2 querys for use

recently bought a ek with d16y8...things i done to it before the problems occured
sparkplugs
topped up fluids
oil
oil filter ( have not put it on yet, need hoist )


have noticed it was driving fine until i gave it a bit of stick

car overheating:

topped up the levels ( just with water ) drove the next day after a lil stick the temp gauge would go up..id drive normal and it would sit from half to 3/4...fan comes on n off but never for that long ( normal operation ay ? ) i bleed the system ( ran with no radioter cap on idle to rid of air bubbles ) and replaced the radioter cap with a new 1...it was fine for 3-4 days...was driving it hard again and temp gauge went all the way to the top just before i switched the car off n stayed on 3/4 til i got home...no leaks but noticed my overflow tank to have less water then i topped it up with ? i think might be a tiny leak there also noticed my top hose expands ALOT looks like its about to burst and if i leave it overnight it like gets sucked up like a vacumn effect ?


not runnihg right :

noticed after a gud 15 mins of driving even normally that on idle it sounds like a misfire..i checked my dizzy n plugs n there fine i recently poured in that cheap autobarn injector flush n always run 98 but i havnt replaced the fuel filter yet....it sounds uneven and smells like its running rich..i checked the plugs n there fine also smelt the oil and everyhting seems right?

ur thoughts?

[teh_mechanic]

You sure you got the right radiator cap when you changed? there are recovery and non recovery types. The hoses should get pressure in them but if it looks like its getting super pressure the cap may not be allowing the pressure /fluid to go to overflow, and then when the cars off the cap should open to allow the vacuum in the cooling system to suck fluid back in from overflow bottle, instead of collapsing the hoses.

Apart from that get someone to put a pressure tester on the cooling system and see if there are any external leaks. If it only overheats when you drive hard, or specifically on highways, the radiator can get sediment at the bottom of it, restricting its flow. When the car is hot feel the top and bottom fins of the radiatior (away from the fan), they should be around the same heat, if the bottom is cold you could have a semi blocked radiator. May be worth changing the thermostat if you never have too.

if its still doing it after that it would be worth getting a mechanic to look at it, dont mean to scare you and this is definitely only starting to throw theories around but a few of those things are minor leaking head gasket symptoms. If the head gasket is leaking it allows exhaust fumes into the cooling system and water into the combustion chamber. This causes overheating and severe bulging hoses as exhaust gas goes into the cooling system. A way to check this is from cold, start the car with the radiator cap off, the water should be fairly stable, maybe a few little bubbles if you have some air bubbles in the system, however if the water throws big gulps out every now and then, this is the exhaust gas pushing itself out (dont confuse this with boiling if the car is around half temp guage or so). The rough idle/misfire can be so many things, one of them a possible head gasket as the combustion chamber is not properly sealed. Check that the spark plugs all look the same, and are not wet looking or rusting up

[najdi]

update...ran the car on idle for 15 minutes with the radiator cap off..bleed the system then took for roadtest with a/c on and heater on switching it up.... temp stayed all good..noticed the top hose to stll be looking like its about to burst possibly more air in the system...but did not notice the fan working ? which fuse is for it and could it be any connectors? also in regards to the engine running noticed at high rpms 5-7 when vtec kicks in..it isnt that smooth n feels like its cutting out in regards to a fuel problem?

[najdi]

spark plugs checked..all gud..and yes i also think the headgasket is on its way but wana double check lil things first..when i drained the oil...no signs of water/coolant either

[teh_mechanic]

top hose ballooning maybe a sign the hose is about to burst. when they get a split inside they will balloon up and eventually burst, hard to tell without seeing it. may of just been an air pocket as you say causing your overheat issue. Stuttering in the higher rev range in honda's is usually due to a weakness in the ignition system, i know for a fact the b series has a notoriously weak coil and ICM that cause stuttering when put under load up in the rev range, not too sure about k series though.

Fuses and relays should be marked. Take in mind that the fans do take a long time to come on, 15 mins should be enough but even then sometimes it wont if you dont give it a little bit of a drive to get quite hot then let it sit a bit whilst running. most common cause of fan not running is the relay being burnt out or the fan itself being dead. more likely a relay. When you feel the fans should be runnin, if you can see a similar relay near the fan one, swap them over and see if the fans come in

[honda_zivic]

i has similar problem.
most likely be a gasket problem, u wont see milky oil yet, but very soon.
is the blowing white smoke? best bet get a leak down test and compression test.

check ur fuses/connections in the engine bay area.
or the fan switch sensor on the radiator,( u see wires coming out of it).

did u use oem coolant?

[honda_zivic]

mis fire sound , sounds like ur intake manifold is leaking.

[najdi]

ok update..compression test complete...175 across all 4...cold start to optimum heat - top hose hot and bottem hose slowly heated up then both at correct heats...top hose looks like its about to burst off tho ? was instructed by a few boys at work to remove the thermostat...also radiator has the auto holes down the bottem but ppl say its normal ? fan operation working and regards to the overflow tank if the hose from near the rad cap meant to be constantly dripping into the overflow tank/resiover ? coz this is not happening ? any other recommendations...it has no overheated since i ran the car without the rad cap for 30 mins to rid of bubbles...im going to perfom a flush on the weekend...whats the ratios?

[najdi]

ok so im driving and my top radiator hose bursts ? ROFL wdf man car isnt overheating...i flushed the coolant system fitted new pipe and added new coolant...lets see how this goes quick question would the ej8 radioter cap be the same as any d series