88 CRX si Coolant loss

About once a week I have to add water to my radiator and coolant
reserve. If I dont the car overheats. I don't see any signs that
water is dripping on the ground but water is going somewhere. Could
someone offer some tips on how to troubleshoot this?

 

Suspect a blown head gasket or cracked cylinder head. Check
the oil for coolant in it. Check the coolant for oil in it.
Try to note whether the exhaust smells at all like coolant.

Google for {"blown head gasket" symptoms} for more things to
check.

 

check the head gasket - bubbles in the radiator is the commonest for the
civic/crx, but also check for other losses like:

1. leaky radiator - a definite likelihood if it's still original. the
cheap all-metal replacements are prone to de-soldering too. don't
forget to check the radiator drain plug seal and the radiator cap.

2. leaky hoses - some of the little ones that heat the throttle body and
crank case ventilator are prone to this, and last but not least,

3. coolant pump. at high mileage, if that goes, the seal will "weep".
doesn't do it much with the motor stopped, but it leaks slowly with the
motor running. and when it weeps too much, it ruins the bearing and
suddenly, you're in a world of hurt.

if it's the head gasket, consider replacing the timing belt and coolant
pump while you've got the motor stripped down. use honda parts for
significantly better reliability.

if you've recently had the coolant pump replaced, some seal weeping is
normal. back when i bought my 2000 civic new, it lost coolant from
bottle top to bottom every 1,000 miles or so for the first 20k. it
settled down after that.

 

Could I do a compression check to help identify a head gasket problem?
I would also like to know the general health of the motor to help
decide what to do with this car. I am the original owner but am
considering a new honda. I dont want to spend a chunk of money on
major engine repair.

It's the original radiator. Is there some type of pressure test that
could be performed to help isolate the leak. I can't see a leak
anywhere and dont see fluid of the floor. Perhaps the hot radiator is
evaporating any leakage before it hits the ground.

The car has 170,000 miles on it. The timing belt has been replaced
once by the honda dealer at about 90,000 miles. The car current has
an engine oil leak (I can live with that) and it uses about a quart of
oil each tank of gas. Dont know if that is all from leaking or its
being burnt. I dont see any visible smoke and the car continues to
pass emission test each year .

If I could solve the coolant fluid problem and the oil usage problem
for under maybe $1000 it might be worth it to me. Its nice not having
a new car payment and new car insurance <g>.

It looks like worst case for the coolant loss problem would be replace
the radiator, replace the head gasket, go ahead and replace the
timeing belt and coolant pump. Is this something a resonably
compenent home mechanic could tackle. I have the factory shop manual
that I purachased at the same time I purchased the car.

 

samjones () wrote in

No. A PRESSURE test. Not the same thng.

Yes, a dye test. Fluorecent dye is put into the cooling system, then the
engine is run. A UV light is played over sources of possible leakage. The
leaks will glow.

A quart EACH TANK? My old Dodge did that, but it blew an opaque blue
smokescreen out the tailpipe as it went. No cat to eat up the smoke,
either.

If you're using it that fast, it's likely being pumped/dripped out
somewhere. If burned, that kind of usage would overwhelm a catalytic
converter and you'd see smoke out the tailpipe on acceleration.

A dye test can be applied to the oil leak problem as well.

Yep. Definitely possible. Your big problem is that crank bolt.
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/crankbolt.html

 

samjones () wrote in @news.astraweb.com:

One of the most common ways to test for a blown head gasket it to use an
emissions system probe (like they use for emissions testing), open the
radiator cap and put the probe over the outlet. If you see hydrocarbons,
then you have a blown HG. You have to do this in a safe way so, you don't
scald yourself.

If the body's not rusty, I imagine the CRX SI's pretty desirable to ricers.
I'd probably try to sell it to an enthusiast.

 

burning it , id guess. any white smoke? after driving for a while until
the engine is fully warmed up?