86 Honda Civic si

Tiny
BAUMCA2
  • MEMBER
  • 1986 HONDA CIVIC
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 198,000 MILES
Took my honda to the mechanic to replace the valve cover gasket.
the antifreeze was changed, a fuel filter replaced.
They said they replaced the thermostat because there was not one, which was not true. There was a thermostat in my car and it was the same one after I left the shop that was in it when I brought it in.
Picked up the car, running hot, could smell oil and smoke coming from the tail pipe.
Car was running to the top of hot.
questioned this oil and smoke and was told it was an old car and seals are worn.
I told him it did not do that when I brought it in.
This car never runs hot.
car cooled down only low enough for me to get it home.
MENTION:
My cooling fan is wired direct to a fuse so have to use a toggle switch to turn it on. This was not done.
After parking the car at home, started it up a few minutes later and it surged so hard from 2000rpms to 0 and continued this up and down motion. At the same time there was a sounfd coming from under the hood that was as loud as someone hitting a hammer on the inside of the hood, in cadence with the surging.
oil fell out in globs.
Started it up this morning, to try and find the problems, the surging was from 1000 rpms to almost zero once agin with the same up and down surge and radiator fluid leaked out on the engine side.
Called the mchanic. No answer.
What happened to my car. I have never had this problem. It has always run great.
I know the mechanic is not going to admit anything, except the fact that he charged me parts and labor for a thermostat that he did not put in my car.
Saturday, February 19th, 2011 AT 4:23 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Check the coolant level in radiator. Most probably there is air trapped in system resulting in the overheating and surging. You need to bleed the system. How did you know the thermostat was not replaced?
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Saturday, February 19th, 2011 AT 4:42 PM
Tiny
BAUMCA2
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I know it is the same thermostat because I checked looked at the thermostat a few days before I took my car in; also there are no signs of the housing being touched or the line to the housing. They are still dirty, no finger prints. No marks on the bolts from being removed and put back on, and the same worn gasket (ring?)
There is a bolt that is rusted and there are also no marks on it.
You can tell the site has not been touched.
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Saturday, February 19th, 2011 AT 5:07 PM
Tiny
BAUMCA2
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
What would the cooling system have to do with globs of oil coming out the car? Why does the dipstick show no loss of oil?
I appreciate your help, because I am very stressed about this problem and cannot afford a big repair bill. I think it is time to take as many courses as I need on how to repair my car.
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Saturday, February 19th, 2011 AT 5:17 PM
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
I will add onto KHLow2008, The system should be flushed it is what us old guys call vaporlocked. I can not say if the thermastat was changed or not. I have changed ones and you could not tell that I had even touched it. Not sticking up for the mechanic but letting you know it can be done. When he changed the valve cover gaskets some oil does leak onto the exhaust pipes and will smoke when the car warms up. The glob of oil could have been from when he changed the valve covers. When the engine got that hot it could have done some damage to the inside of the engine. I would have a cylinder pressure test done. That way you can find out if a head gasket blew. Also have a coolant pressure test done. This would tell if you are loosing coolant.
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Saturday, February 19th, 2011 AT 6:32 PM

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