Civic - Honda :: 2003 Running Rough And Temp Gauge Doesn't Rise
I Have a 2003 Honda Civic EX that is running rough and the windows stopped working and the temp gauge doesn't rise. Would this be do to a bad/failing alternator or something else?
View 7 RepliesCivic - Honda :: Temp Gauge Go Up And A/C Blows Hot Humid Air
i have a 2002 Honda Civic EX, 155,000 miles. I've been having this problem for quite some time and the mechanic has not been able to figure out what the problem is. He has changed the thermostat, pressure tested the coolant (or something along those lines) but the problem persists. The mechanic also pressure tested the radiator system and said there was no leak. He also told me the tank was overfilled with water, apparently I didn't need to be waiting for the car to cool down so I could add more water, so I've stopped doing that. I have NOT had the scheduled 150,000 maintenance done yet. The mechanic said it wasn't 'urgent' and if I wanted to wait I could. I was hoping to spend the money repairing this problem before doing that, which he said sounded OK to him. The timing belt was replaced in 2007 right before I moved across the country.
I'll try to be succinct, but the explanation is long. Overall: when driving the car to run errands around town the temp gauge used to quickly go all the way to HOT & the A/C starts blowing hot/humid air. When this happened I was pulling over, turning off A/C & radio & putting the car in neutral until the gauge goes back down, used to take only a few minutes but if driving in town (stop lights/traffic) i have to keep doing this b/c the needle returns to the top quickly. I also started trying putting the car in neutral while stopped at lights or in traffic & if i pushed on the gas pedal & kept the engine at 3K RPM the needle would go back down & A/C would start blowing cold when I started driving again.
The other part of this is if i change the A/C vent diverter from all vents blowing at upper body to vents blowing at face & feet or all vents blowing at feet the green 'recycled air' light goes out & the air starts blowing hot & humid, this persists even if I push the 'recycle' air button again.
Until yesterday this temp gauge & A/C issue has not been nearly as much of a problem when driving on the highway at a consistent speed, in other words when the car doesn't have to idle the problem didn't occur very often, the temp gauge may have moved towards 'HOT' but never got all the way up there. Until yesterday. I had to drive thru town with quite a bit of construction & resulting traffic as well as a few stop lights which sent the gauge go to HOT quickly. When I got on the highway I was expecting the gauge to go back down & the A/C to start blowing cold air.... alas, it did not. the gauge stayed very near HOT the whole time & the A/C never blew cold air. It was 106*F yesterday?
And yet another part of this problem, which the mechanics have told me is NOT related to this problem: in the winter time the heater took an extraordinarily long time to heat up and then would only blow warm air while the car was moving at a pretty high speed, under around 30 MPH and there was no heat, and definitely no heat when idling. I do not remember the temp gauge hanging out at HOT all the time but I do think it would go higher than the middle range.
The car has yet to actually overheat. Apparently the mechanic can't diagnose/repair the problem until the engine DOES overheat, at least this is what he has told me. I'm not feeling very confident in this mechanic, as clearly the problem is getting worse over time. And I don't believe it is OK to continue driving a car when the temp gauge is at HOT all the time, that doesn't seem smart at all. Sadly, the mechanic that used to work on my car & was able to diagnose & repair problems quickly & competently has gone to work somewhere else & is no longer working on cars. So, I have decided I cannot continue to use the current mechanic and am now faced with having to take it to the dealership, something I REALLY hate to do. I just don't know of any other reputable Honda repair folks in the area & am tired of being w/o my car for days at a time and still have to deal with the problem.
Civic - Honda :: 1998 Overheating - Temp Gauge Needle Popping Up Higher Than Usual
Well, I'm still driving the same old 1998 Honda Civic DX two-door coupe, and I've got a problem with overheating. The temperature gauge needle doesn't get quite to the red, but it's popping up higher than usual, and I'm concerned to see it getting anywhere near the red. It usually spikes when I get off the highway and stop at a light, but it also does it occasionally in a drive thru, and recently, I discovered that when I give it a little gas in neutral, it brings the temperature gauge needle down to normal.
Here is the history of recent repairs and troubleshooting:
-About 3-4 years ago, I had a leaky radiator replaced, so the one that is in there isn't very old.
-Last year I had a mechanic replace the thermostat, the radiator fan, and the radiator cap when I started having this problem.
-A few months ago, I had the timing belt serviced (the entire kit, not just the belt), but since the water pump looked fine and the car has so much mileage (275,000 miles), I opted not to replace the water pump. (I regret that now. I usually replace the water pump with every other timing belt, but I've learned my lesson.)-I've been to several shops to get a diagnosis, but they have a hard time getting it to overheat at all, so they can't diagnose it.
One guy suggested the water pump might be worn out (inside, without leaking outside). Another guy suggested that "if it was the water pump, you would know it's the water pump." Each mechanic has done a pressure test on the cooling system and a flow test on the radiator, and they all say they are fine. One mechanic theorized that I might have a very small head gasket leak, but nobody else thinks that is the case and there is no sign of coolant and oil mixing. Besides, the temperature gauge has never been in the red.
-One mechanic who tried to diagnose the problem recommended replacing the plugs, plug wires, rotor, and distributor cap. After doing that, it is running better than it was, but that didn't resolve the overheating problem. He also retarded the spark timing, but it is self-adjusting, so it re-advances itself after a couple days of driving. I can hear what sounds like minor knocking, but it's always made that noise since it was new.
-Everyone who has tried to diagnose the problem says the thermostat is opening and closing as it should, and the radiator fan comes on and shuts off when it should.
I'm done getting second and third opinions, and I'm ready to start throwing parts at it. Do you think I should start with the water pump? What are your thoughts? Don't tell me to replace the car. I just bought a new motorcycle.
Civic - Honda :: 2003 - Overheating - Gauge Went Up To 3/4 After 20 Minutes
I have a Civic that is overheating after even short drives (ca. 30 mins). Today the heat gauge went up to 3/4 after 20 minutes, and was still rising when I stopped. The radiator fluid is topped up, oil was just changed and is full and not cloudy. No white smoke has been seen out of the tailpipe. The following repairs have already been attempted. New thermostat (replaced 2X), new radiator, timing kit, coolant temp sensors (both), water pump, AC condenser, AC refrigerant. It is still overheating after all that. Why?
View 7 RepliesCivic - Honda :: Temp Sensor Broke Off And Can't Get It Out
My friend was replacing the temp sensor on his 2000 Civic, and twisted too hard and it broke off leaving part of the screw still in the hole. I got him a screw extractor kit, and he tried it this morning, and it too broke off. How to get these things out? I'm including a photo.
View 14 RepliesCivic - Honda :: How To Remove Air Temp Sensor
1998 Civic HX ... The air temp sensor is held on by threaded devices that seem to have smooth, rounded heads.
How do you get them out? And, they are at the back of the engine so that there is limited space between the engine and firewall.
Civic - Honda :: 2005 - A/C Won't Work In Hot Temp?
I have a Honda civic 2005 LX, 170,000 miles. I love this car as I went through my tough time with it. I don't want to give it up until it dies if possible. Only issue of this care is AC does not work when temperature is hot. It works really good when it's cold/rain. When I turn on the car and AC in the morning, the compressor works fine for 5-10 minutes and it turns off when the engine is normal temp.(below mid line). I went to one local mechanic and I was told Freon level is good.
They spend about an hour to figure out what's going on and they told me that I need to change my entire compressor, I felt they just can't figure out what exactly causes it and want to just scare me with big $, to make me give it up. (because compressor works fine when it's cold. I think something with temperature) I recently changed my Thermostat, filled up coolant, and changed crutch-AC relay fuse but no change in the AC symptoms. I will need AC for sure when I move into Arizona next summer!
Civic - Honda :: 1993 - No Heat And Gauge Was Going Up To Hot
540,000 kms Canadian climate. It happened once last year at -30 C. Recently, it was very cold again and the car ran ok but no heat and the gauge was going up to hot - it never gets that high, even in hot summers. One thing - I used the block heater on both occasions and I never used other than those times. Without using the block heater it does blow warm air (-20C currently). I did note today that the coolant was a bit low perhaps from overheating the other day? Would my block heater affect the thermostat? No coolant leaks noted under the car.
View 5 RepliesCivic - Honda :: 2005 - AC Was Not Consistently Cool / Temp Needle Suddenly Went To H
A friend has a 2005 Honda Civic with approximately 120,000 miles that she just bought the end of 2013. The car was kept immaculate by the previous owner. This week as she was driving, she said the temperature needle suddenly went all the way to H. Earlier in the day, she had noticed the A/C was not consistently cool but didn't think much of it as there were no other problems with the car. When the temp needle suddenly went to H, she shut off the a/c and before she could pull over the temp needle went back to normal. She checked the coolant level which was very low and she took it to the dealer who ran multiple tests including checking the thermostat, cylinder compression tests, etc but they could find nothing wrong. I keep telling her there is a reason it did that and that coolant doesn't just disappear and that I think she should take it back.
View 6 RepliesCivic - Honda :: 2002 - Temperature Gauge Fluctuations?
I have a terrible car. Honda Civic 2002 that runs alright but quakes and shudders after I start it. It also revs up for no reason at all whilst I drive around. Anyway two machanics have told me I have a headgasket leak that will cost a lot of money to fix. Two others have told me I don't or that it is so minor it needs not be messed with. The last one I saw decided I had a bad Coolant Sensor for the Computer.
I guess there is one for the computer and one, um, not for the computer. I bought both sensors and he changed them Friday. Today I took the car out and three times while I was out, my temp gauge shot up into the red hovered for a few minutes and sank back down. It has never done this before. Why this might be happening now? I am really sick of taking my car in and getting a thousand different stories, paying to fix things that are not wrong with it and watching it die a slow death.
Honda - Cr-v :: Temp Gauge Fluctuates With Air Vent Flow?
I have a 2001 Honda CR-V SE, and I'm having a little trouble with it ... About a week ago I noticed that as I was driving around the city, my temp gauge was going up and down. I had the heat on, and when I was pressing the gas, the gauge would go down. When I coasted, the gauge would go back up to the middle. The gauge never went higher than the halfway point. I thought it was possible that my fluids were low, so I checked the coolant reservoir. It was empty, so I added some. The radiator itself was full to the lip (like the manual says it should be, if I interpreted it correctly). The first day or two, didn't notice anything, but then the gauge seemed to start falling again.
Anyhow, I decided to drive back to the big city to get it fixed, a 3 hr drive, last night. The car seemed to be operating fine. I did not have the heat on, but there was air flowing through the vents. The gauge started to creep downward, so I thought "Hey, let me hit that button that closes the vents" I did that, and the gauge creeped back up! Problem solved right? Negative! It was raining, so when that button was on too long, my windows got foggy. So that's how I spent the next two hours, button on, button off, then I finally just opened the windows to allow the air to circulate. In the meantime, I stopped for gas, allowed the car to idle for a while (no air/heat blowing at all) and the guage didn't move. It stayed in the middle.
Closer to the end of my trip the gauge started to creep upward, over the midpoint (The first time it's done that since this whole thing has started). Once off the highway, I turned the heat on that first notch, and the gauge went back down to normal.
At any rate, so it's Wednesday. I'm planning on getting the car to a shop on Friday, but in the meantime, I just wanted to get some info out there from the community. I'm pretty nervous about whats going to happen. I just had my car at an oil change place 5 days ago, and the guy didn't put the oil cap back on the engine, so I literally was driving for 3 days with oil spewing onto my hood (Checked the levels by the way and they were fine). The only way I would've known is that I opened the hood to check the coolant levels. I noticed the gauge issue last Wed, took it in for the oil change Friday (In which they said all my fluids were fine), checked the coolant Monday, and drove it 3hrs last night.
Are there any specific keywords I should mention to the mechanic for him/her to check?
Civic - Honda :: 2002 - Temperature Gauge Climbed Without A/C Running
I drive a 2002 Honda Civic EX with about 105,000 glorious miles on it. I decided to hit the road and made a weekend road trip to pick up a stranded family member. I live in Ohio and drove Lou Dobbs, my car, to Florida. It was about 950 miles one way. All was well until I got to Florida. I hit my first traffic jam and was sitting with the windows down enjoying the Florida air. Suddenly, the temperature gauge started to climb! It got pretty close to the red but traffic began to flow at that point. As soon as I reached 40-50MPH the temp began to fall again. I picked up my cargo and headed back. Each time I would hit traffic or a red light the temp would climb without hesitation. This is without the A/C running. After I got back to Ohio, i asked a friend who knows about cars. Over the phone, he had me remove the radiator cap and reservoir cap to take a look at the fluid levels. After this though, the car has never overheated! I don't understand. Can air get into the system and I let it out by removing the caps? I can sit in rush hour traffic for a half an hour with the AC running and the needle stays right in the middle. Should I still take it in to be looked at?
View 2 RepliesCivic - Honda :: Gauge Assembly And AC Controls Backlight Not Working
I am having a problem with my 2002 Civic LX. My gauge assembly only works intermittently. For the most part it does not work at all. Speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, etc. all do not work. Also, both the back light of the gauge assy and the one for the AC controls do not work.
I have checked fuses, pulled apart the gauge assy to check connectors, checked the cruise control switch (operated by the clutch) and all seem to be in good shape. I'm thinking it could be a bad ground somewhere but I'm not really sure where to check.
Civic - Honda :: 2004 - Temperature Gauge Drops At Idle
I have a 2004 Honda Civic that has about 183,000 miles.The problem is that when I start my car in the morning, the car never totally warms up when it's cold outside (I live in VA), until I press the gas pedal and rev the engine. Until I press the gas pedal, the temperature gauge stays at cold, and the heater blows cool air. I've taken it to the dealer 12 times for the same issue, but they can never find the real problem.
They flushed the A/C hoses and radiator, replaced the radiator cap, installed an upper hose, installed head gasket, water pump, and while there, the timing belt. They've also "burped" it numerous times. Also, when I have the heater on and fan on high, the temperature gauge drops as I'm going down a mountain and not pressing the gas pedal. After driving, and I stop, it also slowly drops while idling for about 5 - 10 min.
When it's warmer outside, I don't have any problems, because I don't have the heater on. This has been going on for about 1 1/2 years now, and it's starting to get cooler again, so I need to get it fixed or sell it.
Civic - Honda :: 1998 - Overheating - Temperature Gauge Basically In The Red While Driving
I have had my 1998 Honda Civic for about 5 years now... I bought it used. Occasionally I have noticed my oil levels have been low every 2 months or so. Oil is not being burned and doesn't leak. It hasn't affected performance from what I can tell. I have basically monitored the levels and everything has been fine. There was also an electrical issue since I have had it.
About 8 or 9 months ago, I noticed the temperature gauge was basically in the red while driving. I pulled over and noticed the oil was reading empty. I put oil in it and took it to the shop the next day. They told me the head gasket was bad and that the oil and coolant were mixing and recommended I replace the engine. I asked them how long I could manage before the car quit entirely and he said maybe a month, two if I kept doing oil changes.
I put the heat on while driving it, and the temp was normal. I took it to another shop the same week. They couldn't get it to overheat for a couple hours. The guy told me it was probably the fan but wouldn't know unless he could see it overheat. He said the fan would cause it to overheat at stoplights when there wasn't air on the engine. When the car gets hot, it doesn't get worse at stoplights and is only after I've been driving like 20 minutes that it heats up. I asked that he call me as soon as he knew what it was and I would decide whether I wanted it fixed that day or not. Then I didn't get a call for awhile, and when I called them, they said the guy was out getting the part. I felt like they were rushing so I would replace the fan. I asked if it was the head gasket because I didn't want to fix a fan if the engine needed to be replaced. They said it was not. I didn't replace the fan. They also told my husband that we could save wear and tear on the engine by putting the air conditioning on instead of the heater. When we do this, it overheats. Its only when the heater is on that the temp stays normal.
I have been driving the car for 8 or 9 months now with the heater on with no performance issues. It doesn't overheat and even when I forget to put the heat on it goes up to the red, but doesn't "overheat" with the steam and whatnot. It doesn't seem to do anything to affect the performance of the car. We have replaced the radiator cap, which had pieces falling off, and it didn't work. The check engine light came on yesterday and the code indicated something to do with the transmission.
We took it to a third mechanic today and he said I needed a new thermostat... I do not see any sort of film in the oil. We just flushed the coolant today and there was no sign of oil. I'm totally lost on what to do. I feel like the mechanics have lied to me about what was going on. They contradict each other and the little things they told me don't seem to be the case or don't work.
Honda - Accord :: Overheating After A Trip Of About An Hour - Temp Gauge Needle Going Way Up
After a trip of about an hour to the Fryeburg Fair yesterday I noticed my temperature gauge needle was going way up. I was able to park my car and went to the fair for about 4-5 hours. Before we left I checked the coolant level as the car had cooled off enough to take the cap off. The coolant right to the top and was green. I checked my oil level and that was fine. On the way home my son suggested that I turn the heat on. I did so and the temp gauge went down to normal and stayed that way all the way back home to Lewiston, Maine. I'm thinking it might be the thermostat but thought I would for any other possible reasons my car is doing this. The car has about 216,000 miles and I did have the thermostat replaced a couple of years ago.....???
View 11 RepliesCivic - Honda :: Engine Heats Up - Needle On Temperature Gauge Doesn't Move
This weekend I was one a trip in my '98 Civic, and I noticed some movement in my temperature gauge. It didn't really overheat; the needle never got near the red, but it did go a little higher than usual.
Normally, once the engine heats up, the needle on the temperature gauge doesn't move, not even a little. It sits right under the squiggly lines on the temperature gauge icon. However, on Friday, when I got off the highway, the needle rose into the upper part of the icon, to the part with the thermometer.
As soon as the car started moving, the needle on the temperature gauge went back to its normal spot, so I assumed it was a problem with the radiator fan and I kept on driving, prepared to turn on the heat if the needle on the temperature gauge started going up.
Saturday morning I took the car to a local shop in Jacksonville, and it turns out the engine needed a new fan and a new thermostat.
The first lesson that comes to mind is that keeping an eye on my temp gauge might have saved me an engine. It certainly saved me a head gasket. Since a head gasket or new engine would have been worth more than the car, catching this before it became a problem saved me from having to buy another car.
The next lesson is that my Civic had two things wrong with the cooling system, and yet it barely showed any symptoms. The air conditioner doesn't work I guess since a working A/C would probably have made it overheat. In any case, I've probably been driving without a working radiator fan for some time.
The final lesson is that if I had tried to diagnose this myself, I'd probably be driving around with a new radiator fan and a bad thermostat. I paid about $435 for a new fan, thermostat, and fresh coolant (I declined the cooling system flush) and it was worth every penny.
Civic - Honda :: 1997 - Temperature Gauge Starts Creeping Up Real Fast
The car I drive is a 1997 Civic EX, and if I drive it for about five minutes, the temperature gauge starts creeping up real fast. It'll go to the red if I let it, and the only thing that brings it down is turning on the heater and fan, at full blast. which is pretty miserable in summer.
I looked under the hood and found the radiator fan isn't starting up, no matter how hot it gets. So I checked the fuse - it looked good. Replaced it anyway just to be sure. No change. Then I replaced the relay switch. that didn't change anything. And I also replaced the fan motor. Still nothing.
I have read elsewhere that I should check my thermostat, but I can't see what it has to do with the fan motor not starting? also that the Engine Coolant Temperature sensor might be faulty but it is my understanding that that controls fuel-air mixtures and I just don't know.
Honda - Accord :: 1996 Overheating - Temp Gauge Gradually Climbing Towards Half Mark
The other night I passed a car overheating (Subaru) and checked my temp gauge and saw my needle was gradually climbing towards the half mark. This is not normal for my 96 Honda Accord. No lights coming on, so I blasted the heater and needle immediately returned to it's normal position. Filled the coolant, it was low, but the problem remains if the heater isn't turned on to at least 3. This doesn't seem extreme enough to be the thermostat. Could my fan be out?
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