[pacpud]

92k miles 01' manual

I just bought this car ~6mo. ago, in california and and im in michigan. It seems like I've been having some issues with it, though.

I brought my car in to get it checked out (check engine light on, windshield wiper fluid frozen), and turns out out my oil is low, even though I got it changed 2 weeks ago. It seems to be leaking into my coolant, which I also got changed at the same time.

Anyway, the guys at the shop recommended I get some gasket sealant and put that into my engine oil for ~5-8 bucks and see how it turns out. Do any of you have experience with this?

Some other problems I've been having:
- low gas mileage, ~20mpg city.
- car is having trouble starting, new battery
- coolant thermostat came up for my check engine light

Appreciate the help.

 

[Zembonez]

Magic goo in a bottle will not fix this problem. It sounds like it might have a blown head gasket / cracked head.

 

[pacpud]

Damn.

Repairpal is quoting me $900 to $1400 for a gasket head change. Is the best I can do to get it into a shop asap? Anything else to keep in mind?

 

[Zembonez]

I would look around. Find a decent quality independent shop that services imports and stay away from the dealer. Have them diagnose the problem prior to just assuming anything. Continuing to drive the vehicle can only result in more expense on the repair side.

Good luck!

 

[CDsDontBurn]

^^ Agreed.

sounds like a gasket is out. if you're also leaking oil into the coolant system, i'd also have the coolant drained out as well while you're getting the gaskets re-done.

 

[Fredsvt]

If it's the 4 cyl F23, the block is cracked. A more than common issue with that engine.
It's not repairable. The block needs to be changed.

There is a casting flaw that allows oil pressure into the cooling system.

 

[Zembonez]

Being an 01, there are probably some reasonable mileage used engine assemblies out there if it turned out to be the block.

 

[pacpud]

Thanks for the info guys. I honestly don't know what to say right now...

At least I can be prepared when I walk in tomorrow.

 

[chaqui74]

If it looks like your coolant its been contaminated with oil its most likely your radiator internally broke were the transmission fluid runs thru to cool down the fluid. Doesn't sound like blown head gasket usually is the other way around when that happens your coolant/water gets mixed with the engine oil which you can actually tell by looking at the dipstick and thru the exhaust white smoke and you can actually smell water burning.. Chech the RADIATOR

 

[BullShifter]

If it's the 4 cyl F23, the block is cracked. A more than common issue with that engine.
It's not repairable. The block needs to be changed.

There is a casting flaw that allows oil pressure into the cooling system.

Aint that a bitch! I had customer come into Honda when I worked there with this issue, but he was still under factory warranty at the time.

 

[Fredsvt]

It's interesting, from a technical point of view that Honda's blocks as of late have been showing porosity, cracks and other odd issues, while their heads are near bulletproof.

The F23 with oil galley cracking into coolant, and the very high mileage ones I've seen with bosses broken clean off the block that are for exhaust bracing and accessory mounting. (no accident damage on all but one) Some J30s with porosity and coolant or oil leaks, external, and the R18 with the cracked blocks either external or into the oil separator box on the back of the motor, that leak coolant.

 

[BullShifter]

Honda is having them made in China I guess

 

[pacpud]

porous engine block.

Now I gotta decide whether it's even worth rebuilding the thing, or if I should just get a new car. I'm going to try calling Honda up and see what they can do, although from reading some other posts it doesn't seem like Honda will help.

Talking to the guys from the shop, it didn't really seem like they did much other than go online to research this problem, and then tell me that it's probably a porous engine block, which is what I told them in the first place. Maybe they double-checked to make sure oil was really leaking through and looked for a obviously bad gasket. According to them, if I had them go through the trouble of finding out where the leak was and confirming the problem, that that was enough work to commit to replacing the engine anyway? Doesn't make sense to me, but I don't know much.

 

[Fredsvt]

Honda probably won't do anything since its 10 years old.

The problem is, taking the existing engine apart is a waste of time. The crack/porosity is in a place where it's not viewable. They crack in the area between the rear balancer and the water jacket along the backside of the block.

I've seen a few engines that were run through a band saw to view the issue.

The head gaskets rarely fail in this manner and it usually takes a major overheating to do it, by that point the top tank of the radiator melts. These heads are pretty tough as far as heat tolerance is concerned. If it ever did get too hot but not TOO hot, you'd also be burning considerable oil, as the rings would have lost tension.

You have a few options, an engine from a real import rebuilder, not someplace like Jasper. A used engine. Or a replacement short block and re-use your head and all other parts. Or dump the car for what you can get for it.

 

[pacpud]

question is: is it even worth rebuliding it if that's gonna cost $5000?

I really just need a solid car that I can depend on for the next 100k+ miles.

 

[SatinSilver]

You have a few options, an engine from a real import rebuilder, not someplace like Jasper. A used engine. Or a replacement short block and re-use your head and all other parts. Or dump the car for what you can get for it.

question is: is it even worth rebuliding it if that's gonna cost $5000?

You can google the topic "is it worth repairing a car". Generally, if the car is not rusty, all other components are in good order, and repairs do NOT exceed 50% of the value then FIX it.

I'd go with a USED engine. Find a shop that will do the labor for you and let them source the engine. Make sure they test the engine before the install for compression etc. Key is finding a good shop to do the work. Where are you located in MI and maybe Fred can recommend a place. :thmsup:

 

[pacpud]

If it costs less than $2500 to get this guy up and running again, I would be in for it.

Fred you're in MI? I'm in Ann Arbor.

 

[SatinSilver]

If it costs less than $2500 to get this guy up and running again, I would be in for it.

Fred you're in MI? I'm in Ann Arbor.

He's in NJ but has contacts all over the country since he's on various technical forums.

 

[pacpud]

So I decided to put in a used engine:

$900+tax (63k mi. engine) + $1400 (labor) = $2350

I figured, why not do the timing belt service now ($200/kit, no add'l labor), since I'd have to get that done down the road anyway. Also, I'm thinking about doing the clutch as well, although that's gonna depend on how the clutch looks in its current state. That'd be another $230.

Total = ~$2700-2900... which is above what I expected, but is it worth it?

Thoughts? Anything else I should keep in mind putting in an engine that's been in a junkyard for who knows how long...

 

[SatinSilver]

If it costs less than $2500 to get this guy up and running again, I would be in for it.

Fred you're in MI? I'm in Ann Arbor.

So I decided to put in a used engine:

$900+tax (63k mi. engine) + $1400 (labor) = $2350

I figured, why not do the timing belt service now ($200/kit, no add'l labor), since I'd have to get that done down the road anyway. Also, I'm thinking about doing the clutch as well, although that's gonna depend on how the clutch looks in its current state. That'd be another $230.

Total = ~$2700-2900... which is above what I expected, but is it worth it?

Sounds like your right on target! Good job getting all that done. I just noticed you have the coupe. I think you will really grow to like it even more as the miles rack up. :thmsup:

Make sure there is a new oem pcv valve in there since it often gets overlooked. Also put in some GM FM(friction modified) manual trans fluid or mtf for short.