Mecahanical

825

Asked by Trent Mar 12, 2018 at 08:58 AM about the 1999 Honda Civic DX

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 99 civic.  Is over heating.  The heat is
good.  No.  Mixing of pull and water no white
smoke. Only over heats at high speeds.  Won't over
heat at idle or low speeds.  Can't figure it out.  

2 Answers

101,815

At "high speeds" your engine is working its hardest, so any deficiencies in its cooling system are going to cause some overheating. Lucky for you it does not appear to be head gasket related. I would check the following - radiator cap (they should be replaced every two years anyhow), thermostat, plastic air dam under car, radiator, and finally water pump. A radiator can be checked with an IR gun, you want to see entire radiator is warm, without any 'dead' spots indicating blockages. The air dam, if present, aids in directing air up into radiator. They often get knocked around over the years or even torn off. At low speeds they don't do much but at highway speeds they help with air flow to radiator.

825

I'm thinking it is the radiator blockage. I think if it was the thermostat there would be problems with the heat. The water pumps rarely fail on these cars though it does happen. However when they do fail it's either of bearing which makes all kinds of Racket and your car will not run at all without overheating or it's leaking and you will see fluid everywhere I have seen no leaks. However the bottom radiator hose is significantly cooler than the upper. I'm going to undo the top radiator hose and check that the water pump is pushing out a good stream through it. My air dam is intact that is actually the first thing I checked. Any more input would be appreciated

Your Answer:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

1999 Honda Civic

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    ColdinMA
    Reputation
    2,370
  • #2
    Guru9CNGV
    Reputation
    2,110
  • #3
    GuruDMD1V
    Reputation
    2,090
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Honda Accord
1,548 Great Deals out of 29,530 listings starting at $1,900
Used Toyota Corolla
1,504 Great Deals out of 22,359 listings starting at $950
Used Toyota Camry
2,003 Great Deals out of 30,902 listings starting at $1,500
Used Honda Civic Coupe
176 Great Deals out of 1,873 listings starting at $1,482
Used Honda CR-V
2,110 Great Deals out of 38,553 listings starting at $775
Used Hyundai Elantra
884 Great Deals out of 27,704 listings starting at $1,588
Used Ford Mustang
945 Great Deals out of 21,466 listings starting at $1,651
Used Nissan Altima
1,489 Great Deals out of 36,920 listings starting at $1,500
Used Toyota Tacoma
2,115 Great Deals out of 35,554 listings starting at $3,500
Used BMW 3 Series
1,067 Great Deals out of 12,283 listings starting at $950
Used Toyota RAV4
1,990 Great Deals out of 28,560 listings starting at $2,000

Used Cars for Sale

2024 Honda Civic For Sale
43 Great Deals out of 13,045 listings starting at $22,876
2023 Honda Civic For Sale
68 Great Deals out of 793 listings starting at $19,985
2022 Honda Civic For Sale
173 Great Deals out of 2,103 listings starting at $14,321
2021 Honda Civic For Sale
155 Great Deals out of 2,282 listings starting at $14,500
2020 Honda Civic For Sale
128 Great Deals out of 2,091 listings starting at $10,994

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.