Overheating 2012 Civic in. New head gasket or new engine?
Discussion
Hi all, just had a big disaster, and am looking for opinions about whether it makes sense to replace the headgasket or swap in a new engine
Car : 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 manual, R18Z4, 90k miles. Broken down in Norfolk
I somehow missed that it was slowly losing coolant. Finally, the inevitable happened and it blew the headgasket and melted the dipstick (!!!) and damaged a coilpack.
Story : I had driven about an hour on a warm day. The gauge showed that the temperature was hot, but it had done that before and gone right back down. Suddenly all the icons started to flash, there was a burned wire smell and the engine lost its power and stopped. There was no smoke and all that happened within about one minute.
Diagnosis : The dipstick melted and is now a few inches long (i think it melted right next to the exhaust valves). The mechanics replaced the radiator, filled the cooling system. A leakdown test revealed that cylinders 1 and 2 are leaking.
Moving forward ? I can ask them to replace the headgasket, and the garage would see if the head was warped or if the block is cracked. Maybe skim the head and...car should be fine. I could buy a used R18Z4 and ask them to swap it in.
1200GBP headgasket, or they quoted 24 hours of labor (55 an hour) to replace the engine with a new one I can send to them.
Questions: What is my best course of action here? Have i permanently damaged parts of the engine besides blowing the headgasket? What are the book hours for the headgasket or for an engine swap? Thanks so much! I know I made a mistake letting it get to the point of overheating, but I would like to right my wrongs and take care of the car from now on. Any advice much appreciated!
Car : 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 manual, R18Z4, 90k miles. Broken down in Norfolk
I somehow missed that it was slowly losing coolant. Finally, the inevitable happened and it blew the headgasket and melted the dipstick (!!!) and damaged a coilpack.
Story : I had driven about an hour on a warm day. The gauge showed that the temperature was hot, but it had done that before and gone right back down. Suddenly all the icons started to flash, there was a burned wire smell and the engine lost its power and stopped. There was no smoke and all that happened within about one minute.
Diagnosis : The dipstick melted and is now a few inches long (i think it melted right next to the exhaust valves). The mechanics replaced the radiator, filled the cooling system. A leakdown test revealed that cylinders 1 and 2 are leaking.
Moving forward ? I can ask them to replace the headgasket, and the garage would see if the head was warped or if the block is cracked. Maybe skim the head and...car should be fine. I could buy a used R18Z4 and ask them to swap it in.
1200GBP headgasket, or they quoted 24 hours of labor (55 an hour) to replace the engine with a new one I can send to them.
Questions: What is my best course of action here? Have i permanently damaged parts of the engine besides blowing the headgasket? What are the book hours for the headgasket or for an engine swap? Thanks so much! I know I made a mistake letting it get to the point of overheating, but I would like to right my wrongs and take care of the car from now on. Any advice much appreciated!
crowned said:
Hi all, just had a big disaster, and am looking for opinions about whether it makes sense to replace the headgasket or swap in a new engine
Car : 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 manual, R18Z4, 90k miles. Broken down in Norfolk
I somehow missed that it was slowly losing coolant. Finally, the inevitable happened and it blew the headgasket and melted the dipstick (!!!) and damaged a coilpack.
Story : I had driven about an hour on a warm day. The gauge showed that the temperature was hot, but it had done that before and gone right back down. Suddenly all the icons started to flash, there was a burned wire smell and the engine lost its power and stopped. There was no smoke and all that happened within about one minute.
Diagnosis : The dipstick melted and is now a few inches long (i think it melted right next to the exhaust valves). The mechanics replaced the radiator, filled the cooling system. A leakdown test revealed that cylinders 1 and 2 are leaking.
Moving forward ? I can ask them to replace the headgasket, and the garage would see if the head was warped or if the block is cracked. Maybe skim the head and...car should be fine. I could buy a used R18Z4 and ask them to swap it in.
1200GBP headgasket, or they quoted 24 hours of labor (55 an hour) to replace the engine with a new one I can send to them.
Questions: What is my best course of action here? Have i permanently damaged parts of the engine besides blowing the headgasket? What are the book hours for the headgasket or for an engine swap? Thanks so much! I know I made a mistake letting it get to the point of overheating, but I would like to right my wrongs and take care of the car from now on. Any advice much appreciated!
The post is strange.Car : 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 manual, R18Z4, 90k miles. Broken down in Norfolk
I somehow missed that it was slowly losing coolant. Finally, the inevitable happened and it blew the headgasket and melted the dipstick (!!!) and damaged a coilpack.
Story : I had driven about an hour on a warm day. The gauge showed that the temperature was hot, but it had done that before and gone right back down. Suddenly all the icons started to flash, there was a burned wire smell and the engine lost its power and stopped. There was no smoke and all that happened within about one minute.
Diagnosis : The dipstick melted and is now a few inches long (i think it melted right next to the exhaust valves). The mechanics replaced the radiator, filled the cooling system. A leakdown test revealed that cylinders 1 and 2 are leaking.
Moving forward ? I can ask them to replace the headgasket, and the garage would see if the head was warped or if the block is cracked. Maybe skim the head and...car should be fine. I could buy a used R18Z4 and ask them to swap it in.
1200GBP headgasket, or they quoted 24 hours of labor (55 an hour) to replace the engine with a new one I can send to them.
Questions: What is my best course of action here? Have i permanently damaged parts of the engine besides blowing the headgasket? What are the book hours for the headgasket or for an engine swap? Thanks so much! I know I made a mistake letting it get to the point of overheating, but I would like to right my wrongs and take care of the car from now on. Any advice much appreciated!
What icons ? An overheating engine will not cause "all the icons" to do anything.
Potentially a wiring or other problem may.
What exactly were the results of this leakdown test ? 1 and 2 leaking, is a vague statement. A bit like saying, the time is....this. But no actual time.
The dipstick can be nowhere near the exhaust valves. A dipstick is external to the engine, although it reaches into the sump, the exhaust valves are contained well within the engine, nowhere near where any dipstick would ever be.
I would make sure the engine does start and run at present, and there is no wiring damage, or parts burnt that should not. A leakdown test can be sensible, as long as results are given, and also determining where any leakage is occurring to.
It's pointless just saying something is leaking, without finding out how much, and where it is leaking
But if you have well and truly cooked the engine, a repair may well be futile. So a lot depends how badly you did cook it. Fearing the worst, an engine swap may well make the most sense as you could spend time/money pulling yours apart for repair, only to find more problems the deeper you go.
crowned said:
1200GBP headgasket, or they quoted 24 hours of labor (55 an hour) to replace the engine with a new one I can send to them.
They'll need to remove the head to confirm the HGF diagnosis and determine whether the block is still usable. If the engine is beyond economic repair and it needs a replacement engine, you'll need to decide whether it'c economical to do that.
If you decide it is, make sure the garage fitting the engine is also responsible for supplying it. Do not under any circumstances supply the engine and ask them to fit it - if you do, you can be left with an unusable car with the engine supplier blaming the people who fitted it, and the people who fitted it blaming the supplier.
It is my friends car and she was driving. I don't know what she saw, I'm just relaying what she told me.
I think it goes right near the exhaust valves. I don't have the engine in front of me but this is the design :
https://www.crvownersclub.com/threads/melted-dipst...
The plastic dipstick goes right into the head, down the block, and into the sump
I wasn't there when they did the leakdown test. I just heard the mechanic say "1 and 2" are leaking.
The engine does run smoothly at the moment.
Thanks.
I think it goes right near the exhaust valves. I don't have the engine in front of me but this is the design :
https://www.crvownersclub.com/threads/melted-dipst...
The plastic dipstick goes right into the head, down the block, and into the sump
I wasn't there when they did the leakdown test. I just heard the mechanic say "1 and 2" are leaking.
The engine does run smoothly at the moment.
Thanks.
stevieturbo said:
The post is strange.
What icons ? An overheating engine will not cause "all the icons" to do anything.
Potentially a wiring or other problem may.
What exactly were the results of this leakdown test ? 1 and 2 leaking, is a vague statement. A bit like saying, the time is....this. But no actual time.
The dipstick can be nowhere near the exhaust valves. A dipstick is external to the engine, although it reaches into the sump, the exhaust valves are contained well within the engine, nowhere near where any dipstick would ever be.
I would make sure the engine does start and run at present, and there is no wiring damage, or parts burnt that should not. A leakdown test can be sensible, as long as results are given, and also determining where any leakage is occurring to.
It's pointless just saying something is leaking, without finding out how much, and where it is leaking
But if you have well and truly cooked the engine, a repair may well be futile. So a lot depends how badly you did cook it. Fearing the worst, an engine swap may well make the most sense as you could spend time/money pulling yours apart for repair, only to find more problems the deeper you go.
What icons ? An overheating engine will not cause "all the icons" to do anything.
Potentially a wiring or other problem may.
What exactly were the results of this leakdown test ? 1 and 2 leaking, is a vague statement. A bit like saying, the time is....this. But no actual time.
The dipstick can be nowhere near the exhaust valves. A dipstick is external to the engine, although it reaches into the sump, the exhaust valves are contained well within the engine, nowhere near where any dipstick would ever be.
I would make sure the engine does start and run at present, and there is no wiring damage, or parts burnt that should not. A leakdown test can be sensible, as long as results are given, and also determining where any leakage is occurring to.
It's pointless just saying something is leaking, without finding out how much, and where it is leaking
But if you have well and truly cooked the engine, a repair may well be futile. So a lot depends how badly you did cook it. Fearing the worst, an engine swap may well make the most sense as you could spend time/money pulling yours apart for repair, only to find more problems the deeper you go.
very unusual, the dipstick is somewhat internal ! The melting could be a red herring if there are posts about others melting ? I guess not surprising given the silly location.
The fact it runs smoothly now, could be a good sign. Really though, some more in depth testing ( and results ) need be nice to know.
If it is indeed running smoothly, a test for excess pressure in the crankcase would be an easy next step, this would give some indication if the bottom end has been cooked badly.
If so, then a new engine would be looking likely.
If the bottom end is still well sealed up, then you may well get away with just pulling the head, and rectifying whatever is seen there
The fact it runs smoothly now, could be a good sign. Really though, some more in depth testing ( and results ) need be nice to know.
If it is indeed running smoothly, a test for excess pressure in the crankcase would be an easy next step, this would give some indication if the bottom end has been cooked badly.
If so, then a new engine would be looking likely.
If the bottom end is still well sealed up, then you may well get away with just pulling the head, and rectifying whatever is seen there
stevieturbo said:
The post is strange.
What icons ? An overheating engine will not cause "all the icons" to do anything.
Potentially a wiring or other problem may.
What exactly were the results of this leakdown test ? 1 and 2 leaking, is a vague statement. A bit like saying, the time is....this. But no actual time.
The dipstick can be nowhere near the exhaust valves. A dipstick is external to the engine, although it reaches into the sump, the exhaust valves are contained well within the engine, nowhere near where any dipstick would ever be.
I would make sure the engine does start and run at present, and there is no wiring damage, or parts burnt that should not. A leakdown test can be sensible, as long as results are given, and also determining where any leakage is occurring to.
It's pointless just saying something is leaking, without finding out how much, and where it is leaking
But if you have well and truly cooked the engine, a repair may well be futile. So a lot depends how badly you did cook it. Fearing the worst, an engine swap may well make the most sense as you could spend time/money pulling yours apart for repair, only to find more problems the deeper you go.
from memory , on those the dipstick goes in the rocker cover, so may be melted.What icons ? An overheating engine will not cause "all the icons" to do anything.
Potentially a wiring or other problem may.
What exactly were the results of this leakdown test ? 1 and 2 leaking, is a vague statement. A bit like saying, the time is....this. But no actual time.
The dipstick can be nowhere near the exhaust valves. A dipstick is external to the engine, although it reaches into the sump, the exhaust valves are contained well within the engine, nowhere near where any dipstick would ever be.
I would make sure the engine does start and run at present, and there is no wiring damage, or parts burnt that should not. A leakdown test can be sensible, as long as results are given, and also determining where any leakage is occurring to.
It's pointless just saying something is leaking, without finding out how much, and where it is leaking
But if you have well and truly cooked the engine, a repair may well be futile. So a lot depends how badly you did cook it. Fearing the worst, an engine swap may well make the most sense as you could spend time/money pulling yours apart for repair, only to find more problems the deeper you go.
but 24 hrs to change an engine in a civic seems abit much.
second opinion needed
crowned said:
...
The engine does run smoothly at the moment.
...
We Buy Any Car ...The engine does run smoothly at the moment.
...
A quick glance at Autotrader seems to suggest a 2012 Civic with 90k miles on it is worth somewhere around £3k-£4k.
You - or your friend - obviously aren't in a position to do the work yourself. So you've got the risk of paying out 1/4 to a 1/3 of the value of the car for a repair that may or may not fix things.
I would suggest that even repaired, there would be a niggle in the back of your - or your friend's - mind about just how permanent the fix might be.
Assuming WBAC (or similar - other car buying companies are out there) offer c25% below market value, you - or your friend - could sell that car to them and purchase another with an engine that's significantly more al dente for less than the gamble of whether a 1200 quid head gasket fixes the issue or not. Maybe even better financially if you - or your friend - are decent at negotiation.
Rotary Potato said:
crowned said:
...
The engine does run smoothly at the moment.
...
We Buy Any Car ...The engine does run smoothly at the moment.
...
A quick glance at Autotrader seems to suggest a 2012 Civic with 90k miles on it is worth somewhere around £3k-£4k.
You - or your friend - obviously aren't in a position to do the work yourself. So you've got the risk of paying out 1/4 to a 1/3 of the value of the car for a repair that may or may not fix things.
I would suggest that even repaired, there would be a niggle in the back of your - or your friend's - mind about just how permanent the fix might be.
Assuming WBAC (or similar - other car buying companies are out there) offer c25% below market value, you - or your friend - could sell that car to them and purchase another with an engine that's significantly more al dente for less than the gamble of whether a 1200 quid head gasket fixes the issue or not. Maybe even better financially if you - or your friend - are decent at negotiation.
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