engine overheating

akhan39

I have a 1997 honda civic it has two major problems as of today, one is that the temperature gauge needle is shooting pass the red line within 5 minutes of driving and the car heating is not working, its just blowing out cold air now.

Can someone please advise?

Also how much can I be expected to be charged by a mechanic to fix these 2 faults?

Thanks in advanced for any help!

espresso

Sounds like the coolant has frozen, due to not having sufficient antifreeze or non at all. Don't drive it until it's thawed out unless you want a huge bill.

angeltreats

Is there any coolant in the reservoir?

akhan39

please advise where to look for the coolant as I am not very familiar with the mechanics of the car?.thanks

espresso

akhan39 wrote: »

please advise where to look for the coolant as I am not very familiar with the mechanics of the car?.thanks

angeltreats

There will be a Min and Max line on the coolant tank (as in the photo above). The level should be somewhere between these two lines.

Also have you noticed any leaks on the ground underneath the car? Obviously this weather isn't the best for spotting them as everything is so wet already...

Lincoln_Imp

The good news is it isnt 2 faults as you say ,the overheating and no hot air are related
Could be a few things ,faulty thermostat ,faulty water pump but as been suggested check the coolant level first
I wouldnt drive it though until fixed unless you want a big bill (as espresso as already said)

angeltreats

If your coolant is empty/low then there'll be a reason for it because coolant shouldn't just disappear - the engine doesn't use it like it uses oil and it should last until it actually needs changing - and if you're not confident enough to tackle it yourself then you'll need to get it checked out.

akhan39

I actually did top up the collant tank 2 days ago and its just vanishing within the 2 days, please advise on what my next steps should be?

Someone else said I might have a problem with the radiator?

jaydeeuk1

Radiator leaking, heater matrix split, loose coolant pipe or poss headgasket. Take the oil filler cap off and see if the top is covered is white mayonnaise crap. If not, fill car up with coolant and immediately check for leaks.

Is the footwell damp in front of car?

computershack

12-13 year old car, probably rarely serviced, freezing weather and owner doesn't even know how to do rudimentary weekly checks....

Take it to a garage and get them to do a coolant pressure test and a CO "sniff" test.