Finding a Coolant Leak on a Honda Civic

Рет қаралды 146,375

Күн бұрын

In this video I show you how I test a coolant system for a leak. The exact vehicle that I'm testing is 2000 Honda Civic LX. Be sure that any checks that are done on a cooling system are with a cool vehicle, you don't want to get burned by hot coolant.
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The Big Dog50001 Automotive Channel recommends safe practices when working with power tools, in on or around automobiles or other vehicles, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, automotive modules and systems, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video.
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Пікірлер: 69

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

Tools in video: This channel earns a small commission using some of these links - at no additional cost to you. Astro Radiator Pressure Tester: amzn.to/2Z3hKNz The Big Dog 50001 Automotive Channel Store can be found here: www.amazon.com/shop/bigdog50001automotive

@rsbharley4766 11 ай бұрын

Excellent video, thanks for sharing. Cheers

@eddiemanuel3946 Жыл бұрын

You sir must be professional and I've noticed that you are very neat when you work. Thank you for your videos it has helped me figure out diagnostics with my car. Hopefully that you can make more videos on repairs of Hondas.

@BigDog50001 Жыл бұрын

I appreciate the comment, thanks!

@redtalks9094 6 жыл бұрын

thank you. Quality video. Still diagnosing my issue.

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the comment.

@calialcienporciento 2 жыл бұрын

Really great video!👍👍👍

@BigDog50001 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! 👍

@RahkmanX 5 жыл бұрын

Love the music at the end! lol

@BigDog50001 5 жыл бұрын

Glad you like it!

@mrgregw 6 жыл бұрын

That pressure test kit looks very nice.

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

It is a pretty good kit. Thanks for the comment.

@jamesdean810 4 жыл бұрын

Just my 2 cents. If someone wants to pressure test their cooling system but havent got a fancy tester like you've used, they could just disconnect the thin hose that goes to the overflow reservoir on the reservoir side and hook it up to a motorized tire inflator (those ones that plug into the car battery jacks) using a special adapter that usually comes with the inflator to inflate other things like balls etc. Keep the radiator cap on and by doing this, you will be putting pressurized air into the cooling system via the cap return valve. Remember to clamp both sides of the hose to prevent backing off during pressurization. These tire inflators also usually have a pressure gauge that indicate the pressure. I did mine this way and put 20-22 psi on my Camry and found the leak on my radiator, which I have since replaced. This method also tests the radiator cap outer lip sealing integrity so if you have a bad cap, you will hear air escaping from the cap and the pressure dropping. Thanks for the video though but personally, I wouldnt buy the expensive tester just to use for one time checking.

@BigDog50001 4 жыл бұрын

That is one way to work around not having the tools. I would only caution to not go above the pressure printed on the radiator cap and it may not work on some systems due to the way the cap seals off the overflow. Thanks for the input!

@robmcfarland917 11 ай бұрын

great hack bro, THIS is what youtube is for. i used the same attatchment we use to blow up floaties at the beach, fit perfectly into the end of that reservoir hose, and i was able to see the leak spilling out of my rad in seconds

@Mid-Ohio 4 жыл бұрын

Good looking out my leak is in the same area.I hope it’s as easy as this one!

@BigDog50001 4 жыл бұрын

👍

@TheDisgruntledMechanic 7 жыл бұрын

Nice test! I have the HF one that I have had for many years. It works but I seldom use it.

@BigDog50001 7 жыл бұрын

Of course you would have the one I said don't get! ;)

@TheDisgruntledMechanic 7 жыл бұрын

of course! most tools I have I go full out when buying but a few, not so much!

@BigDog50001 7 жыл бұрын

lol! That reminds me, we need some more tool videos from you!

@VictorRodriguez-nq9xc 3 жыл бұрын

Hey man, great video!👍 quick question though, I noticed there is a leak coming from the cap of the reservoir… by any chance would u know the cause of this?

@akamphysic7299 5 жыл бұрын

thanck you for all vedeos

@BigDog50001 5 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the comment, thank you!

@DavidCoffill 7 жыл бұрын

This job didn't even need coffee! :)

@BigDog50001 7 жыл бұрын

lol.

@sivucit 5 жыл бұрын

i recently fixed my pilot 2005 radiator leak, i was trying to find the leak could not find it anywhere,, leak is so small, after one month :) i figured it is from m radiator, since there is no cleaerance, i have to manually remove the radiator and finally figured it out... i put some dye .. eventually to find the spot.. :)

@joshcraft9755 Жыл бұрын

Is that hose coming out of the the reservoir supposed to lead to nothing?

@K--S 2 жыл бұрын

Hello, thanks for the video. My Honda has fishy smell coming from it, on the outside and inside the cabin, at times. I believe it's related to the coolant. What do you think is the cause? Also, that smell is really strong.

@iamtoxic1 Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a heater core. Check if your passenger floorboards have been wet lately

@nathanield.4527 4 жыл бұрын

My coolant level in my radiator goes down slowly after a few weeks, but my overflow tank remains full. I don’t see any signs of leakage. Does this sound like a radiator cap issue or do you think I also have a leak somewhere in the system?

@BigDog50001 4 жыл бұрын

You could try changing the cap I suppose, sometimes it can be tough to find coolant leaks. If you can't locate one it may be necessary to do a head gasket test.

@nathanield.4527 4 жыл бұрын

Big Dog50001 Automotive Thank you Big Dog!

@1spark2 6 жыл бұрын

Do you have a part number for that pressure test kit? I have the snap-on kit,but only comes with 3 fittings. You should put affiliate amazon links in your descriptions for each tool you use.

@1spark2 6 жыл бұрын

I must be slightly blind, part number on case. Thanks for the video :)

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

lol! I have been trying to put links up for the key tools I use in videos, I must have missed this one. Thanks for the comment!

@AB-fs5ui 5 ай бұрын

Hello I have a 99 accord v6 on the coolant reservoir when cars cold should level be between min and max or at max level

@BigDog50001 5 ай бұрын

About halfway when cold, after warmup it will usually go closer to max level as coolant heats up and expands. That being said, if service was just done on the coolant (drain and fill etc), I always fill it to the max even though the coolant is still cool.

@AaronKimmins 7 жыл бұрын

For reference though... 1.1 atm = just over 16psi. But good vid, any pressure should show the leak, does seem that most have gone to 16 pounds though.

@BigDog50001 7 жыл бұрын

Aaron Kimmins 1.1 bar = 15.954 psi

@AaronKimmins 7 жыл бұрын

Big Dog50001 oh, ok, I did atmosphere...guess bar is slightly lower... Few hundredths either way...

@BigDog50001 7 жыл бұрын

Aaron Kimmins ;)

@cheyennedehart8880 2 жыл бұрын

Yo I have the same car need help with my car cus it keeps leaking Iv be having trouble I wanna follow you

@jeremys5904 6 жыл бұрын

Well i drained the coolant out the drain plug and when i went to pour new fluid in, only maybe about 20 ounces went in and it was full to the top...waited and it acts as if its full. I started the car and let it run for 5 min. and still the same.. What now? Seems like there is a clog?

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

Did you only drain out 20 ounces? If not, then you probably have air in system. Needs to be bled just like I did in the coolant service video. I would jiggle the radiator a bit (as long as its cool) and see if some air comes out and fluid level drops down. No matter what, the system needs to be bled properly.

@jeremys5904 6 жыл бұрын

Yes probably...i was just eyeballing it and guessing. All seems fine now. I have drained and refilled and bled two times now. Runs great. Thanks for all your help!

@jonathonoberjonnyober7582 6 жыл бұрын

Hey bud I have a civic just like this one 98 civic, it seams to be leaking under the distributor cap and motor is there a seal or something in there? There's no coolant in oil at least yet figures crossed..please help thank you

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

The heater hose is under distributor and is prone to leaking due to oil leaks from distributor. I have videos on removing and installing the head on this vehicle, so if you want to see what is looks like taken apart you can check out those videos.

@jonathonoberjonnyober7582 6 жыл бұрын

Big Dog50001 Automotive yup that makes sense thank you very much I'll check it out.

@_Yep_Yep_ 4 ай бұрын

Heya BigDog50001, this is a hail-Mary, but I figure you miss every shot you dont take. I just had an 08 Civic EX (B18) sent in with a slow leak. Garage pressure tested it, told me it was the pump, and sent me on my way a thousand bucks lighter. Car continued to have that coolant smell, and was apparently still leaking (overheated) a month later. Do you have a suggestion as to how to approach this with the garage? They immediately called me to say they...want to charge for another diag and pressure test/its not their pump leaking. Hate to vent here, but when the car left the shop doing the same thing it entered the shop i find it perplexing to politely explain. Im skeptical that the car developed a separate but similar new leak that would not have presented itself during the initial pressure test or the one after the pump was finished before the car was turned over to me.

@BigDog50001 4 ай бұрын

From your description it sounds like a "comeback", car was still having the same problem it went in for. Typically a garage will take care of a comeback for free if they misdiagnosed something. It is possible there were two leaks to begin with and the second leak was not found at the time (but a final leak test to confirm fix should have shown that). Or another leak could have developed after the first one was fixed which would be a separate charge. Most garages will at least look at it for no charge if it is the same complaint in a short period of time. Speaking of overheating, here is another Civic that had a coolant leak: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rZlzm9qYy6rUeJc.html

@_Yep_Yep_ 4 ай бұрын

@@BigDog50001 Thanks bud. I politely told them to re-diag and repressure test it for no charge. Currently waiting on their overnight pressure test results.

@patrickstar564 3 жыл бұрын

She’s leakin like a sib 🤣 I was in after that

@BigDog50001 3 жыл бұрын

👍

@dawnkeener9836 2 жыл бұрын

That top hose that is right next to the cap... My car keeps overheating and when I check that hose is off... I noticed that it didn't over heat as long as the hose stays on. In your video there is no C clamp on it ... I was going to put a clamp on that hose but I am not sure if it actually should not have one. Can you please help me out with this. Should I be okay if I put a camp on that hose?

@dawnkeener9836 2 жыл бұрын

So at 1:53... The hose that looks like it's coming from the cap on the radiator to the overflow Ben.

@Burns11112 2 жыл бұрын

Either that hose is bad or your radiator cap is.

@jeremys5904 6 жыл бұрын

My auto part store didnt have an adaptor that would work on wifes 98 honda civic which is leaking coolant somewhere..and i dont want to buy the kit. Can i just pour water in the radiator and run the car to see where the leak is coming from? ( of course wearing goggles and face shield) If i have to take it to a shop is it ok to pour water in to drive to a shop less than 1 mile away? Ugggh...im hoping its not something too serious. Please respond. thanks in advance.

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

You can try a visual inspection, sometimes that can find a leak without test equipment (I have a video coming out soon showing just that). Sometimes a pressure tester is the only way you can find one though. As an emergency you can use water to help find the leak and drive the vehicle but the water will need to be flushed out later. If it is not leaking too bad I would probably use the cheap Walmart brand 50/50 coolant instead of water. WATCH THE TEMP GAUGE AND MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT GO ALL THE WAY TO H (HOT). SHUT THE VEHICLE DOWN IMMEDIATELY IF IT DOES OR YOU WILL PROBABLY BLOW THE HEAD GASKET.

@jeremys5904 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!! Well i did find a test kit to rent at another store...it was the heater hose that goes from under the dist. to the firewall...it had burst from oil dripping on it over the years. A $13 hose is the fix.Test drove and it does not overheat and never had overheated. So now i need to flush out the water...I dont have any special tools to do that. Should i take it to my mechanic to do a flush or is it ok to just drain and refill? Thank you sir for the fast reply! Doing a successful repair is so satisfying.

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

Excellent job! Make sure you fix the oil leak or you will be doing this repair again. I'm sure there are specific KZfaq videos for that distributor o-ring, but if not you can see how I remove and replace it by watching the videos I did on removing and installing the cylinder head on this Civic (just fast forward some). I would probably just do 2 Drain and Fills on your coolant system if I were in your shoes (must be done at two different times because the system needs to be warmed up and bled each time). I have a video on Honda Coolant System Service too if you are interested: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oJp3ha5lsbvbmmw.html .

@jeremys5904 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks! By saying the system needs bled each time, do you mean hook up the pressure tester each time after the coolant is filled and that way it prevents air bubbles? Is there a drain valve on the bottom of the radiator? (I have not even looked yet). Is there a specific coolant i need to use or just like regular prestone 50/50? It is a green coolant.

@BigDog50001 6 жыл бұрын

jeremy s Watch the coolant system service video that I just posted a link to.

@BigDog50001 4 жыл бұрын

Be sure to subscribe for more tool and car repair videos! kzfaq.info twitter.com/BigDog50001 instagram.com/bigdog50001/ Disclosure: This channel earns a small commission using some of these links - at no additional cost to you. The Big Dog 50001 Automotive Channel Store can be found here: www.amazon.com/shop/bigdog50001automotive

@sivucit 5 жыл бұрын

will not pressure tester shows water pump leak while testing,

@BigDog50001 5 жыл бұрын

Yes it can but many water pumps are buried and that can make it difficult to see.