Overheated and died, replaced radiator and wont start.

[Crunde85]

My girlfriend's 96 Civic EX died on her way home the other day. She said the temp was in the red and she continued to drive for 5 minutes until it died. I dove there and saw coolant all over the ground. I added more coolant and it was leaking very bad. I managed to get it started, but it hardly ran and I idled it home and ordered a new radiator since it leaked all the coolant and caused the overheating.

I installed the new radiator today and filled it with coolant. The car will not start and stay running. It kicks over and sounds like it may start (sputters) but dies as soon as I touch the gas. I smell the gas and it is probably flooded as well.

Checked the OBDII and got codes: P0117 (Engine Coolant Temperature Circuit Low Input), P0303 (Cyl 3 misfire), P0304 (Cyl 4 misfire), and P1300 (Multi Misfire). Also it said "Insufficient Coolant Temperature For Closed Loop Fuel Control" when I went to diagnose the fuel injection system. I cleared the codes after writing them down. Also disconnected the battery to reset the ECU.

I pulled the plugs and each one has a white spark when tested. Damaged a spark plug wire, so I replaced them today as well. Also did a compression test and get 150 PSI at each cylinder. Checked the oil and it looks brown and not discolored at all. I am replacing the ECT sensor now since it threw the code for it.

Any other suggestions to help me get it started? Or am I wasting my time with a dead engine? Thanks!

 

[daperez13]

Lol. Sorry, I just like the story - plain and simple with a sense of humor, yet you managed to get your point across while hundreds of people here write a whole novel and barely touch on the main issues.

I think your compression is too low, it should be near 170-180. I'll be surprised if the gasket isn't blown and/or the head warped. I would start again with a compression test but be sure you are doing it correctly - look online for instructions on how to properly perform one. Also do a leakdown test, this will tell you if you have any bent valves, a blown head gasket or a more severe problem like a crack somewhere. The misfires are probably due to the coolant in the combustion chambers. You've already verified spark and I don't think there's a problem there. You're best be is to replace the water pump, thermostat and head gasket. Take the head to a machine shop so they can verify if it's straight, otherwise, it'll need resurfacing. You can keep a lot of the costs down if you do the work yourself. It's a little involved but if you're mechanically inclined, it should be no problem. Get yourself a repair manual for your vehicle and give it a go.

Good luck, keep us posted!