Coolant leak - and need to get home

[thewatcher101]

The leak is on a 98 civic the radiator system has iirc 4.1q or about a gallon - i drove from LA to PHX and about 260 mark car started to over heat pulled over no coolant in expansion tank

car was towed for 100 miles thanks to AAA

then got my hands on some distilled water poured about half a gallon in and drove the rest of the way to PHX for 25 miles no overheating problems or observable leaks

i am positive the [censored] thing is leaking and i need to get back home this weekend -

currently i am assuming it is a slow leak - my plan

jack up the car run it get on the gas to see if i can see the leak - if i can i will do a patch job with duct tape for the hose and jb weld for the core

but........... if i am unable to determine the leak my plan is to use bar's tablet (the ones that come in a roll) did some searching found out that is what people are happy with

and fill the rest with water since i am burning it anyways

and going to head out after 6 so ambient air temps would be 80 and under and will keep on dropping till i get home - it is about a 5 hour drive

and have plenty of distilled water with me, and my AAA card


any modifications or suggestions is much appreciated

 

[rpn453]

I'd find out why it's leaking first and plan according to that.

 

[ksJoe]

This weekend meaning today, or in a week?

If you've got a week, then top it up, and drive it during during the week. Try to get 50-100 miles on it during the week. If its not going down, its probably slow enough you're fine for the weekend.

Another thought - once you run out of coolant the ambient temp isn't going to change much. You might be better off going during the daylight & business hours.

 

[thewatcher101]

i mean sunday, not too worried about daylight since AAA is 24 hours and i just need gas stations along the way

 

[lewdwig]

I've seen stop leaks that are ginger root based. Some people recommend them as less fouling to the heat transfer surfaces. I did some searching, but couldn't find a brand name.

 

[George7941]

The GM tablets (which I am told is the same as Bars Leak) is ginger-root based. It says so right on the package.

 

[Chris142]

Why don't you fix the problem before you leave PHX? Go to Autozone and borrow the pressure tester and pump it up, see whats leaking and go from there.

If you get that all aluminum Honda engine even slightly hot you will ruin it.

 

[eljefino]

Antifreeze leaks that evaporate off leave a crusty white deposit. Before you head out, fill the overflow to 1/2 inch from the top, if some burps out, oh well. If the leak is bad enough it won't make vacuum to suck from the overflow, so it might be a good idea to stop for dinner and check the actual radiator after it cools down.

 

[Kestas]

If it's leaking and you have to drive it, loosen the radiator cap so there is no pressure in the system.

Ditto to pressure testing to diagnose where the leak is coming from.

 

[Cutehumor]

I wouldn't risk it. if you have a sudden overheat while driving back, you could blow a headgasket that's if the leak is coming from the radiator. I think someone else mentioned about Honda's aluminum engines are sensitive to overheats.

I was in a similar situation over Memorial Day weekend a few months ago. I drove my 96 Sunfire from Nashville to Memphis to visit my folks. I heard a loud shrieking sound. I pulled off at the next exit and found part of the serpentine belt ribs came off. I had another 160 miles to drive, but I was 60 miles away from my house. I took the risk and made it to Memphis at 9pm. I changed the belt the next morning when I got up. I thought of driving back the 3.5 hour drive without changing it, but didn't want to risk it snapping, and overheating.