Do I have a blown head gasket?

[myjaja 10+ year member]

I know this isnt really the right forum for this but ive just been wondering since I just finished my whole system in this car. Its a 96 honda accord and I noticed bubbling and the coolant spills out if you rev the engine in the radiator.

I dont have white smoke coming out of the exhaust, oil looks fine, spark plugs look fine. I even did a compression test which came out to 184, 189, 178, 180.

Could a leaking/bad heater core make the coolant bubble and spill out?

thanks

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[ideal concepts 10+ year member]

Heater core would give you coolant on the pass floor most of the time. Bubbling over could be waterpump or possibly just a thermostat. Hard to tell without looking.

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

its completely normal. You'd know if you'd had a head gasket leaking, there would be water mixed in with your oil (turning it milky) or straight up steam comming out the exhaust. It really depends on where the gasket breach happens for each symptom

 

[Shinju 10+ year member]

Is the car over heating? Bubbles in the radiator when reving the motor means you are building pressure (or trying too) or a combination of boil temp, when you have bubbles at idle and they have a grey tinge to them then yes you have a leak.

You can go to Autozone and get it checked, most of them have the blue liquid kit that can tell you if you have a leak by changing the blue fluid to green.

 

[myjaja 10+ year member]

Heater core would give you coolant on the pass floor most of the time. Bubbling over could be waterpump or possibly just a thermostat. Hard to tell without looking.

A thermostat can make it bubble? I noticed the bottom pipe takes a while for it to get hot.

 

[myjaja 10+ year member]

Is the car over heating? Bubbles in the radiator when reving the motor means you are building pressure (or trying too) or a combination of boil temp, when you have bubbles at idle and they have a grey tinge to them then yes you have a leak.
You can go to Autozone and get it checked, most of them have the blue liquid kit that can tell you if you have a leak by changing the blue fluid to green.

Its somewhat over heated 3 times this month but I think thats because Ive had some coolant loss. But it doesnt keep rising up. It stays stable just a little under half way when it does over heat.

Really, I was reading up on that but didnt know autozone did that test. Ill have to check with them tomorrow then. Thanks

its completely normal. You'd know if you'd had a head gasket leaking, there would be water mixed in with your oil (turning it milky) or straight up steam comming out the exhaust. It really depends on where the gasket breach happens for each symptom

Its normal? I thought the coolant was suppose to get suucked in when you rev the engine? I dont have any of those symptoms though.

 

[skylineTT 10+ year member]

wait, it is bubbling over the spout when the cap is off? or it is releasing pressure into the reservoir? if it is releasing into the reservoir, check that the spring in the radiator cap is still tight and not releasing prematurely. next, check that the thermostat is installed correctly. Some of them have a small valve that releases pressure and if the thermostat is installed with that valve rotated toward the bottom, it will make the temp rise until you give the car some gas. Also, the thermostat could be installed backwards. If all that is okay, I would possibly check the water pump. If there is no water in the oil (looks like milkshake if there is), then there isn't a lot to worry about.

 

[skylineTT 10+ year member]

Its somewhat over heated 3 times this month but I think thats because Ive had some coolant loss. But it doesnt keep rising up. It stays stable just a little under half way when it does over heat.
Really, I was reading up on that but didnt know autozone did that test. Ill have to check with them tomorrow then. Thanks

Its normal? I thought the coolant was suppose to get suucked in when you rev the engine? I dont have any of those symptoms though.

It won't get sucked in oftentimes. As the engine heats, the fluid expands and spills out of the radiator so you want to keep it capped.

 

[infamous_e46 5,000+ posts]

Change rad cap and thermostat and make sure u bleed the air out of the coolant good on that f22

 

[Rich B 5,000+ posts]

Have them do a pressure test of the cooling system.

A cracked radiator or hose could result in bubbles.

I just had my radiator crack a few months back, bubbles were a symptom.

 

[myjaja 10+ year member]

wait, it is bubbling over the spout when the cap is off? or it is releasing pressure into the reservoir? if it is releasing into the reservoir, check that the spring in the radiator cap is still tight and not releasing prematurely. next, check that the thermostat is installed correctly. Some of them have a small valve that releases pressure and if the thermostat is installed with that valve rotated toward the bottom, it will make the temp rise until you give the car some gas. Also, the thermostat could be installed backwards. If all that is okay, I would possibly check the water pump. If there is no water in the oil (looks like milkshake if there is), then there isn't a lot to worry about.

Its with the cap off. You'll see a couple of bubbles popping every now and then and when you rev up the engine, the coolant just spills out. It doesnt gush out or anything, just calmly spills out. I can just replace the thermostat while Im at it.

My oil looks pretty good, its just a bit dirty but looks normal to me. Also whenever the car over heated (not a major over heat,) it cools back down when I rev the engine.

 

[ideal concepts 10+ year member]

If its cooling back down when revd waterpump is cycling the coolant. You can have a leak ome were and getting air in the coolant causing the bubbles. Also make sure that the fan is working properly. Theres a reason you overheated 3 times

 

[cyn 10+ year member]

test the rad. cap, bleed the radiator to make sure there is no air pockets in it. after that if its still doing it change the water pump, then thermostat

all of that might run you 50$ max if u still having issues bring it to a rad. shop and have them check it out for you.

 

[infamous_e46 5,000+ posts]

Cools when u rev and mad bubbles is too much air in system

 

[dumple 5,000+ posts]

Rad shop lol