pizzapizza

i took my car into get a troublesome coolant leak checked out. my mechanic has already replaced the thermostat and from all the things i saw and search here on the forums, i'm 99% sure it's a head gasket problem. there's always a 1% chance it a cracked engine block, but i really hope it's not.

the car is at 147k km and i have to figure out whether it's worth it to fix the head gasket or trade in the car for a '06 lx. the car's front struts are bad, the front brakes need replacement, the timing belt needs changing (at 160k km, but i'll do it now if i get the HG replaced), and the master power window switch needs to be replaced.

i pretty much know how much it will cost me for the windows and brakes, but no idea for the head gasket. the mech said to do a proper job they would need to pressure test the head offsite (and machine it after that if it passes) if the head is cracked then it would cost about $1500 for a new replacement head. (i would also get the belt replaced at this time since the top of engine would be pretty much taken apart). the weird part is, i thought honda uses metal gaskets and gasket leaks would be rare.

and as a last thing, has anyone ever cracked either the engine block or the head on a 7th gen civic? i've search and really haven't seen anything about this.

i just wanted to know what prices i should be expecting and whether the fix is worth it. the worst case scenario is a cracked block, but i won't know that until they do a head gasket replacement, by which time i would have invested a bit of money into.

any advice and suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks

bbarbulo

iTrader: (2)

wierd.... that's a really strange thing to happen to a civic so new.

well, you'd save a lot of money not doing it at the dealer. one of the mechanics on here could prolly save you a pile of dough...

expect to pay about $500-700 for a head gasket job, but the high end should also include timing belt and water pump.

it's worth fixing, I know I would, but at the same time if you are looking at getting a new car, then this would be the time to do it.

imported_Team Rukus

if your not mechanically inclined you can do it yourself.
pretty straight forward.

imported_95bluelx

^^ I think it would be a little easier if you were mechanically inclined LOL.
Yeah generally head gaskets don't just go, something has to have caused it, usually overheating... causes the head to warp which causes the seal to break, this is why you would have to have your head machined.

pizzapizza

i wish i was mechanically inclined to do it.

yes, i priced out the replacement cost for a new '06 lx when i found out. it's running at $22k for a new '06 lx automatic sedan with a red book value for my trade-in at $6k. i'd have to come up with the difference plus taxes. unfortunately, that would put me super over budget and i'd have to finance it. leasing isn't really an option due to the mileage i put on a car.

i thought it was quite unusual to blow a head gasket until i checked the 7thgen site and found the head gasket leak on the 7th gen isn't as weird as it seems. i searched 7thgen.com and found a large number of people with the exactly the same symptoms and problems. i'm 99% sure i haven't damaged the head nor the block. since the leak has just started, i have to nip it in the bud before it damages the head or the block. since the car has so many km's on it, i do expect to get all the top end of the engine done at the same time. it just makes so much sense to do it all at the same time when they have the top of the engine apart.

the first sign that i saw was the engine temperature going up and it never hit the critical temperature. i took it in the next day and they pressure-tested the cooling system. no leaks anywhere. they replaced the thermostat and the engine hasn't overheated since. but i still have a coolant leak when i put the car on the road.

if i'm going to pay that much to get the gasket replaced, machining the head would definitely be part of the service. i could scrimp on the machining part but i could really get fukt if i don't get the heads machined.

anyone knows a good reliable mechanic who does great engine work done for cash? i'm still searching for a mechanic who's willing to do it (but not at dealer prices... )