INTRODUCTION
In some of the articles I have written so far on this platform about overheating problems, I did point out some of the major causes of over heating to be coolant leaks, or no coolant in the cooling system; faulty water pumps; faulty thermostats; corroded radiator systems, etc.

Today, I would be presenting a cause study of one of the engines we've just worked on.

Here we go NOW!

CASE STUDY
Vehicle type: Honda civic; 2doors
Mileage: 154, 752miles
Transmission type: Manual; front wheel drive.
Engine type: 4cylinder

CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINTS
Customer complains that temperature gauge suddenly reaches the peak level(highest); Steam comes out of the engine compartment; engine begins to misfires.
All these happened while the customer was in traffic around Oshodi Oke express road in Lagos State.

Complaints like these heralds "first degree" overheating. Those if you in the medical field, would know what I mean by first degree "overheating".
I'm just trying to draw a link between first degree burns, and terrible overheating.

Looking for a word that could describe how the owner of the car could have allowed the car to overheat to this stage.
What would have caused the engine to overheat, up to the extend that the engine oil gauge melts and breaks in to two halves?

Those are some the questions we would be trying to answer in this article.

TROUBLESHOOTING
This section would highlight what should be done, by a technically inclined car owner, or better still, the mechanic handling the job.
How was the problem tackled, and solved?

1. Car was wholly inspected; cooling system components were all checked for integrity.

*radiator cooling fan(s) was checked if the rotation was at the right setting. By this I meant, was the fan rotating in the right direction to extract hot air from the engine?
* physically examined the water pump for signs of leaks. There weren't any visible signs of leaks on the water pump housing, etc.
*radiator hoses were also checked for kinks, and signs of failure.

PS: Radiator hoses showing signs of weakness are usually soft like "kpomo", to the touch.
Radiator hoses like that, would fail during extreme temperature rises, because they won't be able to cope with the thermal differences of the engine under varying operating conditions.
So, the next time you go buying a used radiator hose, ensure you get a hose that's little bit harder than " kpomo".

*radiator system was checked, and we discovered that the radiator top, where coolant's being introduced was leaking.
To our greatest surprise, during close inspections, we further discovered that the junction that links the main radiator overflow tank, to the top of the radiator has sometimes ago being sealed using 5minute gum(a hard kind of gum, people claim could hold together pieces of plastics/metals together).

WHAT CAUSED THE OVERHEATING IN THE FIRST PLACE
Some of you might want to know what really cased the engine to overheat in the first place?

Well, from our troubleshooting and analysis, the major cause of the overheating was due to the customer's "manage!!!" attitude.
He had trued to save some "bucks" by mending the radiator filling section, at the top of the radiator.
He had successfully done that, and had never thought such GLUES doesn't last.
He was running away from buying a new, or fairly used radiator system.
Emmmmmm, for your information, he's a car dealer. Please o!, don't tell them I told you that's what SOME of them do, to make "stupendous" profit.

THE FIX. WHAT WE DID!
From looking at the engine oil dipstick, you could see how the extremely high temperatures the engine has gone through, melted the dipstick.
That tells me, the engine block, and cylinder head must have being wapped. I mean, they must have undergone thermal expansions, above the manufacturer's set threshold, or limit.
In such situations, the car is at risk of engine damage.
Using such engine block, could only complicate issues.

ADVICE TO CAR OWNERS
*Keep your eyes on the temperature gauge while driving.
Your car's temperature shouldn't exceed the 1/2 mark. If it does, you've got some issues with the cooling system.

*Don't manage your cooling system components. They're critical to your car's operating efficiency.
From this case study, you can see that this client,
decided to "manage", by applying some sort of adhesive material to seal the broken supply outlet to the overflow tank.
The consequences are just so enormous to handle.
This repair, cost him replacing the top cylinder head completely.

CONCLUSIONS
A car's cooling system is very critical to it's operation.
Any distortion in it's dynamics, would terribly jeopardize it's efficiency.
" Managing" any of a car's cooling system, such has being done by this client, shouldn't be a permanent fix, but a temporal one. For instance, if you're stuck somewhere, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. A temporal fix could be done, with the intention of bringing the car safely to your mechanic.
A stitch in time saves 10(that's my own saying o!).


Please, I need your criticisms o!


Regards,
Joseph
08066643532
oigonojoseph@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/DW - Dexterwise Nig Ltd

I experienced this just on Friday. It was such a bitter experience, infact I just picked up the car yesterday after changing Water pump and gasket.

However, I have a question. I noticed the car didn't accelerate as it used to? Its sluggish now. Can this be associated with overheating incident?

dharrey2012:
I experienced this just on Friday. It was such a bitter experience, infact I just picked up the car yesterday after changing Water pump and gasket.

However, I have a question. I noticed the car didn't accelerate as it used to? Its sluggish now. Can this be associated with overheating incident?

from the way Nigerian mechanics work,you may never get the kind of compression you had,timing may be off etc.

@dharray2012. This is what I think has happened.
If the overheating got so much above the tolerance limit of the cylinder head, and engine blocks, as shown in this case study of the Honda I have just worked on, the cylinder head, or engine block would have being wapped already. This I mean, instead of the newly installed cylinder head gasket to provide proper sealing of the interface between the cylinder head and the engine block, you actually would have a leaky head gasket, resulting to a lack of compression.
Another cause I suspect could be one or all the inlet valves aren't firing properly. Check out the removed cylinder head from the car we worked on. From close inspections, you could see that the exhaust valves are brownish in colour, depicting that they fired properly. But the inlet valves looked blackish. The overheating affected that cylinder head, that we had to get another her one.

Also ask your mechanic to ensure all the wire harness connectors have being connected back. Especially the iVTEC actuator behind the cylinder head at the passenger side.

A ?? for you. Does the engine idle without misfires when it's idling? That's does it shake as though want to go off.?

If after checking all the above, and they're all intact, that means your engine block has suffered a major blow already.

dharrey2012:
I experienced this just on Friday. It was such a bitter experience, infact I just picked up the car yesterday after changing Water pump and gasket.

However, I have a question. I noticed the car didn't accelerate as it used to? Its sluggish now. Can this be associated with overheating incident?

year, make and model are unmentioned, we cannot help you if you don't provide the above information.

All you said is the truth but the day your Village witch will sight you from mirror all the precautions won't save you, Only God

The title is little misleading. It could have referred to overheating in cars. Cars get overheated like machinery, factories, homes, appliances etc.
The title could be a little more specific to overheating in cars so folks don't assume otherwise.

@TRYGO

Mine usually rises to little above the half mark after about 83 - 90 miles distance with a/c 'on'. But, once I switch off the a/c while still moving, it will come back to normal, and will never happen again throughout the whole journey.


What could be the cause? I have changed radiator to a brand new one (I haven't gone on a long journey after change to confirm shaa). Test carried out on the thermostat shows it's still okay, I don't want to tamper with the thermostat.

Car is '03 Honda Accord V6

Very very good post.

I had a bad experience in 2012 with an overheating engine... and since then....I have always kept my eye on that temperature gauge.

Hmm.

Heard serious over heating in certain cases might lead to fire outbreak, when the car is on motion... How true is this?

Can't believe vehicles still overheat in this age.

op why is it that Nissan quest is prone to overheating?

is it that the car is not made for Africa?

pls help o

Ok

@nony43. Hmmm. You de funny o, Nony43, and perfectly right. Only Jah can save!
Hope you're cool brother?

Op you correct

moscobabs:
op why is it that Nissan quest is prone to overheating?

is it that the car is not made for Africa?

pls help o

Nothing is wrong with Nissan quest ,it is your mechanic that lack the necessary knowledge to resolve the issue.
Patronise a professional that knows his onion and the the root of the overheating will be resolved.
call autologic @08061166316 to resolve this issue.

@nony43. Hmmm. You de funny o, Nony43, and perfectly right.
Only Jah can save!

Hope you're cool brother?

@shortgun! They do o! Some, because we assume car's shouldn't be taken care off, like our pets, and others, just end of life for the cooling system.

@ERONX. Men, I like your name! Yes, it can cause fires.

This is how. Your car's engine compartment, comprises of the fuel supply lines(fuel related components); ignition related system, responsible for providing sparks, and you've also got air(coming from the outside to the engine, or from the radiator engine fans).
No car would ever start, or even move, if it's got no FUEL, SPARKS, AND AIR FOR PROPER COMBUSTION PROCESS. AND THESE CAR'S ENGINE COMPONENTS ARE DESIGNED BY THE MANUFACTURER, TO TOLERANT CERTAIN OPERATING TEMPERATURES. IF THERE'S AN ABOVE THRESHOLD OF ANY OF THESE TEMPERATURE SPECIFICATIONS, as a result of EXTREME form of overheating, that car WOULD catch fire.
Furthermore, remember that the wire harnesses are another source of combustible for fires. They've got tolerance limits like us. If you push too far, I go wound you. hehehe!

Check out the post these posts I have written:

@naija9. See you! You funny sha. So if the overheating no happen, you go just de start and go jeje?
Well, thanks you've learnt already.

@lonelydora. If when you put off the AC system the car's temperature normalises, that points to that the problem is an AC system fault. You've got to isolate which and what to troubleshoot. Normally, from what I have experienced, when you engaged the Ac system, you're adding more load on the engine, thereby rising up the temperature.
Take a look at the Ac condenser, and check for some kind of blockage. The Ac condenser, acts like your engine cooling radiator. It does the same function, as your engine radiator(removes heat from the compressor, and dissipates it to the environment).
Your car has got two cooling fans. Check the Ac cooling fan specifically.
Carry out the test drive, and see what happens with the temperature to confirm I'd the overheating has stopped.
You don't need to fear na.

@SMARTEST MUGU! I very much appreciate your concerns about the title.
I would do the corrections now, immediately.
Thanks sir. Have this $10000, for the weekend.

@moscobabs. I think honmusa has answered you I guess. But just to add. It depends on the model type you're driving. In some cases, it could be cooling systems design flaws during abs after production. Be informed that companies don't wholly manufacture their components. They outsource some, and do some. That's why companies issue out recall.


Hope this answers your questions, sir?


PS: This is by the way, and had just thought would be of help.
Dispel the myth from some mechanics and people, who would tell you, your car isn't meant to have the mechanical cooling thermostat installed because the whether over in Nigeria, is a tropical one.
Modern cars employ ECT (engine coolant temperature) sensors, in a bid to regulate the operations of the sensor, and to increase fuel economy. The sensor(s) work in liaison with the thermostat, the radiator cooling fans, and the car's ECU (engine control unit) to control the engine temperature by regulating the runtime of the fans, some relays and/or fuses.

WHY YOUR CAR'S THERMOSTAT SHOULD NEVER BE REMOVED
This simple analogy of the operations of a pressing iron, would buttress the points much more.
This is it. As the your pressing iron is plugged to your home's AC(alternating current) outlet, the element in the iron gets heated up gradually to a certain operating temperature. It gets to that temperature, then an internal bimetallic strip(thermostat) somewhat like a regulator of some sort, and brings the temperature down to a safer minimum.
I don't know whether any of you guys on this platform has ever used a "Philip's pressing iron that hasn't got a temperature regulator in it? If you have, you'll understand that when you iron your clothes with such an iron, you've to keep on unplugging the iron from the wall socket to manually bring the temperature down.
Notice the inconveniences you feel doing that;, when excess heat that's supposed to be used in other applications are being lost as heat. This translates to huge payments to the electricity utility companies.

OK. We're done with the basics. So, what's the impact of the absence of that thermostat/direct radiator fan connections on your car.

1. Your engine/radiator fans come on more often, resulting in to reduced battery life.
When the ignition key is turned to the ON position, toy realise the fan cones on. In the car's cooling design, cooling systems aren't meant to operate that way.

2. Your fuel economy suffers more. If you can remember how much you've being spending on fuel purchases, and now, you'll find out that you've gulped up a " hole " in your fuel economy already.
Fans that keep running all the time, adds additional loads on the engine; and translates in to more fuel consumptions.


***"""The car's engine never reaches the set operating temperatures, and the transmission system gradually suffers"""""*****

You can ask me how. I would explain!
3. Regular radiator fan replacements. One of the reasons auto car makers have designed such cars with a variable speed system, is to help save the customer, cost of frequent fan replacements, and the big one, engine damage.
Fans have bearings in them. These bearings are sealed type of bearings, that can't be grease lubricated. They are replaced when they're have neared their design lifespan. You notice this by the grinding noise heard when the fan is operational. Since such bearings have got a shorter lifespan, a constant run time of such fan bearings would impact negatively on it. You'll have to be conscious of the fact that the bearings would need frequent replacements. That's money you're spending there.


PSS: If its possible to revert your cooling system to the OEM standard, that would be of benefit to you in the long run.

TRYGO:
@nony43. Hmmm. You de funny o, Nony43, and perfectly right.
Only Jah can save!

Hope you're cool brother?

Brotherly i de o, looking for ways to survive this recession

@ TRYGO,
this is an interesting read.
thank you for the pointers.

@nony43. God de. No worry. Remember the famine in Samaria those days? HE took care of the Israelites there. He's going to the same to us!

@uboma. Hehehe! I wanted to call you Obama, but emmmm, Trump might be angry.
Thanks for the commendations though. Just trying to dish out info.

interesting

TRYGO, this is a very brilliant initiative. Thanks for the very enlightening information you are sharing here.
I will be glad to make your acquaintance.
Say, do you have a workshop and can you do do reversion of cooling systems to OEM standards?

TRYGO:

@uboma. Hehehe! I wanted to call you Obama, but emmmm, Trump might be angry. Thanks for the commendations though. Just trying to dish out info.

lol.
abeg o, my own na Uboma. no dare call me Obama, make them no kidnap me here.

lonelydora:
@TRYGO

Mine usually rises to little above the half mark after about 83 - 90 miles distance with a/c 'on'. But, once I switch off the a/c while still moving, it will come back to normal, and will never happen again throughout the whole journey.

Find an A/C technician to check if the condenser is clogged up or dirty and also check if the A/C fan comes on @ d right time. hope the radiator u bought is the manufactuer specification.

TRYGO:
@nony43. God de. No worry. Remember the famine in Samaria those days? HE took care of the Israelites there. He's going to the same to us!

@uboma. Hehehe! I wanted to call you Obama, but emmmm, Trump might be angry.
Thanks for the commendations though. Just trying to dish out info.

Boss, I am really impressed that you know your onions. Please how do i reach you. Need to book for an inspection. Not engine related.

kudos to u op and for car owners out there,when u experience rise in temperature find a worshop that has cooling system pressure tester to know if its an internal or external leak that caused d overheating.

@riddler32.
Contacts:

08066643532(call, or WhatsApp)
oigonojoseph@yahoo.com
Could you give a summary of what the likely non engine related inspections might be?
Expecting your communications on any of the above contacts above.

@beambor. Wao! Being a female with such knowledge in the automotive field, like yours, is terrific. Kudos to ya.

@nuwell. Would be glad we be acquaintances. Yeah, got a shop.
Reversion to OEM STANDARD, can be done..
You'll have to provide the car type, model, engine type. That way, it would be easier to check it up on the car's wiring diagrams.
You could send on email, or WhatsApp. I would definitely reply you.

nony43:


Brotherly i de o, looking for ways to survive this recession

.

****If you want to test your car's engine ability to withstand overheating, drive it in heavy gridlock, like the ones you have at locations such as Ikeja along, Iyano Ipaja, 3mainland bride. If your car successfully passes the test, your cooling system is perfect. But if it does not, its time you take it in for a check.
As a precaution, have some containers of water in the boot, just in case the car breaks down. I use this as a form of stress test to determine its capacity.

You can also determine your car's battery capacity during such a test. Put on all the lights, max the Ac system, turn on the audio system.
If your car has got a Battery gauge meter on the dashboard as some GM and Ford vehicles do, take a before and after voltage readings. Before, that's when the Ac system and lights weren't engaged.
The volts when the engine is fully loaded should be 13-14. But if it doesn't go beyond that this, while charging, and it drops to the nominal voltage of 11-12, the battery definitely has lots it's capacity.******





@emassive. Were the fans factory installed that way, or you modified them that way, and would want to know what has being done, ever since you found out the fan was.like that.
What are direct fan connection would do, you can find some of the results on the overheating article.


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PS: Another important cause of overheating I have noticed, after replacing cylinder gaskets, water pump, etc is the presence of hairline cracks.
Hairline cracks are cracks you may not be able to see with the naked eyes. They are internal in nature. That is, it develops within the internal structure of the aluminum composition of the cylinder head. In some instances, these cracks are spread outward on the cylinder head.
This cracks, cause your engine, to loss compression pressure, enough to cause engine misfires, and extreme Overheating.

So, as a precaution to this, whenever your car's cylinder head is opened, or you're getting a replacement one, do your best to check out for such cracks. It would pay off in the long run.

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