Car overheating, please help me!!!?

[Xee]

Background Info:

I have a 94 Honda Civic. Two weeks ago I while coming home from work, I realized my temperature gauge was high. Thinking I ran out of coolant, after the car cooled, I opened the radiator cap to find the coolant was full. I then checked the oil and it was near empty. I ran to AutoZone, bought 4 quarts of 5w30 and refilled the car. The next day while driving to work, the temp gauge spiked again and car was overheating. I had to blast hot air from the car to keep the car cool. Now thinking it’s the thermostat, I changed that out. Now I am confused. After changing the thermostat the car still overheats but only when driving on the freeway. I work 30 miles away from my home and the car doesn’t overheat until I’m 5 minutes from work or vice versa. My girlfriend lives 10 miles away and the car is cool when driving to her place or when I run to the store and back.

My Diagnosis:

Yesterday, after coming home from work, I felt the hoses running from the radiator to the motor and back. The radiator fan is working and comes on. They both were hot so it seems coolant is being circulated. I changed the thermostat so it’s not the culprit. I do not see any leaks from the car while laying cardboard under the car. I do not smell any burning oil or coolant while he motor is hot. I do not see any smoke/steam from the exhaust so I can’t be the head gasket or motor. Also I see little black flakes, not oil, in the coolant when I take the radiator cap off. Also I do not see oil/milky coolant other than the black flakes.

Questions:

I do not want to use too much money therefore I wish to find the source of the problem before serious damage occurs. Is it blockage or a failing radiator?? Is it the water pump even though the hoses are hot?? Or is it the worst and I have a leak inside the motor and need major working?? Is the cause anything I have not listed?? Also how would I check the radiator/water pump/ head gasket/ etc. before buying new parts and replacing things?? Any help in the matter will help since I want to do some work on the car this weekend or ASAP. Thanks all.

[cato___]

I would expect the head gasket to be blown. There are test kits that will look for products of combustion in the coolant to verify this.

Also there are good products that are available that you can pour into the coolant that will patch the head gasket.... there are tiny glass beads in the stuff... they get sucked into the engine.... the high heat melts the glass and it forms a patch in the gasket.....

do some googling...Barr's Leak makes several different kind of these products....others make them too. Some are more complicated to use than others.

[master t]

I have a question for your question.

How do you allow the oil to go almost empty? It took 4 quarts to refill it?

I check my oil twice a month. Sometimes I am really lazy and only check it once a month. Even then, at the very most, my oil might go down a half-quart from constant driving.

[somebody01]

Its kind hard to give car diagnosis on here . I would check for a blockage of my radiator first thing . For future car problems take a vid of it and upload it to youtube .

[somebody01]

Its kind hard to give car diagnosis on here . I would check for a blockage of my radiator first thing . For future car problems take a vid of it and upload it to youtube .