I have an 94 Accord LX with a F22B2 engine. Had the water pump and timing belt replaced about a month ago. Today, while driving back home, something terrible happened. While driving, I heard a slight hissing noise coming from the engine area. Then it went away and then it came back again and got louder as I drove more. Then when I looked at the temp gauge, it was spiked to the MAX. It was smoking really bad when I stopped. I couldnt stop the car in the middle of the highway so I drove about a mile (which I shouldnt of) and turned off the car. It smoked bad under the car and I popped the hood. It looked like there was coolant leaking but it was dark so I couldnt tell. The only place which I couldve spotted was by the lower hose where it connects to the block. I turned on the car on ON not the engine but it kept reading HOT by the red area on the gauge. So I started the car to move and when I put it in PARk, it kept surging from 800 rpm to 2K rpm back and forth as if there was a vaccum leak. So I turned off the car completely and just left it there. Could I be looking at a big time fix here? Could my head gasket be blown? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

 

no one?

 

Nope, that's not a head gasket.

Did you refill the coolant to correct level?

Who replaced the water pump? Looks like the water pump is not working, causing the trouble. Or you can have a stuck thermostat which is very cheap to get it replaced ($10).

 

If the head gasket was blown, you'd be burning coolant in the engine in most cases. You'd see A LOT of white smoke pouring out the tailpipe. A small HG leak could alos dump coolant into the crankcase where it mizes with oil. You oil level would rise and coolant level. The oil becaomes contaminated and may cause severe engine failure.

 

But there was a puddle of coolant below.

 

with a bad water pump, coolant will spray out of the radiator