Honda 2005 Civic Owner's Manual page 200

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If the Engine Overheats
Steam and spray from an
overheated engine can
seriously scald you.
Do not open the hood if steam
is coming out.
1. Safely pull to the side of the road.
Put the transmission in Neutral or
Park, and set the parking brake.
Turn off all accessories, and turn
on the hazard warning indicators.
2. If you see steam and/or spray
coming from under the hood, turn
off the engine. Wait until you see
no more signs of steam or spray,
then open the hood.
198
If you do not see steam or spray,
3.
leave the engine running, and
watch the temperature gauge. If
the high heat is due to overloading,
the engine should start to cool
down almost immediately. If it
does, wait until the temperature
gauge comes down to the midpoint,
then continue driving.
4. If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
Look for any obvious coolant leaks,
5.
such as a split radiator hose.
Everything is still extremely hot,
so use caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see
Emergency
Towing on page 209 ).
6. If you don't find an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page
126 ). Add coolant if the level is
below the MIN mark.