new engine or new car?

My car (Civic 98) just broke down on the highway. Damn. Apparently the engine overheated, something to do with not having antifreeze. My last oil change was a month or two ago, nothing too bad.

So now two questions - 1, what could I have done to avoid this? The mechanic said when the heat gauge went higher than medium the car should've been stopped right then. OK fine but what kind of pre-emptive action could I have taken? Its not always going to be me driving (in fact this time it wasnt either) and the person driving would't necessarily know about this stuff.

More important - in order to get the car operational I need to get a new engine. Should I get a new second hand car or a new engine? The car at the moment has 400K+ on it, but tires are fairly new and brakes are good. The new engine I can get for $1300 installed, with 100k on it, with a new timing belt and water pump. I'd rather go with this option frankly, dont know much about car shopping. As far as my budget, kinda hard to say, but I need to keep costs at a minimum. I have about $1500 in the bank so wouldnt want to spend more than that on another car. If I went with a new second hand one at that price I could get it checked by a mechanic but who's to say what other kinda issues might crop up in it? Of course the problem with my car is that currently it doesnt even turn on so its kinda hard for the mechanic to say what else could be wrong but he seems to think I should be good. With a 'new' engine the problem that just happened (something about no antifreeze) wouldn't happen because the hose or whatever which contains it would also be replaced. He also said transmission looks decent.

At first he said to get a new used car. After he chatted with me a bit he said to stick with this one and change the engine. Kinda incoherent, which concerns me. But this garage is fairly reputable, they have a good name and I've also used their relatives over the years so I trust them, at least as far as money is concerned. Its just figuring out what to do now. Or to put it another way, I just want to make sure getting the engine changed isnt a big mistake. I dont mind going with the engine change even if the other car is 'preferable' just as long as its not a biiig difference.

Oh yeah one more piece of information. If I was to get another car, for say $2000, I'm told the value a year from now would be $1500-$2000. If I change the engine in my car the value would still be close to $0, supposedly. Not a huge point since I dont intend to sell my car anytime soon. But maybe that information is relevant?

I'd be grateful for any help. No idea about cars myself!

Thanks
Dan

Did you check www.kbb.com (http://www.kbb.com) , or www.nada.com (http://www.nada.com) for cars value - engine = value

1) Don't believe just any mechanic.
2) Did you noticed the Temp gauge?
3) Was the overheated condition caused by a coolant shortage?
4) Was the overheated condition caused by bad coolant fans?
5) Is there any evidence of a oil/gas residue in the coolant auxiliary tank?
6) Is there any steam, or white smoke from the exhaust tail pipe?
7) Plugged catalytic converter could also cause an overheated condition + boil over (shortage)

Ask the mechanic ''Was it a coolant fan problem, or a coolant leak/shortage problem?''

Tests:
A coolant pressure test will pinpoint any coolant leaks.
Turn HVAC on cool max and both coolant fans should be on.
Catalytic converter back pressure test


Caution - Never sell your car to the mechanic, they can tell pretty good stories.

This engine has some life @ 400k miles for a DIY, but the parts + service $$$, it's probably time for a new car.

if you like your car and want to keep it 1300.00 for the engine installed plus some new parts you mentioned sounds like an awesome price. with a good workmanship warranty I would jump on that deal and keep riding hondas run forever if you don`t run um hot that is!! signed , always stuck in diagnostics!

Did you check www.kbb.com (http://www.kbb.com) , or www.nada.com (http://www.nada.com) for cars value - engine = value

1) Don't believe just any mechanic.
2) Did you noticed the Temp gauge?
3) Was the overheated condition caused by a coolant shortage?
4) Was the overheated condition caused by bad coolant fans?
5) Is there any evidence of a oil/gas residue in the coolant auxiliary tank?
6) Is there any steam, or white smoke from the exhaust tail pipe?
7) Plugged catalytic converter could also cause an overheated condition + boil over (shortage)

Ask the mechanic ''Was it a coolant fan problem, or a coolant leak/shortage problem?''

yikes dude i barely know anything about cars, dont think i can answer any of these questions! all i can say is my mechanic's proven himself to me a couple times. not saying he's the best but i'd certainly trust him over other mechanics, and i dont want to be doing anything myself. i know nothing and am not really interested in learning how to put parts together or buy my own parts or anything.

about the problem, it was something to do with the antifreeze. the engine didnt get cooled. what exactly caused it is unknown. but i assume that doesnt matter once there's a new engine in.


[QUOTE]
This engine has some life @ 400k miles for a DIY, but the parts + service $$$, it's probably time for a new car.

if im spending approx $1500 either way is a new car definitely a better choice than just changing the engine or would either work?




if you like your car and want to keep it 1300.00 for the engine installed plus some new parts you mentioned sounds like an awesome price. with a good workmanship warranty I would jump on that deal and keep riding hondas run forever if you don`t run um hot that is!! signed , always stuck in diagnostics!

i love this answer, its what i want to do! if there's agreement on this one i'd like to go with this option.

For $100 , I would rather use www.steelseal.com (http://www.steelseal.com) ,
How many mechanics are using this product and charging for head/engine replacement?

The price seems reasonable, for the "new" engine, installation, and new t-belt/water pump. Might want to see how much a new thermostat & install is, just in case. How is the condition of the car in general? Any major rust or drive-ability issues (unusual loud noises, steering feel changes, overly bumpy on roads)?

There's not usually anything that can be done to prevent this, other than popping your hood once a week (and knowing what to look for) and not let anyone else drive it. Most of the time when a problem pops up with a vehicle, the problem occurred before the driver even noticed. Honestly, most people only look at the MPH gauge in the gauge cluster, and then the gas gauge. I overheated my Civic once, and would have never noticed, except it was in the Fall and my heater started blowing cooler & cooler air, instead of heat. If you're not really a "car person", most of the time you either don't notice changes in the way the car acts, or you just assume it's changed because of the cars age or natural wear. Most people aren't really "car people", so sh*t happens, which is why there are so many automotive shops on major roads.

Changing the engine in your car really doesn't effect the resale value. These aren't classic muscle cars, where people need to see matching numbers on everything to get the highest price. If the basic engine code (D16Y8, D16Y7, D16Y5, etc) on the engine is the same as stock, no one would ever know that it's not the original. In fact, having a lower mileage engine in your car would actually be beneficial.