Honda Repair: Honda Civic DX 1998-150,000 miles, honda civic dx, cv joints

Question
Hello,

A few questions...

1) there is a small leak in my radiator--is there any type of putty that I can use to seal it or do I have to spend lots of $$$ and have it repaired?
2) When should the timing belt REALLY be replaced?  I've been told 90K, 100K...what's the REAL answer?
3) I need the CV joints replaced on the left side.  How dangerous is it to drive?


Answer
Nancy, considering your mileage on your civic I would recommend replacing the radiator. It really isn't that expensive as long as you buy the radiator then you are just paying for labor to install. You can purchase a used or Remanufactured/Refurbished one for cheaper than new. With the used one be weary of who you buy the part from and in any case get some kind of guarantee/warranty. Don't trust Ebay either. Make sure you keep the old one as well because you might be charged a core charge and you are going to want to get that money back. There is no putty that I would trust due to the extremes in pressure and temperature that your radiator puts out that I would recommend. There is this stuff called Bar's leaks. It is a quick fix but can cause damage to the cooling system components. And it is not a guarantee and you are forced to repair the radiator anyway. As far as the timing belt is concerned there is a 30K, 60K, and a 90K factory service performed. At 90K Honda recommends the timing belt, water pump, cam seal, and timing to be checked and adjusted at this service interval. But you can wait up to 5K, 10K, even 20K past that point. This greatly increases the chances of maintenance neglect and problems could arise from minor to serious. So, the choice is yours. And finally it is not dangerous to drive at all with the CV axle needing replacement. It can damage and cause alignment issues and CV axle grease to be thrown around the area. So, once again it is just a neglect issue.