The effect of a warped or cracked engine cylinder head in a Honda Civic car causes the same problems as the condition would in other cars. The engine runs poorly if at all, leakage occurs of coolant and oil, and permanent engine damage may occur at high temperatures. Once the problem is noticed, the Honda needs to be repaired and taken out of operation until fixed. While the car may still be able to move, doing so only makes the problem worse in short period of time.
Examine around the parked car after it has been sitting for at least a day. Use a flashlight to illuminate dark areas. Look underneath the car for signs of coolant or engine oil leaks and dripping. Open the driver's door and pull the latch to pop the hood of the car.
Look inside the car hood compartment, examining the engine unit carefully. Move around the car as you look for signs of oil leakage and dripping from the engine. Wipe those areas with a shop rag where you think a leak may be occurring to see if it occurs again when the engine is running.
Close the hood and start the engine. Let the engine run for a while and keep it in park. Get out and examine the exhaust pipe for white or blue smoke -- a sure sign of coolant or burning oil, respectively.
Turn the car off. Check the battery if the car does not start right away. Confirm with a battery tester that the battery has sufficient charge by connecting the tool's signal readers to the battery temporarily.
Drive the car down a street, preferably one with a hill. Try to gun the engine to feel for any loss of compression in the engine performance. Feel for any give in the throttle that causes you to push for more gas without any increase in speed.
Park the car again and pop the hood once more. Examine the areas around the engine you previously wiped clean. Look for new engine oil leaks dripping down from the engine head area.
