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Honda Civic Care and Maintenance

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Comments

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Unfortunately I don't think autozone will read OBD-1 trouble codes.
  • drhlhdrhlh Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2010
    I replaced my old slipping transmission with a used transmission. I was told the transmission I purchased worked fine. I put it in the 1993 Accord, the transmission shifts find and runs great until I stop. It doesn't want to take off until I re start the engine Then it takes off and does fine until I stop again. I've noticed the engine wants to die when I come to a stop.
  • cmruffcmruff Member Posts: 15
    Help! I finally located a set of new wiper blade assemblies (rubber + holders) in a neighboring county. Even the local dealer would have had to order these blades, ludicrous for a Civic. So - read the manual and it says squeeze the thumb grips on the covers and pull forward to remove the cap and then the assembly. I squeezed them as hard as I could - then I had someone else try - can't get the cover caps off. How hard do I have to squeeze them? Should I use pliers??? I will go to the dealer if I have time; issue is I'm supposed to drive to rainy Oregon tomorrow and am at work today. I really didn't expect this to be such a nightmare (and at $60 and counting, a ridiculously expensive nightmare!)
    Any advice GRATEFULLY accepted!!!
  • noiro_1noiro_1 Member Posts: 1
    I discover there is a discrepancy between the advertised crankcase oil capacity spec on the official Honda website and the 2008 Honda Civic owner's manual. The advertised spec calls for 4.7 qt. and the owner's manual calls for 3.9 qt. Which one is correct?? I have been filling up my Civic with 3.9 qt. The oil dipstick level seems fine. Am I under fill by 0.8 qt?
  • 08prober08prober Member Posts: 2
    Bought a low mileage '08 from a dealer and have changed the oil - 3.9 quarts of Mobile 1, 5-20W - just like the book says.

    How do I change the "Oil Life" to read 100%?

    Any and all replies appreciated...
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,948
    Directions should be in the manual and don't forget, the OLM has no idea what kind of oil that's being used, dino or synthetic, so keep track of how fast it gets down to 15%. Most synthetics are made to go 10k miles so factor this in to the change intervals. I use dino on my '06 and change it every 5k miles.

    The Sandman :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • tru_weedmantru_weedman Member Posts: 1
    Am trying to find an actual photo of a '97 civic front end, specifically ball joint area, can anyone head me in the right direction!
  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    My 93 DS Si has 78K on it. When I bought at 73K 15 months ago, it there was not history of a fluid change on the 4 spd auto. I did a complete tune up, changed timing belt & water pump & all fluids at that time. The AT was drained, refilled, drove a bit, then drained & refilled using Honda AFT.) When the tranny was drained a small rectancular peice of metal came out. Took it to several tranny shops & they had no idea what it was. At any rate it seems to work fine lthough sometimes the shifts are a bit harsh & it occasionally takes 10-20 seconds to go into overdrive once I hit 60 on the freeway.

    I have been thinking about doing some improvements but wanted to make sure the drivetrain was in good shape before investing in suspension & cosmetics. I generally am not a hard driver, about 60% of my mileage is 2-4 mile trips in uncongested urban traffic, rest highway.

    Here are my fluid analysis from Blackstone:
    Tranny fluid: Copper was the dominant metal in the first sample from your Honda's transmission. This metal tends to show wear at the clutch plates and at 154 ppm, it is well above average, especially with only 5,500 miles on the oil. This is something to watch closely next time. All other metals read below universal averages, which are based on an oil run of about 16,000 miles. We suggest changing this oil and resampling in another 5,000 miles to monitor. No moisture or insolubles were present. :(

    Motor oil (Motorcraft semisyn blend 5W20): Lead increased in the latest sample from your Del Sol. Lead is 45. Was 8 at 73K, average for this unit is 4. This level shows some lower end bearing wear. If the air filter is clean, check for cracks or leaks past the air filter. You mentioned that you. do mostly city driving. That can contribute to high bearing, but likely doesn't explain this big of an increase. These aren’t failure levels, but it is something to watch. We suggest having this oil changed and resampling in 3,000 miles to monitor. The TBN read 2.0 so you still have a little active additive left. Check the CEL code to rule out anything there. Changed oil when this analysis was done.

    Despite these depressing reports, the car seems to run fine, averaging 30- 32 mpg. The only obvious problem is the CEL often comes on after 3-5 miles on the highway.

    I plan to keep this as a daily driver for 2-4 more years & average about 4,000 miles a year & planned to change to oil once a year. I am not into engine & tranny swaps. So what do you suggest in terms of oil & ATF to help nurse as many good miles out of this drivetrain as possible? Thanks
  • antylalaantylala Member Posts: 2
    i just got this 91 civic lx. it runs pretty strong. ive ran cars to the junk yard in the past. and i love this car. i want to get it up to par and keep it maintained as well as possible. am going to get oil change now. having valve thing looked @ @ 1;30. then i plan on tune up. etc. i want to baby it.
    any suggestions? also for a integral affordable good honda mechanic in the Hayward ca area. i am researching car maintenence on inet. but would like to hear from people with experience..
    thanks
  • antylalaantylala Member Posts: 2
    my 1991 honda civic was running fine, idle was fine,. but there was a small ping noise in under the vavle cover. friend thought it was the lifters. and neighbor whos been mechanic for 30plus years said he knew how to fix it. so he took valve cover off and adjusted the things. now the ping is louder, and my new car is running rough- idling kinda rough. we changed the oil. my question is this. the mech neighbor wants to keep working on it. he said "oh i can get that fixed" but im afraid he'll make it worse. i found out about a good mechanic who is available next week. i was going to have that mechanic do a tune up. but now i should have him fix what my neighbor did first. any suggestions.??
  • accordguy0325accordguy0325 Member Posts: 169
    My personal opinion is this... While your neighbor was trying to be nice- he messed up.

    Whether you want to take the chance again is up to you - but from the sounds of it he is not licensed by your states Motor Vehicle Department and his liability to you is virtually nothing unless you sue him in civil court.

    I'd take it to a functioning auto repair shop that is licensed by your state DMV - so you'll likely have some sort of gurantee and more recourse should things get worse, as opposed to "my neighbor down the street killed my car" scenario.

    Good luck !
  • gabrugabru Member Posts: 1
    Oil change questions:
    1. What is the recommended oil change schedule
    2. Is synthetic better, i know they say it does not matter short term, but over the life of the car does it make any difference
    3. How does the maintenance minder monitor just tracks mileage or some more parameters
    4. Is it worth spending more on expensive oil filters

    As i am unable to get the answer to these questions in the manual it would be very helpful to get these answered once and for all. Thanks!
  • wco81wco81 Member Posts: 590
    My local dealer tells me go by the oil percentage display in the car. Apparently the sensor is reliable.

    They put a sticker, 15% or some date.

    But I drive few miles (short commute) so it takes a year or more to get it down.
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,948
    I follow what the monitor says & use a synthetic blend dino oil they sell at my local Tires Plus. Since my driving has been cut by almost 66.66%, looks like I won't even be putting on more than 3k/year, but I will still be changing out the oil/filter once a year no matter what. Think that's the least I can do, since have definitely decided to keep my ride for the time being...will let my boy have it if he needs a car. No matter how much I want to swap wheels, makes no fiscal sense and not necessary if I decide to not work after my official retirement in January. Car still drives like new!

    The Sandman :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • mtdzwillmtdzwill Member Posts: 6
    The lights for the radio went out. I have checked all the fuses under the dash and also under the hood, they are all good. Am I missing one or is the bulb out. If so how do you get to the bulb form the front or under the dash? Do I need to take the radio out?
  • ejo1ejo1 Member Posts: 8
    Just bought a 2003 HCH with 62K miles on it and found out that my heat is only working some of the time (Honda certidied Check-Out didn't reveal this)
    I think I must buy the 3 knob Auto controller but how do I get to it?
    How do I get the radio/CD/Cassette player out?
    Any advise is appreciated.
    EJO
  • rkamathrkamath Member Posts: 8
    Hi All,

    I own a 2009 Honda Civic which I bought in Jan '09. The car is in excellent condition and I have taken the car regularly to the dealer for maintenance whenever the maintenance lights have come on.

    I last serviced the car ~27K Miles and at that point of time the dealer made some noises about additional work when the car hits 30K.

    Yesterday at ~33.5K miles I got the 15% oil life message along with the A 1 maintenance codes. Before I go to the dealer I wanted to know what maintenance are truly required at this time. Oil change and tire rotation goes without saying but is there anything else that must be done? I definitely do not want to avoid any required service but I do not want to be taken for a ride by the dealer because of my lack of knowledge

    The manual is vague about anything other than the maintenance minder codes so help on this from the forum would be appreciated. I do about 80% of my driving on the free way.

    Thanks and Best Regards.
  • bori04bori04 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2009 Civic EX Auto, bought it in June 2009.

    It now sits at 15,000 miles and I was wondering if there's any way to guess what codes will be displayed when the oil life reaches 15%? It's currently at 30% oil life. I know A & B are oil changes, but as for the number (1-6), does anyone here know that has taken their Civic between 15,000 and 18,000 miles for service?

    The reason I ask is because I have 2 upcoming road trips, 2 weekends in a row, and if I were to guess I can easily put in 1,000 miles, maybe more, in less than 2 weeks. I don't want the maintenance light in the dash to come on while I'm far from home and from my dealership.
  • crwincrwin Member Posts: 1
    ">Believe or not My civic CX already hits 313k, still strong but unforntunaly burns oil about a quart for every 3k, well not too bad. I did oil changed every 5,000 or 5,500 with mobil 1 synthetic 10/30. I ran approx 200 miles a day during week day and he got off on week end:).
    I loved my civic, with D15 stock engine and with the new head gasket on 235k while I bought it. Gas consumed around 32-35 mpg. The problem i forgot to asked previous owner how many miles last time he changed the timing belt:(.
    Can anybody share how many miles change timing belt recommended?? 60k/80k or 100k??? Thanks:)
  • Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,948
    I think "1" means a tire rotation but check your owners manual...it's all in there. I also do the oil changes at 15%/once per year as my driving has dropped dramatically...will be lucky to do 1k miles this year. Best advice is to check your manual or go online to the Honda website and register your vehicle and you'll get reminder notices.

    Good luck guys! :)

    The Sandman :) :sick: :shades:

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

  • accordhunteraccordhunter Member Posts: 24
    I believe you would see A1 code only, I did mine last week at 16,700 mile of 10% oil life.
  • bori04bori04 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the info! A1 would just be an oil change and tire rotation then.

    I have an upcoming appointment at my dealership for a state inspection and I'll check if they'll do an early oil change before my trips. I may pass up on the tire rotation as I don't think it is absolutely necessary for a tire rotation, even though Honda recommends it. Don't think it would hurt to skip one and save some money at the same time.
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