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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions
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Any thoughts?
Carrie ~2002 Honda Civic EX sedan in Eternal Blue Pearl.
So her 02 sedan has double wishbone, but your 02 sedan doesn't?
But anyways, sorry to hear about your problems, but I think you may have been unlucky with your Civic. I don't know how cold it gets where you live, but it can't be much worse than in Ottawa, Canada. Even in minus 20 degrees Celsius temperatures (which is around minus 5 farhenheit), with my 01 EX coupe parked outside all night, I was still getting instantaneous startup in the mornings.
And just recently, I moved across the country from Montreal to San Diego in my Civic. A total of 3620 miles over 5 days, 12 hours of driving per day. Our car was so packed and loaded-down, the rear of my car looked like I had intentionally lowered it with aftermarket shocks. The AC was on all the time, and we still got 38.5 mpg for the entire trip. Not a single problem. It was as smooth and comfortable a cross-country trip as I could have hoped for. And my back didn't even once during all that driving -- great seats in the new Civics.
Needless to say, I am very satisfied with my 7th gen Civic.
Of course, the pull to the right should be very slight. If it is really strong, then of course something is wrong. But my point is that they were not lying to you.
Most roads are built so that water runs off to either side of the road, so if you drive in the fast lane (left side), your car will likely drift left; and if you're on the right side, your car will drift right.
If you're driving on a 2-lane road with one lane in each direction, your side of the road may already be slightly slanted to the right, which would make your car naturally drift to the right.
I've heard of alot of other people having this problem was there a recall for this problem or am I going to have to pay honda to have it fixed? and about how much is this going to cost?
Change the oil every 3000 miles.
I'd suggest changing the oil based on the intervals recommended by Honda in the Owners Manual for the vehicle. Read and understand the Honda Owner's Manual definitions for "normal" and "severe" conditions, and then change your oil according to which definition meets the way the vehicle is used.
JM2C
Also, if you do alot of highway driving 3000 miles is a little to frequent and in fact, my Civic's owner's manual (and my previous Accords) says not to change the oil before recommended. Since my interval is 10,000 for normal conditions I will change it at 7,500 with synthetic oil and every 7500 afterwards. In my older Hondas I change it between 5000 and 7500 with synthetic. BTW: Synthetic really seems to make older Honda engines smoother.
new problem is that the dashboard light for door ajar is not lighting up, no matter which door (front , rear, r or left) is open. Curiously, the light in the roof of the car works, but doesnt light up when the door is ajar like it should (Im unsure if this is at all related to the problem) Asked NAPA autoparts guy, he thought it wasnt a fuse...I looked at the manual and didnt see a fuse specifically for the door ajar dash light..could it be a bulb problem, and if so whats the best recourse? Pls respond auburn 63 or other knowledgeable folks out there! thanks!
I have the non-VTEC engine. Are the VTEC engines made better than the non-VTEC or are they built to the same specs?
Are Honda engines built "today", if maintained properly, able to go 250,000, 300,000, 400,000 or more miles as you hear about some of the older Honda's? Or is it pure luck if you get that kind of mileage from an engine?
As for VTEC & non-vtec. I believe the VTEC engines just have more sophisticated intake valves that adjust to the engine's RPM. They should be about the same in terms of reliability. The Vtec engines are more high-tech, probably costing more since it has more components.
VTEC & non-VTEC, no differences to me. both need to be revved to get just a little power.
yeah. but not when all the cars in the US are idling for 60 seconds.
"I would advise against idling for 10 minutes before driving away though."
agree. somebody told me that he'll idle the car til the engine warms up, which i think is not needed in today's car.
yesterday i revved the engine to redline to see if the rev limiter works or not (damn, it worked)......i didn't really feel the burst of power, i only felt the 4 banger was screaming for help cuz it's so loud...
i always think that when the manufacturers release the specs of a car, they should also indicate the hp and torque between like 1500rpm-4500rpm (which most ppl would keep their engine running at) instead of the max hp & torque which come out at 6000 or 7000 rpm. who's going to keep the car at high rpm all the time just to get that hp.....
1. Put car in reverse
2. Then put car in drive
3. Drive forward
4. After the first application of the brake pedal after put in drive, the "click" occurs from the front of the car, and it's only after I reverse, drive forward, and then brake.
After that, everything is fine and the click doesn't happen again until I repeat the above steps again.
Any ideas and should I get it checked out? It's a 2001 Civic EX Automatic.
Thanks!
Thanks!
My Civic 2001 LX makes the same brake noise when I first apply the brakes. I took it to the dealer and he said it was a normal noise and that it was the brake pads shifting. He said some Hondas make a louder noise than others..but that it was normal. It frustrates me...but guess I can live with it.
Are we stuck? Is this a fair price? -- it seems way out of line to me. Any suggestions about how to find the parts more cheaply? Thanks.
Are we stuck? Is this a fair price? -- it seems way out of line to me. It is also troubling that every muffler I've ever bought came with a lifetime warranty, except for the one installed on our Civic when it was new. (Though the expensive replacement muffler has the warranty.)
Any suggestions about how to find the parts more cheaply? Thanks.
Call Midas or one of your local muffler shops and ask for pricing on a muffler with lifetime warranty. Make sure you ask what the installation charges will be.
JM2C
Easy way to check it... On both sides of the rear window, there will be blade connectors and they will be the defroster connections... if you have another connection on the top of your window, and it is not connected to any of the defroster lines, its probably an antennae... =o)
Lets see if I can explain why it happens... your brake calipers constantly put a little bit of pressure on the disc. This is for a few reasons from what I know, mainly to keep gunk off the disc(water, dust, mud, etc) The pads will always have side to side play(usually about 1/32" or so) So you shift into reverse, push down on the brakes, thereby applying more pressure to the pads and causing them to shift back(from the friction against the disc) Then you shift into drive, and the first time you hit the brakes, you put pressure on the pads again, and now they shift forward... until they hit the other side of the space in the caliper... therby the clicking sound...
Hope this helps....
Of course don't be like a co-worker of mine who heard a "funny noise" in his rear brakes for a while..... (Changed out the disc and pads... There were NO pads left... disc was trashed... ) hehe
Speaking of our 97 Avalon rear window defrost, it quits working now. I checked the fuse is ok. When I push the button defrost light will go on and I can hear a relay on the drive side kicking but defrost is not working.
A simple test would be to have a flashlight bulb and a battery handy, make a series connection between the two terminals of the battery and the bulb. If there's a broken connection in the rear wires, the bulb will not light up. Try it with the working wires to make sure your battery isn't dead or the bulb isn't working.
Honda uses 5W-20 as standard for all 02 and some 01 cars, due to corporate MPG Nowadays oil manufacturers are making 5W-20, so its more readily available now.
There have been many debates on 5W-20 vs 5W-30 oil. If you take your car to Honda dealer today they will probably put in 5W-20 for you. Since you are in New Jersey, not in Tx, Az, or Ca weather is really hot in summer, I think you will be ok. Just wait till they come up with 0W-20 oil or 0W-10 next.
bjk
I needed to use the shift lock release today. Does anyone know what does this mean for the car? Is something going wrong? How long can I safely use shift lock release without getting the problem fixed by the mechanic?
- Amit Juneja
I have to hold the accelerator pedal to the floor to start it.
Any idea's?
Seriously, the car is fourteen years old. It's probably in need of a carb overhaul or maybe something simpler.
A Honda dealer or good independent should be able to fix it.
does anybody have *any* idea why my (May) new 2002 civic LX has a very sluggish ignition??? Occasionally, when i start the car, it would crank for over four seconds (a LONG time; try counting next time you start your car) before starting. Some times, it gets so bad that I have to switch the car off, and then back on again.
of course, the dealership is NO help, since it's under warranty (and they don't get to screw me by the hour). "We can't replicate the problem unless you bring it back *as the problem is happening*," says one genius at the repair shop.
I've been to 2 separate dealerships, with the same answers. ANY IDEAS???
thanks!
-karl
(if you could cc: a copy to karlkwok@rocketmail.com that would be great!)
2003 CIVIC LX RESPOND?
Has anyone else noticed that when you turn up the dash lights, with the lights on and it is fully up, once you turn off the car and leave it off for a while and turn it back on, the lights will default to the lower setting?
This is even more noticeable especially when you leave the car parked for a while (more than 3 hours)
I've noticed this on my 99 civic, and my workaround is when I am about 1/4 or less full on tank. I turn the key to the ON position (past "accessory" but not the "start" position) to turn on the fuel pump and repressurize the fuel lines, until the seatbelt beeps stops (about 5 seconds or so), then continue turning it to the start position to crank the engine. This trick will start the engine right up. Less cranking so less wear on the starter motor. I think this problem is common among Honda Civics. Let us know if this works for you.
seems to start slowly when low on fuel. (Turns
over longer until it starts). I will try the trick next time it gets low to see if it fires right up. It seems to do this when its pretty low, say about 2 gallons left.