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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions
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Thanks.
Look in your owners manual - (not sure about Honda) it will tell you NOT to put the car in neutral while going down hill.
I would not worry about drum paint after 2 years. It will chip away after a month of normal use. Drums heat up with normal use, plus the tension on a stuck brake cable is minimal. It is not like you had a fully engaged parking brake on. If you are inclined so, you can sand the old paint away and re-paint the drums with aftermarket caliper paint. Although it looks very cheesy to have bright colored drums.
Did you open up the drums to obeserve the "heat evidence?" Whatever is on the outside of the drum is not indicative of what is inside. Inside is what you should check out, if you are inclined to do so. If your brake shoes are worn off and the drum has purplish discoloration (on the braking sirfaces, inside) then you probably have a good indication that you need to replace the drum and shoes.
I have a pic in there that shows everyone what I did with the drums. I used standard caliper paint and they still look great after 2 years with no touchups. I did not sand down the original paint that was on there. I just simply painted over it. I think it looks a lot better than the rust color they turn after a few months of use!
I won't comment on the short ram air intake, and how it puts hot air into the engine, thus killing a possibility for any perfomance increases from higher flow (still questionable) filter.
my name is james an i from writing from the uk
i have a civic coupe 1.5lsi 1995 model,my problem is that when it has been frosty an dead cold the night before my car wont start,i crank it over 3-4 times an eventually it will start,an when it does it sounds like it running on 3 cylinders for about 3-4 seconds an a flume of blue smoke comes out of the exhaust.but other days it starts fine no problem.can u help????much appriated if ya can.
my name is james an i from writing from the uk
i have a civic coupe 1.5lsi 1995 model,my problem is that when it has been frosty an dead cold the night before my car wont start,i crank it over 3-4 times an eventually it will start,an when it does it sounds like it running on 3 cylinders for about 3-4 seconds an a flume of blue smoke comes out of the exhaust.but other days it starts fine no problem.can u help????much appriated if ya can.
The fact that the car eventually starts after a few cranks, is probably due to the grade of oil you are using. If you live in an area where it regularly gets bellow 0°F, try fully synthetic oil, like Mobil 1. Or, an electric oil heater. Switch to winter gas, which has lower evaporation temperature than summer gas. When was the last time the car tuned up? And I don't mean the $40 special from the gas station down the street. I mean, plugs, wires, rotor, cap, filters, PCV. All done properly with dielectric grease, and quality parts.
to be honest i dont know when the car had its last service an had plugs etc changed.i didnt get any documents with the car of service history,i know it must be due one as it has done 101,000miles.i have a raid air induction kit on it an it has a million mile service on the filter.
after the car initially starts on then turn off it starts again perfect,i have a feeling the plugs do need changing,will look into doing a oil change as my mates owns a civic coupe as well an is running full synthetic oil in his an goes a dream.as over here we have only had two quite big frosts thats when this problem has shown it-self to me,an been fine 99% of the time.
also can u veryfie if u know the standard bhp this car puts out as it has multi-point injection system i know it quicker the the hatchback version as i have raced as an wooped there arses.soom people say it has 115bhp and others say they run 130-135bhp.not sure if u would know as some cars you guys get in the states are different spec,i.e the us law dont allow evo's or skylines over there as we have tuned up monsters over.oh one more thing,about turbo's for the civic i have found out that you can buy bolt on turbos for my modile an many others but is this adviseable i have heard over very quick over heating in the engine,or would it be more sencible to drop a prelude vtec engine in then turbo it.??????????
many thanks james
Your first job to make this kitty purr is to give it a complete tune up. The million mile filter needs to be cleaned and re-charged almost every 10,000 miles with special oil.
cheers guys big help,i have heard some horro storys of civic going bang with turbo's fitted.there are a few [non-permissible content removed] guys hear one has a civic turbo an it is horribly quick,but everyone says to buy or get the prelude 2.2 vtec 198bhp engine fitted before kitting it with a turbo because it will take the such big power increase,i have a cousin in colorado an her husband owned a civic hatchback an twin turboed it how the hell is this done are you americans holding something back from us brits he said he had spent about $35,000 doing the car up.dont get me wrong modded civic over here look the daddys but in the states they have a lil bit more we aint into crome as much here with the civic's coz everyone in the underground world of cars who own's or know's civic are used for speed acceleration.is the civic engine vertually inderstructable?they are the pinicle of bad boy as not alot of people own then because of the high price it costs to insure them.i own the 1995 1.5lsi coupe does this car have quite abit if torqure coz when i shift from 1st to 2nd at 6500rpm close to red line the car will wheel spin into 2nd gear now none of my other cars i have owned will do this an it throughs me back into my seat,hence not as much as my mate 347bhp evo 5 but enough.
one more thing-----my rev counter reads 9000rpm not can i get my car de-restricted to go up to the 9000 or not,if i can an i gun it to 9000 will the engine evevtually blow,have i get it tuned to 9000 will this put out more bph.
many thanks
if anyone has driven the 1995 coupe 1.5lsi
could you tell me when you gun it at 4000rpm the
revs then seem to go round the clock alot quicker like a boost,is this down to the multi-point-injectors on my modle is this when they kick in coz mt civic takes off like a rocket come 4000rpm
many thanks
1.5is has VTEC, this what you feel giving you a kick after 5000 RPM. Your red line is probably somewhere above 7000, maybe 8000 RPM. You want a 9000 RPM redline with reliability, get S2000. There is a reason it costs more than a Civic. If you just want a 9000 RPM redline you have 3 choices.
1. Drive to red line in 3rd gear and then down shift to 2nd. This will take you past the rev limiter, will most likeley break your con rods and damage the valvetrain, but you will be able to claim to have had a 9000 RPM Civic.
2. Get a Hondata chip, not sure if they make it for 1.5 version, but they sure made them for the 1.6 and 2.0 versions.
3. Sell the Civic and get S2000 that comes with a 9000 RPM redline.
Good luck.
no im not scott or irish ha ha,im 20 years old,
the civic i have is none v-tec 1992-1995 coupe honda brought the v-tec out on the face lift model 1996.my model is the Lsi not sure if you guys over in the states recieved this model,but mine has multi-point injectors could this be the reason the car takes off like a rocket at 3500-4000rpm??before i get to 3500-4000 the car is quite slugish(but quick) but when i reach 3500-4000 its like pressing a nos button with 50bhp shot,its mental.
what is ment by 'spoon engine' this this a manufacture or just slang word,i hear they are quite expensive but are the dogs bollox.
could u if possible inform me what b16-b18-b20 are i hear so many people putting them into civic's and they give phanomamal performance.
There was no problem with the original set of blades when I bought the car.
This is driving me crazy! Can anyone help.
1. go back to the oem replacement blade and/or wiper.
2. anymore, the constant noise of wipers drives me batty (over 5 models of cars, so it is not just Honda), so I have also taken to using a Rain X type product and use the intermittent wiper option when the rains are really bad.
Maintenance items: most of the time, the rubber blade of the wiper's suffer most from neglect and/or trying to function them after they have been (glued) stuck to the windshield for a time. This of course contributes to, if not totally, tearing them. Periodic cleaning really extends the life. One trick is to separate them from the windshield if you park in the hot sun a lot. (the hot sun and usually black dash board act like a reflective oven to the blades sitting on the windshield). When the blades start to smear (best is BEFORE) another trick is to use the nylon part of the ubiquitous dish sponge to "scour" the old dead rubber off the blade.
"...my wiper blades skid across the windshield..."
I assume you mean what I call "chatter." At its worst it is not only visible, but audible, too, and very annoying.
Clean glass and clean rubber blade inserts help minimize this problem.
Clean the rubber blades weekly with isopropyl alcohol.
Treat the windshield with Rain-X. It's an amazing product that really works. In fact, following a fresh application, you aren't likely to need your wipers at all, not even in the heaviest downpour. Try it, you'll see.
The downside of Rain-X is that it doesn't seem to last much longer than one week for maximum benefit, although it continues to be functional beyond that.
I just installed a new silicone blade on the huge 24" driver's side of our '02 Si ... and it chatters, too. It's not audible, but I can see it jerking its way across the glass as I watch it.
You'd think someone would work out this business of cleaning auto windshields better in the rain, wouldn't you? After all, we can drive RC cars around the surface of Mars, for heaven's sake. Why can't we clean our windshields better here on earth?
“My 01 Civic went for the 45K mile checkup. The shop said the front strut starts to leak. Cost to fix is about $300 or more.”
I think that’s a reasonable price for that job if you need new struts, and it sounds as though you might need them.
You wrote:
“I can't really believe that such leak can happen so early. . .”
Oh, sure. 45K miles is a lot of miles on a shock absorber, especially if the roads you traverse are not in good condition. Rough roads kill shocks quickly.
Whether or not Honda has a recurrent problem with leaking struts/shocks is another issue, but either way (defective, or not) 45K miles on rough roads will use up your shocks.
I suspect shocks are a much-neglected item that need replacement long before the average owner finally gets around to replacing them. They’re unlike, say, brake pads and tires, which call attention to themselves when they’re worn out, unlike shocks, which can continue on despite having died long before. I take it for granted that any of our cars with 50k miles would benefit from new shocks. So far, we’ve always sold our cars around that point, but I always recommend to the buyer that they get new shocks if I sell the car privately.
You wrote:
“. . .of course I am not very pleased with the road conditions I drive in the city. Can this be the cause of the struts wear that leads to the leak?”
Yes. Absolutely.
Your city sounds like mine. :-)
You wrote:
“Do I need Honda shop to fix it or get help from a non-Honda shop because of the original parts concern?”
Either one is fine.
In fact, I would encourage you to consider purchasing after-market shocks. There are many after-market shocks, which are far superior to the original equipment Honda shocks. Three big names that immediately come to mind are: Koni, Bilstein, and Tokiko. There are others as well.
The advantages of these after-market shocks are that they: (1) will probably cost no more, maybe even less, than the Honda shocks; (2) will come with a lifetime warranty; and (3) will outperform the Honda shocks. You can even buy adjustable shocks, which allow you to tailor your shocks to your immediate driving requirements. “Soft,” for example, for urban commuting on rough streets, “Medium” for highway trips, and “Firm” for zooming around twisty country roads. Those cost more, of course.
If you have any interest in improving the handling of your Civic, you might wish to read about these shocks and buy the ones meeting your needs. A word of caution, though: I would suggest you not be seduced into buying the “most sporting” shocks, since they will ride very hard. If a really harsh ride is no concern to you, and you accept it for the sporting benefits, then okay. My experience, though, is that what is fun at first with very stiff suspensions. . . grows old over time. You may find yourself wishing you’d chosen a softer shock. Something to think about, especially when reading the comments of the youngsters who often do extreme things to their Civics in search of maximum performance and the “right look.”
The kids with their fast and furious “slammed” Civics will assure you that their cars ride just fine. Don’t believe them. They mean well, but their enthusiasm may have overcome their reason. But they’re happy with their cars, and that’s good; it’s fun. But it’s not the best solution for most drivers.
You wrote:
“I also noted some steering wheel vibration at about 55 mph, though I had the tire shop checked and rebalanced before, but the vibration is still a bit evident. Can this vibration be anything to do with the strut leak?”
Yes. Absolutely.
Worn (or leaking) shocks permit the wheel and tire to bounce up and down uncontrollably, getting progressively worse over time. I would expect the driver could sense vibration through the steering.
It could always be that you have other problems, or a combination of problems, of course.
I hope this has been helpful.
if you are wishing to change your shokx an not pay your $300,check out 'spax' or 'blistein' over here in the uk these two company offer very good prices for either-stiff or soft shock lowered or not lowered or fully adjustable,dont always go to your main honda dealer for parts there are always cheaper options but they offer a longer life span an are alot better quality,
if your feeling the car aint driving right get your tracking down first of all as honda's have a little problem,,,,,the tracking is so easily knockd out.
This is a prime example of a highly efficient engine. Heat is not a primary function of an engine. Heat is by product of combustion and friction. More heat engine generates - less efficient it is.
You can try remedying the "problem" by installing a higher temperature thermostat.
There was no problem with the original set of blades when I bought the car.
This is driving me crazy! Can anyone help.
A high quality wiper should not give you these problems for 6 months or so. I used to buy Bosch MicroEdge Excell once a year, around Christmas time. This year, back in the summer I went with TriplEdge. TriplEdge are 100% silicone and have a lifetime guarantee. I already used the gaurantee once, when I broke the retaining clip while removing the ice. I called Jarmack, and they sent 2 replacements, and not just the insert, like the warranty states, but the whole assembly.
TripleEdge are not as good as Bosch, but that can be remedied with RainX application and RainX (or BJ's, Costco's knock off) water repelling windshield washer fluid.
You can prolong the service life of a regular blade, by lifting it off the windshield in the winter and summer, when parked.
Good luck.
One thing that you should be aware of is that the strut housing also has the steering arm welded to the side of it. Due to this, manufacturers were slow in offering replacements. I'm not certain if this situation has changed in the last couple of years. What has been sold as a replacement strut for the seventh generation Civic is an insert for the original housing. The original housing from Honda is a sealed strut. There is a good bit of work involved including cutting the top off the original housing, pressing the new insert into place and drilling into the bottom of the housing to bolt the insert in. I used Koni yellow inserts and have been pleased.
If you can get both sides done from Honda for $300, I'd seriously consider that route. This job requires a good bit of work including splitting the steering ball joints, which more than likely will require alignment at the end of the job.
I did not go the Honda route, mainly because I put a lot of miles on my car, and was concerned that the original reason the struts were failing had not been addressed in the Honda replacement. The Koni's are adjustable, have a lifetime warranty and have performed well to this point, about 100,000 miles later. I keep them on the softest setting.
i am looking apon buying some toyo proxes R888 tyere for my civic does anyone know if these are a half decent tyre,they are fast road and track day tyres.
If you read the Owners Manual a little more carefully you'll note that there are two schedules: normal and severe. The "normal" schedule is service intervals of 10,000 miles. The "severe" schedule is 5,000 miles. It also has a definition of "severe" and "normal" so you can determine which schedule you should use based on how you drive your vehicle.
The dealer told you 3 months/3,000 miles, right? The only thing that'll be hurt by changing it that often is your bank account.
I am curious, if I were to get the aftermarket "soft-setting" front struts, do I need to get similar new for the rear, even though the rear struts are still in good condition (for now, anyway)?
Please advise. Thanx.
To directly answer your question, it depends!
If money is at issue, then NO!
I don't know what they'd charge, but have you tried slhondaparts.com?
“Thank you very much for feedback regarding the front struts repair ! The advice has been enlightening.”
You’re welcome. :-)
You wrote:
“I am curious, if I were to get the aftermarket "soft-setting" front struts, do I need to get similar new for the rear, even though the rear struts are still in good condition (for now, anyway)?”
An excellent question. It raises interesting issues that I am unable to answer definitively.
It’s my understanding that as shocks progressively wear out, the performance deteriorates, but the change progresses so slowly that it’s very hard to discern over time. (When did my hair first go grey? I don’t know, it was so gradual. I’m a man, obviously! ;-)
Logic suggests, then, that regardless of whether one puts new Honda shocks on the front, or an after-market shock, the fronts would now have a different damping effect compared to the _worn_ rear shocks.
In the end, I suspect it is all about balance, and the ideal situation would be to replace all four shocks, front and rear, after 45K miles on rough streets, regardless of whose shock you buy. This would yield the best performance increase and the best handling balance, giving you the optimum value for your performance dollar.
However, is it _necessary_?
I would not think so, but I am not an expert on these matters. Still, it would surprise me to learn that it’s _necessary_ to replace all four.
On the other hand, consider this: You already have 45,000+ miles on the OEM Honda shocks, front and rear, right? If you intend to keep this car for many more miles, you’ll probably need to replace the rear shocks soon anyway. Since the after-market shocks will have a life-time warranty, why not get them now and enjoy them for the rest of the time YOU have the car, rather than getting them when you’re forced to towards the end of your ownership thus giving the most benefit to the NEXT owner? If you keep the car long enough, you’re going to have to buy rear shocks anyway. Right? So, maybe sooner is better than later?
I frequently use such reasoning to talk myself into purchases like this. It’s sound reasoning, isn’t it? <laughing> Perhaps it works for you, too? Do you think your wife will accept this reasoning, too? ;-)
While there’s not as much weight normally carried by the rear wheels, as opposed to the fronts, they’re still bouncing up and down over the same rough pavement that the front wheels just traveled over, right? I’m thinking that _maybe_ shocks tend to wear fairly evenly around the four corners of a car. But I’m not sure.
Maybe you could go find out as you research your shocks of choice . . . and come back and tell me. I’d be grateful for the answer to the question: Do shocks, unlike tires and brakes, normally wear out evenly, front and rear?
Shocks are a very important part of the suspension system on our cars, much more important than most people recognize.
Racers know this. Consider that the high-tech, racing-oriented shock manufacturers such as Koni, offer custom valving services. In fact, it’s my impression that most of the National Champions in autocross are running custom-valved shocks.
There is a fellow from Chicago who races very successfully in autocross in the Midwest, who is said to have $20,000 invested in custom shocks on his Stock Class Honda S2000. Yikes! That’s an extreme example, of course, not the norm, but I mention it to emphasize just how important shocks can be to handling performance.
You don’t need custom-valved shocks, of course.
You note that your rear shocks are fine, but I wonder if they are after 45K miles on rough streets?
Leaking (externally visible) is not the only sign of a worn out shock. Shocks can be dead and not leak at all, as I understand it. They can be “leaking” internally, between the chambers, failing to dampen wheel and body motion properly as they did when they were new. They wear out internally.
Does anyone know a good means of checking shock performance? The old adage: Bounce each corner of the car up and down with your hands or your foot on the bumper, and note how fast the shocks dampen the bouncing. No matter how old the car, I’ve never been able to tell any difference at all. Anyone have any better ideas?
Oh, yes. Something else I thought of: You should know that the Koni, etc. “soft” shocks are not soft at all, only in _comparison_ to the _stiffer_ shocks Koni offers. Do not expect a “pillow soft ride” over your rough city streets with these better shocks. The “soft” Konis will almost certainly be stiffer than the OEM Honda Civic shocks. The Konis will control wheel bounce and keep the tire properly planted on the road surface allowing it to do its job better than the Honda shocks, and they will control body lean better, too, especially when turning into corners and transitioning from left to right turns. . . when you’re hustling through the twisties out in the country. ;-)
On a more practical level, higher quality shocks will perform better (often a LOT better) in violent emergency evasive maneuvers, allowing the driver to avoid an accident. Yet another thing to think about. . .
I hope I haven’t explained too much; I don’t mean to be rude or disrespectful. I’m at a disadvantage, not knowing how much you know already, and I’m just trying to be helpful without misleading you or my readers, who may not share my little bit of knowledge. :-)
-Kauai (who respectfully seeks to help where possible, and who wishes all a Happy, Healthy, & Safe New Year! :-)
And Honda (the manufacturer of the engine) recommends 5,000/10,000 mile intervals for newer Hondas. My '99 has a 3750/7500 mile change interval, but my significant others '02 is 5000/10,000 miles.
There isn't a significant cost of ownership difference. If your oil changes cost $30 and you change every 3,000 miles you'll spend $990 for oil changes in the first 100,000 miles. Using 5,000 mile intervals you'll spend $600.
I still believe in following the recommendations of Honda (not the dealer).
JM2C
Is Honda shortening their factory recommended interval? I wonder why that is.