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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
and it came with NO drivers manual-
I could use a little explanation in regard the the gear shifter(automatic transmission)-
Under the D (drive indicator) in my instrument panel- the S3 has a little green blinking square around it....what is it and why is it blinking?
What does the 'S' stand for-
AND while I'm at it, what is the Low Hold System and Shift Lock Release down on the consul-
Any info would be ever so appreciated!!! Thanks
99 EX is fuel injected VTEC engine, pressing the gas should not make a difference, unless it is not getting anough air. PRessing gas on FI car only opens the trottle plate, it does not inject more fuel in the combustion chamber.
Does the car crank when you try to start it? Is it just canking over without catching? How is the fuel pressure? Spark? Filters? How many miles and when was the last service perfomed (what was done compre to what the manual says to do)?
Carb? Plugs? Fuel filter? Air Filter? PCV? Dirty oil?
You nedd a tape adaptor that has gears in it. Some cassette decks, not just in cars, sense the end of tape by the lack of movement in the source reel, while others sense the lack of movement in the receiving reel, and the third kind uses a pin that pushes on the tape before it gets to the reader head. Whe tape ends, either the source or receiving reels stop moving, or the tape's tension pushes the pin up to stop the play function.
Try plaing a tape in the cassette deck and se if it still flips it. BTW, for the cost of two cassette adaptors you can get a cheapo CD player at Best buy or Circuit city.
and it came with NO drivers manual-
I could use a little explanation in regard the the gear shifter(automatic transmission)-
Under the D (drive indicator) in my instrument panel- the S3 has a little green blinking square around it....what is it and why is it blinking?
What does the 'S' stand for-
AND while I'm at it, what is the Low Hold System and Shift Lock Release down on the consul-
Any info would be ever so appreciated!!! Thanks
All I know about Honda automatics is that if the ring around the gear indicator is blinking that is code for malfunctioning transmission.
S3 is probably sport, there should be an S4 to the right of it, and when you press the "overdrive" button on the shifter, it should shift from S3 to S4. I have that on my 88 Prelude 4WS. This was Honda's first attempt at manuamatics. The ones that have S3/S4 side by side have an electronically contorlled tranny, rather than mechanical tranny.
Shift lock release is when your tranny intelock is malfunctioning you can manually release the tranny from park.
I would think that any car will rust if not washed and taken care of properly. I have an 88 Prelude that is starting to rust around the wheel wells, but that is because the previous owner never fixed the paint chips.
Newer Hondas come with rust perforation warranty for something like 5 or 6 years and unlimited mileage. I have not had rust issue on my 85 Civic (250,000 miles), 99 Civic, 2001 CR-V, or the current 2002 Si.
I think this would be more owner dependant than anything, although Honda does have some rust prevention coating on the insides of the panels. You can also rust proof it at a car wash or a dealer, although I doubt that it would be better than OEM rust proofing on the car already.
Hi everyone, I need help here. I have been reading a couple of messages here to try to figure out the problem, but I ran into so many different scenarios that I got lost. I am also afraid of getting ripped off. So, basically I have the check engine light on for a few weeks already and now the car shakes and looks like it is going to die when stop at the traffic light. I disconnected/connected the battery and light was off when I turn the key, but it came back on after 10 sec I started the car. It does not seem to overheat.
Please any help is valuable. Thanks
I am not sure if 93 Civic had hydraulic clutch, I am pretty sure it was a cable clutch.
My 93' Honda civic started fine and the clutch was fine also. i went away for 2 days came back to start my car and the clutch pedal was pushed all the way to the floor and i had no clutch. I couldn't shift into any gears and the pedal was all the way down. Once i warmed the car up a little bit the clutch pedal was better but barley any clutch . Has anyone had this problem or can someone tell me if this means i need a new clutch altogether.
Sounds like JMZ23QT needs to get the cable adjusted as it may have just stretched. I highly doubt that a worn clutch would cause the pedal to sink. A new cable may be in order as well.
Another possibility is the trow out bearing. It is difficult to diagnose without seeing the actual car.
Locate the cable connected to the lever on the tranny, and have someone press the clutch, see if the lever moves. If not, it is the cable. If the lever moves the full range of motion, then look for trow out bearing, or the clutch plate itself. This will require the removal of tranny from the vehicle (minimum $200 charge). Of you can just bench press the tranny your self while the car is on jack stands. I did that in a VW to replace the clutch. The clutch it self will cost you about $80 with all associated hardware.
Hi everyone, I need help here. I have been reading a couple of messages here to try to figure out the problem, but I ran into so many different scenarios that I got lost. I am also afraid of getting ripped off. So, basically I have the check engine light on for a few weeks already and now the car shakes and looks like it is going to die when stop at the traffic light. I disconnected/connected the battery and light was off when I turn the key, but it came back on after 10 sec I started the car. It does not seem to overheat.
Please any help is valuable. Thanks
Like advised before, get the codes from Auto Zone. Chances are it is the oxygen sensor, so be prepared to pay upwards from $180 for it. It is not difficult to replace it your self, but it may be rusted from heat and you need to get under the car to get to it.
99 may have two oxygen sensors one before the cat and one after the cat. I believe 99 is ODBII and should have 2 sensors.
http://catalog.eautopartscatalog.com/palace/wizard.jsp?partner=palace&year=1993&make=HO&mo- del=CVC-DX2-001&category=I&part=Clutch+Slave+Cylinder
Every vehicle sold in the U.S. and Canada since 1996 is OBD II compliant and has a post-catalytic converter O2 sensor to monitor catalyst efficiency.
Does civic has an engine air filter? How often do you need to replace it? How to get to it?
Thanks.
http://catalog.eautopartscatalog.com/palace/wizard.jsp?partner=palace&year=1993&make=HO&mo- - del=CVC-DX2-001&category=I&part=Clutch+Slave+Cylinder
My bad.
Does civic has an engine air filter? How often do you need to replace it? How to get to it?
Thanks.
If you refer to an air intake filter, all cars should have one:
1) Complain to the dealer that your new car did not come with an owner's manual.
2) When you get the manual, read it from cover to cover, and you shall find asnwers to most questions you may have.
3) It is probably too early to replace it, unless you have racked up some high miles on the new car.
Good luck.
After that one more time same thing happened by just keeping the radio on with engine switched off.
Is this a battery issue ? If yes then where should I get the battery from and which one ?
Thanks
For one dollar, get yourself a 5 ball battery checker. Read the chart and so many balls that sink indicate a % of discharge or (float= % charge) remaining. I dont know how technical you want to get beyond that, but up to a certain % charge, it makes all the sense in the world to get a recharge. Past a certain % you are better off getting a new battery. (group 51) If it were mine to get, I would purchase a Costco (Johnson Controls) brand that has 3 year free replacement with 100 mo prorate @ $38.
After that one more time same thing happened by just keeping the radio on with engine switched off.
Is this a battery issue ? If yes then where should I get the battery from and which one ?
Thanks
I agree with ruking, about Costco branded battery. Costco has proven to have some very high quality items under their kirkland and costco brands.
As far as the battery issue, do you have a high powered aftermarket stereo? If so, another battery of the same kind won't do much good. You may want to get a larger capacity battery, or a second battery for the sound system, such as sealed optima, and mount it in the trunk.
Another thing to consider is how long your drive is. If your battery is discharged to the point where it won't crank the engine, you would need at least an hour of driving time at highway speeds (RPM's at or above 3000) to fully charge it. If you have short commute and frequent engine restarts, you would benefit from a larger capacity battery as well.
It could be that your battery is fine, but the 10 minute headlights on thing discharged it, and the short drive never fully charged the battery. Although, if this is the original battery that came with the car in 99, you better off just replacing it now, rather than being stuck some where at the least expected moment.
Battery replacement is within the scope of DIY, but it does require lifting of the somehwat heavy (25 lbs) battery, and removal of few connectors, and hold down plate. Then you have make sure the polarity is not reversed, when installing new battery.
If you are not handy, Sears is probably the easiest place to get a replacement, but beware that the sales clerks are on comission. I think Sears has or had a 15 minute guarantee, or its free.
Don't fall for the "goo-ga ga-ga" battery sales pitch, chances are you will not have the car by the time the warranty on the new battery is up. I have had $30 K-mart batteries last years and years.
Timing belt replacement is necessary as well as water pump. You don't want to have the timing belt break on you, unless you have spare engine at home. Water pump replacement is just a preventative measure. Water pump ot riming belt them-selves are not expensive, but to get to them is very laborous. If you look at the cost breakdown, 80% of it is labor, 20% parts.
Like this is a "bad" thing?
"goo-ga ga-ga" battery sales pitch??
It's been a long time since I managed a Sears Auto Center but I sure don't remember any of this??
If you refer to an air intake filter, all cars should have one:
1) Complain to the dealer that your new car did not come with an owner's manual.
2) When you get the manual, read it from cover to cover, and you shall find asnwers to most questions you may have.
3) It is probably too early to replace it, unless you have racked up some high miles on the new car.
Good luck.
Yes, I am refering to air intake filter. I re-read my manual again and there is no section about DIY air filter replacement. The closest part may be related is that in scheduled maintanence, the air clean element needs to be replaced every 30k miles.
Any one can confirm with their manual? And the air clean element just like asking you to go to the dealer place...
I went to the closest Auto Zone store and they let me use their code check for free. I got the following messages:
option 1 - Read Codes - P0135 (Bank 1 sensor 1) - O2 sensor heater circuit malfunction
option 4 - I/M Monitor - O2 sensor, Evap Sys, and Catalyst (Not Ready)
Moreover, I ended up spending ~$85 just for 1 Bosh Oxigen sensor (before or top) and replacing it myself after they lend me a socket.I just had to use my own wrench. At the end, I disconnected/connected the battery and that was it.
Thanks again and I hope this info may help others.
The problem started Monday afternoon. Took about 5 minutes before the engine caught and the cylinders fired up. A couple of times the engine did fire up, but it sounded like it was starving for something...trying to fire but couldn't[hope that makes sense]. Didn't have a problem all day after that.
The engine has been working fine all week until Saturday morning. It did catch, like Monday, and worked fine all day. This morning, the problem is back and it's not catching like it did yesterday.
Here's what I observed:
1. When I turn the key, I can hear the fuel pump engage...normal
2. The engine turns over, but the cylinders never fire. Only one instance of a "rumble" like they're trying to fire.
3. Battery is good...replaced 8 months ago.
4. No idiot lites to indicate a specific problem area.
5. When I stop trying to start the engine I hear 4 distinct beeps in rapid succession.
I suspect the 4 beeps are trying to tell me something. Anyone have a clue?
Oh yeah...at the moment the weather here is cold, between 28F and 38F.
Also, I have about an 1/8 of a tank of gas. The gas from the military gas stations tend to be a bit watery at times. I was going to run the tank dry and fill it up with an octane boost today.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
regards
.
Water in the tank could be caused by weather changes and gregoryc1 has the right idea if there is enough water in your gas tank it can cause pump damage or even worse your engine could hydro lock and trust me u really dont want that....
Any one can confirm with their manual? And the air clean element just like asking you to go to the dealer place...
Unless the 2005 manual is completley redone, in the maintenance section of the owners manual it explains how to do most of the maintenance, including air filter replacement. It does in my 2002 Si, as it did in my 2001 CR-V, 1999 Civic, 1988 Prelude, 1987 Accord, and 1985 Civic.
I don't know the exact orientation of your engine, but you should find the air box. If you don't know what it is, trace the air intake (it will look like black plasticky/rubber flexible pleated oversized tube) from the throttle back to the air box. The air box may have clips or bolts to undo it, un-do all of them, lift the top, or remove the bottom, depending on design. The air cleaner element will be inside. When installing new filter look for the air flow arrow poiting in the same direction as it did on the old one. You can buy new filter at the dealer or your local parts store.
Answers to BlueiedGod : I have the same car-stereo car came with.
Yes, this is the same battery from 99
My commute is real long ones, more than an hour each way.
I also thought it would have drained by just keeping the headlights on for 10 mins. But the second experience with just the radio on was scary.
Al right thanks again for all the input.
Ruking Said :
It could very well be. Most places that sell batteries have a checking tool for battery and charging system. You can find out real quick.
For one dollar, get yourself a 5 ball battery checker. Read the chart and so many balls that sink indicate a % of discharge or (float= % charge) remaining. I dont know how technical you want to get beyond that, but up to a certain % charge, it makes all the sense in the world to get a recharge. Past a certain % you are better off getting a new battery. (group 51) If it were mine to get, I would purchase a Costco (Johnson Controls) brand that has 3 year free replacement with 100 mo prorate @ $38.
Of course you want to observe the battery install procedure so you dont get shocked. You also dont want to cross polarity and take a chance on shorting out a computer circuit either. Other than that just a few common hand tools and you are hooked up and ready to roll.
I should have brought the old one up when I made the first (buy)trip. But I was concerned the lack of trickle draw would lose some of the codes. (the way I did it I lost nothing but have no real basis for comparison) On the next trip back to Costco, I brought the old one to the Costco tire center for disposal.