Honda Civic 2005 and earlier

backy

Of the 14 cars I've owned, and the dozens I've driven as rentals and for test drives over the years, only one "gurgled"--a '66 Dodge Coronet, which was about 10 years old when it gurgled. My two Civics never gurgled. No Civic I've test-driven gurgled. But I suppose if everything works as it should, you could just consider it an endearing, special characteristic of your Civic and move on.

mattpdx

I have an '04 Civic Coupe EX 5-spd...never heard any kind of gurling noise in mine, and I'm in Richmond, VA. I have the heat on quite a bit right now. hmmm.... I'll have to listen to it.

isellhondas

Now, everyone will be listening for a "gurgle"!

cmr530i

I am trying to find a dealer in SoCal with a Civic EX that has side airbags. Although it is offered as an option on the Honda website under "build-your-own" no dealers seem to have them. Has anyone on this board successfully found one?

jaa37

in caase some of you were still wondering, I did end up getting that EX sedan with side airbags for $16,167. amazingly, I didn't even negotiate with the dealer--I had done an email inquiry, and he emailed me back and gave me the quote. when I called to discuss, he insisted that it was his absolute lowest offer, no wiggle room. since other dealers couldn't come close, I took the deal. Love the car...

jaa37

Does anyone think it's worth it to get an extended Honda Care warranty? I could get a 6 yr/100,000 for $810, looks like. Thoughts?

bd21

If you need to have an extended warranty to sleep at night, then the going price is less than $800 for a zero deductible 7 year/100,000 mile Honda warranty. Personally, I would save my money. I'm a mechanic and it would be extremely rare for you to need any repair during that period of time. Regardless, I would still wait at least 24,000 miles or two years before I would even consider buying the extended warranty, because there is no penalty, it will still cost the same price. Even if you wait just shy of 36 months or 36k, there is only a $60 dollar additional charge. Bottom line, if my car was sound near the end of the basic warranty, I would bank the money. Chances are (95% or better) that I will have all my money plus interest in the bank 10 years after I bought my Honda, especially if I do all of my required maintenance. The Civic is a well made car and I doubt you will be replacing anything but tires, wiper blades, brake pads and maybe rotors in the next 7 years or 100,000 miles. After about 10 years or 110,000 miles, then you could possibly be expecting to pay out money for other repairs, but it may be many more miles or years than that. I keep cars for 13 to 15 years and I have yet to have a failure that would have paid off with a factory warranty. The good news is most Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans will make it till a 100K without dipping into your wallet. Even if your car needs minor repairs, it will most likely be less than the money you shelled out for the warranty. Just make sure you service your car by the manual, not the dealer's recommendations. This will save you a lot money and your car will last you a very long time. Also, I recommend following the severe maintenance schedual in your owner's manual regardless of your driving style. Happy motoring!

teeko71

I purchased a USED OEM HOnda Keyless Entry Remote on eBay. I found the simple instructions online on how to program the remote, however, I think I was taken, I do not think this remote works on my 98 Civic, even though the person who sold it to me said it would. Any help? Is there anyway to cross-reference the FCCID with the year and model or even the vin#? Only out $5.00. Please help.

dudka

Even though it is the wrong forum to post, Please state the trim of your 98 Civic. Only Ex's came with the receiver from the factory. In 98, the keyless entry receiver was in the stock Honda radio. If you don't have the Ex, or you have the EX with other than stock radio, your remote is useless. In 99 and later Honda provided a separate keyless entry receiver.

pat

This is a fine place for that question, here in the general Civic topic.

darbow

Hi, i am considering a EX 4dr manual, how much faster (0-60)is it really from the LX? And from the Accord 4cl 5 speed? THanks!

dudka

if you really want an exciting car, take a second look at the Si.

darbow

Ive seen the Si and need the 4 dr of the Ex/Lx and am willing to sacrifice performance. Anyone know any performance numbers for the Civic? thanks.

anonymousposts

I have seen the EX Civic test in as low as 7.9 seconds and the LX sedan in as low as 9.4 seconds. Just drive both and see which one is more suited to your driving style. The 03 Accord 4 cylinder 5-speed (EX model) has been tested as low as 7.5 seconds to 60 while the prior generation Accord 5-speed was around 8.2-8.5 seconds. The Accord will definitely have more power and more room but also carries a higher price tag (justifiably so).

strager

Just read on autonews that Honda is offering a $400 incentive to dealers because of slow Civic sales. Also read elsewhere that Honda is offering early retirement to several hundred workers at its East Liberty, Ohio plant to reduce output of Civics.

Looks like Honda is paying the price for the mediocre redesign of the Civic. I used to own one, didn't want the boring evolutionary styling of the current Civic, and got a Scion xB instead.

sguart

read this article about the recent incentives on civic...

ripped from smartshopper townhall thread...

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=01150403

anonymousposts

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/business/7692622.htm

Although Civic sales are down they still sell close to 300,000 of these cars. And offering voluntary early retirement packages is much better than just laying off workers.

strager

The point is not whether Honda still sells 300,000 Civics without a lot of incentives, or doesn't layoff employees like any good Japanese company.

To my knowledge, this is the first time in the history of Honda America that the Civic or Accord has had sales declines every single year since a redesign! I think Honda has squandered away its leadership position in the subcompact car market by assuming that cosmetic and evolutionary improvements would be enough to keep on growing Civic sales. In the past, the Civic was THE sub-compact car to get, but imho, that's no longer true. Even according to Honda, the average age of the Civic buyer is increasing, partially because of the boring redesign in 2000.

I'm sure Honda has gotten the message and the 2006 Civic out next year should be a real contender.

drummerboy_200

I am currently considering the 04 Civic Ex vs the 04 Corolla LE and would like a little owners' experience from you guys and gals. I have a 50 mile drive from home to work and the flow of traffic is usually around 70-80mph. What is the EX's RPM's at 70 and 80? Is there any extra power left for passing at 70 or 80? Does it shake? How loud does it get? You get the idea,.. any addition input that you think is relevent would be greatly appreciated.

strager

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-honda19jan19,1,533397.story- ?coll=la-headlines-business

is headlined: Civic Slump Puts a Dent in Honda's Armor

and says that "The modest slump in Honda car sales is a wake-up call for executives".

snarks

Power gets better at high RPM's in the Civic. The more RPM's the more HP, 70-80 MPH gives better response than travelling at 55-65 MPH. The Civic EX gives enough power, its not a fast car but keeps up with traffic.

crv16

I too have a 50 mile commute. I have a 2003 Civic EX with 5 speed manual transmission. At 80 mph, the engine is turning about 3,800 rpm. I recall testing an automatic, and noticed it revved about 200 rpm's less at the same speed.

The "sweet spot" with my Civic seems to be 75 mph. Higher than that, the engine gets "boomy" and intrusive. Stability at speed is excellent - no shakes, and has excellent road feel. Power is fine. Since it revs fairly high, the engine is right in the middle of the power band.

The seats in the Civic EX are superb - great for a long commute. I've heard numerous complaints about seats in the Corolla.

Overall, I'm fairly happy with the Civic. Stereo is kinda lousy, but other than that, it has been a good car so far.

drummerboy_200

Thanks for the input. I've also heard comments about the Corolla's seating condition. I hear the speakers were upgraded for the 04' civic, so let's hope it was a decent improvement. By the way, what are the speaker sizes? I'm looking at the automatic. Is around 3600rpm for 80mph right? I guess I've been spoiled by my 04 Accord EX cruising at 80 at only 2600rpm. My last two cars didn't even have a tach. Thanks again.

crazygrrrl

Drummerboy_200, I have a 2003 Civic LX sedan with an automatic transmission. It has the small 115 hp engine. The car has 15,000 miles on it, so it is well broken in.

At 70 mph, the car is at 2800 rpm.
At 75 mph, it's at 3000 rpm.
At 80 mph, it's at 3200 rpm.

These rpms were achieved on a flat surface (no uphill grade).

I haven't tried passing anyone, but I don't expect acceleration to be as responsive after 70 mph. The Civic is not a sports car. If you want speed and acceleration, you should stick with your Accord.

dalaw

My 03 LX AT have exactly the same numbers as crazygrrrl, and 2400 rpm at 60 mph. I brought my Civic up to 100 mph once and the car was pretty stable, I have the stock 14 inch wheels btw.

gregoryc1

I believe that my dealer's service recommendation of changing the oil and filter every 3,000 miles is correct. Extended oil and filter changes do not benefit you as the owner of the vehicle, but rather, it is a "selling point for the manufacturer"! By the time engine damage and / or contamination shows it's ugly face, the original warranty, (3yrs / 36,000 miles), has passed and the manufacturer is no longer concerned with the issue. Let's look at some basic information related to this issue. -----The purpose of frequent oil and filter changes is to keep the crankcase, the lubricating system and the internal engine parts clean. During the last stages of combustion, some unburned fuel and / or products of combustion will leak past the piston rings, and find their way into the crankcase. This leakage is called "blowby", and it must be removed by the PCV system before it condenses in the crankcase and reacts with the engine oil to form "sludge". If "sludge" is allowed to circulate with the engine oil it will corrode and accelerate wear of pistons, piston rings, valves, bearings and other internal engine parts. ---- Blowby also carries some unburned fuel into the crankcase. If it is not removed, the unburned fuel dilutes the engine's oil. ---- As you can see frequent oil and filter service is "cheap preventive maintenance". 3,000 mile intervals are a reasonable "benchmark" for this service. The dealer who recommends this service is actually doing the owner a favor, because they are looking out for the the property of the owner. Yes, they are making some money on this service. ----Naturally, as the owner of the vehicle, you can set your own maintenance standards. -----Just my opinion. ----Have a nice day. -----Greg

snarks

Dependant on quality of oil used and whether you drive extreme conditions (ie short trips/stop n go more than 90% of time) short oil change intervals are recommended.

If you drive a mixture of mileage the 5000 mile oil change is fine and synthetic oil can extend them.

Personally I use 5000 mile oil change intervals. I have done this throughout the live of my now 199,880 mile Civic. Its turning soon without an internal engine repair (EVER!). I found this to my past experience with my previous Honda's.

The real ploy on 3month/3000 mile oil changes is to get you to come in for unnecessary service. It was a good interval when oils were not as good as they are today and engines were carburated and contaminated oil. Engines now especially conversvative clean burning fuel injected Honda's do fine with longer intervals.

Jiffy Lube lives off the illusion that 3month/3000 mile oil changes are necessary. They get to come in and try to pile on services and $$$. Dealers typically try to include extra service typically not beneficial for service.

I found this out when I got free 3000 mile oil changes on my current car. They would just charge $8 for filter and strongly suggest lubricating brake slides for $40. My bill would total $50 every 3k miles at the Honda dealership. Three times and this was out....Follow Honda's requirements for Maintenance (key to long vehicle life) printed in the manual that suit your needs. Go with an oil change interval that your comfortable with.

If you want good information by nuts on oil, google "bobistheoilguy".

bd21

Snarks, I couldn't have said it better myself. Numerous automotive journals and personal experience confirm exactly what you stated, but hey it's a personal choice to spent extra money for no particular reason at all.

drummerboy_200

Thanks for the numbers crazygrrrl and dalaw. I can only assume that the 127hp EX has similar performance. As for sticking with the Accord, I wish things were that simple. I swap cars with my wife (who only has a 3 mile sprint to work) every week in order to let her enjoy the car as well, and try to keep the mileage under 25,000 Miles a year. We are going for a less-expensive, safe, economical around-town car that also has the capability of keeping up with Atlanta traffic; thus the Civic or Corrolla.

richielovesben

I just bought a 2002 Honda DX, and being a kid i would like to add upgrades and stuff to the body and the interior and maybe the engine as well, any suggestions? thx

    Richie

drummerboy_200

Check out www.handa.com for genuine honda parts like body mouldings, spoilers and wheels. Another nice site I've found is www.Matrixracing.com. They've got a nice selection of after-market lenses. Just be warned, not every good-looking part will look good on your car. I've seen way too many rediculously ugly civics.

pat

You might want to check out the Accessories & Modifications discussion on the Civic Owners Club board - there's a link at the top of the page.

excivicowner81

I had an '02 Civic EX 5 speed for about 8 months and that car irritated the hell out of me. The car was in the shop at least 4 times. My rack and pinion steering had to be replaced at 2,000 miles, and then I had to take it back after they replaced it because the dealer F*cked it up. Then the car was making a rattling noise coming from the dash board, the deal could not duplicate it. I loved the go kart feeling this car had...but the pick up was lousy even with the V-tech engine that the EX's have. The car was suprisingly roomy though...not as roomy as my 2003 Camry though. One thing I miss about my Civic is the go kart cornering...and that AWESOME clutch. Honda's have the BEST manual transmissions out there.

dudka

It is too bad that you did not like the acceleration in the Civic. I am surprized that you like acceleration in the Camry, unless you got the V6 version. But you can not compare oranges to apples. I am not sure if you were aware of the fact that Honda engines are sleepers until 5000 RPM, and VTEC does not engage bellow 5000 RPM. To get the full benefit of VTEC you need to wring out the engine. The only Civic that does not need to be revved high is the i-VTEC equipped Civic Si (same as as Acura RSX), these i-VTEC engines pull strongly from 1500 RPM. i-VTEC is also used on the new Accord 4 cylinder, Acura TSX, CR-V and probably other Honda/Acura engines. One drawback to i-VTEC engines si that for people who are used to Honda's hihg revving engines always end up in the fuel cut off zone of the rev limiter, because of the low, by Honda standards, 6800 RPM red line.

crv16

That's true. The Civic EX with a manual transmission will outperform a 4 cyl Camry. Just have to "wring it out", as dudka stated.

arizonahonda

I own at 2001 Civic EX. I bought is in Dec. 2000. I have had NUMEROUS problems with the front suspension and had lots of parts repeclaced (not too good with cars so couldn't tell you what). I have also had 2 recalls done for the fuel system...had my fuel sending unit replaced because my gas guage wasn't working. Had all my engine mounts replaced. All of this under warranty. Well...now I am at 44k and out of warranty and the suspension problems are back in the front and my dealer says it is not related to the work they did so they won't cover it under their warranty...and of course Honda warranty won't cover it anymore. I was just curious if anyone else has had these problems? I now have a lot of rattles, squeaks, etc. but don't have the money to spend on that. This is my first Honda and will be my last. My last two Nissan products were much better in quality. The only thing I LOVE about my Civic is the gas mileage...I average 36 mpg on mostly freeway driving (70-80pmh).

arizonahonda

To Drummerboy 200:

I have a 2001 Civic EX 5-speed. It keeps up with traffic fine. It Revs REALLY high...but the VTEC in the EX is designed for that. I also used to work at a Toyota dealerhsip and know that the Corolla is pretty quick as well, but much quieter.

I guess I am the wrong person to ask about the Civic...I have had TONS of problems with my car and they just keep piling up after the warranty just expired. I learned my lesson in buying the first year of a new model. Either will be fine for you needs though.

port_48

I have a 2002 DX, 5 spd. The gages are speedo, temp, and fuel. Speedo occupies large right circle and temp/fuel occupy large left circle. I'd like to replace with gages cluster that has a tach. My question: Do all the gage clusters with the tach include the vertical auto tranny position selection display? Or do the manual tranny equipped cars with tach not have that auto tranny display?

Thx,

Wm
'02 DX Sdn, 19.5K miles

lngtonge18

Manual tranny cars will not have the auto position display in the tach.

dalaw

Yeah the manual cars do not have the auto tranny indicator in the tach, and the manual's tach numbers are more widely spaced too.

ron_m

Three weeks ago I picked up a 1989 Civic LX 4-door sedan. Unfortunately, the owner's manual was missing. So until I can obtain an owner's manual for this little car, I would like to ask a few general questions about it.

-What is the fuel tank capacity in gallons?
-Are most OEM parts still available from Honda?
-What minor modifications can be done to these
cars in order to gain a little more power without sacrificing very much fuel economy?
-Are the engine mounts very difficult/expensive to replace?

Thanks in advance!

Ron M.

anonymousposts

If I am not mistaken fuel capacity is around 11 gallons.
Some OEM parts will be available while some will not. You can always get parts from the junkyard though.
Civics are like a blank canvas when it comes to modifications. You can choose from small things like a cold air intake to a freer exhaust to a supercharger. Or you can even take the engine out of later model Civics/Integras.

excivicowner81

Actually, my Camry is a 5-speed which is much peppier than the autos. And to me feels like it has more power than my Civic. However I don't rev the Camry, and only revved the Civic a few times and didn't like all that damn noise. Don't get me wrong, I liked my Civic...there was just this sour feeling I'd get every time I drove it because of the HORRIBLE service I got from the dealer, and all the noises that car made. I love my Camry, but I miss my Civic when I want to "Drive". A Camry is not a drivers car I'll tell you that, but it does do what it's supposed to do quite nicely.

dudka

What kind of power are you looking to extract from the engine? I belive that '89 were 1.5 liter, like annony said, you can get intake and exhaust, but in my view it is not worth it. You are going to spend a couple hundred dollars to gain 5-10 hp. Nitrous will set you back $500 but you get a 50-100 hp boost. Almost any boost in HP will cost you MPG's.

Engine mounts in the civic are quite easy to replace as long as you support the engine from the bottom or have a hoist to suspend it.

Timing belt is one of the maintenance items that need to be replaced every 60,000 miles or you can kiss your engine good bye. Honda has, what is known as, interfierence engine. If the timing belt goes the piston will hit the valves while they are down, and bend them. If you are not sure when timing belt was replaced last time, and you have more than 60,000 miles on the odo, you are looking at $600 job from Honda, or $250 from an independant shop. The belt it self is about $40, the rest is labor. And you need to remove an engine mount to replace the belt.

ncampbell2002

I wouldn't recommend the NOS system in an older engine. That will destroy the engine if used too frequently. I think you would be better off with a smaller boost turbo but that can run $$$$ which may not be worth putting in for a 15 year old car. If you take it in to get the timing belt done the shop will most likely recommend a water pump too. Go with that because they are in the same spot and it will save you money in the long run.

andsmi

Okay, just need some advice on this deal--seems like I'm getting a very very good deal. Let me know if it isn't. After talking to a few dealers I've managed to find the dealer I want to be able to give me the Civic Value Package, 2004, including a cassette upgrade (to cd and cassette instead of just cd, something I sort of wanted) and including delivery charge for $12,650 -- this is about $1,000 below invoice (including delivery charge)--they seem to not want to move much lower...not sure how much farther I could get them--if any, anybody have some advice? Or is it time to take it and run?

imidazol97

Didn't I read few weeks ago about a rebate to dealers on Civics?

This should reduce the dealer's cost below the invoice

andsmi

$400 dealer rebate if they sell a certain amount, also perhaps an $800 rebate...

I'm wondering if there is anything else I can haggle on that will be easy for them to throw in?

backy

IMO $1000 below invoice for a Civic VP is a very good deal. If you want to see if it's the best you can get, you could go to another dealer or two and see what they say about bettering that deal. But if they offer to beat it by only a few bucks, be sure to take dealer convenience and service into account. You might see if they would throw in mats (if the car doesn't already have them), mudguards (if you really want them), a few oil changes, and a full tank of gas.

fit3312

Whenever we have an all day rain or heavy rain event the stereo will go out, this has happened 3 times. Eventually the speakers will begin to work but it comes slowly. Honda replaced the speakers once and now it has happened again, I have suggested that I think water is affecting the speakers in some way and they just scoff at that. All I know is that I have had 7 hondas in 20 years and this will be the last, that is how much this bothers me