Honda Civic 2005 and earlier

sjslo

I know I might get blasted posting this here, but what the hell. I looked at the Corolla and Civic before I even considered the Elantra. I test drove all of the cars as well. I felt that the Elantra was the better value because of price and what I got for the price. And who can argue about the warranty? I'm not saying that the civic is a bad car, I'm just saying that the Elantra is a better value. I shouldn't even the Elantra's fully independent suspensions and standard tires. Thank you, if you need to you can email me...

cwosigns

If you're thinking short term, maybe (though I'm still not convinced).

If you're thinking long-term, I don't think you can beat the Civic (Corolla would be a close second).

The reason is that Hondas have a much higher resale value after a few years than any Hyundai. So you might pay $14,000 for an Elantra (I'm making that number up), but in 4 years when you're ready to trade it in or sell it, you're going to be lucky to get half of that back.

On the other hand if you shell out a few more bucks for the Civic, in a few years you can count on retaining probably 70% of the value.

Just my $.02 worth...

Chris

f6biker

I did both of these on my 01 LX. Keyless takes about 30 minutes and CD player about an hour. If you combine them less because of mutually disassembled dash components. I did break a couple of body clips during the radio panel removal, cost .16 each from Honda to replace. All in all I could do it again in 30 minutes for both items, I went really slowly.

f6biker

I bought a case of castrol which is factory fill for the civic from a dealer who sells castrol. Go to Walmart and ask them to order it for you and they will.

Took my Civic to the local Honda dealer for my first oil change before I found the Castrol supplier. They put in 10w-30. I saw the window sticker on my out of the parking lot and went back inside. They were sure that 10w-30 was the best, I protested and they showed me the oil filler cap on my car that says 5w-20. They drained it and filled it on the spot and were very nice about it. I watched the oil come out of the bottles too. Have to say that they did not know the maintenance schedule either. My thoughts are to read the book and rely on myself and Honda. Good luck.

newciv

I appreciate your advice.
NewCiv

newciv

I will contact Castrol to see where I can get 5-20W oil in my area. We don't have Walmarts here in NJ. Thanks for your advice. I am looking forward to doing the installs soon.

Regards,
NewCiv

newciv

I just hit 175 miles on my new 01' Civic LX w/ 5 speed. It is a sheer joy to drive. The engine has plenty of power, the 5 speed shifts with buttery-smooth precision, the seats are very comfortable, and theres plenty of room, even for a taller person like myself. All this for $12,899 plus tax and registration.

Couldn't be happier with the "NewCiv" !

NewCiv

btw: will change the oil every 3,000 miles. No way will I wait 10,000 beween changes.

isellhondas

It probably wouldn't make the slighest twit of difference in the life of your car.

The manufactures are trying to wring the very last drop out of gas mileage figures. The lighter the oil, the less the friction.

I guess you should follow the manufactures reccomendations, but I sure wouldn't lose any sleep if I had 10-30 in my new Civic.

bordsource

For those of you considering a Civic sedan, take note of this: the Civic sedans peformed the same with or without the side-impact airbags. 4 stars driver and passenger. Save your $350 and the aggrivation. Check it out at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ncap/cars/2001Cmpt.html

ejonavin

Wow, looking at that link it looks like the new Civic is the safest car in the Compact class.

How come nobody ever talk about safety?

mpgman

Not so fast. I suspect that the Golf is a safer car. Shorter, heavier, and more solid. Standard side air bags and now 4 head curtains, plus ABS on any model, even the base. Also think it got higher gov't crash test numbers. As to Elantra's, Consumer Reports gave it very high marks. They also appear to have real 5 mph bumpers..the kind that cost zero to repair. Personally, I am very disappointed in the 01 Civic. The armrest on the EX is a joke, there is little if any storage space, and you can skin your hand trying to adjust the driver's seat height. Honda could have done a lot better. I think the Accord DX Value Package, selling in northern VA for as low as 15,500 with side air bags, is a better buy and a lot more comfortable.

f6biker

I appreciate your position Isell but if you read the owners manual and follow the manufacturers guidelines you are always OK.

The guy who changed my oil was not a bad guy but he put in 10w-30 oil from the drum and will continue to untill some one tells him not to.

The service writer was a great guy and I bet that in the future he will put 5w-20 in the new Civics. All 3 service writers had no idea that the Civic required 5w-20. They popped my hood to show me the oil filler cap assuming that it would say 10w30. When they found it to read 5w-20 they immediatly agreed with me and drained and refilled my oil.

The dealers computer printed a service schedule on my reciept and it suggested more frequent service than called for in the owners manual, the service writers backed it up. They thought that the manual agreed with them on that too. I did not show them that it did not.

This will happen in 99% of the car stores in the world. Honda sales people seem more knowledgeable than most. Soon the sales people will brag about it and the service people will probalbly charge extra for the specail oil. They are all good folks but we should follow the manual and the people who made the car.

Isell I have read your posts for a long time and you are straight up and knowledgeable. I bet you tell your customers to follow the book.

jjsnowy

Just want to let newciv know that there are Walmarts in NJ. There is one in Howell in Monmouth County. Also there is one in Atlantic County.
I brought my '01 in again for the gas gauge problem and finally Honda agrres my car does have a problem. At first they tried again to blow me off. Now they claim that Honda is redesigning the gas gauge because of a computer glitch. Rather than repai the one I have, they told me too hold on until the redesigned one comes out. They will replace the entire piece with a new onwe. Hope they are telling me the truth.

isellhondas

First of all, thank you.

I realize that I have to be very careful about what I post here. I would hate to be quoted by someone.

I do agree. Everyone should follow the owner's manual. I'll also say that if I were the kind of guy who changes my own oil and I had a half case of 10-30 left, I would not hesitate to use it in my 2001 Civic. But...that's me.

I do think it's a dumb thing that your service department didn't know about the change.

Also, the minimum oil change interval has been extended to 10,000 miles on the 2001 Civics. the owner's manual does state that under severe service the intervals be shortened. This includes stop and go driving, short trips, etc.

Myself, I would NEVER let a car of mine go that long. 5000 miles would be tops.

But, again, that's me. Just old fashioned perhaps.

bryan27

I have to disagree with the opinion that 5w-20 isn't much different from 10w-30. It isn't just for better fuel economy. Upon startup the oil will reach extremely close tolerances quicker than thicker oil. Honda specializes in small engines and has for years. If the manual recommends the lighter oil, one should definitely use it. In the old days, cars needed thicker oil because of the larger tolerances. In fact, using thinner oil in older cars may not be the best thing because it may not have the viscosity to keep parts from touching. Dealer service shops work on many cars over different years and can become ignorant as to what to use on what, when. A little surprised they didn't realize the new civics need the lighter oil though. Probably not their fault but, I would certainly rely on the manual for maintenance. I also see people shocked to hear the maintenance schedule with the increased intervals. From what I understand, changing the oil sooner than 5,000 miles may actually do more harm, especially if this is during the initial 5,000 miles. Breakin procedures are not the same as before. Nor are oil additives and the need for replacing oil in newer cars. Just follow the manuals as they are written with Honda engineers advice and experience. Why take the word of dealers or salesman over the engineers who design these sophisticated machines. Just my 2 cents.

gasguzz

"I quickly grew tired of locking/unlocking the door manually, so I bought keyless entry. It's really easy to install"
I've got a 2k (which is identical to the 99), with an aftermarket stereo-head.
Supposedly, the 99-00 have the Keyless receivers installed at the factory. Accordingly, you only program the remotes. Is that correct, what did you "install"?
Thanks.

sylko

I would have to agree with Bryan27. If the Engineers who designed the car recommend it, it's worth getting. I could see substituting 10w30 for 10w40, but the difference in 10w30 vs. 5w20 seems dramatic to me. Of course, I don't know a lot about cars, but why potentially shorten the life span of your car because it's a little easier or nominally cheaper to use up whatever oil you have leftover from a previous car? You just spent $14,000 or more on a brand new car, you want to maybe muck it up to save $20 on new oil? Seems silly.

carguy62

I'm surprised they wanted to use 10W-30 I would have thought their first inclination would have been 5W-30. For those with '00 or older, isn't that the grade typically specified? I would think the difference between 5W-30 and 5W-20 is less than between 10W-30 and 5W-20.

My '01 Accord also calls for 5W-20 and I specifically asked the dealer for it and watched them pour it from quart bottles (rather than from bulk). Since the Civic also uses it I would suspect they will be getting it in bulk quickly.

Regarding break in, I had the Accord's oil changed at ~3800 miles, a reasonable compromise considering most of the driving we all do is considered severe. On my '89 Accord (145k miles) I usually changed the oil every 3K (always 5W-30) but lately I have been stretching it a bit.

jimsxn

I own a 1998 Civic. All the oil changes so far have been performed at the dealers, accompanied by considerable expense and rude service. Have I been a sucker? Does it make any difference to the warranty?

mulbopp

Does anyone know whether the 2001 Civic's keyless entry opens all doors remotely, or just the driver's door?

I'm so annoyed with having to open the driver's side door, then reaching in to push the power lock for all doors, that I am thinking of installing this on my LX. This is the first car I've seen where you couldn't open all doors via the door lock on the driver's side.

Of course, there'd be no point in it if the keyless only does the driver's door, too.

justin

does both doors. click once for drivers, twice for all the rest.

gasguzz

The only REAL advantage of doing oil changes at the dealer is that you get a Honda service record - like that REALLY amounts to anything.
Look at the posts here - why, some of these Factory Certified TECHNICIANS and CONSULTANTS don't even know what oil to use (5w-20 example).
Now, do you really think they can do BETTER than the car owner, when it comes to oil changes?
Good luck.

sylko

I'm just working my way through all the posts as I am new to this site, and I noticed frequent discussion of extended warranty issue. In my opinion (having purchased an extended warranty for $1200 on a used car and then when a covered part failed, they refused to pay me for the $300 repair because I took it to a mechanic that was close to me rather than towing the car the additional 25 miles to the dealer where I bought the car), these are pure bunk. Anyone in the business can tell you (but will they?) the extended warranty is a profit maker for the dealers as well as the companies providing it (and I have a relative in the business).

If you want peace of mind, put the money in an account and let it gain interest. Chances are, if you have a repair that would have been covered with the extended warranty, the money in the account will cover it. Just make sure you set it up in a separate account and don't nickle-and-dime it with routine maintenance.

tstein12

Hello! My wife and I just bought a new Civic and are looking to install an in-dash CD Player. The first question is should we put the CD Player in the empty slot below the cassette player? (Or replace the cassette player with a CD Player?) We don't use the cassette player often (and wouldn't miss it much!)

The second question is does anyone have any suggestions on a in-dash CD Player that fits/works well in the 2001 Honda Civics?

Thanks for your time and suggestion!.

bordsource

I actually took the car on a road trip long enough to use an entire tank of gas today. i averaged 33 mpg at a steady 75-80 mph rate on flat ground. I did cruise control the entire way. I was kind of expecting that kind of mpg, but that doesn't mean that it's impressive. I get 32 mpg in solely city driving.

mdriver

EPA tests a car's highway mileage at about 50 MPH not 75 to 80. At these higher speeds, fuel economy drops to around the city rating due to air drag. So 33 mpg is about right. Next time drive at 50 MPH and see if you get the highway rating. I bet you will come close.

auntbea

We all read about the crash tests and safety features, and we hope our Honda is as safe as the advertising says it is. My '98 Civic Sedan was stolen recently. The thief was being pursued by the Highway Patrol. As the thief tried to take an exit off the freeway, at a very high speed according to the report, SHE crashed into a big tree head-on. This grandma's little red Honda (with my little red spoiler) was totaled! The Highway Patrol was amazed she wasn't killed or at least seriously injured. When I went to look at the car, I saw the passenger compartment was just like it was before the crash except for deployed air-bags. The dash didn't move an inch when it crashed. According to the Highway Patrol, neither the driver nor the passenger had any injury--not even a nosebleed.

stevebo

Does anyone have a recommendation for an indiglo type gage overlay? Does anyone have one? Like it? easy to install? where did you get it? I have a 97 civic 4door LX. I am looking for something to jazz up the dash.

powerman

Troy,

I have a 1999 Civic that I replaced the stereo on with a Kenwood head unit (CD player/FM/AM) and Polk speakers. It sounds great and was really easy to do.

If you go to www.crutchfield.com and list your car, they will tell you what they carry that will fit. The instructions for adding the aftermarket items are very complete, and the kits fit really well.

I got some good pricing and was very impressed with their customer service and delivery times.

Of course, my wife almost passed out when I had a bunch of the interior parts of our two day old car laying out on the grass while I installed the parts!!!!

gasguzz

2k LX Sedan. Swapped out the head and 4 speakers (so far). I went for a Blaupunkt and Pioneer speakers. A difference of night and day.
Taking out the head unit requires removing the entire lower dash and glove, plan and take your time so you don't break any of the clip-on parts. Better do it now - install ALL cables (RCAs, Remote-Lead, etc.) and tuck them behind the dash for the future (he, he, he).
You'll need to replace the speakers (the OEM dual cones simply just don't have any guts). The fronts are a no-brainer. Just carefully pry off the grilles (you'll need speakers that fit Honda specs).
The fun is in the rear. What makes Honda a great car is what makes it a pain to work with. You'll need to take off the rear dash to get to those great sized 6x9s. I went for the bottom instead of the factory top mount (you get more flexibility without having taking to take out the rear dash again, just in case). The process, in order - take of the bench, both the side backrests, the dash.
Just so you know, the deeper the speakers go (check out those magnets compared to OEMs) the more RELATIVE trunk space you lose.
While you have the bench out, route some beefy speaker wires through. Right now, I've got the pass-front seat out. I've got the amp and 10" Bazooka from my last car, and waiting for my sub-X-Over to arrive. I know what I'll be doing for the weekend.
Ditto on checking clearances/specs with Crutchfield. Good luck!

gasguzz

That depends. I did not need/use a dash kit whatsoever. The aftermarket-head has several holes where I even used the stock 5mm Honda screws to mount it into the OEM Radio frame.
Even the stock under-radio pocket screws/clamps back into the replacement stereo. If you had it installed, remember they SELL the kits too. All the work that really is involved is a direct radio/stereo replacement (I didn't even use the sleeve that came with the new stereo) - that's what is great about Honda using DIN standards. The stock appearance is very much attainable, even the new illumination/colors matches the stock dash illumination too.
I also didn't buy/use the special "connector" kit (since you still have to splice somewhere). Instead, I made my own from electronic store parts (RadioShack has some depending on your setup) with soldered connections - for some $3 (compared to $15 just for the special connector).
That's one thing about Crutchfield. If you break down their costs by shopping around, the connectors and installation kits are not really "free". Sure you get documentation, but that's a relative value.
By the way, if you check eBay, you'll be lucky to get $10 for the stock AM/FM. The Honda dealer might offer a buy-back/trade-in, but look at the bottom line (what you sell, what you buy).
Enjoy.

nyyace

I just got a CD player for my Civic from hparts.com but it did not come with installation instructions. Does anybody knpw where I can find these on the internet? Thanks and sorry if this has been asked before.

bordsource

Thanks for the tip. I had heard that once before, which is why I wasn't all too surprised about the mileage, but it's still slightly disappointing. What highway driving I do is over 65 mph, even within city limits. The best mileage I can get is actually in the city, where I can cruise around at about 40-50 mph. Go figure.

bordsource

Check it out here: http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/00031.htm

In case that doesn't work, you can see it at http://www.hwysafety.org

For those of you who don't want to go to the site, I'll sum up: The Civic got a better score than even the VW New Beetle, the previous safest small car. It was rated "GOOD" in every aspect of the crash and is designated a "Best Pick" in its market segment.

rkan

Go to http://HandAaccessories.com/ , and look for the cd player you got, as if you wanted to purchase one, when you find it, the instructions are available in Adobe Acrobat format right below the description. By the way, how was the price at hpparts.com compared to HandAaccessories.com?

nyyace

Thanks for the info, the instructions seem pretty easy. The price on HandaAaccessories is actually about $5 cheaper than hparts. I had never heard of them until today. I'll have to check them out for future purchases. Thanks again.

richard79

Can I get a couple of folks to let me know what they paid for their 2001 LX, 4dr, automatics? I am in Massachusetts, so if you can recommend any dealers as well, that would be great. Thanks in advance

cmuk

Anybody have experience with genuine honda leather steering wheel covers? Do these make driving more "fun?" Are they recommended?

rkan

I have heard strange tales of people putting on leather steering wheel covers and parties suddenly breaking out in their trunks. Or there was the man in New Jersey, who after taking his new leather steering wheel cover out of the packaging, suddenly felt elated and a feeling of "floating out of his body" came over him. Being extremely dull, this feeling frightened him, and he promptly buried the circular hide in the back yard.( Where his aunt Bessie swears the grass is now dead and on a cold clear night you can hear mooing.)

In closing, any sane person knows that the only way to make driving more "fun", is to put one bobbly head character on your dash, and one in your pants:)

darpin1

Some leather steering covers made from cows with "Mad Cow Disease" maybe the cause of road rage in some people... so I heard ... Oh boy.

justin

My Civic Coupe and I were in an accident on the wet roads here in DC last night. I hit someone who failed to yield to oncoming traffic (me) when he was turning left. I hit him, be bounced into a wood fence, after I hit him, I hit a telephone pole. Weird thing is....my car still starts. It is not actually drivable..but it starts. No fluid leaks!! YAY! The entire front and passenger side, including door, has to be replaced. I can't even imagine how much that will cost this guys insurance. Anyway, if I had not have been wearing my seatbelt, I wouldn't be at work this morning feel sore as I do. I would be full of splinters from the telephone pole....

Buckle Up. I think the car handled both impacts quite well.

robertsmx

cmuk:
It does feel better, but there is more to it. Leather wrapped steering wheel is little more comfortable after you leave your car out in the sun. I believe 2000 Civic Si came with it. It is upto you to decide if it is worth it.

justin:
I was watching the MSNBC coverage of latest IIHS offset crash test. The Civic was impressive, not only it got the best rating possible for less injuries, it was one of the very few cars with a cabin that didn't 'buckle' on impact (if you get a chance to see it, notice the top of the frame, compared to other cars in the test).

ronaldwatson

We purchased a brand new 2001 Honda Civic EX in December and have experienced two major problems. 1- Most, if not all, of the Clarion supplied CD/Radios that are standard equipment are defective and on recall. The only problem is Honda can't get replacements so they are knowingly shipping cars with bad units. The units display a "Code" message, loose time and totally stop working requiring you to enter the Anti-theft code. 2- One of the power windows went a week after we purchased the car and they can't get the replacement. 3- We are getting a lot of check engine lights the dealer (Honda 23 in Pompon Plains NJ) claims is normal operation because the emissions controls are so sensitive, almost like it was DESIGNED to do. Honda 23 in Pompton Plains, NJ has been no help at all in solving these problems and neither has Honda regional. Both don't return calls anymore.

robertsmx

I didn't know Honda was using Clarion stereo.

1. Did you, by any chance, disconnect the car battery? If you did, the audio system will have to be reset every time by entering the password.

2. Either a fuse or motor problem. But I wonder why replacement can't be obtained.

3. Check the fuel cap. After filling in, make sure you turn the fuel cap tight, or else the check engine light could come up.

Good luck.

newciv

The IIHS crash test results are truly amazing. Go to their site and click on the details section where they give you all the raw numbers.

For you lazy ones, here it is....

http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/grey_small.htm

Very impressive numbers !!

Regards,

NewCiv

phantomca

I have a 2001 honda civics LX and plan to change the oil soon. I went to my local wal-mart to purchase a Fram oil filter but their catalog doesn't show the 2001 model year. Anyone know what is the part number for either fram or AC delco oil filter number?

newciv

Just get it from here until they become more readily available:

http://www.handaaccessories.com/civmaint01.html

They cost $4.25 each...... I'm sure that won't break the bank, will it?

NewCiv

bordsource

The emissions controls are designed to be that sensitive. This is a ULEV vehicle, so it's very emissions sensitive. Honda recommends that you turn the fuel cap until you hear it click 3 times. I just go one rotation past the first click. I've done that every time, and my light has never come up.

wmquan

Not so fast. I suspect that the Golf is a safer car. Shorter, heavier, and more solid. Standard side air bags and now 4 head curtains, plus ABS on any model, even the base.

Now that the IIHS crash test results are out, the Civic does indeed seem to be a safer vehicle than the Golf, so long as you get one with ABS.

The Civic's IIHS frontal crash test results are better than any other small vehicle's, including the Golf's. The Civic's NHTSA side impact tests are either 5/5 for the coupe or 4/4 for the 4-door, even without any side airbags in the sedan.

The Jetta, which according to IIHS is virtually identical to the Golf from their testing perspective, scored scored 4/4 in the NHTSA side impact test, despite having all the side airbag technology.

ronaldwatson

Robertsmx- Just to clarify, Honda regional told me it was a Clarion and the units were being shipped defective. I received a bulletin in the mail after the posting stating that is a known problem and several temporary work arounds that we already knew about. I also appreciate your response and we already knew about the gas cap issue (we will be sure to double check) but that is not the only code we get. I spent many years as a design engineer and considering we live in a state that does not allow you to pump your own fuel, this was poor designed functionality. Thanks again to all. If these issues ever get resolved, I will let you all know the results.