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Comments
1. Creaky Clutch - need to go in for the fix, common problem
2. Needs replacement driver side door panel - having problems with the window as a result.
3. Noisy front left shock - needs replacement, result of aftermarket springs. My solution? Aftermarket shocks. Tokico is releasing some gas shocks, and they are about half the price of Honda, so I'm going for it.
4. Stupid DC Header likes to bang into the frame of the car, and it scares passengers.
5. Time for new tires - not sure what to get, considering Falekn Azenis, but I want to research their wet performance a little more first.
6. Gas mileage dipped to an all time low of 22mpg on my last tank.
I don't measure my gas mileage. But the cars runs MUCH better on mid-grade than regular.
Let me know when those Tokicos come out. I want a new set. Mine are fine, I just want a tighter ride. The ride just isn't quite rough enough with the 45 series 17's on the car right now.
Other than those issues, my SI is a gem.
My ride is extremely harsh right now. Besides the front left shock, which is getting worse every day, I "accidentally" let 4 in the back, for a 6 person ride for a ways, and my camber is way off in the back now. I can't wait to get new shocks. I don't mind a rough ride, but right now it just feels crappy. I thought the stock shocks would last longer with just a 1.5" drop (on Tein S-Techs), but they apparently haven't.
I will post when I get the Tokicos on, I am excited. Thinking about putting on a progress rear sway (and definitely new tires) at the same time.
My left window has progressed from a little screwed up, to really screwed up in the last few days. Doesn't seal anymore, need to get to the dealership.
My car is pretty much a commuter. Only thing in my back seat is my back-pack that I keep all my crap in. Maybe when Gee Jr. gets older it may hold his child seat but for now my SI rarely has more than one person in it.
Mine squeeks at the top only. New pedal assembly and new master cylinder under warranty. No affect yet. Back to the dealer in two days. Free loaner car supplied.
If it was my money I would be less passive about this.
Not long after I got my 30k service (I went with the dealer I mentioned in an earlier post) in May, I was driving down the beautiful NJ Turnpike to DC, when my car start running really rough with a loss of power. Soon I figured out that I had lost a cylinder, so I got off at the next exit and parked.
I was afraid to drive it in that condition, so I had to get it towed to my dealer (which cost $100 on top of the $100 that Hondacare covered). They kept my car nearly a week to figure out that an injector had gone bad, which in turn somehow killed the main computer. So they replaced both parts and I got my car back.
Disturbing (especially for a Honda), but the story doesn't end there. Driving home, I noticed there strong fumes coming out of the air vents. I was a little concerned, but I figured maybe some leakage from when the dealer was working on the car was burning off. But the following Monday, the smell was still there, so I took it back to the dealer. After keeping the car another five hours, they discovered they had forgotten to put a screw in somewhere.
I thought that would be that, but when I got home, I noticed the plastic panel had fallen off from underneath the glove box. Needless to say, I was exasperated at this point, but I did manage to get the panel back on without yet another trip to the dealer.
So I think everything is back to normal, but for some reason, the car seems to run tighter than before and with less power on the top end. All the tach readings are the same, so maybe that's my imagination. But the car definitely hesitates now under acceleration sometimes.
I still love driving my car, but those troubles make it hard for me to trust the car or the service department at my dealer. The free oil change my service advisor gave me for my trouble doesn't do much to ease my mind.
elissa
Let me know what you think. Have a great day.
Chaz
I recently purchased a 1995 Civic Si with 156,000 miles (yikes!), but it runs well. I do have one quesstion, though. My gas tank is about 10 or 11 gallons and driving around town I only get 200 miles to a tank before I fill up. When I fill up I can put a little more than 8 gallons in, which equals out to maybe 23-25 mpg. This is all city driving in LA. Can you give me some numbers to compare.
Thanks,
I would worry about engine performance if you drive conservatively in the city and consistently get below 23 mpg or so... To give you a comparison, I have a brand new Subaru Forester Turbo with fuel efficiency expectancies at 19 mpg for city and 24 mpg for highway. Last weekend I was shopping with my husband in San Francisco with the car all day, short trips, up hills, frequent stopping. I got 17.5 mpg on that tank. Yuck. However, on a recent 300 mile highway trip on I-80 with the cruise on, I got 30 mpg!
25 mpg for all city driving sounds OK, if not great.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
As with the original poster's mileage, he/she has not come back with more info as far info on his/her driving style (racing from light to light), A/c useage, load. Dirty air filter, bigger rims/wheels combo, heavy sound system, high wattage electrical use, body kits, and general bling bling, improper octane rated gas (ether higher or lower than recommended), heavier engine oil grade are all contributors to lower gas mileage. If the car is purely stock and is giving bad mileage while not being raced, it is time for a complete tune up.
Hopefully it'll fix my problem.
Speaking of labels people put on cars, every day on my way to work, I see a Geo Metro with a "5.0" on it.
I saw a 1990 or so Corolla once with a Z28 sticker.
The site says 29city/35 highway.
There are no mods on the car, all stock. I rarely drive with the AC on (it's not that cold anyway: leak?), but the windows are always rolled down and the sunroof is open. I usually go about 35-40 mph, sometimes up to 50, but this is all on surface streets, and I rarely travel at a steady speed. I usually shift around 3-4K rpms because this car has no torque and you need to rev it that high to get any decent acceleration.
I guess it's time for a tuneup if I'm only getting 23-25, but sometimes those gov't ratings are overrated.
I usually shift around 3-4K rpms because this car has no torque and you need to rev it that high to get any decent acceleration.
That is not high by Honda standards at all. Take it to redline (8000 RPM??) once in a while, let the VTEC stretch its legs. I don't know if it will improve your MPG's, probably won't, but you will see the other side of the "Jeckyl and Hyde" Civic you have. The old VTEC completely transformed the vehicle at or above 5000 RPM. Although the new i-VTEC is more refined, sometimes I miss the old VTEC kick at 5000 RPM. I do love the low RPM torque of the i-VTEC engines though.
I see no harm from using full Mobil 1, there is a chance that worn out seals will leak. It only means that they were cracked already and patched up with grime, and the synthetic oil just cleaned the seals. Eventually, those seals would have failed anyway. So, it is not like synthetic oil caused the leak, it just made more obvious.
I am still puzzled about car and oil manufacturer's citing outside temperature as a factor. The engine temperature is pretty much constant if the cooling system is working properly. If it is very cold outside, the thermostat will stop the flow to the radiator, thus preserving heat, and if it is hot, then the radiator should be able to dissipate the heat to maintan engine temps the same, or close to the optimum level.
So, to answer your question, stick with what Honda recommends. Since there is no Mobil 1 5W-20, 0W-20 may be too thin and seep past the rings, or seals. This is just my opinion, and should not be taken as gospel.
by the way, Castrol Syntec comes in 5w-20 , or should I still get 5w-30 mobil 1?
As to the oil leak, if the seals are not damaged there is no reason for synth to create leaks. If the seals are damaged, sooner or later they will leak, gunk is what is holding them up now. Synth will just clean the gunk. Some have suggested swithcing to semi-synth, and then to full synth as an alternative. I see no harm in doing so. Once again, I do not guarantee that you will not have leaks. No one can. And stay away from things such as "Engine restorer"
Honda reccomends a timing belt change at 105k as well as a spark plug change. They also reccomended a coolant change at 75k. I'm already at 80k, but my engine doesnt seem to have cooling problems, teh temp guage is fine.-
Also would it be a waste of money to change my timing belt and plugs 25k early, or would that probably be a waste.
And yeh I will be getting the 5w-30 Mobil 1. I already have synthetic blend mobil in it and it hasn't caused any leaks, now its been 3000 miles on that so eh I might as well change even though its early, to get on synthetic before I get busy with college in september.
Ok , do you think I'd really need Honda's Coolant? Pep boys will do a 49.95 coolant flush and fill with their proline coolant. Do you think I need their Chemical Flush and Fill? thats 10 bucks more, they put a chemical compound in it to clean it out.
Is this a ripoff for a coolant change?
elissa
Anyway, it would not hurt to do the timing belt, as well as the water pump. Plugs, wires, rotor/cap, fuel filter, air cleaner, other belts should probably be replaced at this time as well, if they have not been replaced. You can squeeze 20,000 miles out of the original belt and plugs, and defer the $600 bill a few months.
As to antifreeze, I would strongly suggest that you stay with Honda's antifreeze. It comes pre-diluted at $8-10/gallon, and you will need about two gallons. Other brands contain silicates, which can behave as abrasive to the Honda's water pumps. Honda anti-freeze is crystal clear.
The reason Honda suggests replacing it at 75K is because that is the life of it, just like brake fluid has to be replaced every 3 years, no matter how many miles you drive. Would you try to eat something that has expired a few months ago? Even though it looked like it was still ok?
I would stay way from "Pep boys" as service center. Find a private shop that specializes in Honda's. The best way is to learn how to do it on your own. That way you will know exactly what has been done. Plus the satisfaction of knowing that you "done that" is priceless.
Yes I will get the Honda Coolant for my Car. However in my manual it says the coolant tank only holds .89gal capacity. So I would think I only need one gallon bottle of coolant.
Chances are that you will get bored with the car or it will be stolen before the 300,000 miles. The 1999-2000 Civic Si is one of the most stolen cars. The B16 engine in it is one of the most desired engines after the B18 from the Integra GSR. Every kid with a CX hatchback wants to put in the B16 in his car to maximize the power to weight ratio. And the fact that B16/B18 will go into any Civic from 1986-2000 is not helping thieft rates.
There is a kid in my town who has a 1996 Civic DX with a blue hood from the 99 Si. This is plain stupid, the Si hood is no lighter than the stock 96 hood, but the kid thinks otherwise. Check out ebay, everything Si drives the price up, even though most of the 1999-2000 Si is the same as EX coupe.
If you bought it used, I would ran carfax on it before buying it. The market has gone wild to the point, that some unscrupulous mechanics would buy a 1999-2000 Civic Si shell from the insurance company, stick an EX, or worse LX/DX engine in it and sell it to some unsuspecting kid who thinks he got the Si.
On the positive side, the 1999-2000 Si has some of the highest resale values to day. I belive the going price for 1999 Si with 40,000 (true) miles, that has not been raced or modified is $12-$14K. That is not bad considering it sold for $16K in 1999. Problem is, there are almost no "unmolested" Si's out there. Even if someone had one with "just the bigger wheels" the wheel bearings are not designed to handle the higher rotational inertia, that would make me question the longevity of the hubs, and maybe CV joints.
coolant tank only holds .89gal capacity
You are not replacing the coolant in the overflow tank only, you are replacing coolant in the whole system: the engine, radiator, heater, and the tank. I don't have the manual for your car infornt of me, but my Si holds 6-7 quarts. Yes, I have bigger 2.0 engine, but yours may be 4-5 quarts. Your owners manual should list the capacities and specifications. If you live in southern climates where weather does not go bellow freezing, or you will never drive into areas where it gets cold, you may get away with one gallon, and add a quart of deionized or distilled water. But remember that Honda coolant is already dillutted 50%.
People who steal Si's are not joyriders, they are professional chop shop operators. They are not going to steal the car to have fun, they want the internals.
The best way is to garage it, and maybe install a kill switch. You would have to install your self, that way no one will know where it is and how it is wired. Alarms are useless when dealing with professionals.
When I had a VW, I wired the kill switch into the headlight switch circuit. When I shut off the car, I would turn the head light switch to the "ON' position. Since I rewired the headlights with relays, the headlight would not come on, but the fuel pump was disabled unless the head light switch was turned "off" before putting key in the ignition.
In the 1999 Civic I had, I wired the kill switch inside the center storage bin. And still, someone tried to steal it. I ended up with busted up steering column, ignition lock, steering wheel (I had club on it as well) and passneger side window seal.
Not saying what I did to my current Si, but no one wants it anyway, because it is not the most potent Civic anymore, RSX-S is. Both have chip in the key, which may buy us some time, until someone figures out a way to fool the computer, or mess with the immobilizer.
If you don't think you can't do it your self and have to have "professional" do it, go as far away from home as possible, and try not to divulge your address. The best would be to go while you have paper plates, as they are more difficult to trace. I know it sounds paranoid, but I have lived in the Bronx for 10 years, and have seen things that you would not believe.
You said in the original post that you will be taking the car to school, you may want to do the kill switch before school starts, and NEVER, EVER tell anyone about its location, unless you know them really well.
Oh, and if your Si is not blue, then remove the Si badges. You may fool amateurs into thinking it was an EX. If it is blue, then everyone and their mother knows it is an Si.
I don't think I am about to divulge information that a professional car thief does not already know.
It is a design flaw with Honda Civic/CR-V ignition lock assembly. Although it is designed to lock the steering wheel when key is taken out, it is made of brittle alloy. By destroying the ignition lock they can free the steering shaft to rotate. The ignition switch itself, can be turned on by hand once it is freed from the ignition lock assembly.
If you have a "Club" or other steering wheel device, a thief would either freeze the lock out, making it brittle and succeptible to breakage. Also, "Club approach" has a major flaw, even though the "Club" itself is made of tough material, the steering wheel is not. Instead of cutting the "Club" thief cuts the steering wheel rim to remove the "Club." Another way a thief bypasses "Club" is by pulling really hard on it, I had foot prints on my dashboard from thief's trying to pull the "Club" off. The pull deforms the wheel rim and allows thief to remove the "Club" intact. Some thieves have replacement steering wheels to drive your car with if they destroy the original steering wheel to the point where it is unusable.
Here is a story from a few years back: (before Giulliani)
I am in the middle of Times Square, at 8 or 9 pm on a Satrurday, and it is crowded with people. I see this Camaro parked by the mail box, and a guy with a screwdriver stabbing the door lock, right infront of everybody. It took him less time to open the door than it would have taken me with a key. He was inside the car, messing with the ignition. I flagged a NYPD cruiser, told him that I thought that the car was being stolen. Cops approached the car, as I was watching.
They asked him for the papers, he wanted to go to his bag, they took the bag from him and spread him eagle on the hood of the Camaro. As they are going through the bag, he jumped up and turned mid flight, and started running downtown. The cops gave him a foot chase for a block or so, and gave up. This shows you that police are not that interested in chasing "petty" car thieves.
Your best protection is something not so ordinary and mass market as a car alarm. You need something that a thief would not know how to disable. There are car thievs training at junk yards on how to disable the newest security guizmos. But they can not train on something that they don't know about.
Did you ever see "Gone in 60 seconds"?
Good luck.
As far as Si with 120,000 miles, it makes no difference to the thief First of all they are not going to look at the odo. Secondly, they can always sell the engine, claiming that it "only" had 50,000 miles. No one can prove otherwise unless they tear it down and check the bores, which in Honda case, will not show anything if the car was maintaned properly. 120,000 miles on a Honda engine that has been maintaned is barely broken in.
I have an 88 Prelude 4WS, it has 127,000 miles, the engine still starts on the first crank, purrs like a kitten, and can still outrun most of the cars on the road. The body is going, but the drive train is in excellent condition.
My first introduction to Honda was an 85 Civic DX Hatch, I bought it with 200,000 miles drove it for a few years, and sold it for as much as I bought it for. The car still runs, with 375,000 miles. The kid that I sold it to loves it.
And you are right, what is the point of having a car that you can not enjoy. That is why, you should enjoy it while you have it. Nothing is permanent in this world. Take it to the red line, enjoy the VTEC change over. Take the most twisted road to exploit the suspension limits.
I had the same experience with Honda and Toyota. And it equates to three new Hondas and a pristine 1994 Lexus LS400 sitting in my driveway right now.