Honda Civic Hybrid

mulder2

it's the silver

PF_Flyer

Givng advice on what to ask for the car is OK, buying and selling is not permitted on the forums, so please don't strike any deals here.

There is a sell your car link on the main Edmunds.com page that's affiliated with Auto Trader. You might want to start there.

You may also want top check out a couple of discussions over on the Smart Shopper board:
Advice on selling your car
Real World Trade-In Values

earthminded

An update:
When I got the Honda call about my service satisfaction, I let them know I was none too pleased. They sent an e-mail survey to follow up and - low and behold - the local dealership called about 4 days after I finished the survey to apologize that I was not happy with the service.
The service manager explained that the mileage was not supposed to be reset when doing the tachometer update, but for some reason it was. He offered to try put my original mileage back on since they still had my "module," but I had driven 1,100 miles since the update. He said he would try to add it on.
Anyway, I got the original mileage put back on and now I have a sticker in the door stating you must add 1,100 miles to the odometer.
I called the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and they said the dealership acted correctly and they do not need to report the mileage to the state. PennDOT also said I need to record the mileage that actually shows on the odometer for my yearly registration.
Although it is a felony to remove that little sticker in my door jamb, there would be no record of the real mileage, except at the dealership.
Beware if you buy a used 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. Be sure to ask to see the most recent dealership invoice, which should have the "real" mileage at the top.

cavalos

The electromagnetic field level in these hybrids also concern me and there is no information available as to the effects that the battery, motor or wiring will have. Do you have any information on this? I know the Civic has a relatively small motor, but it's the batteries that concern me.

hot_georgia

Batteries are DC which if anything would set up a steady magnetic field. Compasses work in the HCH so that shouldn't be an issue.
If you're sensitive to EMF your main concern would be AC, not DC. I'd bet our Cell phones on our hip, pocket or on our face emit much stronger EMF than a worst hybrid.

commutin

The Malfunction Indicatior Light (MIL) came on at 20,000 mi and catalytic converter was replaced. MIL came on again at 40,000 and catalytic converter was replaced again. AT 50,000 mi the MIL is on again. Haven't taken it in yet but pretty sure it will be replaced again. Is this normal? The warranty is up at 80,000 mi and the replacement cost is $1,000+.

stevedebi

"The warranty is up at 80,000 mi and the replacement cost is $1,000+."

What state are you in? The CARB states have a 150K / 10 year warranty. Other states have 100K / 8 year (as I recall, I'm sure someone will correct the numbers if necessary). I think that the catalytic converter would be covered under this warranty.

Anyone care to confirm?

PF_Flyer

Youmay have noticed new discussions popping up all over theforums. What's happening is that we're moving away from large, everything in one big pile discussions and towrds smaller, more focused topics.

Here in the Honda Civic Hybrid Group, you'll now find discussions like:

Honda Civic Hybrid: Driving Tips & Tricks
New Civic Hybrid Owners - Give Us Your Report
Honda Civic Hybrid: Navigation System Questions
Honda Civic Hybrid Transmission Problems

This will help folks find the information they're after faster and eliminate a lot of the digging through thousands of posts to find the subject thatyou're interested in.

So before you post, please scan the topic list to find the appropriate discussion. If one doesn't exist, feel free to start one up or contact me with the suggestion.

I'll be moving posts out of this general discussion as time goes by and creating more topics. I'll also be directing folks to new topics as we all learn new habits!

So please pardon the dust while we slide the furniture around a bit!

PF_Flyer

The post on driving in battery only mode has been moved to the Honda Civic Hybrid: Driving Tips & Tricks discussion and you may continue there.

willynily

Begin Quote--------
Replying to: mulder2 (Jul 29, 2006 7:25 pm)
The electromagnetic field level in these hybrids also concern me and there is no information available as to the effects that the battery, motor or wiring will have. Do you have any information on this? I know the Civic has a relatively small motor, but it's the batteries that concern me.
End Quote--------

I think I can answer your question with regards to EMF in the HCH. I wear hearing aids that have tele-coils in them which pick up and convert magnetic pulses and general magnetic noise into sound. Very unlike my '01 Accord which had a persistent whine and sharp increase as the anti-lock brakes kicked in, my '06 HCH is very shielded and virtually silent (magnetically/EMF speaking) at all times.

julie19

I just was at the dealership this week with my check engine light on. They said it was the catalytic converter and said it had a warranty of 80K. I initially didn't think it was covered because I have 68K on the car already. I live in Massachusetts.

blueit

Greetings!

Just purchased a 07 HHC and was offered several extended warranty options.

5 years 100,000 miles for $1,000.
7 years 125,000 miles for $1,400.
Several others also.

Any advise??

Thank you!

blane

I'd advise saving your money. Realize that the year and mile figures INCLUDE those in your basic Honda warranty. They do not extend your basic warranty by those figures.

suchham1

I am two days away from picking up a Magnetic Pearl Hybrid, which will be replacing my '00 Accord V6. I had a remote start installed on the Accord and had it removed last week, anticipating putting it on the hybrid. Are there any known issues with installing one on the HCH II? I sure would hate screwing up my new baby. Any advice would be appreciated.

joegreen

I was hoping to get some tips or advice.

In the city I'm average 20-25 MPGs, and that's driving very conservatively. I only drive about 5 miles to work. Letting the car warm up, driving harder/softer, all produce about the same results. I've never broken 30 in the city.

On the highway, the highest score so far is 42 MPGs.

I only have 300 miles on the car, so it might be too early to tell. . .

Could something be wrong?

jim314

There are some reports of winter city mpg of the Toyota Prius in the mid to low 20s mpgUS. Your mileage is in the possible range for the Honda Civic Hybrid. One reason for this is that when the windshield defrost on I think the internal combustion engine (ICE) shut-off at idle is disabled because the a/c compressor is used (as it is on all modern cars) to dry the incoming air to defog the inside of the windshield.

It is generally accepted that the EPA estimates for the Prius are unrealistically high by 30 % or more and probably the same for the Honda Civic Hybrid.

joegreen

It has been in the low 40's in L.A., maybe that's it.

I've had the climate control on auto, could that affect it?

This mileage seems low even for a non-hybrid civic.

stevedebi

You are in the worst of hybrid situations - cold weather AND short trips. Additionally, I think the winter blend here in LA is bad for MPG as well.

blane

You might want to consider the fact that virtually ALL automobile manufacturers' owners manuals specifically advise not "warming up" a car while stationary. Rather, they advise driving off at moderate speed immediately after the engine starts. That way, all of the systems (engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearings, etc.) warm up together. Doing otherwise (as with a remote start device) encourages a driver to zoom off with a warm engine and endanger the other moving parts.

Since you get zero miles per gallon while "warming up" you'll get better overall mileage by not doing so using a remote start device. Didn't you buy a hybrid for better mileage?

lbkool

I am installing a sub system in my hch and just finished wiring my electric as I startd it my IMA light came on and the engine light. The car drives but does not carge and IMA does not work. Also the locks dont lock or unlock either from the remote or by key. some HELP PLEASE.

blane

lbkool,

You wrote, "I am installing a sub system"

What kind of sub system? What made you think that it was compatible with the Civic Hybrid's highly specialized computerized circuitry? Was that based upon other owners having done the same modification? To what is your "sub system" wired?

Sure hope that you haven't fried something and blown your warranty. That wouldn't have been too kool.

lbkool

I am wiring two subs to an amp which is wired straight to the main battery under the hood not the IMA battery, I havent hooked up the system yet either.

lbkool

also I have never heard of anyone doing this to a hybrid, basically I am experimenting, also what are the waranty "guidlines" that state anything about audio systems? I also disconected the main battery under the hood during installation could this have reset or effected the system?

stevedebi

"also I have never heard of anyone doing this to a hybrid, basically I am experimenting, also what are the waranty "guidlines" that state anything about audio systems?"

Man, that is an electric drive - assisted vehicle. Just about anything you do to the electrical system will cause Honda to look very closely at any warranty claims that reference the IMA or anything else electrical (like the door locks). Federal law keeps Honda from invalidating the entire warranty, but anything electrical is going to be a possible issue.

I think your only option is to go in to the dealer and see what they say. Start with the "disconnected the main battery" and go from there. Trying to fix it yourself will only dig the hole deeper.

The door locks are probably due to the battery. However the IMA may be a problem with one of the CPUs in the vehicle.

blane

lbkool,

Sorry. When you wrote "sub system", I read it as "subsystem" anything other than having to do with audio. It didn't occur to me that you meant sub-woofer system.

I totally concur with what stevedebi wrote in post #1665.

lbkool

thank you for the advice i am going to take it to the honda dealer and see what they say either way waranty or no i have to get it fixed unfortunatly if it is electrical system related i guess i will be spending some money.

stevedebi

"thank you for the advice i am going to take it to the honda dealer and see what they say either way waranty or no i have to get it fixed unfortunatly if it is electrical system related i guess i will be spending some money."

Be sure and post the results. Best of luck!

janert

I purchased my new 2006 HCH on 8/30/06. The car was manufactured in Japan 7/06. There was a recall 11/05 on 2006 HCH's manufactured betw.6/05-10/05 due to the accelerator throttle becoming stuck. Sure enough, on 1/5/07, my car, now with only 1890 miles and manufactured after the recall, sped out of control while I was in reverse backing out of my garage and stopped on impact with my house. The dealer's service manager went on Techline with American Honda and found "nothing wrong with the car." American Honda states because the problem "could not be duplicated" in the shop it cannot be considered a defective product. In addition to the frightening prospect of a future "duplication" while driving, the car's sideview mirrors on both sides twice have totally fogged up, necessitating my pulling over several times to wipe the passenger side which cannot be reached while driving. I am told by American Honda that "that's weird," but "nothing can be done about it." They also advise me that my average of 29 mpg will improve after the break-in period of between 5,000-10,000 miles! The Manual, p.150, states the break-in period is 600 miles. What a horror and disappointment this purchase has been, particularly after doing the research in Consumer Reports and elsewhere beforehand, wanting to help reduce emissions as well as save money on gas. P.S. Didn/t mention the brakes slip when slowing down. Again, as per service manager: "nothing wrong with the car."

janert

When I read the NHTSA notice of the Civic accelerator-based recall I thought it applied to Hybrids as well. Interestingly, when I referred to that recall to American Honda and my service manager, they acknowledged it and did not point out that it did not include Hybrids. Unfortunately, I feel there will be a future recall unless my experience was a horrific fluke. And the side-view mirror fogging, brake-slippage: flukes also? A 5,000-10,000 mile break-in vs. 600 miles stated in the Manual...a promotional fluke?
This has been my first experience participatiing in an internet forum. I did so with all good intentions of alerting other HCH owners as well as possibly learning of other similar experiences. I am disappointed at the extremely critical response and assumption of malicious intent.

jim314

When driving my wife's 2004 Volvo V70 2.4L auto tranny, I find that when I transfer my foot from the accelerator pedal to the brake pedal I sometimes do not move my foot far enough and the right edge of my right foot presses on the accelerator pedal when I am intending to brake. I don't ever remember having a problem like this with any other auto tranny car.

My car is a 1991 Dodge Spirit 5-spd manual and I never have this problem. The difference in relative positions of the accelerator and brake on the two cars provides no explanation of why this would happen. Maybe since both feet are engaged in braking with the manual, I am more mentally engaged and so more precise with the positioning of my right foot.

ddfreet

Anyone had experience with K&N air filter on a '06 or '07 Honda Civic Hybrid? With other cars I've owned, gas mileage improved modestly with K&N, but I'm a little hesitant to try it on the Civic Hybrid because everything is soooooo sensitive.

blane

ddfreet,

Please clarify what you mean by "gas mileage improved modestly with K&N". If it means less than a mile or two per gallon over a long period of time, it's not worth the cost or bother.

Automobile manufacturers stopped using oily air filters years ago because people hated the mess of cleaning them and they didn't filter the finer particulates that pleated paper filter technology does. Because they let through more gritty particulates, the oily filters resulted in more engine wear too.

lbkool

I need to replace 2 relays or fuses in my HCH, not sure which but they are in the primary under-hood fuse box i've looked everywhere cant even find a diagram, the brand is NAIS and they control something with the engine. Can anyone help me or find a site that has a diagram. This is what it looks like.... link title

stevedebi

"A 5,000-10,000 mile break-in vs. 600 miles stated in the Manual...a promotional fluke? "

I'm surprised they bothered with this one. There is no MPG guarantee with the hybrids, only a "reference" EPA number. It is not a warranty issue unless there is something else wrong with the vehicle, like an engine problem or something.

lbkool

Problem:

Okay, last week i posted a question about how i am installing a sub-woofer system and when i finished the wiring for the power the IMA wouldnt work and check engine light was on....

Solution:

I figured before i go and possibly spend thounds$$$ I might as we'll atleast try to fix it myself, sooo I went over all the fuses and when i got to the primary fusebox under the hood I was amazed. I mounted the fuse box for the power to the amp, directly on top of the Primary fusebox, when i did so i guess i didnt realize i had drilled right through two relays!. So now the part i dont understand, I removed the two relay's so the I could go down to my Honda dealer and get replacements, when i started the car everything was back to normal the batteries began to recharge and the car was like normal. I suspect maybe the relay's canceled eachother out and it worked or something??? I dont know if anyone does please tell me, but I am still replacing the relays to be safe.

blane

lbkool,

"i had drilled right through two relays!"

As I wrote last time, that wasn't "too kool". Glad you resolved your problems.

calvinkaren

Hi everyone,

Does anybody have this problem? I can smell the fume/exhaust from outside when I use A/c with circulated air, specially waiting at the red light. The Honda dealer could not find any problem. The service person claimed that it might be a technical problem since other civic owner also has the same problem.

mlk3

I bought this nice car yesterday but didn't take into account my husband's long legs. Anyone know if I can change "settings" on the front seats so that it is more comfortable for a 6' tall person who has most of his height in his legs? Thanks!

blane

Since you've already bought the vehicle, you should speak with your dealership's Service Manager about possibly remounting the seat track or alternate choices.

stevedebi

"Since you've already bought the vehicle, you should speak with your dealership's Service Manager about possibly remounting the seat track or alternate choices."

Good luck on that one. Due to the number of predatory lawyers in the US, nobody will modify factory seats, because they might be sued in the event of an accident.

You could get in there and move the seats yourself...

mlk3

Thanks for your answers. We discovered that the driver's seat goes back further than the passenger side. So for driving, long legs will be very comfortable. After driving the car at length today, the passenger side may work. If any one has any different ideas feel free to post. Thanks again.

jim314

I would be surprised if the driver's seat is designed to go back farther than the passenger seat. I would say that your front passenger seat fore-and-aft adjustment mechanism is defective. In any case that would be easy to check on another '07 HCH.

I assume this is manual adjustment, not power, right?

mlk3

That is a good point. With air bags and everything, they probably should go back the same amount. Yes, it is manual adjustment; the "bar" under the seat that you lift up to slide it back. I will check another '07 and with the dealer. Thanks.

c2rosa

Honda to recall 45,335 Civic hybrids worldwide:

TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co. (7267.T) said on Tuesday it would recall 45,335 Civic hybrid cars globally to fix a faulty voltage converter that could cause a short circuit and stop the engine.

No accidents have been reported from the defect, a spokesman said.

The total includes 31,123 units to be recalled in the United States and 7,219 in Japan.

The recall would cost about 5,300 yen ($44) per vehicle in Japan, the spokesman said. At that estimate, the recall would cost roughly $2 million globally.

The free repair covers 2006 model year Civic hybrids built between September 2005 and September 2006

mlk3

you write "the free repair covers 2006 model year Civic hybrids built between September 2005 and September 2006." The bulletin I got from Honda when I bought my '07 this week did not specify that it only affected '06 Civic hybrids. Are you sure '07 cars are not affected?

stevedebi

"I would be surprised if the driver's seat is designed to go back farther than the passenger seat. "

I would be surprised if it wasn't. The driver has to deal with that airbag close in, so having the seat further back might be intentional.

shine5555

:mad: OK only 25,000 miles and our car needed new tires. We fought with the dealership and had no luck. Finally Honda of America agreed to split the price of the 4 new tires we needed.

We went to another dealership and had 4 new Bridgestone P195/65R15 89T M+S installed on our Honda. It has been one week and we are down from 42 mpg to 34mpg. Both computer and real numbers are this bad.

Any Ideas?

larsb

Lots of ideas:

1. If those new tires are not classified as "low rolling resistance" type tires, then they are not the same "high mileage" tires which came on your car. This means the tires have more rolling resistance and thus will force your engine to work harder to push them down the road. This makes for lower MPG.

2. Any new tire installation means softer rubber and more rubber on the road, which again means the car has to work harder to push the tires down the road.

3. What is the inflation PSI of the tires? If you normally run them at a particular PSI when you got 42 MPG, then they may be set considerably lower, and that AGAIN means more rubber on the road for the engine to push down the road.

Good luck...

jim314

I'm betting on inflation pressure, bad weather, and possibly measurement variation. What is the recommended inflation pressure for the HCH on the tire sticker?

My wife's 2004 Volvo V70 has fairly low rolling resistance tires in size 195/65-15 which are 51 psi max infl press. I try to keep them at 38 psi which is what the tire sticker on the V70 recommends for best fuel economy. They recommend a lower pressure for better handling.

Wider and lower profile tires are now stock on the V70 and I think this reduces the EPA hwy mpg from 30 mpg for the 2004 V70 base to the 29 mpg in 2005 onward.

I don't think that tires alone would account for a change from 42 to 34 unless you got a tire optimized for handling and have it inflated to say 28 or 30 psi. Did you get the same size as the original tire? IMO 25,000 mi is not bad for tires driven in the city with a lot of starting and stopping, turns, and potholes.

shine5555

Thanks everyone. We went to another tire place and they said the new tires (Bridgestone P195/65R15) are NOT Low-Rolling Resistance tires (LLR). However they said it should not make that big of a swing on the mpg. The tire pressure is the same as with the old tires, so I am still not sure what is happening. The new tire place is recommending Michelin tires that cost more but are Low-Rolling Resistance tires (LLR). We are looking into our options now. 34 mpg, just is not going to cut it for us.

All driving conditions are the same . Outside temp., is the same if not a bit warmer. Same roads and commute to work.

Also the OEM tires that where thread bare after 25,000 miles was mostly highway driving, very little city driving.