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Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Problems & Solutions
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Tuesday (50's) A/S worked no problem.
Wednesday - I had my long commute with few stops. Was snowing and ~20s. A/S did not engage, but I didn't trouble shoot either.
Thursday (today) Unlocked with key, drove 10 miles to get gas - no A/S but still quite cold. Drove another 10 miles and noticed the hiccup at the stoplight. Engine temp at 9 bars. Got out and locked/unlocked the doors with the key, but no change. At that point I couldnt remember the rest of the trouble shooting instructions, so drove the rest of the 20 miles with A/S not engaging.
At lunch, I unlocked, locked and re-unlocked the doors with the key. Noticed that climate control was not on Auto, didn't change that. 5 miles, engine temp at 9 bars, engine did the hiccup at a stoplight. So turned climate control to Auto - A/S did engage at next stop light and when I pulled into restaurant. Locked car with keyless lock.
After lunch, unlocked with key, left controls alone, A/S started engaging when engine temp was up to 7 bars. Worked for 2 stops. Turned climate control to not auto - A/S did NOT engage for 2 stops. While stopped at second stop, turned climate control back to Auto - A/S did engage for next two stops including parking at work.
So the Climate control certainly seems to play a role - heh - probably the reason this shows up on cold days because that's when I'm likely to be messing with Auto / not Auto (I hate the Auto defrost mode because the fan is so loud - but when not in auto the windows don't stay clear so I switch back and forth)
So - tagman, who are you? Where'd you get the troubleshooting suggestions? I'll continue to log the car's behavior... if you want more info feel free to contact me on or off list.
JordansGrrrl
I also remember reading somewhere in the manual that AS will not engage if the AC is on or the fan speed is on high. So I believe this has to do with the load on the batteries and what electrical eq you have on (i.e. AC, fan speed, rear defroster, etc) than being a bug. In either case hope you can resolve your mystery.
(but gosh, a way less interesting story!)
JG
We just purchased an 06hch last week. Has anybody had problems with the engine light, IMA light and battery light coming on????? We took it to the dealer once and supposedly it was fixed..but on the way back from dealer lights came on again.has anyone had problems like this???
Please help we greatly appreciate it!!
Thanks to all who've contributed to this thread.
JordansGrrrl
Occasionally, when starting, IMA does not work and car runs on small battery alone. My check engine light stays on all the time and IMA light comes on, and charge/assist bars don't work. The next start or the one after that - IMA light off and bars working OK, but engine light still on.
Dealer shuts off lights at regular checkups, can't tell anything with their computer, but after a few starts, engine light comes on.
Does not seem to affect mileage when on 12v battery alone, but hope not to be headed for catalytic converter failure.
Would appreciate any insight.
jordansgrrrl,
When I first posted the solution to your problem, you indicated that you had to go out of town, so I've been waiting patiently to learn of your success. Because you trusted me enough to try it out, you now have your problem solved. It was important, as you discovered, to rule out any of the key lock and unlock functions and to pay close attention to the climate control interaction.
You did good.
Congratulations!
TagMan
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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I've just purchased a new 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. Everything works fine so far. In U.S. speak I'm getting around 50mpg (6L/100klm). The advertising blurb says that the vehicle should be able to run on electric only up to 40klm/hr...but how the hell do you tell? The dealer tells me that the electric and the petrol engine are permanently connected, and therefore they are both spinning together all the timm. It seems that no matter how gently I accelerate, the petrol engine is always running. The L/100klm gauge (MPG) always shows some fuel consumption whenever accelerating! Surely if I go gently this gauge should read zero, and the electric motor gauge should show "assist". Can anyone advise me how I can tell if I am running on electric only?
Thanks
At this point you are in the battery mode only but don't expect to be able to keep it engaged for more than .40 km(l/4mile) before it reverts to the gasoline mode.
Is Honda misleading with their claim of battery mode cruising? You'll have to be the judge.
Anyway, thanks for your help.
Honda's blurb looks to be very misleading indeed. The Civic specifically attracted me for two reasons.
1/ Cheaper than a Prius (in Australia Prius = $42k on road and the Civic = $35k on road).
2/ I could travel at low speeds on electric only.
Thanks again.
Buy the way. Hybrids are becoming VERY hot property in Australia. We are now heading up to $6.00 to $6.50 per gallon!!...and you think gas is expensive in the U.S.
Diesel is more expensive again! Thanks Dave
Dave
Thank-you!!!
It could turn out to be something silly like I experienced with my Echo where after I fitted a pants-saver car mat, the mat was caused to ride up until it prevented the clutch pedal from totally depressing. Hence the car couldn't be started at all !
I am sure your friend would not mean to presume on your friendship, however she does say it happens only once a month to her but from her own statement others -who may not be frequent drivers but could be prospective buyers - seem to find the problem almost right away.
Intermittent problems can be the most lengthy (read expensive) to fix. Previously owned vehicles can come with small problems. This however, is not the problem you want to find at 2am at a deserted intersection in an industrial area.
One anecdotal note, I once took delivery of a brand new vehicle with a stiff gear shift lever. To get me away from his forecourt I was persuaded by the dealers assurance that the stiffness would soon loosen up in regular use. Despite the attentions of two different dealership repair shops, it got worse as time passed and one day I missed a gear change moving away from a stoplight - it was an occasional annoyance - this time I was rear ended by a dump truck.
Naturally I unloaded the car.
Sadly, My advice. Keep your friend - pass on the car.
T2
I am not too worried about the friend issue since she is more of an acquaintance. But thank-you very much for the advice.
If you have any other thoughts about the problem, please let me know. Thanks!
I know I use KBB when I am selling also. It is usually much higher than the other estimates. There are so few Civic hybrids for sale it is hard to determine a fair price. Maybe some of you Civic hybrid owners can jump in with advice. I would check with your bank or Credit Union. They will give you an idea of the loan value.
First keep staring at gagrice's post. The True Market Value.
I had not intended to make a further post until I read:-
"We had offered $16,250, but if this problem seems unidentifiable or unfixable we will pass."
If your decision on purchasing this HCH would be based on a garage diagnosis I felt I had to add something.
Of course you can expect the response to those conditions are going to be swayed towards the person funding the inspection. Was the owner present ?
No dealership garage is going to admit that any of their late model cars is unfixeable, not unless they want the owner coming back on them.
If they are unable to identify the problem right there and then. What's next ? Are you going to be obligated to take the deal and the possible risk of being towed into the garage later ? Are you then going to have to persuade the service guy of a problem which refuses to surface at the dealership?
Reading posts here at Edmunds the problems with the CVT version always appeared to be solved by changing fluids or the Plan B which was to change out the whole transmission.
With the vehicle in question it appears the clutch pedal position sensor may be at fault. On the main Honda Civic Hybrid forum Post #121, someone observed that the porting in the lower part of the engine bay was quite large, compared to the Prius, allowing easy entry to winter slush. This could affect wiring and connectors in the general area.
If it turns out not to be the clutch pedal position sensor then the next option would be the ECU I presume, the expensive one.
All deals carry risk but if the buyer perceives a higher risk then the buyer has the right to expect a lower price as gagrice has suggested. Specifically Honda Cars are buIletproof which enables them to offer this new technology in the firstplace with a degree of confidence. They say they have never replaced the large HV battery in any car yet. However the system is very accomodating to a poor performing battery and is still functional which is a mixed blessing, it may be you could be driving a vehicle which is hybrid in name only. You'll still get great mileage if driven carefully thanks to its 1.3 liter engine.
By the way, I would be interested to know on how many actual vehicle sales the bluebook price is based. It could be an automatic computation based solely on prices of other models of that year without regard to the fact that this is a new technology. Remember this model creates a new situation where the owner becomes especially dependent on the manufacturers service division where costs are not controlled on the unique spare parts by normal market forces. It is an emerging technology which is changing and legacy product can date quickly. Who would pay 70 % of the original price for a four year old computer ?
Sale prices may be high now purely because there could be a shortfall in available hybrids for the previously owned market. I have read that...
In some cases early adopters are choosing to amortise the "hybrid premium" on their purchase over five or more years. In other cases when they upgrade, as has already happened with Prius, the older model becomes their second car. The higher price you quoted could also reflect an attempt by the original owner holding back in the hope of capturing from the next buyer the 'availability premium' that they paid initially. Did the this owner pay above MRSP ? I think that you should contact some salespeople working in the Certified Honda Used Vehicles at a couple of local dealerships to consolidate your position with this seller.
Are you particularly interested in the hybrid aspect or is it the high mileage you can expect ? I was thinking the 16k outlay could get you into the new Honda Fit, it has the same engine as the HCH and it might be something to look at once the hysteria about it subsides this spring.
Best of luck !!
T2
Did the current owner report this serious problem to her servicing dealer? Is it on record? If not, why not? And if so, what was the diagnosis? Could they not find and/or fix the problem?
TagMan
It is common these days in many cars. You have a problem that happens intermittently. They plug in the computer diagnostics device and all tests good. The more devices that are controlled by software, the more chance for unexplainable problems. Hybrids have more devices under software or firmware control.
Oh yes, intermittent problems happen a lot and they are often frustrating.
My main point, however, is to determine if this issue was brought to the attention of the Honda service dept., and if there is any "official" record of the problem, whether intermittent or not. If reported, then the question becomes whether the failure presented itself or was too elusive at the time of inspection or observation.
The other point is that even when a problem is intermittent, if it is potentiallyt serious, as is the case here, doesn't it make sense to at least let the dealership's service department know about it? That puts a greater burden upon the dealership. Sometimes, as when the Toyota Prius had a stalling problem, it turnes out that there is a "fix" for the problem. Unless someone reports the problem to the dealership, they may not know that there is a "fix" available. Sometimes, there is a "recall" and notices are sent through the mail, but those notices often do not reach the owners.
Bottom line is that it just makes good sense to contact the servicing dealer when there are problems and I'm not sure if we have determined whether or not the owner of this particular Honda vehicle ever contacted the service dept. regarding the vehicle's problem.
TagMan
Very true. The dealer cannot fix what they are not aware of. That is part of the problem these days. People get so busy that they don't bother to report little problems until they become big ones.
I had the same problem with an 05 HCH, they couldn't fix it and I finally received an 06 HCH under the OR lemon law. Unfortunately after 3K miles the IMA, BAT, and CHK Engine light came on. I am quite dismayed. Please post any results from your service techs. I will be taking my 06 in tomorrow for diagnostics and will post what codes were thrown by the computer.
thanks, owen">link title
1. We had our local Honda dealer inspect the car prior to the sale. It checked out great, and they did do a test drive to see if they could get it to do it. And they recorded it on paper that they could not get it to do it. Since it has a 80,000 mile warranty (it is at 41,000 right now) we decided to buy it. Unfortunately most of the concerned responses from everyone on this post didn't come before we made the purchase. In our area in California the dealers and private parties are selling used 03 and 04 hybrids for $19,500 + (granted there are not very many of them available), so at $16250 it seemed reasonable. We are interested in the hybrid mainly for environmental reasons, but the lower strain on our bank accounts from the great mileage is nice too. (sorry, I am answering many different postings in this message).
2. We have had it a week now and have not had it give us problems. That being said, I think that the previous owners may have been out of touch with the timing needed. We have noticed that at a stop sign or signal, that the engine is so quiet anyway you can barely hear it rev up when you let the clutch out and give it gas - It is VERY likely that this owner simply had her timing off and would actually stall the vehicle without her knowing and think that the auto start hadn't kicked back in. (Hopefully I am not just in denial!) Learning how to drive it, I have stalled it a few times, but knew that it was my fault.
3. That being said, I am now more concerned since Owen says he had the same problem - Owen can you describe what you've experienced on that 05 HCH?
Thank-you all for your input. If you have any other thoughts please share them.
I am starting to think - Lemon Law?? Aargggh! the service guys have been communicative and helpful, but I wonder if anyone else has had this problem? Thanks in advance, for any suggestions,
StevenM
StevenM"
As I recall, if the vehicle is out of service for 30 days, it is automatically eligible for the lemon law. I would ask Honda to replace the vehicle.
Butch
About 6 weeks ago the mpg's decreased by 4 for no apparent reason. Then the IMA light went on intermittently. The dealer could find no code for that light but did find one for the ABS which, he said is connected to the IMA (?). We are waiting for and new ABS cpu to arrive (Thank god for extended warranties!). I shall post the results.
That was about the time that E10 was being implemented also. It will knock a bit off you mileage. If it does not come back up with the ABS fix, I would suspect the gasohol now mandated. Keep us posted.
PS
Just took a vacation trip through much of the Hill Country and enjoyed it very much. The area surrounding Fredericksburg was especially to our liking. Llano was nice as was Marble Falls.
Also, my car makes a knocking noise when cold (first started) that mostly goes away when the engine warms up. I was told this is harmless piston slap. Do your cars do this as well? If there's a major engine problem, I'd like it to be taken care of before the extended warranty expires at 100k.
Thanks!
P.S. I am also currently having the EGR valve replaced. This forum was a godsend, as my service tech couldn't find his [non-permissible content removed] with both hands and a flashlight. I basically had to print off all the EGR valve messages and hand them to him and do a sit-in in the waiting room until they fixed it. Actually it's not fixed yet...waiting on parts.
The rattling in the engine could be rod bearings. I don't know of a good way to check that other than pull the pan off and measure the wear. Something is worn for you to hear any knocking sounds before the oil pressure comes up.
It might pay you to have an independant Honda shop check the engine over. Be sure and document everything you do.
I would expect Honda to say it is normal wear for 90k miles then charge you an arm and a leg when the engine throws a rod at 101K miles.
Anyone heard of someone convincing a dealer to fix an engine simply based on how it sounds and an independent confirmation of an impending problem?
15k after the replacement tranny it has done it again.
so you can say it doesn't couldn't happen but YOU ARE WRONG.
We just want to get rid of this POS.
I'll ask them to do a compression check before my warranty expires.