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Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • hybrid_userhybrid_user Member Posts: 1
    An unexpected blowout of the side wall caused a serious accident at highway speed. HCH Safety Restraint System prevented loss of life. The driver and passenger walked away from the accident with minor injuries. Have any other Civic drivers experienced Bridgestone Tire problems?
  • jordansgrrrljordansgrrrl Member Posts: 8
    OK, I was going to wait until I had more data, but today's behavior seems telling. We're lucky Denver is back in it's fits of snow storms every other day - since the AUTO-STOP issue does seem to be exacerbated by cold.

    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
  • bravoqbravoq Member Posts: 5
    I have noticed that when the AC is on, then AutoStop does not engage regardless of how warm the engine is. This means that if I set the climate control on the defrost mode (or defrost + footwell mode) AutoStop will not activate. Per the manual, AC turns on automatically on these two modes.

    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.
  • jordansgrrrljordansgrrrl Member Posts: 8
    Interesting you bring this up, Bravoq. A friend of mine suggested exactly the same thing this afternoon that I was going to play with on the way home. This makes way more sense than whether we've used the key to open the door...

    (but gosh, a way less interesting story!)

    JG
  • dianadhchdianadhch Member Posts: 1
    hi,
    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!! :cry:
  • jordansgrrrljordansgrrrl Member Posts: 8
    Yep indeed. This seems to be totally connected to when the defroster is on the A/S doesn't engage.

    Thanks to all who've contributed to this thread.

    JordansGrrrl
  • mibmib Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for this site. Postings are very informative. I have enjoyed my 2003 HCH, and have 75,000 miles.

    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.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    Just an off chance, but check to see that the fuel filler cap doesn't have a crack or something. All Honda's will lite the check engine warning if the fuel cap is loose or not sealing.
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    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,

    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
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,258
    A financial magazine reporter aims to interview someone who has purchased a hybrid and would like to discuss why you chose buying a hybrid and if you're happy with your vehicle. Please respond to ctalati@edmunds.com before Wednesday, March 15 at 5 PM EST with your daytime/weekend contact info.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    Hi guys...and others.

    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
  • davem7davem7 Member Posts: 35
    The trick is to accelerate and then deaccelerate to approximately 40.2km/h(25mph). By manipulating the accelerator pedal just right you will see the MPG indicator max out at 100MPG and the "Assist" light should show two bars.

    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.
  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    Thanks for that. I had noticed that accelerating away from standstill very slowly max's out the MPG also. I thought that this was very strange and maybe an error. How could I be running at 100mpg with virtually no accelerator at 10mph??

    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.
  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    I'm sorry...but I'm quite new to this forum stuff. I should have looked further back. There have been a couple of other people talking about when and how the electric motor alone is working. Pretty much as you said too. Strange that the MPG gauge max's out like that - What gives? Logically you would think that it would drop to zero AND show a couple of bars on the electric motor assist gauge.

    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
  • kai2kai2 Member Posts: 3
    I am looking at a 2003 manual HCH that has 41,000 miles on it. The owner is a friend and is the original owner. The car seems to be in great condition, the only thing she said has been wierd is that sometimes (about once a month) at an intersection when the engine shuts off it won't restart when she puts it into gear and releases the clutch. She said it happens more often when someone who isn't familiar with the car drives it. Has anyone else had this problem? She suggested it may be due to the clutch not being fully pressed in when coming to a stop. Any thoughts? I am excited about being a new HCH owner, but I want to make sure that this used car will be a good choice.

    Thank-you!!!
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    Sounds potentially deadly! What has the service dept. said about it?
  • toyolla2toyolla2 Member Posts: 158
    I concur with Tagman.

    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
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Buying or selling cars from/to friends is a good way to lose them. If it has the extended bumper to bumper warranty, you may be safe. Otherwise let some other friend get stung. The top TMV from a private party is $13,238. With a known problem trade-in would be all I would pay. That is $11,760.
  • kai2kai2 Member Posts: 3
    Thank-you all for your responses! The car does have an extended bumper-to-bumper warranty, to 80,000 miles. We are having it checked by the shop this morning before we make any kind of deal, we'll see what they say. I'm sorry, I am not too good with the acronyms, what is TMV? The car blue-booked for $16,940 as a good private party sale, here in California. We had offered $16,250, but if this problem seems unidentifiable or unfixable we will pass. I am a bit worried about it since as you said, it is intermittent.

    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!
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    The car blue-booked for $16,940 as a good private party sale, here in California.

    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.
  • jonallenjonallen Member Posts: 30
    I have had Bridgestone tires on many cars, and none of them had any unexpected failures. The commonest causes of sidewall failures at highway speeds are underinflation, excessive wear, and internal (invisible) sidewall damage or defects. Frequently, the combination of scrapes, low tire pressure, high mileage and hot weather will put even the top drawer tires over the edge. The best solution is to regularly check your tires for proper pressure, and to re-check the high speed balance at rotations, as sidewall damage and/or defects usually cause a change in the high speed balance (as does loosing a rim weight at a speed bump).
  • toyolla2toyolla2 Member Posts: 158
    Kai,
    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
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    I'm still concerned about something here. Let's use some common sense for a moment.

    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
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Could they not find and/or fix the problem?

    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.
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    It is common these days in many cars. You have a problem that happens intermittently.

    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
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Unless someone reports the problem to the dealership, they may not know that there is a "fix" available.

    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.
  • owenhchowenhch Member Posts: 1
    http://www.hybridcars.com/discussion/discussthread.php?thread_id=238&replies=5

    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
  • kai2kai2 Member Posts: 3
    Hi Everyone - thank-you for posting your thoughts. Sorry -I hadn't checked the postings for a while. To answer a few questions:

    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.
  • cybunnycybunny Member Posts: 2
    Hi all! I have a Honda Civic Hybrid 2006 - bought it in California in February, and it has been in the shop now for 25 days. The IMA engine light went on - took it in and the local Honda dealer service guys couldn't find out why it was on. Drove it then for a few days - engine light back on. Brought it in - they said that there had been some kind of short and they needed to replace a sensor. The replaced it after waiting for the part; the light still goes on.
    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
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    " 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"

    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.
  • gheavyggheavyg Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I have a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid with about 20,000 miles on it. I have never had any problems with the car until today. I was sitting in a drive thru line and the wait was prolonged so I turned the engine off and had the key in the acc. position to listen to the radio. Suddenly the radio died. When I started the car I noticed that it did not turn over as quickly as usual but it did start. As I proceeded I noticed the power steering did not seem to be working correctly. I also needed to use the windshield wipers and noticed that they were extremely "sluggish". I pulled over and the engine then died. I am now unable to start the car at all. It will not even turn over. I checked the battery connections and they seemed fine but while under the hood I noticed that one of the relays in the fuse box is making a quick clicking noise. When removed another relay then makes a slower clicking noise. Any ideas? Thanks, Gheavyg
  • tagmantagman Member Posts: 8,441
    you need a new battery.
  • 24262426 Member Posts: 4
    I own a 2003 HCH and am selling it. The buyer has concerns about having to replace the battery pack. I have over 90K miles on the car and it runs great. Anyone ever have to replace the battery pack? How much did it cost and did it just die and leave you stranded or go out over time? Thanks!
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    If you live in CA or one of the CARB wannabe states the battery is warranted for 150k miles or 10 Yrs. If you find out the price of a new battery from Honda let us all know. It seems to be a deep dark secret on the hybrids.
  • butchinvabutchinva Member Posts: 4
    I've seen lots of talk about all kinds of things affecting mileage, but I'd like peoples' experiences with tires of different brands and types. The factory Bridgestones on my '03 HCH needed replacing, so I just (yesterday) got a set of Goodyear Assurance Triple Treds. The Bridgestones were crap for wet roads (they hydroplaned at the suggestion of rain). The Assurance has the best rating in every comparison I could find, yet I'm somehow (after only about 50 miles of driving) having second thoughts. It's hard to convey in words, but they feel "sticky" and I *swear* I can see a difference in the mileage the computer says I'm getting (for the worse). I'll give it a couple of tanks of gas to see, but has anyone else had good, bad, or other experiences with particular tires on their HCH??

    Butch
  • blancobobblancobob Member Posts: 1
    I have a 125 mi. commute that begins in an area of texas called the Hill Country and ends in an area of fairly flat terrain. The speed limits run from 70 to 45 and I would cheat a little on the high side. My weekly mileage when my HCH was new in 2004 was about 37.8 (I discovered that those little motors do not like hills.) When the fuel prices spiked I slowed down to 55 on the highway, never exceeded the speed limit on other roads and drove as smoothly and I could. My weekly average mileage went up to 48.8 depending on traffic and weather (there have been a few weeks over 50 and one memorable day of 58.)
    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.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    About 6 weeks ago the mpg's decreased by 4 for no apparent reason

    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.
  • jonallenjonallen Member Posts: 30
    I have found that my autostop functions reliably if I smoothly decelerate to 7 MPH or less, but that if I creep along with gas pedal action in that speed zone, it seems to put a variable delay into the autostop actuation. As a result, I now allow a gap between me and a creeping car in front of me until it looks like the general traffic flow is resuming. I ignore most honking that results, and enjoy watching [non-permissible content removed] gun their engines and/or zooming around me to simply wait 20 yards further up. There is nothing I can do to change their behavior, and so I simply laugh at it.
  • cowenscowens Member Posts: 4
    Hey guys. I have an 03 HCH with just over 90k miles. I bought it in January of 06 with 85k miles on it and i bought an extended warranty thru 100k miles. I just took it in for the 90k mile service and noticed that the sticker in the corner says I should come in at 93k for an oil change. The manual says 10k under normal driving conditions and 5k for severe. Shouldn't they know this?

    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.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I would insist on a compression check before the 100k miles. As far as the dealer wanting to sell you oil every 3k miles that is common. They make money that way and could care less if you are wasting your money.
  • cowenscowens Member Posts: 4
    If the compression check fails (I'm not sure what a compression check is), what would it be indicative of?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    A worn out engine. I have heard posters mention that the HCH engine runs at fairly high RPMs. The higher the RPMs the faster the wear on rings & valves. A simple compression test will let you know if one or more cylinders has worn out rings or valves.

    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.
  • cowenscowens Member Posts: 4
    That is exactly my fear. I *know* my honda dealer will tell me that the engine hasn't failed yet, so they won't do anything.

    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?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Does the engine use any oil? Does it pass the emissions test? It is hard to get a dealer to move on something that they cannot diagnose as a problem. Part of the issue here is you may not know the history on how that car was used. Were all the oil changes done at Honda? Was the prescribed maintenance done on schedule. If you have all those records from the previous owner it makes your case better. If not it gives the dealer a lot of ammunition.
  • mwowmmwowm Member Posts: 4
    My wifes 05 HCH -w- CVT did it at 35k miles all dealer maintance. D doesn't light up. car started jumping even if you try to put in park. dealer replaced tranny 2 weeks in the shop. Previously the MAINTANCE would come on and the car would not go. Put it in gear and it would sit there. SHut it off curse restart it would go sometime the light would be on sometimes not. The dealer said they didn't know/believe us their computer didn't say anything was wrong.

    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.
  • cowenscowens Member Posts: 4
    Car dosn't use any oil. The guy who owned it before me bought it at the same dealership where I bought it. It was serviced regularly. I searched and found several people who had piston slap and it really *was* nothing to worry about.

    I'll ask them to do a compression check before my warranty expires.
  • jonallenjonallen Member Posts: 30
    Of course tires affect your MPG. You are not hallucinating the change in efficiency going to the Triple Treds, although you may be exaggerating the difference they make in your MPG. Be sure to have the inflation pressure at or slightly above the sticker value on your door jam (unless the profile of your new tires differ from the originals, in which case you may have to adjust it). If the new tires are wider and/or lower profile than the originals, they will not roll as efficiently no matter what. Remember that driving habits are the strongest factor in determining fuel efficiency. If having "sticky" tires inspires you to drive more aggressively, then the odds are that the lions share of the MPG loss is your change in driving habits.
  • calvinkarencalvinkaren Member Posts: 6
    Hi everyone, I just bought a 2006 HCH from Tempe Honda. I try to register in California and I have hard time to pass smog check. According to the Smog Test Technician, analizer does not allow to run the two idle speed test and vehicle can not run on the dynomonitor. He refers me to get a referee test. Does anyone know where and how I can get the smog check passed :( :confuse: ?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Why would you need a smog test on a new car? Besides all the hybrids are exempt from smog tests in CA. The machines are not set up to test any car with auto-stop.
  • calvinkarencalvinkaren Member Posts: 6
    DMV told me to get a smog check when I try to register the vehicle in California from Arizona. Thank you for the information and I will try to talk to DMV tomorrow. :surprise:
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