Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

earth

I suppose this is not so much a problem as a characteristic. I've noticed that it is impossible to open the driver's (and I guess the front passenger's) window more than about a half inch when it's raining without having water almost pour in. It doesn't seem to be a problem with the rear doors. I guess the stylists forgot to consider venting in the rain. But, if this is all I find wrong, I'll still be happy.
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Notice it does not even have to be raining outside. At first drive off in the early morning, due is on the car and if I roll down the windows, in come the water from the top. Now I just wait a while for the water to run off during driving, than open the windows. Notice same but not as much with my Rav4 or Corolla as well

crissman

I don't think any of us are going to be seeing the mileage figures on the sticker. These numbers, in most cases, are only EPA estimates based on some formula. They are applied to all cars the same, so I suppose it's better than nothing, but not indicative of real world driving. I was just looking at Edmunds long term test numbers and it seems like a lot of the cars were averaging between 20 and 25 mpg, and none were getting anywhere near sticker numbers.

lottacars

Have '06 Civic, bought on November 18. Have 3800 miles on engine and best mileage 35.4 worst 31.2. It beats my Lexus which gets 21. If I slow down maybe I'll see 37-38

rockthompson

Is this an automatic? Are you getting the 31 in city? Do you live in a warm climate? They are telling me it is the cold weather.....???

isellhondas

I have to ask...

WHY in the world would you want to drive in the rain with your windows partially down?

crissman

I started the dripping post and the main reason is for fresh air or defogging. Yes, I know the defogger mode works great, but is not always necessary if you crack the window. The problem is, you better not crack it more than about a half inch. Just try it yourself. You'll see what I mean. My previous cars seemed to channel the water away and you could get away with at least a couple inch opening without drenching your arm and the window controls. It may have more to do with the way the water is being thrown by the wipers. Next time it's raining I'll see if it still pours in with the wipers off.

ruking1

Gee this reminds me of a throwback to the 1960's cars!! I wax nostalgic for the front and rear vent windows! We used to carry a bag of bull durham to cut the grease when needed.

Getting back to the 2006 time frame- turn on your defrost with the AC!!!

crissman

You know, I do miss those old vent wings.

crissman

Just thought of one more nit to pick while I'm in this mode. On a bright day the dashboard is reflected more than I'm used to in that highly raked windshield. I noticed this first thing on my initial test drive. Straight ahead is okay, but look to the right and the dash shows pretty well. It's not really annoying, but it's there. I guess this is just one more styling/aerodynamics trade-off. Maybe a black shag carpet dash mat would fix it. :P

travis77

I just filled my 06 civic up for the second time and i'm getting 26mpg. kinda sucks considering it is supposed to get like 30 minimum. I called the dealer and they told me to wait until it's due for its first oil change and if it hasn't got any better then they would address the issue.The car has been driven like a granny would drive it too. It has about 600 miles on it and been mostly city driven. :confuse:

travis77

What is the difference between the 06 civics 1.8L 4cyl 5A and the 1.8L 4cyl 5M,,,,?

civicex05

I just filled my 06 civic up for the second time and i'm getting 26mpg. kinda sucks considering it is supposed to get like 30 minimum. I called the dealer and they told me to wait until it's due for its first oil change

In this instance, the dealer is right (I never thought I'd say that). Your mileage should steadily improve over the next few thousand miles. Be patient.

travis77

Thanks for the reasurrance,, i truly hope it does get better over time and i have faith,,,lol. Just reading some of the other posts makes me wonder if it will,, some others mpg's are going down over time saying there best was when it was new and now there's is only getting like 23 mpg. I guess all i can do is wait it out and see what happens

ruking1

..."The car has been driven like a granny would drive it too. It has about 600 miles on it and been mostly city driven"...

Something compelled me to respond to your posting. I hope you do not take my comments in a pejorative fashion.

Just on the face of your post; you are probably driving your vehicle under some of the most rigorous, demanding and (long term) "damaging" conditions you can possibly imagine. This is evidenced by your 23 mpg. An example of someone who would have it worse than you might be a pizza delivery driver delivering to 25-50 locations per night in NYC.

(Off topic, but my Corvette Z06 gets better than 23 mpg.)

More on nexus, my 2004 Honda Civic VP gets 36/37 mpg in a "grueling" daily commute. Yet your reference to being driven like a "granny" indicates the perception of EXTREME gentleness and wonderful care.

Upshot: the reality is not in consonance with "granny". Unless granny was VP of product torture testing

low mileage, short trip, constant turn on, turn off, short to long idling, oil sump never up to operating temp is rigorous at best.

Corrective actions: reverse of the above, but with emphasis on getting your oil sump up to operating temp and driving it that way for at least an hour (freeway miles). If you can not change the conditions in which you operate, more frequent oil changes, more frequent inspections, manage your expect ions as to longevity and scheduled and unscheduled maintainance

travis77

Ehhh Hemmm,,, i'm getting 26 mpg,,,not 23 mpg and there is not alot of stop and go yada yada,, i live in the country,, 20 miles to work and 20 miles back home,,, one stop light, speed limit is 55 most of the way there, and the most damage this car is getting is 29 degree temps in the morning. And also,, completely off topic,,( i don't care what kinda mpg's your corvette z06 gets,,, i've owned a couple general motors vehicles and will never own another again,,,p.o.s)this is a civic forum,, not a vette forum.

ruking1

..."The car has been driven like a granny would drive it too. It has about 600 miles on it and been mostly city driven."...

Well it is good that you cleared up the confusion that you do not drive mostly in the city, even though that is what you wrote vs really the fact you write now "live in the country".

Well for sure what my Z06 Corvette gets is off topic, BUT, I think you should probably stop driving your Civic LIKE a Corvette. That is if you really want your mileage to improve?

So a reasonable goal might be 35/38 mpg from 26 mph or 9/12 mpg better?

travis77

and also sorry bout the confusion,, what i meant by city driving is "not on the highway".

travis77

so toodle freakin loodles!

blane

The first has an automatic transmission. The second has a Manual transmission.

travis77

Thank you Blane

isellhondas

Can't you two knock it off?

travis77

Yep,,, i'm done,,, no more outa me,, lol,,, I promise!

travis77

i recently put a new set of those Sylvania ultra brights, i think thats what they are called without going to look. they are 100% inprovement from the factory ones. passengers side was kinda tough do to the anti-lock brake system being right infront of the bulb.

isellhondas

I hope you have better luck than I did when I tried those ultra brights! They were constantly burning out.

And, I've heard of cases where they have overheated and melted the wiring.

But, you're right. They did make a difference. I had to change back to the regular bulbs.

travis77

they are actually the sylvania silverstar high perpormance lights. i paid like $39 for the set so i hope they last. just try not to touch the bulb when you put them in. something with the natural oil on your hands does something to them as far making them burn out faster. i used a pair of gloves,,, kinda pain in the butt because my hands were already slightly bigger than the space between the bulb and anti-lock brake system. all of the numbers match up on both sets (factory) and the new ones, so i know there not struggling for juice and i dont think they will melt the wiring,, same watts, size, model #, ect,,, they been wonderful so far.

travis77

i do still have the factory bulbs though just in case,,,,lol

travis77

i have a funny shift pattern in my transmission (06 civic) when i am going down hill. If i'm coasting down hill and then go to accelerate up the other side of the hill it kicks into gear when it downshifts.I don't give it a hard acceration, just normal driving. Just wonder if anyone else is experiencing this and if anyone knows whether or not it will lead to transmission problems in the future.It is an automatic transmission. It does about the same if you would be driving a manual and coasting in 2nd gear going down hill and then give it a lil gas going back up and it jumps a lil bit and starts to go. Or also same deal if i were to shift it down into second myself when accelerating back up the hill with auto trans. So anyway,, to get to the point ,,, is this normal?,, and will any future problems arise?

civicdx

I own a 2000 Civic DX. I am on my third set of rear brake drums, installed by a local chain. I keep experiencing rubbing noise and pulsation, they throw on another cheap set. The dealer said have the chain machine them, an independent mechanic said there’s a ridge inside a rim on the drum that can’t be machined and I should replace them with more expensive drums. Nobody has looked for other causes. What else could be causing this problem? What do I do next?

blane

In part, here's what the latest Consumer Reports test said about replacement bulbs:

"Subjectively, all five bulbs emitted a whiter light than OE bulbs, which could appeal to buyers seeking the look of HID lights. Studies show that some drivers prefer driving behind whiter light than the more yellow light of most OE halogen bulbs, but that doesn’t mean you can see farther.

Some manufacturers claim that their premium halogen bulbs improve brightness without causing oncoming glare, a common complaint about HID lights. Oncoming glare is caused by a combination of bright lights and an inherent sharp light cutoff. This combination can exist in HID or halogen lights. Most of the tested bulb-vehicle combinations did not cause high levels of oncoming glare. But using whiter premium bulbs in the Honda Ridgeline increased glare to where it could be a discomfort for oncoming drivers.

Our tests showed that while they do yield whiter-looking light, premium aftermarket halogen bulbs don’t offer a consistent performance advantage over original equipment bulbs, and they can perform worse. Much of a headlight’s distribution of light is dictated by its reflector and lens, factors that remain unaffected by changing the bulb. And the combination of higher cost and some manufacturer specifications of a shorter life span than standard replacement bulbs add up to increased costs."

electricdesign

"I keep experiencing rubbing noise and pulsation, they throw on another cheap set."

There's part your problem right there, "cheap set", you can't expect much out of them. Get a good set of Carbon Metallic lined shoes. Make sure all the hydraulics and brake hardware is good. The pulsation is not caused by the shoes, but by the out of roundness of the drums. Have them checked for out of roundness. If out of round, have them turned and trued. If they can't be turned and trued for any reason, you need to get new drums, there are many on the market. Do a google search for "Carbon Metallic Brakes" and also for "Brake Drums".

Good Luck,
E.D. in Sunny Florida

jburk

I have a 92 civic hatchback and i was wondering if a distributor will make a whining noise before it goes bad or will it just stop working all together because i have a whining noise coming from that area of my car. Thanks for your help

cmuniz

I believe that the 06 transmission has a "hill logic" built into it so that it downshifts when it detects increasing speeds downhill. I live in hilly terrain and am having trouble figuring out exactly when it kicks in. It could be that the trasmission is still "learning" when to downshift since I haven't detected a consistent pattern, yet. At any rate I believe what you are experiencing is normal and won't cause any harm. The trasmission logic in your case is going something like this "I'm going downhill so I better gear down, but wait a minute he wants me to speed up.." so there is some conflict going on at that moment, but in both cases gearing down is the solution.

francg

I picked my new Civic up this past Saturday, and really like the car. But, after driving around for a while my wife put her sun visor down, and it started rattling where it fits into the keeper on the left side. I added a small piece of tape to the round part that fits into the keeper, and this seemed to help. Has anyone else had this problem ?

isellhondas

Well, I don't think it's necessary to go that far.

Typically, the rear shoes on a Civic will last 100,000 miles and even more. We rarely have to replace them.

Aftermarket cheap linings are a different story.

icebear

I recently bought a 1994 Honda Civic Del Sol...LOVE IT...but every time it rains, both seats become wet, ESPECIALLY the drivers seat...where the window meets the roof and front window...there is an area about 2 inches long along the seal (once again on both sides) that at first glance APPEARS sealed, but is not quite perfect...and when it rains, it leaks, BAD...it will visibly drip. Does anyone have any suggestions for a permanent, or at least temporary fix for this...with estimated cost...THANKS A TON!!! And oh yeah...my spedometer will randomly spin 360s, or cease working at all...OOPS!

ruking1

It is good to find out the brake shoes and I would surmise the brake drums will last 100,000 and more. Thanks for the heads up.

old_countslur

After 160,000 on my 2001 Civic, I purchased 2006 as soon as available. With 4000 kms, I have more rock chip marks and surface scratches then when I traded the old one. It seems the clearcoat didn't set or something. Has anyone else had this problem?

ruking1

The real problem with the Civic is to cut down the aerodynamic drag; are HUGE exposed painted surfaces to the airstream and unfortunately debris stream. The other problem is the "look at the front bumper and you just caused 600 dollars easy of paint and rubber work" style of build. So unless you have real big dings, it might be worth your while to "repaint" and get a bra to cover up your leading edges.

civicdx

You have me a bit confused between shoes, drums and linings.
The unfortunate thing is that in upstate NY nothing lasts 100,000 miles.

ruking1

I lived in Rome for a number of years, so I have to say I do agree with you. . I think I could have gotten more than 250k miles out of 1970 VW Bug, if it were not for time operating in that area!

old_countslur

Makes sense. Went to the paint shop this AM and got depressed. Seems a lot of people are getting the 3m clear bra for this years model. Given the damages from even one winter sanded highway trip, it seems warranted.

civic2006

I wonder how many people are seeing the same problem that
I am seeing on my Civic EX 2006. See
civic2006, "Honda Civic Sedan 2006+" #3259, 9 Jan 2006 8:45 am

travis77

I haven't heard the first growl,,, yet,,! i'll keep a ear for it. Mine has just over 600 miles on it now and so far very pleased with it. I can't wait to get up every morning just to drive it,,,lol

isellhondas

I have no idea but one thing is for sure...everyone wiull be listening for this now.

" Wait...I think I hear it...ah...yeah...I do seem to hear some kind of a growl"

hangaralf1

i put a clear bra on my 06 civic on just the hood and the section above the headlights (the metal parts) on myself. had it on for about 230 miles through the salt and cinders of the PA turnpike and its held up at least for that trip. Its practically invisible, although the salt tended to gather at the edges making a white line. 3M and franchises will sell it pre-cut for a few hundred dollars and you can have it installed for another $150 or so, but i bought an 86" x 12" roll at a local car paint store for about $80 dollars and cut it and installed it myself. its probably not as nice as pre-cut and professionally installed, but i paid <$100 for everything that i needed to do it. (i can have 5 clear bras for their one). 3M has videos online for free that show you how to do it.

travis77

I read in my manual the other day and it said the break-in period was 600 miles. I'm at about 700 miles now and i decided to push the gas on the interstate. It had decent get-up,,, went to about 6000 rpm,,, got kinda loud,, lol,,, but now I know what it will do and I know whats there if i need it. Now it's time to get back to (slow ole me).

wewon04

MY car has 30k miles, I noticed that the car would make a squeeky wiggling sound when I was on my dirt road. Then it started to do it all the time. I took it to the dealer and they said that alot of 03-04 models have a major flaw in the drive train, they have to replace all 4 struts in my car, but it is still under warranty. Thank goodness. Any imput? Anyone else had this?

sheldo1

The sound in my car is very prominent. You don't have to listen very hard to hear it. My wife thought there was a motorcycle near us the first time she heard it.

travis77

I actually did hear it the other day,, (the motorcycle sound) it lasted for about 15 min till i got home, but i haven't heard again and i have driven about 150 miles since. The day it happened was the day that i got it to that 6000 rpm mark,,, but since then the car is actually driving alot smoother than the day i bought it. It acts like the high rpm is what it needed,,,,like it can breath a lil better,,, because it sure does act alot smoother now and there is no more motorcycle sound. As a matter of fact i gave a little hell this morning trying to get to work on time and it seemed to like it. Now,,, my disclaimer,,,, i'm not saying to go and get your car to 6000 rpms and see if it straightens out. I'm just tellin you what i did with my car.. so i guess the point is,, is don't do it if you don't think you should. The General manager of my honda dealership did tell me that the civic is made to DRIVE though. So anyway take this into consideration and try it if you want or don't. This message is also in the Honda Civic Sedan 2006+ forum

travis77

Here is some of the points it says,,,,, in general

The redisigned Honda Civic has climbed to the top of the rankings.

Pronounced road noise remains a complaint

Expect 28mpg overall with the EX auto
and 31mpg overall with the EX manual

The Civic excelled in IIHS crash tests

Consumer reports mpg ratings for EX auto 18/43 and EX manual 22/40 (city/highway)

Tooo much other stuff they said,,, most all good,, this stuff is just the highlights.