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Honda Civic 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    For the 2006 Civic, is it not true that it will have SABs/SACs in addition to the front air bags as standard equipment, much like the Accord does today? Does Honda have a recommended replacement schedule for its airbags, or do they last the life of the vehicle--which for a Civic can be 15 years or more?
  • chillenhondachillenhonda Member Posts: 105
    2002 Civic EX Coupe 5-speed w/ 39K miles. (bought with 30K miles a few months ago)

     

    I have a 15 mile daily commute, 7 days a week. its about 60/40 highway/city driving. I average 35mpg in daily fillups.

     

    Recently drove from San Diego to San Jose. With the exception of the grapevine section of I-% north of LA, its a pretty flat, regular drive. Had the cruise set on 80 most of way. Averaged 34 on the first tank, 33 on the second, and 37 on the third. Kind of dissappointed in the first two tanks, considering it was straight highway miles with one person on board, no a/c.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    On a 2004 Civic 4 door auto, the range has been from 35-39 mpg. On a 50 R/T commute 80/20% freeway/surface roads, it gets a pretty steady 35/36 mpg.
  • mautomauto Member Posts: 75
    80 mph is no longer considered "highway cruising" from the EPA's perspective. Their "highway" number is calculated at speed of only about 50 mph. Once you get up to 80 mph, you're out of the most fuel efficient speed zone and your mileage will decrease right back down to the city rating. And if you were to drive at, say, 100 mph, you probably would be lucky to get 20 mpg. I have never got better highway mileage (that city mileage) from my 02 5sp EX because I usually do about 70-75 mph. If you want the best mileage, drive on the freeway at 50-55 mph, as painful as that may be.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Yeah, I think you really hit the nail on the head. In that sense, the EPA ratings set up unrealistic expectations. So to me it is a management of expectations issue.

     

    However,

     

    I have gone up (south bound) the LA grapevine in a 2003 VW Jetta TDI at a steady 85 mph in a driving rain and have gotten app 50/51 mpg. That was enough for me to go: WOW.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    At 85 MPH in a driving rain no less?

     

    Glad you're still here, able to post!
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    The LA, CA "grapevine" culminates in an app 4400 ft elevation. Of course you do "downhill" to all parts LA. So it is a long grueling upgrade.

     

    As popularized in Commander Cody's rock a bilys song: "Hot Rod Lincoln" :)
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I think he talked about San Pedro and the grapevine together and San Pddro is nowhere near the grapevine. I know, I was born and raised in San Pedro!

     

    i know the grapevine well...
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Yes, a thing called "poetic license"??? :)

     

    If so, then you should also know that on the downhill part of the run, the average speeds are more like 80-95 mph. I was doing 85 and getting 50/51 going on the UPHILL side. But one of the neat things of the drive by wire technology is if you just coast (in gear) on the down hill side, the TDI's fuel consumption is actually zero or close to it. This is also what I did!
  • andyman73andyman73 Member Posts: 322
    I have only been on the Grapevine a few times, but have done El Cajon pass, on I15, hundreds of times. That's also a bit of interesting real estate. Does the Grapevine compare to I40 through the Smokeys? Done that at night in the rain at 80 mph, in a Lincoln T/C.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Yeah I am guessing here but if I drove the Honda Civic VP up the grapevine at the same speeds as you did (33-37 mpg-avg 35 mpg), I probably would expect no more than what you have stated. Circumstances considered I probably would not be disappointed at all.

     

    Of course you might look at it differently compared to a TDI or with app 25-37% better fuel mileage.
  • mautomauto Member Posts: 75
    What has drive-by-wire got to do with using no fuel on a downhill run? Diesels are very efficient idlers, so if you put the TDI in neutral on the way down, this makes sense. But if you left it in gear and used "engine braking", more fuel is used. This usage is what makes "cylinder deactivation" so efficient as it essentially idles half the cylinders from a fuel usage standpoint even though they are not mechanically at idle.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    On the VW Jetta TDI, LOTS! Indeed diesels are very efficient idlers. However, drive by wire actually cuts fuel flow to almost nil on the VW TDI. The practical meaning is even less fuel use than idling even coasting in neutral, which can result in higher mpg! Also engine braking on the VW TDI is almost nothing compared to say a tractor trailer rig or even most other type diesels.

     

    I am pretty sure I specifically commented on the VW TDI diesel and not diesels in general.
  • chillenhondachillenhonda Member Posts: 105
    You guys are definitely right, I guess that is decent mileage considering the elevation change and the cruise set at a constant 80mph or so. And the Jetta's mileage is really impressive.

     

    From my experience, long highway trips with Honda 5-speeds have always resulted in mileage slightly above the EPA highway number. This includes drive cross country twice.

     

    91 Accord 5m (24/30)...always saw 31-32 on trips

    99 Prelude 5m (22/27)...always saw 29-30 on trips

    00 Accord EXL 5m (25/31...32-33 on trips

    86 Prelude Si 5m (24/31)...32-33 on trips

     

    With that in mind...I would've expected 38-39 on trips from this EX 5m (32/37).

     

    This 02 Civic does have W-rated 16" wheels and tires, so that may make up for some of the loss of mileage.

     

    Im not sure, but maybe this generation Civic is less aerodynamic? But I feel it would be more so than a 91 Accord and 86 Prelude. Who knows.

     

    The nice thing about the Accord and Preludes is their fuel tanks are much larger, enabling 425-500 mile ranges before the fuel light went on. With this Civic, the light would go on around 350-375.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    W rated 16's can DEFINITELY play a part in mpg. And we haven't even talked about speedometer and or calculation errors. How wide the tire also plays its part. Just going sometimes from a oem sized tire to an aftermarket same sized tire can result in a loss of 1-3 mpg. So I would guess you went to a W sized tire for a purpose. So if higher MPG is a higher priority then oem sized or closest nets a smaller loss.
  • mautomauto Member Posts: 75
    The biggest reason the Si sucks at highway fuel economy is because it has a short 5th gear. This is why it's rated at 30mpg and a 400HP 6.0L Corvette is rated at a mere 2mpg less at 28mpg.

     

    Of course, Honda refuses to put a 6sp man. in the Si, because the RSX-S has that and you don't want to compete with your own vehicles. Nissan and Toyota don't have small cars in their Infinity and Lexus brands and are therefore "free" to make high perfomance small cars without a conflict of interest. So the Si will always be "tuned down" as long the RSX is around.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    The biggest reason the Si sucks at highway fuel economy is because it has a short 5th gear. This is why it's rated at 30mpg and a 400HP 6.0L Corvette is rated at a mere 2mpg less at 28mpg.

      

    Of course, Honda refuses to put a 6sp man. in the Si, because the RSX-S has that and you don't want to compete with your own vehicles. Nissan and Toyota don't have small cars in their Infinity and Lexus brands and are therefore "free" to make high perfomance small cars without a conflict of interest. So the Si will always be "tuned down" as long the RSX is around.

     

    Actually, if you look at RSX-S 6th gear and final drive multiple it is about the same as the Si's 5th gear and final drive.

     

    I think people on the other forum who have done the transplant had slightly lower RPMs cruising at 80 in 6th. RSX-S is rated at 23/31 mpg.

     

    The only way to get high mileage out of the Si, is to install a very tall 5th or 6th gear, but then you would have to downshift more often, which is probably what Honda did not want you to do. I remember that I absolutley HAD to downshift to make a quick pass in regular Civic. Don't have to in the Si, just punch it and it goes.

     

    By the way, Si is not tuned down, it is exactly the way Civic Sport or Type S is sold in Europe, we just don't get the Civic Type R here in the Civic guise.
  • sp0tsp0t Member Posts: 4
    Does anyone know if the 1998 Honda Civic EX automatic came factory made with leather/vinyl interior? If so is it leather or vinyl?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    The EX did not come with a leather or vinyl factory interior, but with cloth. I am not aware of ANY Civic 4-door that came with a factory leather interior.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    They didn't come from the factory with leather but often, aftermarket leather got installed by the dealer. The seating surfaces are leather and the rest is vinyl just like cars come from the factory.

     

    Aftermarket leather can be quite nice depending on the installers.
  • grandmasterbgrandmasterb Member Posts: 7
    Hello everyone...

     

    I'm trying to replace the small 1/4 window in my 1996 Honda Civic Sedan (it was shattered during a car robbery but thankfully I caught the guy before he could steal anything). I've called a few auto window places and they quote anywhere from $200-$254 for a small window! I was told by the police that it's only $70 worth of damage.

     

    What gives? My stepdad had to have his main window replaced on his Ford truck and it didn't even cost $100.00.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,151
    Turn it in to your insurance company.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    OTOH, some windshields (like the huge one on a Caravan) cost over $1000 these days.

     

    Check your insurance policy--many of them (like mine) have $0 deductible on glass.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    Hello everyone...

      

    I'm trying to replace the small 1/4 window in my 1996 Honda Civic Sedan (it was shattered during a car robbery but thankfully I caught the guy before he could steal anything). I've called a few auto window places and they quote anywhere from $200-$254 for a small window! I was told by the police that it's only $70 worth of damage.

      

    What gives? My stepdad had to have his main window replaced on his Ford truck and it didn't even cost $100.00.

     

    Since you said you caught the guy who broke it, why no tmake him pay for it? Take it to the most expensive place, and have him pay for it. If he refuses, you can file a small claims court petition against him, and I don't see one single judge thinking that this guy is not responsible for your window. You should have taken his wallet when you caught him, before the police arrived.

     

    To get the $70 job done, you need to go to "the shady oart of town." I have had a windshield replaced on the CR-V for $100 in Hunts point in the Bronx.
  • john500john500 Member Posts: 409
    As Backy mentioned, if you have a $0 glass deductible, then have your insurance pay. Otherwise, your stuck. Some of my acquaintances dealt in small claims court about 10 years ago. The vast majority of small-court claims are not paid even if a judge levies a "guilty" verdict. The court did not send the file to a credit collection agency. Don't waste your time with small claims court, unless you get an ego rush from a judge saying "you win".
  • mautomauto Member Posts: 75
    Yeah, someone bold enough to smash a window and take belongings probably isn't going to show up for a small claim dispute.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    My Civic is approaching the 100K mark and may need a timing belt replacement soon. Does anyone know if the engine is an interference design, that is, if the timing belt breaks the pistons may contact the valves resulting in bent valves.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Yes, your engine is an interference design. If the belt breaks, the head is trashed.
  • andyman73andyman73 Member Posts: 322
    Mine went, while I was all but stopped at a stop sign. Car died like i turned it off. It was at idle speed, and there was no damage evident, once the mechs had the head off to inspect.

     

    But YMMV, this was my experience. A neighbor suffered the same experience at 45mph. His cheapest option was 1.5K dollars.

     

    If you are lucky you will only have to replace the belt. Remember it's a 16 valver, so costs addup stupidly fast.

     

    Change your belt ASAP!!!
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    As Backy mentioned, if you have a $0 glass deductible, then have your insurance pay. Otherwise, your stuck. Some of my acquaintances dealt in small claims court about 10 years ago. The vast majority of small-court claims are not paid even if a judge levies a "guilty" verdict. The court did not send the file to a credit collection agency. Don't waste your time with small claims court, unless you get an ego rush from a judge saying "you win".

     

    Small claims work, it is not the court's responsibility to collect. It is yours. I have filed claims and won few times. The system works if you work it right.

     

    If the guy does not show up, you win automatically, and then you just have to work the system. You have the guys SS#, name, address. Take it to the sherif. They will be happy to assess a $500 surcharge to collect for you. They will take the guy's car, garnish his wages, take his welfare and food stamps, and even make him work it off on chain gang.

     

    I have had people calling me trying to settle out of court after the sherif took all fo their possessions. Too bad, they should have thought about it before.

     

    If you let this guy off the hook, he will come back and break yours or someone elses windows and steal the radios or whatever he was after in your car.

     

    Rudy Giulliani had a great insight, that big crimes start out as small crimes, and then criminals get out of control. He started out by getting rid of Squigee boys. Look at NYC now, there are no bums bothering people on the streets and subways for quaters. I used to tell them that, "Yes I do have a quater, but I worked for it." If he wants one, he should earn it.
  • crazygrrrlcrazygrrrl Member Posts: 85
    Hi. I have a 2003 LX sedan and my friend has a 2005 LX sedan. She found some cut-outs in the dashboard and she wants to know what they are for. The owner's manual shows that the holes are there, but doesn't say what they are or what they do.

    There are 4 rows of vent-like cut-outs (1" to 1 1/2" long slashes) between the steering column and the heater/ A/C control panel. It is on the gray part not the black part of the dash. The 4 holes are at the same level to the ignition switch.

    I checked my 2003, and it does not have the cutouts like my friend's 2005. Also, hers is made in Japan while mine was Canadian built.

    Does anyone know what those holes on the dash are for?

    It is not a vent. We tried the A/C and fan and no air came from the holes. It doesn't seem to be a speaker either.

    Any ideas?
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    Hi. I have a 2003 LX sedan and my friend has a 2005 LX sedan. She found some cut-outs in the dashboard and she wants to know what they are for. The owner's manual shows that the holes are there, but doesn't say what they are or what they do.

    There are 4 rows of vent-like cut-outs (1" to 1 1/2" long slashes) between the steering column and the heater/ A/C control panel. It is on the gray part not the black part of the dash. The 4 holes are at the same level to the ignition switch.

    I checked my 2003, and it does not have the cutouts like my friend's 2005. Also, hers is made in Japan while mine was Canadian built.

    Does anyone know what those holes on the dash are for?

    It is not a vent. We tried the A/C and fan and no air came from the holes. It doesn't seem to be a speaker either.

    Any ideas?

    Registers for the climate control system.

    All Hondas are pre-wired from factory for the highest possible trim. You will find the knock outs for the fog lights and seatwarmers on the dash, and places for fuzes in the fuze box.
  • crazygrrrlcrazygrrrl Member Posts: 85
    How did you know this info? We asked a lot of sales people at Honda but they didn't know what the holes were.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    How did you know this info? We asked a lot of sales people at Honda but they didn't know what the holes were.

    Next time you have a question for Honda sales people, ask them what achronyms VTEC and i-VTEC are and what the differences are. Very few sales people educate them selves on the product they are selling.

    There is a forum out there, outside of Edmunds, for HondaSUV owners, and it is a bundle of information. I wondered that my self, and was given an answer by someone who goes by the name Honda engineer.

    The owner of that forum is very friendly with Honda corporate, he gets the prototypes for personal review, and use. And posts very detailed reviews on the positive and negatives.

    I know Civic is not an SUV, but CR-V and Element are based on the Civic platform, just like Acura RSX, and many parts are interchangeable.
  • fritz2fritz2 Member Posts: 2
    I just got an 05 se sedan and noticed there are no inner fenders at the inside rear of the front tire. One fifty mile trip after a snow storm put salt and sand in large amounts all over the back of the engine,trans,steering rack and all that plumbing. Can I cover this hole with a piece of inner tube with a slit for the tierod , or will this affect the cooling of the engine?
  • leafleaf Member Posts: 9
    i'd like to know too. my lx likes this too. it's totally unexpected. toyota seems to always cover them well, but honda...
  • neil2neil2 Member Posts: 1
    I am trying to decide between two Honda Civic Ex's that are being sold by private owners. One is a 1997 with 98,000 miles on it. It seems to be in excellent condition, body-wise. The owner is getting the timing belt, fuel filter and water pump replaced. He is asking $5,800 for it. The blue book price is $5,610.

    My other option is a 1995 Honda Civic Ex with 88,000 thousand miles. It is in good condition body-wise. The owner is not sure if the timing belt or water pump has been changed. He is asking $4,200. Blue book price is $4,000. I may be able to talk him down, especially if the timing belt needs replaced. I am assuming they have not been changed.

    Which of these two would be my best choice in the long and short term? This is my first time buying a used car and was hoping someone would be able to give me some advice.

    Thanks
  • chillenhondachillenhonda Member Posts: 105
    Anyone interested in gas mileage:

    2002 Civic EX 5-speed

    I had been kinda dissappointed by averaging 35mpg or so on road trips, but as pointed out by other posters, I was doing 80 most of the time, and I have 16" rims with grippy 205/50WR16 tires on the car.

    Did a little experiment. Tried cruising at 60-65 and using a light foot as much as possible. Occasionaly passing at 70-75mph. 260 miles averaged 42.8 mpg, which I think is pretty awesome.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    I think you have truly discovered the "sweet spot" on the Honda Civic. Indeed 60-65 mph, with 42.8 mpg is very respectable. It also seems to be the range of speed with the best combination of efficiency and mpg.

    We have a 2004 Civic VP 4 door auto used for daily commute and see 35-39 mpg.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    I am trying to decide between two Honda Civic Ex's that are being sold by private owners. One is a 1997 with 98,000 miles on it. It seems to be in excellent condition, body-wise. The owner is getting the timing belt, fuel filter and water pump replaced. He is asking $5,800 for it. The blue book price is $5,610.

    My other option is a 1995 Honda Civic Ex with 88,000 thousand miles. It is in good condition body-wise. The owner is not sure if the timing belt or water pump has been changed. He is asking $4,200. Blue book price is $4,000. I may be able to talk him down, especially if the timing belt needs replaced. I am assuming they have not been changed.

    Which of these two would be my best choice in the long and short term? This is my first time buying a used car and was hoping someone would be able to give me some advice.

    Thanks

    Seems like the 95 Ex is not the original owner, and the mileage is a low mileage for that year. I would run cafrax on both before making descisions. I am just suspicious of the 95, being a low mileage car, and the "owner" not knowing what was done to it. In other words, the "owner" is probably a small time reseller. Who may or may not altered the mileage. Have you seen both cars? what do the pedals on the 95 look like?

    Either way, you can never know what you buying unless you inspect everything. I mean taking the tires off to check brake pad thickenss, rotor wear, putting it on the lift and checking for subframe or any other structural damage, checking records for maintenance, doing the compression check, and so on.

    BTW. I think the 95 should have had the timing belt changed at 60,000 miles. Owner should know. 97 was the same as 96 model year, which I believe went with 105,000 mile interval.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    The 92-95 Civics required timing belt changes every 90k. Since this car has 88k, it's plausible the owner hasn't done it yet and is simply playing dumb about it or just doesn't know it needs to be done soon.
  • crv16crv16 Member Posts: 205
    I've owned my 03 Civic EX Sedan for a year and a half, and have run up 45,000 miles.

    It runs as good as new. I haven't had a single thing go wrong. Just change the oil every 4 or 5 thousand miles. I put on a new set of Michelin tires to replace the Firestones at 31k.

    The only disappointment is paint quality. Two New England winters have taken their toll - my front end looks like it's been sandblasted. This wasn't as severe with Accords I've owned in the past, so I suspect Honda uses a lesser quality paint on the Civic.
  • leonidas10468leonidas10468 Member Posts: 6
    Dear friend, don't wait for your Civic to get the 100K miles. Replace the timing belt ASAP. Yes, if you break the timing belt while driving; certainly you will bent the valves. Don't try to save money buying the timing belt at any auto-part shop, buy it directly from the dealer and do replace it every 60k.

    Leo
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Leo,

    I'm sure your advise is well intensioned but it's wrong.

    Hondas from 1997 on have a 105,000 mile timing belt interval or seven years.
  • st00kst00k Member Posts: 1
    Hi all, not sure if I'm in the right forum or not but...

    I live in botswana and have just purchased a 1996 sri automatic imported from singapore. The car has 75,000 kms on the clock is in very good condition. Have to say I'm not and never have been a car person having ridden bikes all my life. I've owned a few cars VW Polo Mazda 626 and similar and have to say I am mightily impressed with this car. Rides like a dream and the vtec gives awesome response under 'load' - mpg is good too.

    I have no manual for this car and can't find one locally so to the questions;

    first thing i did was oil/filter/coolant/plugs change.

    What else should i be immediately concerned with with a car of this age?

    Any tips/help would be gratefully received. (i worry about timing belts....)

    Thanks
  • pvolkerpvolker Member Posts: 1
    We have a 2004 Civic LX 4-door. Our family of 4 likes to tent camp during summer and fall months. We also like to take our bicycles with us. We have 2 kids who used to ride in a little trailer pulled by my bike but the kids are now big enough that we're going to need to take their bikes on trips with us. Space is going to be an issue. I'd like to put a Yakima Q-tower system on the roof for a cargo box and if possible, 2 bikes. The other 2 bikes would be on the rear carrier. Question...anyone have experience with cargo or bikes on their Civic? What do you use and how successful has it been? Thanks!!!!!
    Paul
  • port_48port_48 Member Posts: 27
    I know this one is over 2 yrs old but I just had the dealer fix my 2002 DX sedan. Whenever I operated the clutch pedal it would make a terrible noise, a combination squeak/spring motion noise that was worse at higher outdoor ambient temps. I could've sworn that it was the clutch pedal assembly pivot/bearing destroying itself. Dealer changed the clutch master cylinder (said there was a service bulletin out on it) and the noise is gone! I had read the service bulletin many months ago but it didn't describe the noise I was experiencing.

    Covered under the 3yr warranty which expires in about 20 days.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Wish they gave us the Civic wagon, then space issues like that above would not be as much of a problem.
  • cakidcakid Member Posts: 1
    hey supz... i have a 00 honda civic lx... 72000 k.. do i need to change my timing belt? what other maintenance do I need on my car? include prices?

    Thank you..
  • dgpunk182dgpunk182 Member Posts: 1
    i had a 2001 echo before i bought my civic and i loved it, it was a very smooth feeling car with all sorts of storage and i liked the interior design with the carbon fiber options...it was really peppy at lower speeds...and i didn't really have a wind problem on the interstate. All in all it looked alittle funny on the outside but i loved the inside, it was alittle bland, but id buy another one
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