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Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Meet the Members

Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
edited August 2014 in Honda
Introduce yourself and get to know other Civic Hybrid owners here!

Comments

  • richard26richard26 Member Posts: 2
    I bought a 2005 Civic Hybrid last month and after 2 fill ups my mileage is 561.7 and my mileage per gallon is only 30.393. The mileage has been 80% city & 20% highway. The dealer tells me that there is a break in time & that I should wait until the car has 2,000 miles on it. Is there something I'm doing wrong or is the dealer correct.
  • hybrid_brihybrid_bri Member Posts: 15
    I just purchased an 05 Civic Hybrid with the 5-speed manual transmission.
    My first tank of gas lasted 497 miles and I put 10.5 gallons in. Thats 47 mpg.
    The trip A meter on the dashboard read 47.1mpg as the average mpg for the tank. Now I am on my second tank and the trip A meter is registering 51.7 average mpg.

    I drive up and down hills both ways to work with some flat area driving in stop and go traffic 18 miles each way.. At times I'm going 20mph other times I'm going 50mph.

    My suggestion for you to improve your milage is as follows. Push the button sticking out where the speedometer is until you see Trip A lit up. Reset trip A at each fill up. I have been reading that other owners never rest Trip B to track the life time average MPG for their car. Keep an eye as you drive on your current average mpg. As you are driving make sure the mpg realtime bar on the bottom is registering higher than you averave mpg. You will find that if you lift a tiny bit of pressure from the gas pedel as your driving your realtime milage will stay between 40 and 60 mpg most of the time.
    The owners manual states that if you use the AC you will see a HUGE drop in gas milage. Try not to use it too often. Try using your cars secondary AC system. All cars have one.
    Its the unspoken air conditioner model 450 . Four windows down at 50mph.
    Good luck with your car.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    hybrid_bri:

    "Four windows down at 50mph" will probably cost you more in fuel than all windows up with the A/C on. It's a well understood simple matter of aerodynamics and reduced coefficient of drag (Cd).
  • hybrid_brihybrid_bri Member Posts: 15
    Not true with the hybrid. Read your owners manual concerning the hit on fuel milage with the hybrid civic running with the AC on. I got 47mpg on the first tank and 51.8 on the second tank with the windows wide open averaging 50-55mph.

    I am quite aware of the fact that a normal gas only powered car or truck will achieve better fuel economy with the AC on and the windows closed at higher speeds.

    Listen, don't take my word for it. Drive around yourself with the AC on all the time for your entire next tank of gas.
    I challenge you to prove me wrong.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    hybrid_bri:

    As I am interested in purchasing a Civic Hybrid, but do not yet own one, I don't have an Owner's Manual to which I can refer. Please type the exact wording from the manual that (as you indicate) confirms that driving with the windows down will give you better mileage than with them up. Thanks in advance.
  • mervin36mervin36 Member Posts: 1
    Disappointed,

    I'm looking to buy a 2005 Civic Hybryd in the next few weeks. Has the mileage improved on you car? Anything you can tell me that I should know?

    Thanks in advance,

    Mark
  • bashnaglebashnagle Member Posts: 1
    yea that is what my dealer told me too. Seems to be the case as far as i can tell. My 2005 civic hybrid milage slowly increased over the first 1000-2000 miles and has and is now after almost 8000 miles ave. 42mpg. I am pleased as i drive about 800miles/wk for work 50/50 city/HW.

    DN :D
  • stimetsstimets Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Hybrid and have driven it 50K miles over the last three
    years. My experience is consistent: 50 MPG during the winter
    and 44 MPG during the summer. I drive with the AC on all the
    time during summer (I live in the south and I'm not insane). So,
    yes, there's a hit in mileage when using the AC, but it's worth it!

    The thing to remember is that you are not driving a hot-rod.
    Ease up on the gas pedal, use the ECON feature, don't accelerate
    too quickly, etc. I have met a few folks that told me they weren't
    getting the mileage they hoped for, and after talking to them
    it became clear that the reason was that their driving habits weren't
    yet attuned to the "economy-car-mentality." After a while, they
    got it and they have enjoyed the 45+ MPGs that they bargained for!

    Rob
  • patrickhenrypatrickhenry Member Posts: 1
    I bought a new Civic hybrid in February of 2005. My wife drives it to work daily, and there is an elevation gain/loss of 2700 feet in a 12 mile commute each way. Averaging 37 mpg with the A/C on all the time. I can live with that. Auto trans. Linda is happy with her new car...
  • kmh3kmh3 Member Posts: 35
    I commute 15 miles each way to work, half city and half highway, and the highway is modest hilly terrain. Summer requires I use air on the way home, but mornings are cool enough to avoid it.

    I bought the car because I am changing jobs to an 80 mile commute. The car will save me thousands in gas over a few years.

    I am getting 43-44 mpg so far on the trip meter
    My goal is to break 50 and hold there at 50+. :-)

    I am slowly trying the tricks I read about in these forums. I pumped my tires up to 44 psi (their rated max) and that helped, the dealer had them at 32. I actually like the tighter road feel as I tend to like firm suspension cars with lots of feedback.

    The trick of accellerating normally (not too slow, not too fast) up to speed and then coasting to the next light with the clutch down does seem to improve my city mileage. I think this trick is primarily for manual tranny owners.

    I downhift into stops to recharge the battery (down through second gear anyway).
    If the battery is charged I don't downshift but let the auto-stop shut off the engine while I brake, you have to shift into neutral with the HCH-manual for the auto-stop to work.

    I only run the AC in ECON mode.

    Managing the air-conditioner with auto-stop is a bit fun since this model year needs the engine running for the compressor to be on. If I shift into gear while stopped the engine will start. And if I shift back out into neutral the engine will auto-stop again. So I can play games to save gas and still not get overheated.
    Anyone who buys a 2006 HCH won't have to do this I hear.

    I thought the car was really wimpy at first and was dissapointed. 93 hp combined should be just fine for a car this weight. I began to notice the gears were really tall (the electric motor gives huge torque at very low rpms thus allowing tall gears).

    Then I calculated the redline speeds for each gear (I won't take the engine to redline until the break-in is over so these figures are calculated not observed):
    1st 33 mph
    2nd 61 mph
    3rd 98 mph

    I only tried it a few times, but downshifting into second or third when needed and mashing the gas pedal produces enough power for situations like uphill highway on-ramps.

    The electric assist meter pegs itself when I do that, which is kind of fun to watch in a strange way, since driving this car like that is wrong on so many levels, but it is good to know it can do that when I need it. :-)

    I am going to put synthetic oil in at 3k miles after the break in is done.
    I hope Mobil1 comes in 0-20 weight.

    The tires that came on the car have a 240 treadwear (which is kind of low) so I started shopping in advance for replacement tires. I haven't heard any feedback from others yet about how long the Bridgestone B381 tires last.

    Kurt
  • borekborek Member Posts: 1
    Greetings all y'all.
    I am awaiting for 06 Civic Hybrid and thinking about my options. First, I am not interested on spending $12.- plus to commute 80 miles/day to work. I drive 99 Dodge Ram Quad Sport and I am getting 500 miles on 26 gallon tank.
    Second, I am 6' 4" 240lbs., not tiny fellow. I owned 84 DX which I rolled on the roof in Wyoming with only 5K on it. No scratches on me - DX totaled. Smallest car I owned since that was 89 Eagle Premier. Well I sat in & drove 05 Hybrid and i was pleasantly surprised with some of the features being almost identical to DX from two decades ago (remote trunk & gas door levers, tilt wheel lever etc.) BUT, long commute may call for Accord Hybrid. Please share your thoughts. ;-D
  • lamu9lamu9 Member Posts: 4
    Hi Richard,

    I bought my HCH in mid April. I am already at 4,224 miles and still only average 33 mpg! I've been learning all the tricks from here and other sites and employing them. I had my recall done 1 1/2 months ago and although I see a minor increase, it's not much of one.

    Renee
  • shermittshermitt Member Posts: 2
    Hello...I bought my 05 HCH about 2 months ago. The car runs great and quiet. I have been getting anywhere between 43-47 MPG. I have tried to use all three different levels of octane for gas. I didn't notice a great difference on the fuel efficiency, thus, I stuck with the octane 92 so that my engine would be cleaner in the long run. However, I have been wondering when I should do an oil change. The dealer told me every 5k, but I am wondering if I should bring it into the dealer sooner. I am approaching 4500 miles now.
  • davem7davem7 Member Posts: 35
    I just purchased a 2006 HCH and already have 2000 miles on it, previously I owned a 2005 HCH CVT for 6 months and put on 20,000 miles.

    So far the overall mpg for the '06 is 49 combined city and highway and methodology is to cap the tank to the same exact level on each fill up.This is in Western New York where elevations vary considerably from level to foothills.. The '06 has both a real time and trip mpg but I have doubts about their accuracy however i'll withhold final judgement until I put more miles on it.

    The major performance improvement I see between the '05 and '06 is in the Auto Stop feature. On the '05 you had to be going almost 20mph for it to engage and if you took your foot off the brake for a second it would not reengage unless you resumed the previous speed.

    With the '06 the Auto Stop engages closer to 10mph and re reengages at about the same speed, sometimes even slower. If you spend a lot of time idling or crawling at low speed when traffic is backed up the Auto Stop will significantly improve your mpg over a period of time Unfortunately it takes about 5 minutes of driving before the vehicle warms up enough for the Auto Stop to function so you may find find yourself idling in the gasoline mode at your first two or three stops.

    Hope to make further reports after more driving, esp. with winter setting in to see what effects the cold temperatures have on fuel economy.
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    Bought a new 2004 HCH about 22 months and 52K miles ago.

    I've owned 18 used cars and this is my 4th new vehicle. By far it has been the most fun and economical.

    Over the past 52K miles I've averaged over 60MPG, most of last winter (2005) I've done mid-upper 60's MPG driving carefully.
    I drive almost 100 miles a day over very hilly North Georgia.

    So far the battery capacity hasn't changed, at least as far as I can tell and haven't had any other problems.

    This car has been a win-win.
  • jonallenjonallen Member Posts: 30
    Borek,
    I am not sure how different the '05 Civic Hybrid is from my new '06, but they are both very efficient cars for mixed mode (city/suburban) driving. For flat-out highway driving, though, they are really just toting around an expensive regenerative system that will hardly get used. If I were you, I'd get a Jetta diesel. They reliably go on highways with high 40s to low 50s MPG, and they don't even rust out as fast as most gas powered cars.
  • hchinhoustonhchinhouston Member Posts: 7
    What are people paying for 2006 HCH's out the door (i.e. after tax, license and fees). We paid around $24,000...pretty steep, but we really love the care. Thanks.
  • jguarfnjguarfn Member Posts: 5
    We saw the 2006 HCH last week at a car show in Albuquerque and were impressed by it and the Prius. Toyota told us it would be a 6 month wait. We've been Odessey owners for the past 7 years and figured it couldn't hurt to ask with the pump prices pushing $3/gal. The Rio Rancho dealer had one with Nav that really didn't appeal to us, but 3 hours later we drove home at nearly the same payment level. The navigation features are pretty cool from the descriptions of the book and we look forward to putting on some miles.

    Jguarfn :shades:
  • jph3006jph3006 Member Posts: 49
    Congratulations on your purchase of the HCH. May I ask you to write about your impressions (or your wife's) about driving the hybrid and it's dual system vs. the old Honda van? Thanks
  • jguarfnjguarfn Member Posts: 5
    From the short time I drove it, I couldn't tell much difference from the Odyssey in the way it runs. Other than it shutting off the engine at each stop, that is. That takes a little getting used to. The pick up and acceleration was excellent and I really like watching the MPG gauge as I'm driving. She misses the higher seating position but not the trips to the pump.
  • butchinvabutchinva Member Posts: 4
    I'd been driving a 1994 Civic LX (automatic) since late '94, and retired her (Betsy) in favor of a used '03 HCH. That was at the end of January. I'm loving the new car. Got a 5-spd this time, and am really enjoying that, as I live in the Appalachians of SW Virginia. I suppose I could modify my habits a bit more to get better mileage, but it's still hovering around 50-52 on the computer, and 45-49 real world.

    This car should hold me until Honda comes along with the ethanol fuel cell powered one in a few years. BTW, did anyone else know that Honda is going to be importing their turbodiesel line into the US?? A friend in the UK drives an '05 Accord TDI wagon and absolutely loves it.

    Butch
  • filmlabratfilmlabrat Member Posts: 13
    Since I've had my 2006 HCH for about a month now, I guess I get to be a member of this forum.

    I'm having fun, here in Los Angeles. I miss my 2002 Honda Accord V6 EX-L coupe but am adjusting to the totally new experience of my HCH. My first Honda was in 1976 and I've had about 9 new ones since then. My 2006 HCH is by far the most drastic change for me.

    The technology really amazes me. The Nav system is really state-of-the-art. I have a handheld GPS that I take on trips and the HCH Nav system blows it away. The audio voice feedback is really cool. A friend, that I often go to lunch with, thinks that the female computer voice is really sexy and would like to ask her for a date. If anyone has her phone number, please let me know.

    One of the many surprises for me was the interior room. Since I'm coming from an Accord, I thought I would really be cramped. The 2006 HCH is VERY roomy inside. I would guess that the total cabin cubic footage is actually MORE than in my Accord Coupe.

    One thing that's hard to get used to is the short snout on the HCH. I'll pull up behind a parked car and guess that I am, maybe, 6 inches shy of his bumper. I get out and find that I'm 3 feet away!

    I hope all you HCH brothers and sisters are having as much fun as I am.
  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    My previous car was a 2005 2.4l 4cyl Honda Accord, which I absolutely loved. A very smooth and sophisticated drive indeed. But...when I found out about the new 2006 HCH coming out, well...I just had to have one. I wasn't disappointed at all. Amazing fuel economy in the worst traffic imaginable. 60 mile round trip in mostly bumper to bumper and I get 50mpg plus. No complaints about power or sophistication either. All in all a very good move. No GPS option here (Australia), but who cares when gas is over $6.00 per gallon and due to hit $9.00 a gallon by 2007.

    Enjoy :)
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    gas is over $6.00 per gallon and due to hit $9.00 a gallon by 2007

    Don't be so pessimistic. Think positive. Maybe it will go down a buck or two. What does the government give you for the $4 in tax on each gallon? You should go with CNG vehicles down under.

    Australia's gas reserves are at an all-time high and continuing to climb steeply

    You probably have more oil than Saudi Arabia if you just look for it. You could be paying 12 cents a gallon like Venezuela.

    The continent and its marine jurisdiction are vastly underexplored; only 8000 wells have been drilled and many offshore basins have never been tested (figure 2). The big fields in any new petroleum province are usually found first, so Australia's best chance of adding major new oil reserves is to find new petroleum provinces.

    http://www.ga.gov.au/ausgeonews/ausgeonews200503/bignewoil.jsp

    Get at it mate, we will buy any extra you have.
  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    I guess that's why we are all thought of mushrooms down here!

    We are being regularly told to expect gas prices to rise substantially in the near future by the government and other "experts". The last time I filled up gas cost me $1.35 per litre (4.45 x $1.35 = $6.00). Our government is pretty greedy when it comes to taxes on gas (I'd better call it petrol because we also have LPG = Liquid Petrolium Gas...and I'll get confused!). Anyway, the government puts a "price parity" tax on petrol to bring us up to world oil prices, and then puts another tax on that - GST (Goods and Services tax). So we get hit twice. Now as oil prices rise, so the government makes even more money. Do we see any of these "taxes". No way. Would they ever think of removing the double dipping tax...no way. So it pays them to have petrol prices go up...not down. Petrol prices have NEVER gone down in Australia. They have been steadily rising for as long as I can remember. I think you know more about what reserves we have than we do! That's an excellent link and I'll take my time reading it.

    Considering the geographic layout of Australia, and how most of us are used to travelling long distances to get to work...or anywhere for that matter, you would think that the government would go easy on petrol prices. But like the revenue they earn from gambling, they're hooked and unlikely to change.

    So we just have to change the way and what we drive. So hybrids are starting to become quite popular. At first it was just the local councils that drove them to make an environmental statement. But now you see more and more average Joe's driving them.

    Don't get me wrong, Australian's still have an ongoing love affair with the V8, but it is starting to change.

    Big V8's are very hard to sell now.

    I believe, that as renewable energy sources are developed for cars, so the urge to find new reserves of oil will dwindle. And as that happens petrol prices will continue to rise.

    I believe that we still import the majority of our oil from the OPEC nations. So we are strongly linked to what they want to slug us per barrel.

    By the way, petrol prices can vary from Monday to Friday by as much as 15c. This is supposed to be a competitive market at work...but it's really strange how they all go up together just prior to vacation time!
  • worldpeaceworldpeace Member Posts: 1
    i also bought an 05 in april-just drove it from memphis to nm - averaged 80 mph there and back-same as you, i only got 33 mpg-disappointed but just read about the tires - the sticker on the door says 30 lbs - what have u learned so far??? could it have been the weight of the luggage and 2 passengers
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I guess that's why we are all thought of mushrooms down here!

    Don't be so hard on yourself man, we are not told the truth at least half the time in the US. I do think you are wise to get the Honda Civic Hybrid. Nice solid vehicle and with your gas prices and commute it will pay for itself. I still want one of those Ford Ranger diesels you have. Is your diesel as expensive as gas (petrol)?
  • davhandavhan Member Posts: 21
    Diesel is actually MORE expensive than petrol...by about 10-15 cents per litre. This is because Diesel is not that popular here yet. Not sure about the Ford Ranger. Is that a "pickup" style or commuter style. I'll have to go to www.ford.com.au and take a look. We do have small car diesel's, but they are fully imported mostly...Peugot etc. and quite expensive too. Diesel's for the most part are looked on as noisy, smelly and something that farmer Brown drives around "on".

    So any saving you make on the efficiency of a diesel is lost in the extra cost of the vehicle and the fuel. Pretty dumb really because I know in Europe that diesel's far outsell petrol.
  • baltobrewerbaltobrewer Member Posts: 10
    Hey all, just bought an 06 HCH about a month ago, have ~1400 miles on it and just filled the tank for the 2nd time... Lifetime MPG so far is 51.4. 669.3 first tank, 667.7 2nd tank. ~12.5 gallons to fill it each time. Silly stuff.

    I love the car. It's a totally different driving experience than anything else, but the combination in technology of the IMA system with the CVT is really spectacular. I cant believe how often the VVT closes the valves on the engine and shuts off fuel supply to conserve gas. It'll do it for a few seconds at a time, but they add up on my 90 mile/day commute...

    And BTW, the car *can* run on electric only at 60+ mph. Not for LONG, mind you, but it can...

    And for all who are considering it, the Nav system is a great option. It's very accurate, and I love the PC card slot. I got a PCMCIA flash memory adapter and a 4GB flash memory card and dumped upwards of 700 songs on it. They are all accessible thru the folders via touchscreen. Very cool stuff.

    Jay
  • allcarsrcoolallcarsrcool Member Posts: 113
    Real world numbers how much does it cost to replace the hybrid battery?
  • ski49ski49 Member Posts: 3
    I picked up my 2006 HCH three weeks ago and have put more than 1,800 miles on it so far. My 1st tank was only 41.48 mpg, next was up to 46.07 followed by slow increases to 46.40 and finally 46.97. My travels the 1st tank was 90% city. The next three have been 60% highway & 40% city. In all cases the on board computer mileage estimates were 1.5 mpg less than what computing the mileage using actual miles driven vs actual gas purchased.

    So far I couldn't be happier with the driving expierence and mileage. Especially since the mileage is more than double what I was getting with my 2003 CRV.

    In other posts I saw a number of comments concerning the lack of a fold down rear seat or at least a pass thru to the trunk, along with the lack of a power sun roof, larger tires & wheels, and the rather misleading XM ready labels on the radio.

    Fold down rear seat / pass thru - can't be done due to the fact that the battery pack sits directly behind the rear seat.

    Power sun roof - weighs too much which would reduce mpg.

    Larger tire and wheels - see power sun roof.

    XM ready radio - as much as I would like to force the issue with Honda I already owned an XM radio that I had removed from my previous vehicle. Installation in the HCH was only $80.00 by Circuit City instead of the $400+ Honda wants and the $450 for the XM module. You can but an XM or Sirius radio for less than $100 plus installation and use the money saved for other fun things. I simply plug it into the auxillary port and it works great.
  • davem7davem7 Member Posts: 35
    I agree that the price for the integrated XM radio for the '06HCH is excessive.

    On my '06HCH I have the integrated unit, on my previous '05HCH I had the "Roady" type.

    I have found the difference in performance between the integrated and the "Roady" types to be considerable with the integrated superior.

    As I understand it the integrated type has a dedicated frequency for XM, witb the "Roady" types you have about 8 FM frequencies to choose from. Depending on your location you may receive overriding interference from a non XM station on the same channel and it may require switching frequencies. This has never happened with the integrated type-there is no other frequency to switch to.

    I've had no experience with Sirius.
  • ski49ski49 Member Posts: 3
    Sorry for the delay in replying.

    I don't use the FM frequency mode for my Roady2. In my 2006 HCH there is an auxillary port that is directly compatible with the Roady2 using a simple standard connection available at any Radio Shack or similar store.

    It will plug in right below the cigarette lighter and is also used to attach and MP3 player and similar items. Using this connection method gives almost exactly the same performance as the dealer installed unit. To hear the XM radio simply chose the AUX button.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Power sun roof - weighs too much which would reduce mpg. :( :sick:

    22 lbs.

    That is difference in curb weight of a car with power sunroof and without power sunroof with all other equipment being the same. The results were obtained using Mitsubishi Lancer.

    Power Sunroof is not going to affect mileage in any significant manner at all whatsoever.
  • rogerb46rogerb46 Member Posts: 9
    Windows down can actually increase gas consumption as well! Air-stream effect or something like that.
  • grumpy64505grumpy64505 Member Posts: 4
    On my 2002 HCH is seemed as though I got better mileage with the windows closed and A/C on, but with my 2006 going the same speed and the same road I get better mileage with the A/C off and windows open. I don't care about aerodynamics and anything else, I just know my personal results.

    Also, the 2006 is far superior to the 2002 in size, pep, and mileage.

    I love this car.

    Winds, hills, heavy foot will make a difference. I can control the last one, but not the first two.

    Someone earlier mentioned the Accord Hybrid. We drove one prior to purchasing the Civic and chose the Civic.

    The Accord is a SUPER car, but I could not justify the cost when it only got a couple of miles more per gallon. The performance was terrific and I could have gotten a lot of tickets with it but chose to pass. :)
  • oktokt Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a used 2006 HCH with Navi - it says it's XM ready, but I can't seem to find any activation instructions. I already have XM in my wife's Acura, but this one has me stumped.
  • jberkjberk Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone out there tried a K&N high flow air filter in the civic hybrid. I know that I have gained some mileage with them on my other vehicles.

    Is there any way to reprogram the system to allow the motor to not restart if you come to a stop and shift to park.

    Does anyone know why Honda detentes the shifter to second instead of drive??
  • stubedostubedo Member Posts: 2
    i bought this car at 98,000. it had the shutter and honda is now fixing it by putting in a new clutch. i am planning to do my own oil changes and transmission oil changes. parts are a problem. the dealer has had my car for two weeks. parts for the clutch and air conditioner could not be found locally. carquest sells all the oils and filters far cheaper than honda. i was advise to change the transmission fluid every 12000 and the oil every 3000-5000 depending on length of time the engine is on. 20 miles or more on open roads, each time you can get 5000 miles. stop and go on local streets every 3000 miles. i have heard that adjusting valves is very important. i have not found out yet how many miles before adjustment. does nayone know? stuart williamson - ca
  • stubedostubedo Member Posts: 2
    two exact same vehicles run on a track one with all windows open the other with airconditioner on busted the myth that windows open caused so much drag it made the car more inefficient in miles per gallon. turns out the car with air on burned 15 % more fuel. stu
  • maleah18maleah18 Member Posts: 1
    I've had my 2006 HCH for a little over 3 years now. It has been a great ride. I've managed to put 32,000 miles on it. A couple of oil changes, 1 full maintenance check, and things are ticking well for the most part.

    MPG - is great when road tripping.I've maxed at 51 MPG. Ok in the city, maybe around 32 MPG. I drive mainly to work (about 11 miles total per day), it's stop and go traffic. In the colder/snowy months it's less, about 25-27 MPG. I've noticed recently when my battery guage is very low, the acceleration deteriorates, it's running mainly on gas at this point. I'm hardly a press the petal to the metal person, but when it's like this, I have to just to get it to move. The batter assistance/charging battery lights seem not to work properly when this happens. It doesn't assist (no battery power) and it doesn't seem to charge. But after a little bit of cruising, the battery power gets restored, and things (lights) start to function again.

    RPM - In the colder months, my rpm's tend to jump up and down between 0 to 1 when I come to stops, instead of cutting off the gas. After a few miles, the car has warmed up and it settles down, but still keeps the RPM at at least 1. I've mentioned this to the mechanics, but nothing ever came of it. So, is this normal?

    TIRE NOISE - I've been hearing a noise as my tires rotate. I go fast, the noise goes faster. It's not a break pad grinding, but something in the rotation. I thought it might be something with the tire bearings. Again, I've mentioned this to the mechanics, nothing came of it. So I've been driving with it for at least a year. It's not a bad sound, just isn't as silent as it was when I bought it. Could this be a problem I need looked at?

    Other than those issues, the car works great! I'll be road tripping with it tomorrow. Saving gas and the world one gallon at a time. :):)
  • cthach03cthach03 Member Posts: 3
    Hi There,

    I have a 2004 HCH with 245,641 miles on it. My engine light is on and so is my malfunction light. Every now and then I have a little trouble start the car. I know I need to replace the IMA battery... I wonder if anyone knows what battery starts the car? The IMA or the small regular battery? I bought to the dealer and they said my regular battery is still good but I saw the battery light comes on when I have trouble starting my car. Thank you for your help ! Daisy- CA :confuse:
  • edesvignesedesvignes Member Posts: 1
    hello Honda civic hybrid owners my name is Manny from Brooklyn NY . and i have just bought an 05 Honda civic hybrid this car is nice looking but i have one problem when i put this car in drive and starts to move out there is some sort clucking noise. only on take off. one mechanic told me it was transmission mounts which i change and problem is still there. the car runs good after take-off until i come to a stop, again that noise on take-off. does any member know what cause this or have had this symptom before IF ANYONE KNOWS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. email edesvignes@aol.com
  • hybridguyx2hybridguyx2 Member Posts: 3
    My '07 had the same issue. Very hard transmission engagement coming off of Auto-Stop. An IMA system update from Honda resolved the issue. If your HCH is "behind" on updates (I DO NOT recommend allowing them to do the most recent one if you can avoid it...TERRIBLE), that might resolve your issue.
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