Older Civic Maintenance and Repair

spoulter · December 2007

So, I live on the "wet" coast. We get lots of rain. I have a 2004 Honda Civic. The fast month or so when driving in the rain a terrible noise comes from under the hood when accelerating. Our car sounds like a TANK. It happens when we drive through a puddle, or if it is raining hard and the road is overly wet. When the clutch is pushed in the noise fades out ... so we thought it had something to do with the belts.
We had it in to be serviced, and our Honda dealership mechanic told us they saw nothing wrong with the car, but they deglazed the belts. They thought this might help the problem, but if it doesn't then we will have to replace the belts at $140 each. Our Honda mechanic also went on to tell me to avoid driving in puddles and/ or don't drive in the rain. I thought that was the most absurd thing I have ever been told by a mechanic! How am I to avoid driving in the rain???!!! I said that to him, and he didn't have much of a response.
Anyway ... has anyone else experienced the noise we have had with our car. Any thoughts on what exactly it might be? I don't think I am getting the full answer from my dealership.

Thanks,

Shannon

cam2003 · December 2007

I almost could not move the shift selection back from R to Park or N twice today.
I had to use a lot of force to put it back to Park. It seemed to stuck inside the transmission gear box (Brake pedal and push button were fully pressed).
I bought this 96 CIVIC last month, I did notice the gear selection was not smooth. I had lubricated inside gear selection box, but it did not help.
I am afraid one day, I would be able to drive in reverse only.
Any helps to identify the problem/fix would be greatly appreciated.

thegraduate · December 2007

I'm not a mechanic, but it sounds like the switch that allows you to shift from park when the brake is depressed may not be working. On your gear selector, or near it, do you see a keyhole? Put your key in there and see if you can't get it to neutral a lot easier. If that is the case, it sounds like the brake-interlock (that's not the technical name for it) switch is bad.

Don't sweat too much yet, as that switch shouldn't be a big job to replace.

cam2003 · December 2007

I tried to put key into keyhole, it's quite a resistance when moving gear level around P-R-N. I will take a look the shift cable underneath the car. Maybe it's so rusty that preventing from shifting.

zeus3 · December 2007

I would like to know if anybody know how to get the code for my car radio. I lost the number that came with the car and my radio does not work after I had a problem with the battery. I called the Honda Dealer and he said that they have to take the radio out to get the number. There must be a better way for me to get this code!

Any suggestions?

prahar30 · December 2007

I just bought a Honda Civic LX 2003 - 93K Kms on it.
1.When the car reaches 50Kms/hr and above it feels like a lot of noise inside the car (like truck driving, or zooming noise)
2. When i start the accelerator slowly initially, i can feel some cranky noise like some fluids moving kind of noise and goes off when the car picksup. It is a very faint noise.
I am new drivier, so dont know anything about cars.
Please help

herman2k7 · December 2007

im wondering if anyone knows why my 95' civic (coupe) keeps reving even if i put it in "Park" after being driven for about 30 mins.???

satuthom · December 2007

This car will not start, when turning the key it just clicks. Checked battery it is charged. Headlights, horn, hazards and etc. will not work or seem to be mixed up. The cd player seems to have a mind of it's own.

marylong · December 2007

I had a similar problem with my '99 Civic. Turned out the positive battery cables were corroded under the battery terminal. The battery was new and the terminal was fine, but I disconnected it from the cable and the cable was green and white and some of the wires fell off. I just cut off 1/2 inch from each one and replaced with new terminals (did the ground also) and all was good to go. Not sure that is your problem, but worth a shot.

crv16 · December 2007

On newer civics, there is this procedure to get the serial number (NOT the code):

With car turned off, press the 1 and 6 radio preset buttons. Turn on car, serial number will scroll by on the display. Hopefully this works on yours.

him7cky · December 2007

i have a 1990 honda civic. its an automatic with about 240,000 miles on it. it has always ran good but a few days ago it just wouldnt start. i went to the mall and a couple hours later when i went to start it, it would not fire. it cranks just fine. i checked the intake and it is clear. i grounded out the spark plugs and i am getting spark. i know im getting fuel because i can hear the fuel pump running when i turn the key and i can smell gas from the cylinder when i pull out the plugs. what could be wrong? i read online that it could be the ecu or ecm but if im getting spark then that doesnt make sense. if anyone has an idea please let me know. thanks

zeus3 · December 2007

crv16,

Thanks for the instruction. But I tried and no serial number showed up when I started the car. Somebody told me that I will need the serial number of the radio but to get it I have to take the radio out, is that correct?

jymmy · December 2007

my Civic 97 Dx makes a clunking sound when I make a U-turn from a traffic light. The tighter the turn the louder the clunk. What should I ask my mechanic to look for?

kiawah · December 2007

Could potentially be the CV joints, but let them hear the noise, feel it when they drive it, and figure it out for themselves.

suvanisnear · December 2007

that noise is going to be that your cv boot is torn so you will need to replace it asap ..

jymmy · December 2007

thanks for the info

spoulter · December 2007

Since having our belts deglazed this has not helped the problem. We travelled home for the holidays and the noise was worse than ever. Does anyone have any thoughts? PLEASE HELP!

kiawah · December 2007

Hard to tell from your description without hearing it, what the problem really is.

If I assume that what the dealership said is correct and they didn't find anything major wrong with it (so tried deglazing the belts), then probably the next step is to replace the belt with a new one.

While you have the old belt off, I would turn each of the accessory pulleys by hand, to see if you can detect one of those pulleys binding or have a bad bearing. My suspicion is that you may have an accessory going bad, which is putting a strain on the belt, and what you are hearing is that secondary symptom.

If you are not handy to do this job yourself, I would get it to a competent shop.

toddnorrish · January 2008

Purchased a 1987 Honda Civic. Live in the Pacific Northwest. Lots of water. The interior floor is soaking wet. There also seems to be a lot of water trapped somewhere in the body. Can anyone shed light on this for me?

pat · January 2008

Does it have a moon/sunroof? The drainage lines could be clogged causing the water to drain into the car.

geranimo1 · January 2008

I recently bought my parents a 2001 Civic sedan. Unfortunately, after 2 months we've now noticed that the trunk will not open with a key. It will only open with the pull handle next to the driver's seat. This car is pretty basic on features, there is no remote, only keyed entry. I tried in vain to search for some type of master switch in the glovebox.

The manual says something about the trunk only opening with a master key, and I'm pretty sure the two keys we have are not valet keys.

Anyone have any ideas?

herman2k7 · January 2008

i recently bought a 1995 Honda Civic Dx Coupe and recently i began hearing a sound in the passenger airbag side, it sounds like running water but idk what it can be...
need help.

kiawah · January 2008

Probably the engine/radiator coolant, which is flowing thru the passenger heater core. You may need to bleed the air from the system, if it doesn't purge itself of the air by itself.

galf · January 2008

I love my Honda Civic 2005 except for my driver's window... For more than a year now, every once in a while, my window won't roll back up. I've taken it to Honda several times and each time, if they actually find a problem (because the window always rolls up at the dealership) they replace something else, like the motor. This works for a while... until the window won't roll up again. I am worried because my 3 year warranty will be ending soon and I don't know what to do (and don't want to start dishing out the $$ for a chronic problem).

kiawah · January 2008

Well you may ask for a dealer consideration if it continues to fail, as you will have repeated service orders for the same issue. Have they replaced the switch yet...and if not, the next time it fails....try wiggling the switch back and forth and around while it has failed, to see if that will make it work. Then you'd know the switch was bad.

amysboxers · January 2008

My Honda Civic maybe on it's last leg and I desperately need help!
I will try and sum it up for you as best as I can. The car problems started about a year ago. My husband replaced the radiator with a brand new radiator from NAPA. However, he did NOT replace any of the hoses. At the time I did not realize this was a big NO NO. I do a lot of road trips and I took a 8 hour road trip a month after the radiator was put in. Well, on my way back [three hours from home] my car over-heated. I blew a hole in one of the hoses. The car got so hot, it shut itself off. I had to be towed. I know your asking yourself, was all my hoses replaced now. NO!
About three weeks ago, same situation only I was 10 minutes away from home. I blew another hose.
Yesterday, my car was waiting inline at my son's school and it started sputtering. Next thing you know it is smoking. My husband said it is blowing oil out the cap. There is no oil in the water and there is no water in the oil. I have over 200,000 miles on the original motor. I need to know what could be wrong before my husband totally destroys my car. Please help me!!!

kiawah · January 2008

You probably blew a head gasket, which sits on top of the engine block/cylinders, and under the head that contains the valves. The gasket keeps cylinder gas in the cylinders and engine where it belongs, and coolant water in the cooling circuit for cooling. When the gasket blows, coolant gets into the engine and oil (very bad), and oil gets into the coolant system (which can be easily flushed/cleaned).

For what it is worth, this was probably your original problem all along....which caused your radiator to leak to start with, then your hoses to blow out (the next weakest thing), etc.

enver · January 2008

:confuse:

enver · January 2008

I bought a 2002 Civic LX with 34K mi earlier this month. The Honda dealer replaced the alternator and power steering pump belts when the alternator belt began to fail (frayed). Since the repair the power steering pump seems to labor especially when under load ( slow speed turns). Is that belt just too tight or has another problem blossomed?

thegage · February 2008

If you have noise (squealing) and hard steering at low speeds the belt is likely too loose.

thegage · February 2008

Actually, it sounds more like a cracked head, where the crack is at the top of the combustion chamber in one of the cooling jackets. The pressure from the combustion chamber is getting into the cooling system, which is why you blew your radiator and then the hoses. It is also why you don't see coolant/oil contamination. Replacing the hoses with the radiator wouldn't have fixed the basic problem since they aren't the cause of your overheating. A compression test would help confirm this. It if is a cracked head, then the only solution is replacement--assuming the overheating hasn't damaged the engine further.

cgodwin1 · February 2008

What to do? I bought a certified Honda Civic DX Value from a local dealership. Had 52000 miles on it. I took it back in for its 60000 mile service and since then have put about 9000 miles over 9 months on it, I did get an oil change at about 65000 miles. I took it in to a local authorized Honda mechanic (no Honda dealership for about 60 miles) and I had to get an engine oil flush instead of just an oil change because of all the sludge in the oil. Is it at all possible under my driving conditions that in 4000 miles the sludge would have built up.

I just do not see how. I live in the mountains of NC but most of my driving is done on four lane hwy either to and from work or driving to Atlanta to catch an airplane.

How responsible do you guys feel the dealership that sold this to me is?

enver · February 2008

kiawah · February 2008

You wouldn't have sludge built up in 4K miles, if that is your question.

How many oil changes did you have from 52K, to the oil change at 65K?

kms1965 · February 2008

Driving on highway car stopped. Towed to repair shop. Replaced Distributor Assembly, timing belt, spark plugs, ignition wire set, fuel filter, water pump and gave a cooling system transfusion. Get "fixed" car and drive <20 miles and check engine light comes on for the first time - ever - since owning the car - 9 years. Car has 110,000 miles. What could be happening now? Damage to engine they did not notice?

kiawah · February 2008

Could be anything. Have the error code read from the computer, and that will point you to the right area.

Many autoparts chains will read this free of charge.....or you can by an inexpensive reader and read your own error codes.

kms1965 · February 2008

Thank you - we did learn that the error message refers to the catalytic converter. I am extremely suspicious as the car was just tested 2 months ago and passed emissons inspection. I can't help but wonder if something was hit/bumped/dislogded in the work that was done (something with the sensors perhaps) during the work....Anyone know the life expectancy of a catalytic converter and why this would happen just hours after this other work was done...BTW the car runs really well now.

kiawah · February 2008

I'd have the error light reset, and see if it comes back on.

You'd have an O2 sensor right before the converter, then the converter, and then another O2 sensor after the sensor. It might be worth replacing the first sensor before having to tackle the converter. They are monitored by the computer, which then adjusts the intake fuel mixture to get the appropriate burning of gases.

ibflossing · February 2008

Hi,

Does anyone know where is the fuel filter for 2004 civic EX? I 'm trying to change the fuel filter but can't locate the darn thing

Thanks

stephypooh · February 2008

Hey there,
I have a 1994 Honda civic dx with approx 158xx miles on it.(automatic) The car never gave me problems until just recently...Ok here it goes....When ever i start the car it trys hard to start and then about after 7 seconds it starts. Then it starts shaking and vibrating really bad. When i put ti in reverse it vibrates alottt and then it shuts off. When i put the car on drive i have to be driving pretty fast without even stopping a ltlle or the car shuts down. When driving it vibrates and the exhaust vibrates with it aswell with a llittle smoke coming out. When i am going to a stoplight i have to put the car on neutral because if i do not the car will shake really bad and then shut off.

I can never keep the car on D whenever i am stopping like i usteo because it will shut off...everyone said the timing may be off i do not know! :confuse: :sick: Yeah my car needs help! I was just thinking of replacing the motor but people say it is fixable...Please anyone that knows about cars or hondas tell me what you think is going on!!!!!!

shipo · February 2008

There are way too many reasons why your car could be doing what you're describing to diagnose it over the internet. That said, I'm not hearing any compelling reason to replace the motor, just get it to a competent mechanic and have him/her give it a look-see.

Keep us posted.

Best Regards,
Shipo

howard18 · February 2008

howard18 · February 2008

Anybody know is there any website to show how to replace the headlight assembly step by step?????

aapodaca · February 2008

having problems starting my civic already checked fuel,injecters,changed plugs and wires and the $%^&&$%#$@#@ thing will not start. IT WAS WORKING FINE THEN ONE MORNING IT JUST WOULDNT START CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME ANYTHING TO CHECK OR SOMETHING ALREADY LOST MY JOB CLEAR ACROSS TOWN LOOKING FOR A JOB CLOSE TO HAOME PLEASE HELP.

marylong · February 2008

Just a stab in the dark here: mine would not start - it was totally dead. After checking everything, I found that one of the battery cables was coroded. Not where it connected to the battery, but at the end where it conected to the car. I replaced both battery cables and it started right up.

jpcontreras · February 2008

I need a little help diagnosing and figuring out where to start. I am mechanically inclined but not a mechanic and can ususally do what needs to be done if I can just figure out what to check and what the problem is.

My civic started running hot a couple of weeks ago when I stopped moving or got stuck in traffic. It would never actually overheat just run a lot hotter then normal. I also noticed that the heater wasn't blowing hot air. Having had an accord previously with a cooling fan that went bad that is the first thing that I checked. I used a jumper wire to send 12v directly to the fan and it seemed to work just fine. I decided to check the fuses/relay/and cooling fan thermostat but happened to notice that the radiator seemed a little low on fluid so I filled it up and let the car sit in the garage to warm back up and put a meter on the thermostat and relay to see if they were working properly. However, after letting the car run for a half an hour the car would not run hot and the fan never would kick on. I thought that maybe the car had just been low on anti-freeze so I stopped there for a couple of days. A few days later the problem would start again and I would check the level and it would be low and again I would fill and check the heat and it wouldn't overheat. Then it started this week again. I thought that maybe there was a leak somewhere but can't find any radiator fluid on the floor of the garage or when I park at work, yet still the fluid level drops every few days. I don't know if it is related, but it seems to be burning more oil in the past few months than it used to.

The past couple of days however, every time I started the car or let it idle it started making more of a rumble or missing noise. This morning I didn't think it was going to stay running long enough to pull it out of the garage. It also seemed to lose power when I did get it going. Then when I got stuck in traffic it started running hotter then ever before so I pulled into a parking lot and the car actually overheated. Not wanting to damage it I had it towed back home. So, now I am staring at the engine trying to figure out where to start.

I know this is a long post, but wanted to give as much info as possible. I would appreciate any advice. I would have had it taken to a mechanic, but the money for that is not available to me right now.

Thanks in advance.

plumtreeboy · March 2008

I have been doing a lot of research online about my shift lock problem with Honda's. I've checked the following items in my car and I still can't get my car out of park:

1) the brake switch (Good All brakes lights works)
2) the shift-interlock solenoid (Looks good and clean)

I have removed the center console and look at all of the connectors and solenoid and they all look good. Why can prevent power going to the center console? Any relay that need to be replaced? All of the wires look good and they are connected. I am not getting any power going to shift-interlock solenoid.

Please help! I've checked all of the fuses and they all look good.

kiawah · March 2008

You should suspect a blown head gasket, allowing your coolant to mix with cylinder gasses.

Have a compression test done on all the cylinders, to see if one (or more) are reading low. If so, you'll need to have some upper engine head work done on it.

marylong · March 2008

On Feb 8th, the temp gage started to show the engine was hot. When stopped or moving slow, keeping the heater on full blast would keep the needle in the middle where it belonged. Or, when moving steadily above 35mph, the temp would be good. Then after a couple days, there was no problem - it just stopped misbehaving and all was well. On Feb 28th, it started again and I was able to keep the gage at normal by keeping the car moving. Then over the next couple days, just keeping the car moving was not enough. I have to have the heater going full blast on high heat AND have to have the car moving to get the needle to normal. If I slow or stop, even with the heater going, the needle gets nearly to the red mark - but has not topped out. I checked under the hood and noticed that the fan in front of the radiator was not moving. Will just replacing the fan fix the problem or could there be other things wrong?

kiawah · March 2008

You need to have some determine what is wrong, not just replace parts. The fan might be perfectly fine, but the fuse is blown, or the temperature sensor is bad, or a relay is bad, or a connector has corrosion on it.

It 'could' be that the fan is bad, but better to spend some diagnostic time/money to repair the correct thing.

Is the radiator full of coolant, as well as the overflow tank? Is the fuse okay? If you put a digital voltmeter across the power feed to the fan when it's hot (and the fan should be running), do you have 13volts? If you connect power directly to the fan, does it go on?

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