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Older Civic Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    My son's 626 had an accident three years ago that sounds similar to this one. No engine damage, but airbags deployed and front bumper needed replacing plus some repair to one fender. Repair was around $4000 (airbags are expensive to replace)--and that was 3 years ago.

    Is an insurance company handling the repairs? If so, they might "total" the car if the repair cost is 70% of the car's value. So if the insurance company estimates the car's value at $3500, it would take damage of only $2450 to total it. In that case you would be paid the car's value, and the insurance company would take your car.

    If you are paying for the repair yourself, it's up to you how much you want to spend fixing it. Consider that you can sell your car for parts (powetrain, body panels etc.) and then buy another used Civic. So factor the salvage value of your car into the equation when determining how much to spend repairing it.
  • teestees Member Posts: 2
    if you dont mind me asking, why did you decide to fix your sons 626. Did the yours or the other party's insurance cover it? It does sound like we have the same type of accident. What was the value of the 626? was it 7 years old or so like mine? what factors did you think about before you decided to fix it?

    The other parties insurance company is screwing me over the situation and if I do get anything, it will probably have to be over litigation. The car has been so good to me that I am hesitant to not fix it. I appreciate your input on this.
  • imm19imm19 Member Posts: 12
    Hi everyone,
    My daughter drives 99'Civic and the wiper arms are not acting right. Most of the time they (arms) park not at the bottom of the windshield but 4-5 inches up. Sometimes when she uses the maximum fast speed of the wipers they stop on the right place, otherwise when she uses intermittent regimen wipers stops above the bottom place on the windshield. Any idea why this is happen?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Sorry, just noticed your question. Our insurance covered the repairs (my son was at fault in the accident). We decided to fix it rather than have it totaled because it's a good car (still going strong) and we didn't know if we could find another 626 for what we'd get as a settlement from the insurance company. The car had to be fixed, or totaled. It was not drivable.
  • dandixon21dandixon21 Member Posts: 1
    DID YOU GET THIS RESOLVED?? I DID THE SAME THING CHANGING OUT A HEAD UNIT AND SOMETHING WENT WRONG. SAME SIMPTOMS TO THE T. PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    I just bought a 1993 Civic EX sedan from my cousin. She bought it new in 1993 and drove it 44,212 miles in 16 years. It was maintained at the dealer she bought it from. Basically, for the last 10 years, she drove it about 2200 miles a year and had it serviced once a year when it was up for emissions testing to get her tag renewed.

    Anyway, the front brakes have 17k miles on them, the back brakes are original. I have no squealing and no shimmy in the brake pedal or anything. The tires are 10 years old with 22k miles on them. They don't lose air or show any signs of irregular wearing. The timing belt has not been changed. The automatic transmission has never been serviced. The CV joint are original--but they are not making any clicking sounds when turning.

    The battery was replaced (at the Honda dealer) about 6 months ago and the thermostat was replaced (at the Honda dealer) over the summer--so they pressure tested and refilled the radiator while they had it. They replaced the air filter at this year's service visit.

    My question is:

    In what order would you perform maintenance? I think the timing belt (along with the other drive belts and water pump) and the transmission fluid will be done first. I plan to do that in the next few months. I think I'll replace the brakes and tires in the next year or two--unless I get a need to do so earlier. I'll replace the CV joints when they start clicking. I only paid $1000 for the car and I feel it's worth at least $3000; so, even after all this maintenance, I still feel as though I got a good deal on this car.
  • raychuang00raychuang00 Member Posts: 541
    Yikes.

    As part of the 90,000 mile maintenance service on my 1998 Civic HX coupe, the dealer told they had to change the timing belt on the car. Only one problem: it ballooned the cost of the 90,000 mile service around US$900. :surprise: Is it that costly to do timing belt changes on a Honda automobile engine? :confuse:
  • uga91uga91 Member Posts: 1,065
    My Honda dealer will change mine for $485 and I found a Honda Repair shop (local shop that only works on Hondas) who will do it for $450, taxes included. That includes the timing belt, all other drive belts and the water pump.
  • jandmchase01jandmchase01 Member Posts: 2
    I am having trouble with my car overheating. The radiator fan is not kicking in and we have replaced the fan already including the relay. Any suggestions, not sure if my mechanic checked the fuse, we might have done the backyard mechanic for no reason but atleast the fan is newer LOL. My mechanic has been too busy to look at it and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
  • jandmchase01jandmchase01 Member Posts: 2
    check your alternator
  • lmoreno3lmoreno3 Member Posts: 21
    Greeting, I was having the same problems with my wife's '94 Civic. I found out that it was the plastic cap on the brake light switch that was broken off, that is why the lights always stayed on. I replaced it with a homemade piece from a torn bicycle tire and double stick tape, bought at AutoZone. It has been four months now, and the lights are still staying off unless she steps on the brakes. The switch is located right behind the brake pedal, a little hard to see unless you use a flashlight or troublelight. Hope this helps.
  • lmoreno3lmoreno3 Member Posts: 21
    Greeting everyone, my question is this, how do I get the engine codes off of my wife's'95 Honda Civic EX. The engine light is on, we bought the car for $1000, she really likes the car, but the check engine light is really starting to bother me. We did not get the manuals with the car, I bought a Haynes manual, but it does not tell me how to get the codes, to fix any problems. Thanx in advance for any advice.
  • danielldaniell Member Posts: 128
    I have a 1998 Civic, 78k miles, always garaged. A few day ago I heard a persistent metallic rattle, similar to the noise a loose exhaust/heat shield would make. The noise is more evident at low speeds. I took the car to the dealer, and they told me that the catalytic converter is cracked and needs replacement. Cost of repair, $800. I declined. I went to amazon.com, ebay etc. to check some prices. I am seeing 2 different kinds: the first type, $50 - $150, looking like a long, narrow cylinder, and the second type, $300-$700, much shorter/fatter, with some (exhaust?) manifold attached at one end. Both are supposed to fit my car. Here is my question: I thought there is just one catalytic converter - so which one is it? Why the huge difference in price? Finally, if I don't replace my cracked catalytic converter, what are the consequences?

    Daniel
  • speed16speed16 Member Posts: 2
    Intermittent front end noise. Replaced brake pads, no rocks behind backing plates, new belts. Drive shaft solid, no play in/out and up/down. Wheel turns smoothly. Noise driving in 2nd, 3rd at high rpm to med rpm. Pushed in clutch and coasted with no brakes keeping rpm higher and noise persisted. Noise kind of a scraping noise from left front end. No difference if steering wheel turned or not. 170K on civic. Running out of ideas as to noise?
  • speed16speed16 Member Posts: 2
    I found the noise. No mechanical problems. A very small rock lodged itself between the muffler heat shield and pipe just under the car on the horizontal run under the engine. It would only show up at low speeds and a certain RPM range. When stopped the noise would stop. My wife had to drive the car and I had to hop out and see where the noise was coming from within 30 seconds of stopping the car. I banged the heat shield lightly with a broom to hear the noise. After the rock removed and one 10mm bolt broken it is gone.
  • mmalvarezmmalvarez Member Posts: 1
    My car was overheating, so I went to get it checked at Firestone. they told me they tested exhaust gas in the cooling system which could possibly mean a blown head gasket or cracked block (which means I need to replace a head gasket or the engine since I have a high milage on my car- 227,499). does this sound correct? and what is the most practical solution? and I don't have a mechanic, so does anyone know of anyone in the long beach area?
  • tealighttealight Member Posts: 1
    My '01 Honda Civic EX needs new bushings, tires, and brake work. I'll probably have to squeeze all this in by the end of February to pass my vehicle inspection. Should the new tires wait (the current ones aren't gone yet) until the bushings are replaced? The roads here in southeast Virginia are crap.

    Thanks for your help.
  • hondacirclehondacircle Member Posts: 4
    I have 2000 Civic with 105k miles. I've noticed this same noise for at least the past 15k and passed it off as a heat shield rattle. I just had the engine light come on and AutoZone diagnosed it as a failed O1 oxygen sensor. It was a fairly easy swap out for $69 (AutoZone deposit for tool use) and the engine alert went away but the rattled still bothered me enough to do some more investigation. My search lead me to your post and hundreds others. Sure enough this has to be the issue. Here is the best prices I have found for with or without the catalytic converter. I'm planning on purchase these and installing them myself. I will post again after I have them installed.

    partstrain.com
    http://www2.partstrain.com/store/?Ntt=honda+civic+manifold&submit_search.x=39&su- - - - - - - bmit_search.y=18

    autopartswarehouse.com (free shipping)
    http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/search/?N=0&VN=4294967031+4294967025+429496718- 9+4294967022+4294966998&PN=2665+11921&Ne=5&Nr=AND(wpn_tl_name:Engine+%26+Drivetrain,wpn_cat_name:Exhaust+%26+Emissions,wpn_scat_n- ame:Headers+%26+Manifolds,universal:0)&refType=Tab&refValue=Stock+Replacement

    Here's an exploded assembly of the entire system:
    http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&cat- - - - - - - - cgry1=CIVIC&catcgry2=2000&catcgry3=4DR+LX&catcgry4=KA4AT&catcgry5=EXHAUST+MANIFO- - - - - - - - LD+%281%29

    You can see how much more the OE (Honda) pricing is compared to the OEM.
  • danielldaniell Member Posts: 128
    In my case, I had 2 different problems, as I suspected... The first was indeed a heat shield rattle - that was actually causing the noise. The tech at the dealer also showed me a crack in the exhaust manifold, which I decided to fix. They agreed to install my part ($185 shipped from amazon.com) for $120:

    http://www.amazon.com/Dorman-Solutions-Exhaust-Manifold-674-439/dp/B000C14HF6/re- f=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1259267632&sr=1-1

    So grand total was $305, not too bad.
  • hondacirclehondacircle Member Posts: 4
    daniell - Thanks for the amazon link. It saved me a few dollars and was shipped to my house in two days with free shipping selected.

    I went ahead and bought the Dorman exhaust manifold/cat system with two new oxygen sensors and installed them this past weekend. It took about 4-5 hours. If I had to do it again I would say it would only take 2. Some of that time was also installing stainless steel hose clamps (from Lowes) around the rattling heat shields. Pretty easy and cheap fix. The Dorman instructions are limited and without visual diagrams. Disregard the extra parts.

    A few notes on installation. The Honda manifold/cat has to removed from underneath the engine. You first have to remove two bolts to free the exhaust pipe that hangs near the oil pan. Pull it to one side and bungee cord it to something. Once the old one is out of the way, the Dorman will then slide in easily from the top since it's smaller than the OEM manifold. Make sure you put in the three bolts (w/ anti-seize) in the return exhaust plate underneath the cat before dropping it in. Line up these three bolts along with the engine mount and slide in the manifold at the same time. Once in place, slide the hanging exhaust into place and mount the 4 bolts underneath to the return pipe underneath the cat. Finger tight these and the manifold bolts until everything lines back up perfectly. I went ahead and locked down the manifold bolts first and then tightened the exhaust bolts last. I'm sure it's fine either way. I hope this helps.
  • darvicdarvic Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 Civic EX Coupe. While coming on last night, I noticed that my high mount brake light remained illuminated when I was not braking. This morning when trying to diagnose what was happening, I confirmed that all bulbs were working properly and swapped out the related fuse. Still, when I turned on my lights, the high mount brake light came on. After several tries, I suddenly noticed that when I pressed the brake pedal with all lights off, the instrument panel lit up as well. Several hours later after driving about 20 miles and back, no lights came on when I turned on the parking lights only, but all lights came on (including the high mount) when I turned the switch to headlights. Whatever is happening here, and how might I fix it?
  • foochfooch Member Posts: 1
    On my 03 civic the code for the radio is on the inside of the glove box - left side its a 6 digit number. I know it sounds crazy but honda didnt even know it was there.
  • ala06003ala06003 Member Posts: 1
    Anyone who could help me would be very much appreciated.

    I drive a 2003 Honda Civic and every time it's cold out, the lights on the dashboard lights flicker, blink, or go out completely. The speedometer goes down to zero, the gas tank reads empty, and it says there's no heat. These gauges may go up and down or stay at 0, empty, or cold.

    When it's really cold out (iced windows, etc), the lights on the radio blink too.

    But besides this inconvenient blinking, nothing else seems to be wrong. I've read that it could be a fuse or the alternator, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this or knows how to fix it.

    Please help!!!
  • jmonroe0914jmonroe0914 Member Posts: 2
    My Contact info, along with the technician working on my car, is towards the bottom of this thread. I have incuded both our emails and phone numbers. Please contact if you have any advice, questions, or need more information. Thanks :D

    I have a 2001 Civic Ex Sedan. There are five main problems: power door locks do not work; power windows do not work and none of the four are getting voltage at the fuse box; turn signal switch doesn't work, nor do they light up on the dash; wiper switch only works on medium and high, and does not squirt out any fluid; cruise control doesn't work. Also, inside the fuse block under the dash, some wires in the block have voltage when they shouldn't and others don't have voltage when they should. There is also a relay under the passenger's side dash making a clicking sound when you hit the door lock/unlock button, or manually push down the driver's side door lock (when it works it is a safety feature, when it is manually pressed down, it locks all the doors in the car).

    I had a Compustar 5000 series remote start and alarm installed by an authorized compustar dealer. The next day, I went to adjust the shock sensor to a higher level, and on the following day (2 days after the alarm was installed), some problems started happening...

    (I do not believe these problems have anything to do with the compustar install, and the only reason for listing the install is I'm trying to detail out exactly what happened and what aftermarket electronics I have on my car. The technician who did the install has not only been doing car electrical for 20 years, but is also extremely competent, has gone above and beyond what anyone in his position should be expected to, and has been a great friend through all of this. More likely than not, it is pure coincidence that these problems began soon after the install.)

    I first noticed my remote wasn't unlocking my door locks, then I realized the power locks in the car weren't working as well; the door lock fuse wasn't blown. Gradually over the next month other things malfunctioned. It started off with my turn signals and parking lights after the door locks. The driver's side parking light would come on when I'd hit the arm/disarm button, but not the passenger side. Then when the headlights were on, the passenger's side parking light would come on, but not the driver's side.

    If I pushed down the manual door lock (the rectangle manual push/push lock by the window) on the driver's side then my turn signals would stop working, my cruise control would go out, none of my four power windows would roll up or down, my wipers wouldn't work on delay, nor would they squirt out washer fluid. In order to get them working again, I'd have to turn the car completely off, remove the key completely from the ignition, and wait 10 seconds and turn it back on again (if I didn't remove the key, majority of the time, even if the car was left off for 10 seconds, none of the stuff would work).

    There was also a freak problem that happened with the PDX 4.150. It may have nothing to do with anything, but I figured I'd mention it nonetheless. I had unhooked the main 0 gauge power from the distribution block to move the amps. When I went to hook up the 0 gauge power to the distribution block, it sparked bright blue, as usual; however the PDX 4.150 started pouring out smoke. I immediately removed the 0 gauge power from the distribution block and left it out, until I had removed the 4.150 from my car. None of the fuses on the amp had been blown, and has since been replaced by Alpine as defective under warranty. After removing the 4.150, I hooked the 0 gauge power back up to the distribution block, it sparked again as usual, and the other amps worked fine. Alpine had no clue what could have went wrong with the amp.

    The technician currently working on my car is Jon. Please feel free to contact him for more in-depth knowledge as to what he's done diagnosticaly. His email is jon@raxxllc.com and the shop's phone # is (608) 754-6945. My name is James and my email is j.w.monroe@hotmail.com and my cell is (847) 302-8802
    I do know he has went through individual wires wire by wire and tested continuity, he has tested numerous relays, pins on the harnesses, and all 5 different switches.

    I do have additional aftermarket electronics hooked up:

    - Alipine IVA-W505 Head Unit
    - Alpine NVE-P1 Navigation
    - Alpine PDX 1.1000 Amp (2)
    - Alpine PDX 4.150 Amp
    - Alpine SWX-143D Subs (2)
    - Alipine SPX-17PRO (2 Sets)
    - PAC 7 Trigger (for the headunit, to enable video playback while car is
    moving), spliced into headunit 12v wire for power
    - S7 speedometer cluster, spliced into factory cigarette lighter for power.
    - Stinger 15 Farad Capacitor
    - Singer SHD841 Midi Fused Distribution Block
    - Stinger SP2150 (Main Battery)
    - Power Bastards Fitzall 220+ Alternator
    - 0 Gauge power ran from alternator to battery, 0 Gauge ground ran from
    battery to car frame, 0 gauge power ran from battery to capacitor, 0 gauge
    ground ran from capacitor to frame, 0 gauge power ran from capactior to
    midi fused distribution block (4 fuses @ 175amps), 4 gauge power ran from
    distribution block to amps, 4 gauge ground ran from amps to car frame

    Thank you for taking the time to read this and/or contact us,

    James
  • auburn6auburn6 Member Posts: 17
    The relays on the right side behind the glove box are for the ECU and the AT trans. The way that they might be operating while using the door locks could be feed back and or a confused multiplex unit. As technology grows, so does the list of computer software glitches or bugs, and vulnerability to low- and high-voltage spikes, static electricity, ultraviolet light, strong magnetic fields, radio waves, radar, and even good old lightning.

    Do a battery cable reset by disconnecting the positive and negative battery cables and touching them together for 15 minutes with the ignition switch turned to ON (II). A battery cable reset forces all capacitors in that component to discharge faster, and it clears and resets the computer memory. If a software glitch is the culprit, a battery cable reset will fix the problem just as effectively as installing a new component would. Before you do this procedure though, make sure the battery has a full charge. A low battery can cause electronic components to not work right or not work at all.

    If that doesnt work then it would be nice to know if you have any multiplex codes or issues using the mode 1 and 2 diag. I will try and e-mail you the procedure if you need it...

    I know you dont want to hear it but most of these problems are usally related to aftermarket installs as ECM's and multiplex units are very sensitive to their reference voltages and can be damaged if not correct..But lets see if you can work around it..
  • auburn6auburn6 Member Posts: 17
    If not already done by your tech you may also want to check each and every connector on the fuse box front and back side to make sure they are all securely fastened and have no bent terminals. I have found several of those kind of issues over the years.
    The power windows are not sent through the multiplex in that year so that might be the best system to try and diag first and may lead to a connector that might have an issue. Have your guy trace power from underhood fuse box to under dash to main window switch and see where he looses power...If done already what were the results?
  • joe1975joe1975 Member Posts: 2
  • joe1975joe1975 Member Posts: 2
    i have a 95 civic CX hatchback 1.5 L.everytime i start start the car it idles up and down.i changed plugs and wires,the TPS,thermostat,adjusted timing.

    can anyone help me out
  • tonedawgtonedawg Member Posts: 2
    i have a 93 honda civic dx.when i turn my lights on my lights work in the back as well as my blinkers.my problem is that when i push my brakes the brake lights wont come on. i checked fuses and replaced the fuse for the brakes even though it wasn't bad. still nothing. can someone help
  • tonedawgtonedawg Member Posts: 2
  • dlamcpadlamcpa Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2001 Honda Civic who has more undisclosed problems than any other vehicles I owed. I owed many vehicles over my life and I found Honda has more problems and very slow to correct or choose not to correct it. On this 2001, it has bad transmission design from day one and was redesigned in 2003. But they fail to correct the flaw and fail to disclose this design flaw which may cause your transmission to fail. Honda would hope it would fail after the warranty period and they don't have to pay for the correction. Looking at my 2001 Civic, I would buy another Honda. All the vehicles'sI manufactures I owned have corrective bulletins to correct the smallest problem. My Toyotas plus other German cars never have so much hidden problems then my 2001 Civic. Look at the airbag recall. It took 9 years. This is a serious recall as compare to Toyota. Honda is not what they portrait themself to be.
  • jkay3jkay3 Member Posts: 1
    My 99 civic ex is a great car. I have 145,000 miles and it just started stalling when I slow down to stop. I am also getting 20-25 mpg but I used to get at least 30 mpg all of the time. I have owned it for 7 years with only basic problems. I did get the 90,000 mi check up but only oil changes since then.
    I need some advice before I take it in.
    thanks
    jkay
  • dlamcpadlamcpa Member Posts: 2
  • civicowner3civicowner3 Member Posts: 47
    no kidding. mo 08 civicis a lemon It can not be driven. dealer and honda canada will not do anything. i will sue them until they bleed when i am done. i have not hadf a car for 11 months. problems started at 1` week !!!!! never buy from honda. they are aholes!
  • g7bfb0g7bfb0 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2010
    am seeing yellow engine lite indicator. where can i hook up an OBD1 scanner to get the trouble code? Thanks 4 your help!!
  • jmonroe0914jmonroe0914 Member Posts: 2
  • ann14ann14 Member Posts: 3
    2001 Honda Civic DX: Any ideas as to how to find out why the driverside floor gets wet when it rains? the rest of the car is dry.
    Thanks for the response.
  • b072786b072786 Member Posts: 3
    ckeck you radiator fan makes sure it turns on, especially when your on a stop and idle . and if you did change the thermostat make sure the gasket is on right and its facing the right side
  • medustarmedustar Member Posts: 1
    Check oxigen sensor. I've had same problem and fixed it. At dealers shop it cost me $380. Try find better place, I paid to much.
  • andrewup63andrewup63 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1.6/5 speed engine that runs great except for the following:
    when the temperature is cool (below 70F) the car will crank but it will not start! No matter whether the day is wet or dry or the fuel tank is half full or not - it doesn't always start.
    I have already replaced the main relay under the dash, and the ignition module in the distributor - any ideas out there? I'm also wondering if the temperature inside the car has anything to do with it. I'd be obliged with your suggestions.
  • rwayrway Member Posts: 1
    How much should I expect to pay to have the timing belt replaced on my 2001 Honda Civic 5sp? Mileage is 111K. Is it necessary to replace the timing belt at this mileage?
    Should I also pay for a "tune-up" as the dealer suggests, as well as a valve adjustment and new valve cover gasket?
    What does a tune-up include?
    Why do mechanics replace valve cover gaskets?
    What about the water pump, all drive belts and coolant? How often does this have to be done?
    I've had the car since 2003 when I bought it from the dealer with 23K and the main maintenance I've had performed has been with regular lube and oil and tire rotation, balance and alignment. My dad was my mechanic, but he died and now I need help!
  • kmakerkmaker Member Posts: 20
    Hi,
    You need to spend a few dollars on having the fuel pump pressure and volume checked. If you have an in-line filter on that car, you should have it replaced if you haven't already. Not too familiar with the model but sometimes the filter and fuel pump are one component mounted in the tank. Maybe someone else can confirm that for you. Either way, sounds like the fuel pump to me.
    Good luck,
    Paul
  • crazyflycrazyfly Member Posts: 61
    Timing belt package is THE most expensive scheduled maintenance item any honda has. it is due at 110k mile interval. and I would not delay it too much. if the belt breaks, you are talking full engine replacement - major $$$$. The timing belt replacement alone runs about $350 at the honda dealer, and most dealers have specials to reduce the cost.

    As part of scheduled maintenance, honda recommends changing spark plugs and water-pump. Value adjustment is $300 if done alone. but if done with the t.b. package it is cheaper (about $150) since the cover would be off anyways so you'll save the labor. Gasket has to be changed because the old gasket would leak if re-used. Honda recommends coolant replacement at 120k. but if changing water-pump, it makes sense to change coolant coz you'll save on the labor cost.

    I've got timing belt repalaced three times (different vehicles) and would recommend to do the full package. dealers would quote you $1200 for the whole thing! but **ASK** for discount, and most places will give you 20 - 25% discount easy. Your total cost will rund around $800 out the door. Also shop around independent mechanics. Their prices are about $100 to $150 less. Its up to you where to take your car, but for such a major maintenance like TB package and messing with the engine I would take mine to honda dealer and dont' mind paying more.

    good luck.
  • chrisnhchrisnh Member Posts: 22
    edited July 2010
    My 2001 Honda Civic was over heating. Added fluid every couple of days, did not see the fill line so over filled constantly but no big deal. Took it to one mechanic who said could not find anything wrong. Problem got worse. Second mechanic replaced thermostat value, pressure tested system, saw fan running, no leaks at hoses (may have also used dye), thought it was solved. But as part of his SOP, he ran the engine 20 minutes again to get it up to operating temp. That is when it fail the pressure test for the first time. He replaced the radiator, problem solved.

    Car had about 90K. Radiator was not happy on the 8 mile commute home. Had some fluid with me, stopped 3 times, would add fluid. Ran heater with windows open. Then it would red line and heater not put out hot air. 4th stop was at a local pond for some relatively clean water. Ran fine for a day and 30 miles that got it to the second mechanic :) Apparently no engine damage 10k later.

    Thanks for Timing Belt tips. Am taking my car to the 2nd mechanic for a 100k eval, to decide if to keep or tradein. I trust both, but 2nd always seems to find the cause of issues when other fail and generally offers 2 or 3 options in any repair. Closest Honda shop is 65 miles away.
  • kmakerkmaker Member Posts: 20
    head gasket would be my guess. You describe all the symptoms perfectly.
    Paul
  • chrisnhchrisnh Member Posts: 22
    edited July 2010
    Hi Paul;
    That was my guess too at first.. I never saw a leak on the ground. I did smell fluid but I had spilled a lot when I was refilling every day.. It was the radiator. I did not see water in oil, no water out the tail pipe, I did not see bubbles in the coolant, nor oil. I think my 2nd mechanic even checked compression. He knew I was not lying about adding lots of water the day before, despite his initial pressure check of the coolant system.

    Now I am wondering about the slight shifting problem I have noticed over the last 2k. Maybe time to trade it in at my Honda dealer for a stick (which I wanted but my wife said no, we needed to have one automatic and it was going to be mine). Sigh. Still like the car.

    Chris
  • thebeanthebean Member Posts: 1,216
    I have a 2002 Civic EX sedan with 63,000 miles on it. I have owned it since new and have followed the "severe" maintenance requirements for the most part, since I live in Texas and it's HOT here in the summer. At my last service, the dealer (who I trust since they have been good about not "upselling" me on stuff) said I should replace the timing belt/water pump/other belts since the car is 8 years old, even though I haven't met the mileage yet for a replacement.

    I'm wondering if this is just "revenue enhancement" for the dealer, or if I really need to consider this. I'm semi-retired and only work about 6 months out of the year. The rest of the time, the car is only driven around town. I hate to spend the money if this is early replacement, but I also don't want to screw up the engine if the belt breaks.

    Is this too early for timing belt replacement? I plan to drive the car for several more years since it's been fairly reliable.

    Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

    thebean :confuse:
    2015 Honda Accord EX, 2019 Honda HR-V EX
  • hollylollyhollylolly Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2001 Honda Civic. About a month ago while driving further then usual, my civic stopped excelorating and my check engine light came on. I didn't know what the problem was so I had it towned back home. Next day the check engine light went off and it drover normal. A week later it didn't it again. I let it sit for a few hours and then 2 weeks later it did it again. This time a guy friend was with me and suggested it be a sensor and at this time he noted it was over heating. But again, we let it sit for the rest of the night and the next day it drove fine. That was 4 days ago. Yesterday it did the same thing, I got it home. Let it sit. Engine light is off. But now it over heats after only been driven a mile. I had diagnostics done on it this morning and i was told a sensor is going out. There is a leak in the radiator. So I flush the radiator for the chance of any cloggs and refill the radiator. Drove it a mile around the neighborhood, it was in the red by the time I got it back to my drive way. What could be the problem? After it sits for a minute, the leak stops as well.

    please help.

    Holly
  • vivichovivicho Member Posts: 2
    Hi I have exactly the same issue. Were you able to fix the problem?
  • vivichovivicho Member Posts: 2
    Hi, were you able to fix the issue? I have exactly the same problem
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