Honda Civic Basic Maintenance Questions

cards_200 · July 2006

Is it easy to get at the oil filter on '06? Any other tips or insight on changing oil?

bman64 · July 2006

The oil filter on the 2006 R18 engine couldn't be easier to get to. It's located right near the front at the bottom on the passenger side, you can literally put your hand right on it if you reach back under the front bumper. Doesn't make a mess when you remove it, oil changes are much more pleasant than I ever expected.

The Honda filters require a Honda tool ($20) to remove them. It's like a large shallow socket that fits over the end of the filter, and ever so slightly different (smaller inside diameter) than the 'common' ones you can buy at the parts store.

The ones available at parts stores won't grip a Honda filter :mad: , so I removed my original Honda filter with a large pair of channel-lock pliers. I replaced it with a NAPA Gold (same as WIX) filter, the 'common' filter wrench ($4) removes it.

Here's a link to a site that will answer all your oil change questions and more, do search on 'Honda' in the various forums when you get there to narrow things down:Bob Is The Oil Guy

cards_200 · July 2006

Thanks bman, great info.

kero1 · July 2006

I just did my first oil change this weekend and believe it or, the black plastic filter remover cap for my wife's 05 corolla actually removed the filter on my LX sedan.

You just have to push hard and then turn and it has enough bite to remove it. It worked fine.

The black plastic fitler remover I used was from walmart and works on a 05 corolla LE filter.

remoteraycer · July 2006

I purchased a Purolator Pure One oil filter from Advance Auto Parts and the filter tool. Makes changes a breeze and was under $10 for the tool.

mhobby1 · August 2006

I just got my 06 civic lx sedan and didn't notice until after I got it home the wiper blade/arm. Pretty unusual. It doesn't have the metal arm 'skeleton' that all other wipers I've had on previous cars and seen at autozone,etc. for replacements. They look expensive to replace. Other than the dealer, has anyone found a source online for these hopefully less expensive than local dealer? From some sites I've looked at you can get replacements that look like the same old wiper arm but I would prefer the oem type blade if possible.

perezr · August 2006

I haven't seen the replacements offered anyhwere else yet, but if you look in your owner's manual, it is only the actual wiping edge piece that you replace, not the whole supporting structure.

The end cap comes off and you slide out the old blade (wiping edge) and then slide the new one in, so it shouldn't be too expensive.

rmgtx01 · August 2006

I recently purchased a 2001 EX. I just performed the 80k required maintenance but the maintenance required light is still on. Does anyone know how to reset it?

ttb · August 2006

ttb · August 2006

It is in the owner's manual. Hope this helps.

bspl · August 2006

I own a 2001 Honda Civic Lx. I've been hearing a thumping/clunking sound under my car whenever I make a left turn. I hear and feel the sound somewhere around where the brakes and accelerator are located- somewhere on the left side.
I just had a mechanic take a look at that area and he found nothing wrong, even though he also heard the noise. He suggested that I take the car to a Honda dealer and have them check it out. Any suggestions?

debbie0601 · August 2006

I have a 2002 Honda Civic and read that the timing belt needs to be replaced at 60,000 miles. I read that manuals for Honda Civics older than 2002 recommend changing the timing belt at 110,000 miles. 1) Why the change? 2) What could a layperson look for to assess if a timing belt needs to be changed, as it's recommended that the timing belt be inspected as part of periodic maintainence? Thanks.

dewaltdakota · August 2006

As the technology has improved, the timing belts have been made out of more durable materials, extending the time between changes. For the 2002 Civic, the timing belt should normally be replaced at 110k miles. However, if you regularly drive your car in temperatures over 110°F, or under 20°F, you should replace it at 60k miles, because the extremes break down the belt materials more quickly.

When inspecting the timing belt, you're not going to be able to really see when it's "ready to go", because the most structurally important parts of the belt are hidden within it. You do want to look for cracks, peeling, flaking, hardening, oil contamination, or uneven wear.

Regardless of the number of miles you put on the car, if you haven't replaced the timing belt by your car's 8th birthday, you're running on borrowed time. It's also a good idea to replace your water pump at the same time.

Most shops, dealership-based or otherwise, will still "encourage" you to change your timing belt at 60k mile intervals, because ... well ... because they make a lot of money on it.

debbie0601 · August 2006

Thanks so much for a clear, detailed message that makes sense. My car is 4 years old but I have 94,000 miles on it. I asked a (new to me)mechanic about it and he said exactly what you said a mechanic would say, that I should change the timing belt and do the water pump too, and the recommended interval is 60,000 miles. Thanks again.

rmgtx01 · August 2006

Thanks

tomsr1 · September 2006

My 06 Civic does not mention a timing belt does it have a timing chain instead?My 2002 CRV had a chain.

dbr317 · November 2006

CV joints needs to be replaced.

worrywart · November 2006

I was at Honda yesterday and the tech was actually complaining about how impossible it was to get at the oil filter on the Civic Si.. so i walked under that Si on the lift to look (cuz i own one now as of this week) holy s***, the filter is like in the middle of HELL. i couldn't put my hand on it or reach it from any angle

Does it require a special tool to reach and unscrew it?

bishopk99 · November 2006

Pat and Karens,

I just spent over 780.00 on trying to get my check engine light to go out on my subj Civic. The final answer is "you have a bad computer" and to replace will cost 980.00. Well, if they ran diagnostics on it in the first place to correct a temperature Hi/Lo sensor and a transmission part (which makes the car run excellent now) how can that be. I found one on e-bay with 40K miles on it, but the numbers do not match up.

I own a car made in Japan, with a JHMED VIN...

it ststates on the computer:

37820-PM5-A550
601-139748
8 B
with a manufacture date of 87-12-24

the computer for auction says...

37820-P2E-A72
260-221546
LJ

will it be compatable? Cost for the computer is less than 100.00. Is this something I can just swap out myself?

I bought this car new in 1988, it has over 178,000 miles, it drove me to 5 ships and 5 shore stations and will be featured in my retirement ceremony after I get to 25 yrs in the Navy. Everyone hates it but I loove it. It is my baby blue car!

Happy thanksgiving!

Kevin, Senior Chief, Unitied States Navy

sek4mlk · November 2006

A check of Honda parts lists at web site such as Majestic Honda's, show that the 2006 Civics (I checked the 4DR DX, LX, and EX, MT) use a cam chain rather than a timing belt.

jmorrisonsells · December 2006

Last weekend I had 4 new tires put onto my car. I traveled over 500 miles and on the way home started to hear a "squeak" coming from the front end of the car. It only seems to happen when going over 50MPH. I instantly think it is the timing belt as the car is a 2000 Honda Civic with 88K on it. Is it possibly just struts or springs or could it be a timing belt?

targettuning · December 2006

Timing belts do not squeak or generally make any noise at all. Most likely it is your serpentine belt which drives all engine powered accessories..e.g. alternator, power steering pump, AC compressor. Check that first,especially if it was never changed.

jmorrisonsells · December 2006

Thanks for the advice! I know I will have to replace the timing belt eventually as the car is 6 years old with over 75K on it. Do you know if it is just as expensive to have a serpentine belt changed as it is the timing belt?
Jenn :confuse: :confuse:

targettuning · December 2006

Timing belts are recommended for change at between about 60K miles and 100K miles depending on manufacturer. Offhand I do not know the time frame for Honda (check owners manual) but the timing belt change is MUCH more expensive ($450.00 for parts and labor +/- a couple of $$$) verses about $40.00-70.00 for the serpentine belt. All prices are educated guesses and vary depending on dealer labor rates..geographic location...greed....etc. The actual parts price is more absolute (neither belt is really expensive) but check the parts dept at the dealer you use. In the case of the timing belt I paid about $30-40 for the part, the rest is labor because a certain amount of engine disassembly is necessary..time is money!! This was on a Hyundai Elantra but a Civic is very similar

jmorrisonsells · December 2006

:shades: Yeah I had the serpentine belt replaced on my 99 saturn and the belt was like 70 and the replacement was courtesy of a freind....
I have had a civic before 1990 hatchback (still going strong with 200K)and it has had only the timing belt replaced (400 or so) and the radiator.
Love Hondas...they are reliable.

hondaciviclx06 · January 2007

Greetings, I purchased a 2006 civic lx back in Sept and knock on wood no problems to date. I changed the oil to of course Synthetic at 8800 kms. I also changed the manual tranny fluid to Synthetic.

My question, since this is my first Honda Car, does it have a timing belt or timing chain? The manual does not state either.

kwk1 · January 2007

I read on this site somewhere that '06's have a timing chain. Someone else had inquired about this and the reply had a link to a parts store. The parts store sold timing chains for '06+ Honda Civics.

HTH

califguy · April 2007

I have a 2002 Civic and need to change the radiator fluid. I've never done this, but I'm sure it's not hard. Sears charges $70-. Is it worth getting done, or should I do it myself and what's involved? Thanks!!

kenlw · April 2007

depending on how old the fluid is, you might also consider replacing the thermostat.

No, it isn't hard, but it can take a bit of time and can be messy. Disposing of the old fluid is also a consideration, some kinds of older fluids is poisonous to animals and is considered hazardous waste (newer fluids are much safer).

A typical "drain and refill" is just draining as much as you can via the petcock at the bottom of radiator, or by disconnecting the big hose at the bottom of the radiator. When it is thru draining, you refill thru the radiator cap until full, then fill the overflow bottle to help remove air bubbles after that.

This assumes you are using a fluid compatible with what is already in there (all aren't) since this method doesn't really "flush" all the old stuff out. But unless your fluid is really old and bad, a drain and refill is usually sufficient.

For a week or so keep and eye on the level in the overflow bottle, adding some new fluid as air is worked out of the system.

wsustudent · April 2007

Also take this into consideration for the flush/refill. If you have it done by an indpendent shop, dealer, or do it yourself, keep this in mind. This generation of Civic has a small design flaw in the system in that most of the heater core sits above the radiator cap. When the system is being filled and finally being purged of air, there will be residual air that will not purge out of the system and will be trapped in the heater core unless you get that heater core below that radiator cap. This can be simply done by jacking up the front right wheel. Most dealers should know about this since it was a TSB, but independent shops may not know about this and when they go to refill your system, they may not purge the system of all the air due to the design flaw so if you take it to someone else, you will want to mention this to them.

raykramar · April 2007

I have a 2001 Civic w/ 125k mi. Recently it began leaking antifreeze out of the top of the reserve tank. The car then of course overheats when it is not moving. I have checked the radiator and found no leaks. The cooling fan does not seem to come on, however the AC one does. Is this a fan issue, thermostat, or maybe something else?

wsustudent · April 2007

Sounds like a blown head gasket to me. Just went through the same stuff with my 2003 Civic at 79,000 miles. As the pistons compress in the cylinders it is forcing air back in the cooling system causing your coolant to flow out of the overflow bottle since the air is now taking its space.

Of course you'll want to take it to the dealer or your trusted mechanic to properly diagnose the problem, but I am 90% sure that is what is wrong since you are describing the same symptoms my car was experiencing.

This is starting to sound like a common problem with this generation Civic as people start getting around the 100k mark.

kenlw · April 2007

let's look for less drastic (and more common) causes first. If the fan is not coming on,I seriously suspect the fan, the fan relay or the fan controller.

On most cars the fan comes one when a sensor "opens". If you can locate that sensor (often near the thermostat), unplug it and the fan should come on. If not, well, the fan or the relay, if it has one, is bad.

A bad head gasket usually shows up as oil in the antifreeze, your antifreeze will have brownish streaks in it.

wsustudent · April 2007

Another thing I should mention about my symptoms with my vehicle is that when it did overheat, the cooling fans never kicked on, and the gauge would go all the way to "H". I would still hear them come on, but not while it was overheating. Since the repair, everything operates normally now. This is actually becoming a more commonly talked about problem on this generation vehicle now that people are starting to rack up the miles on them and this generation is starting to age. I have seen it discussed a lot on the Honda-tech forums and other forum sites when I was researching what could have been wrong with my car since the dealer couldn't and didn't have interest in thinking outside the box to diagnose the problem.

However, I must agree with kenlw in that you should try some simple things yourself first before taking it somewhere especially if you have a service manual to look into some simple things. I am praying for you that it is not a head gasket because this will run you a lot of money to get that fixed ($600-$900).

raykramar · April 2007

Thanks for the advice. I will check the fan relay first, but if that is not the issue I will have my honda guy figure it out. Once I get the diagnosis I will post it.

karlt · April 2007

i have a '98 civic dx and this morning the malfunction indicator light came on. the manual makes it sound potentially pretty serious, something about emissions control and potential damage to the engine. (if it's not a loose gas cap, which i tightened, so we'll see if the light goes off) any ideas on what it might be about?

kiawah · April 2007

Could be anything. Either buy yourself a OBD2 reader, or take it to any number of auto parts stores who will usually do a complimentary readout of the error code for you. Some Jiffy Lubes also have kiosk's which you can use for I think $15.

The error code, will either point to a device or a functional area that is causing the problem.

karlt · April 2007

alright, thanks for the tip.

kathyc1 · April 2007

Personnally, if you own a 2002 Civic you should have the timing belt and water pump checked good every time you take it in. I had a coupe with 23,000 miles on it and the timing belt tensioner and the water pump were being repaired at the dealers expense. It was 4 years old. Also, check the struts. Mine went out the year before at 17,000 miles and 3 years.

karlt · April 2007

i followed your suggestion and got an obd error code readout, which told me "EVAP emmission control system leak detected (fuel tank system)"...is this the type of thing that should be looked at immediately, like an emergency, or could wait a few days until i can have it looked at by my mechanic properly?

kiawah · April 2007

That can wait.

Did they then reset the error code, and have you checked to make sure your gas cap is on tight.

If they reset the light, and it has stayed off then I'd just continue to watch it. If they reset the light, and it came back on, you probably do have something wrong that a mechanic will have to look at. You could also take a look around the charcoal canister in the engine compartment, to see if any hoses are noticeably hanging off or cracked/split.

cap2 · May 2007

Hello,
I have a 2002 Civic EX. I am wondering what's the official replace schedule for the following items.

* Replace Air Cleaner Element
* Replace Transmission Fluid
* Replace Break Fluid
* Replace Engine Coolant

I have heard different stories so want to know a firm answer, and if you could include cost of replacing the items, that would be great.

-Lawrence

kiawah · May 2007

I don't have a Honda, but all of the recommended maintenance and timeframes are always listed in the owners manual in the glove compartment. Should have both regular and severe service, so you decide which type of environment you use your car in.

raykramar · June 2007

The solution to my overheating problem was actually very simple. I failed to mention that I had recently had my timing belt and water pump replaced. Linking this to the fact that my heat started to take a long time to blow hot air out I figured out it was air in the cooling system. The mechanic who did the repair (supposedly a "trained honda" mechanic) had failed to properly refill the radiator. Using the advice in this forum to jack up the right front tire I was able to let the air escape and solve the problem.

barretthead · June 2007

i have a brand new 07 Si sedan, it was driven to the dealer 400 miles in a dealer swap. when i go over bumps at a slow to medium speed it makes a knocking sound like a rubber mallet hitting metal. i took it the the dealership and they found that the engine mount bolt was not torqed down and there were very visable witness marks. they tightened the bolt and later that day it made the knocking sound again. i am taking it back to the dealer tomorrow, i love the car but for a brand new car i should not be having these issues, the mechanics did not know what it was, any guesses? i am at a loss.

barretthead · June 2007

i should note that the knocks are coming from the front of the car, either the left tire, right tire, or the middle, hard to say were exactly, i think the right tire or middle though.

kenlw · June 2007

have them check the top strut mounting bolts.

barretthead · June 2007

will do, headed to the dealer this morning, will follow up

drmbb · June 2007

With the redesign in 2006, the civic's R18 engine uses a timing chain instead of a belt. There is no longer a specific recommended service period for the timing chain. When I specifically asked my dealer about this when purchasing my 2007 EX/AT, the response I got was that the chain is considered to be "good for the life of the engine".

barretthead · June 2007

safety components all check out, noise still persists, honda says nothing they can do. very displeased with honda, might be my last honda

ruking1 · June 2007

In some ways this is good... and this is bad....

In any case, this is almost totally and (literally) an unwarranteed statement "the chain is considered to be "good for the life of the engine". "

If the time line for "life of the engine" is 150,000 then yes, it is not likely to break. But if you are trending for over 200,000 to 400,000, you might wish to inquire the cost of chain replacement. My guess is it would be far higher than the fiber belt it is designed to replace.

Honda Civic Basic Maintenance Questions

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