Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

auburn63 · February 2003

I know we have bypassed them in the past for test by taping a known good key near the sensor but have not looked into disabling the system. I will try and find out...

dudka · February 2003

have you owned the car fromt he beginning? if so, has the windshield been replaced? a replaced windshield would be the cause of the water leak. to trace the source of the leak, you will have to remove the interio paneling on the driver's side, pull up the carpet to let it dry, it helps to either hold a hair drier, or to turn on the heater and run it full blast for a couple of hours with the carpet inverted. and then you would have to have someone pour water on the area that you suspect is leaking, and you being insde, trying to trace it with a powerfull flashlight. if you can get your hands on "glow in black light" dye you can mix it in the water and shine black light onto the paneling to see where it glows.
good luck

kate014362 · February 2003

I CRASHED MY CIVIC AND THE HOOD AND I HAVE NO IDEA WUT IT WILL COST, ITS A 1988 CIVIC DX 4DOOR I THINK JUST THE HOOD IS DENTED AND WONT OPEN, HOW MUCH TO FIX!???? ASAP ANSWER PLEASE!!!
THANX!!!

axp696 · February 2003

A hood, painted and installed, will usually run you about $500. I had the misfortune of doing in the front end of an old car of mine; a new hood, side panels, bumper, radiator, and A/C compressor ran me $4000 (and that was much less than the work was really worth), so hopefully you aren't in that bad.

port_48 · February 2003

Don't know of any easy way except peering down thru the small opening between the tank and radiator.

srockr · February 2003

I wondered the same thing, how to view the coolant reserve to see if coolant is low or not.

I asked the dealership and they told me you need a good flashlight to look in there. Unfortunately when I went there one evening to have fluids checked and show me what all i need to check, etc. they could not find a flashlight..

Anyways only have 1,500 miles on my '03 EX and will probably go to dealership on day off Friday to have them checked again. I want them to show me so I can find the easiest way to see it. I'm sure they know a trick or two.

jerridsteve · February 2003

I have an 84 civic with noisy rear wheel bearings, I bought the car yesterday, my first honda, a fixer that needs lots of work. After much effort I managed to loosen both very tight bearing lock nuts however only one drum would come off. Does any one know if these cars need a brake drum puller or is there a method to pull the drum off that I don't know. I am aware that sometimes its needed to adjust the brake shoes inward to provide clearance for the drum to be removed but I think the bearings are just stuck with rust. Also what is the proper adjustment on the locknut after I install new bearings, I always firmed up the lock nut then loosened back a notch & installed the koter pin, seems like these were tightened down by Herculese on steroids!

jerridsteve · February 2003

I have an 84 civic hatchback 1.5 liter with bad rear wheel bearing I just learned that the hub assy. (drum & bearing) must be replaced as a unit over $100.00 and special order, does anyone know a method to grease the bearings or a less costly method. I think this car was left in water at one point...

g85 · February 2003

I had my oil changed at a Lube Center about 2 months (3500 mi) after my Honda dealer last serviced the car. The Lube Center said I had a main seal leak (car has 130,000 miles). Took it back to dealer and they said it was not main seal, but was coming from distributor housing, and that I needed entire new housing, gaskets, etc. for about $325 in parts (don't know what labor will be yet). This is a first after owning 20 cars (4 of which were Hondas). Anyone ever hear of anything similar with any type of car???

Thanks,

g85

jimc93si · February 2003

I had the distributor replaced in my '93si. I found out it was bad when the 'check engine' light came on and then the car stalled 1000 miles from home. The mechanic said the seal was bad, causing oil to go into the dist .and it cost me $400 to fix. This turned out to be a known problem for the 92-95 series. This was right around 100K miles, also. Supposedly Honda would have paid if I complained loud enough. hth. Jim

cobweber · February 2003

I'm stuck!!!

1990 Honda Civc LX won't start.

Engine turns over easily, everything sounds and smells normal, except - no ignition!

Spark plug spark is VERY weak and faint.

Problem began last week, I started it up briefly during some SUB-ZERO weather - to move the car a couple of feet. The car ran well for less than a minute, then I turned it off and it sat another few days until I tried to start it again 2-3 days later. Wouldn't start!

Ignition wires seem okay as they all checked out within the resistance parameters.

Fuel is fine because there's fuel in the cylinders, according to the damp/wet spark plugs.

The timing belt isn't broken - because the distributor/rotor is turning.

Checked the ignition ground wire at the thermostat housing. It has a good ground.

Did starter fluid and recharged battery. Cleaned, dried and re-gapped the spark plugs. Still won't start!

Replaced the original distributor with a SUPPOSEDLY GOOD but "used" distributor w/everything in it (the whole assembly) from a junk yard and swapped it out with the original - no change! Still a VERY faint spark and NO start.

I'll try is to replace the cap, rotor, and wires - when I can get to town ....

I read somewhere on the net where a bad ignition key switch could be the culpret. Is that possible, for it to turn the starter over but fail to connect the ignition/igniter-coil circuit properly? Don't have a manual yet.

Could the EFI relay have anything to do with this problem, in COLD weather?

Where is the main relay located and how does it relate to the ignition system?

ECU/ECM code 01 = oxygen content. Probably an old stored fault - not related to current problem (I hope).

Is there a 1990 Honda Civic LX ignition wiring diagram on the net. Anyone know of where I might find one?

Any help, ideas, or insight will be VERY MUCH appreciated. Thanks!

shawkins · February 2003

Hey Folks -

I have a 93 Civic DX Cpe with 165,000 miles. Over the last 4 months or so, I have noticed that the temperature of the heat has gradually decreased. On cold days, it is barely warm unless you turn it to RECIRC, then it warms up but fogs the windows.

Weird thing about it is that the warmer the outside air, the warmer the heat it blows out. But on cold days, it isn't very warm at all. The temp gauge is always the same and the car warms up quickly, but shows no signs of running hot.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

Thanks,

Scott

cwliang · February 2003

I'm not a mechanic, but I think when you use the heater, air coming in from the outside is redirected to take some heat off the engine. It sounds like the air is only coming straight from the outside, so maybe there is a problem with routing of the air? Maybe someone more knowledgeable should say something...

gee35coupe · February 2003

A stuck thermostat. How is the engine temp?

Or a clogged heater core. How's your coolant. When did you last change it if ever.

auburn63 · February 2003

Or maybe it is the heater valve and or its cable. See if the heater valve( located in the engine compartment in heater hose) is moving when moving the temp guage. If so is the temp the same or differant on each side of the valve. Next idea would be the heater doors themselfs but try the valve and cable first..

cobweber
We see alot of cap and rotors cause similar problems as yours, but if not then either a main fuel relay tw sensor or weak coil/igniter would be my next guesses..However if you traded the dist you probably used the igniter and coil from the swap so they would seem to be ok....good luck

cobweber · February 2003

Auburn63 I appreciate your input! The dist I put on the car came from a junk-yard where the owner said he personally drove the car the dist came off of. Only God knows the truth!! And that distributor assembly is maybe 13 years old too!

How does the fuel relay come into play? The cylinders seem wet w/fuel enough, judging from the damp plugs.

It can't hurt to install a new cap and rotor. And if a new coil doesn't fix the problem, AutoZone will refund the purchase.

Do you know where the main fuel relay is in a 1990 Honda Civic LX?

What's a tw sensor? Where's that located?

Thanks!!!

Cob~

bahmed · February 2003

I bought this car recently and it runs great.What is the best tire for this car, www.tirerack.com reccommends Dunlop SP Sport A2. I have two very good Michelin MX4 on the front and the rear tires are worn out (Good Year and a Cooper). I am thinking of replacing only the rear tires as the front has a lot of life left in them. The Michelin's are a 'S' rated tires and the owner's manual says to have 'H' rated tires on this car.
I like a reccommendation on whether to replace all four tires with the Dunlop's or replace only the rear ones with the Michelin MX4 if I can find them. Are Dunlop's quiter and better tires for this car than the Michelin MX4's. Does the performance and handling of this car degrades significantly by using 'S' rated tires than the 'H' rated tires, any input and opinions will be appreciated.

jessika · February 2003

You sound like you know a lot about cars but maybe not so much about sub-zero weather. I have always been told to let the car run for a while before shutting it off in very cold weather. Not to say that is the problem - just a suggestion.

auburn63 · February 2003

The main fuel relay sends a signal to the ECU when the ignition key is turned on and the ECU sends a signal back to the relay and powers up the fuel pump. Without the first signal the ECU doesn't power up the fuel or spark controls. Accords have more issues with the relay than Civics but it is still a possibility. It is located on the left side kick panel area near the hood cable I think and is a large 6 or 7 pin (usally brown) connector.
The tw is the computers signal for engine temp and if the signal says hot when car is cold or cold when hot the car will have a hard time starting if start at all. Sometimes you can diag this by disconnecting the connector at the tw(temperature water) then trying to start the car. This will cause a check engine light and put the car into back up mode..That test is not 100% true but works most of the time.

My first try would be the cap, rotor and coil combo. As this is the most common on civic. Good luck

shawkins · February 2003

Ok Fellas -

Thanks for the replies. When the car is running at highway speed, the heat is roughly half the temp it used to be. Warm, but not hot like it used to be. The engine itself gets to temp quickly and doesn't budge. It is being cooled properly as far as I can tell. When going down the road, I moved the temp slide control to cool and the air gets cold as it should and when I move it to warm all the way right, it gets warmer but only as warm as it might get if you slid the temp to the middle or so.

The coolant was changed about 70,000 miles ago with Prestone and distilled water (50/50 mixture). Sounds like it is time to change it again, huh? Could weak coolant be to blame? And if it was, wouldn't I notice the car running a bit hotter??

Thanks -

Scott

gee35coupe · February 2003

might make a difference is that if it's old it may have lost its rust inhibitors. That would allow your heater core to rust out and clog. The cables idea sounds good too. Had that problem in a Toyota once.

cobweber · February 2003

Jessica - Actually,I know zilch about Hondas. This is my first one ever. I've always had small foreign cars, Toyota, Renault(I haven't seen any of those since the 80's! Are they now banned in the US?)Datsun, Hyundai(Yikes!!!) and now my "old" Honda which I like very much. Your suggestion seems SOUND to me. I'll heed it! Auburn63- Thank you! Looks like I'll need to invest in a car repair manual so I can at least find these and other components. Cob~

spokane · February 2003

Yes, you are overdue for a coolant change.
As usual, Auburn's advice is excellent. The hot water control valve to the heater is suspect. On the firewall in the engine compartment below the master cylinder, find where the two hoses connect to the heater fittings. (The heater core is in the passenger compartment.) The heater inlet hose has a valve in it, very near the firewall. Verify that the cable is opening and closing the valve as you move the control slide on the dash panel. If it opens OK, and the coolant temperature at the radiator is up to normal, see if the two heater hoses are hot - they should both be almost as hot as the radiator inlet hose. (Do this with the valve wide open and the fan at medium speed.) If the hoses are hot, check the dampers in the heater system to see if a good flow of air is obtained at each outlet (floor, dash, and defrost) per the flow descriptions in the owner's manual for each selector button position. If air flows are good but the heater hoses were not hot to the touch, disconnect the hoses and check flow through the valve and heater core with a garden hose. If the flow through the heater core is restricted, a radiator shop may (or may not) be able to flush the heater core and restore its performance. Hopefully your problem is no more than a kinked hose or a defective valve but replacement of the heater core may be needed if the coolant quality has been neglected too long.

shawkins · February 2003

Those were some serious replies and I appreciate it very much!!!

chris777 · February 2003

sounds similar to 2 problems i had with my 86 civic,

1) my ignition switch went out 2 days after driving it on vacation

it would crank and try to turn over but it wouldn't do anything else I replaced the fuel pump
and it did nothing so i had it towed to my mechanic who determined it was the ignition switch ($300)

2) while driving to work one morning I pulled up to a stop sign and it went dead I tried to re crank it and it wouldn't stay lit if I held down the gas it would run but as soon as I let off it would die, I had it running for about 5 minutes before the tow truck arrived and almost tried driving it to the shop when it died again.
I feel stupid about this one, but it was cold and away from home , but it turned out to be a clogged carburetor ($160 including tow)[but I figure a can or 2 of carburetor cleaner at my mechanic so I feel like a dunce on that one]

but I think Honda has phased out carburetors by the 88-91 generation

I do have a question if anyone has any ideas
I've noticed recently that my 86 hatch tends to run warm if I'm in stop and go traffic. it cools back down to normal on the highway, but I have to cut the heater on to help cool it during traffic

I had replaced the thermostat about 4 or 5 years ago after it was running hot (turned out to be a disintegrated water pump) and I was wondering if that might be the culprit, it does have approx 80k with the second thermostat, but the whole situation reminds me of my first car an 87 sedan that did the same thing in stop and go traffic
i had a new cooling fan installed last year so i know that's not the problem this time any suggestions?

chris777 · February 2003

im not sure on an 84 but i know for a fact on 86 and newer

you can take 2 bolts and thread them into 2 holes in the drum to pry the drum off

2 other suggestions but be careful

I found out the hard way

1) be careful and release the emergency break thats what held one of mine on was the break was gripping the drum

2) its possible the shoes have dug a lip onto the drum that prevents it from being removed hence my first suggestion about threading 2 bolts to pry it off but it will destroy the pads and you will need the rotor machined id not replaced if its worn too badly

their is a self adjuster inside but its impossible to reach without the drum removed

I think most repair manuals show the procedure

good luck

cobweber · February 2003

Hello Chris, I would suspect that your thermostat needs to be replaced. They have to be replaced every so often. Your temp guage is usually a reliable indicator of when to do it. Might think about flushing and refilling the coolant while you're at it. An ounce of prevention is worth ....

chris777 · February 2003

I suspected it and now that I think about it it has been a while on the thermostat. I'll pass it on when I sell it (kinda hate to part with it, but it is burning oil and I dont have time to rebuild it)

I finally broke down and bought a 2000 civic lx

It was the least emotional car purchase I've ever made lol one of those utilitarian decisions

but I hate everything on the market ,hopefully someone will make something I like in the next few years and i may trade again then. I guess I got a good deal on it though I feel cramped (but I feel cramped in an accord too)

does anyone know if the seats from the 96-2000 civics can be swapped out with anything else that is more comfortable?

the power steering reminds me of my grandfathers ford ltd I guess I have been without a long time

I figured with the 2000 being the last year on that generation (plus the depreciation) that I would come out better than buying new , especially since I dont "like" either car too much

everything is so generic these days , i kind of wished i bought an accord but i figure this will end up the better deal in the short or long run

what kind of mileage does a 2000 automatic generally get ?
I only got 31.7 mpg of mostly highway mileage
but it also never had the 30k and 45k services (both of which are now caught up, with about 44500 currently)
but I thought it got from like 30-38 mpg

dholte · February 2003

I saw previous posts regarding creaking noises when hitting bumps & turning. In my case it seems to be coming from under the driver side front wheel (possibly the springs), Has anyone found out what was causing the problem or a resolution. I've asked the dealership about it a couple times, but can never recreate the problem for them. Any help or ideas as to what to look for would be greatly appreciated.

lheath19 · February 2003

My Honda Civic 2001 has the same problem with creaking noises under the driver side front wheel as well. Does anyone know what causes this, the Honda dealership thinks that it is nothing.

dinu01 · February 2003

If you have snow that has frozen in the wheel well, it's the snow.

If not, it could be that the struts are leaking or plainly gone.

Do take it to Honda and have them point it out to you as the car is on the hoist.

Dinu

nickd92 · February 2003

I have a '03 Civic EX with 2k miles on it. Once every couple of weeks it won't start. It cranks but just won't start. I see from many previous posts that this is a common problem. I just wanted to ask if anyone is aware of a permanent fix as well as to share what I did to get it to start.

I don't think it's the key. I took the key off the chain and also tried my wife's key. The way I got it to start in the end was to floor the gas pedal and hold it there while I let it crank. It started within a few cranks doing that (that's the reason I don't think it's the key.) I've done this every time the car has trouble starting and it has worked every time.

I've told a friend of mine at work with a 2002 Civic LX with starting trouble about it and it's worked for her too.

dave210 · February 2003

A couple times now my son's car has not moved forward when in drive during very cold start-up's. He and I both have experienced this. We put the car in drive, and it goes nowhere. So we rev the engine just a little for a couple seconds and still nowhere. After about 10 seconds of the revving the engine to get the car to move, it will lurch forward like it was stuck in some gear and unable to move. This only happens when it is freezing outside and he does park his car outside. Is this just a characteristic of the cold or what?

spokane · February 2003

No, you should not experience the lurching that you describe. If the car is under warranty, describe the problem to the dealer. If no warranty, a fluid change may help. In the meantime, I suggest that you do not rev the engine to build hydraulic pressure since severe lurching could further damage the transmission. Instead, idle the engine at normal speed until it warms up and can engage normally, even if this takes a few minutes. If reverse engages normally, put it in reverse during the warm-up period.

asdxere · February 2003

I used to own a 2000 Civic VP, and it always made unpleasant noises
while turning on bumpy surfaces. I never took it in for service on
that item. In 30k miles, the suspension never failed and it was very
quiet when driving straight. I just chalked it up to cheap parts.
Take it to a mechanic if you wish, but I'm betting they'll say "that's normal for this car". Good luck...

stuf1 · February 2003

The reason your (and every) Civic has long crank times is because there is no check valve holding fuel pressure in the fuel system when the car gets turned off. Many cars are like this, especially [non-permissible content removed].

When you turn the key that starts the fuel pump at the first stop then the continued turning engages the starter. You just turn it all the way to start, right? I do too even though I know it takes longer. Just can't get used to the work around, which is.... Just turn the key to the first click, wait a second or two then start.

This, of course, is a trade off for an inexpensive car.

jfigueroa1 · February 2003

I bough a civic 02 lx a/t and it had that tic noise coming from the fire wall area or what I though it was the plastic between the front faring and the car body "open the door and look forward you will see it" but it was not that. I took it to the dealer and they said it was a small gap between the strut plate and the car so the sand it and put a small piece of gasket and silicon grease????it was strange and funny to me but, I thought, hey they deal with this all the time. I took it three times the third time I told the tech rep. that I did reported to the "nhst" for safty reason and that it was the last time cus I will recuest an lemon law "I am in FL" they end up replacing both sides struts/spring assembly. that took care of the problem for my civic.
Greetings from sunny warm Miami.
v/r
Fig.

jessika · February 2003

Does the noise occur only when you hit a bump while you are turning? It may be your wheel bearing.

vtectech · February 2003

Hey guys and gals,I work at a Hona dealer as a technician,concerning your suspension noises,we have a technical service bulletin from American Honda that has a fix for this noise.What is happening is some springs were made to weak,the 2 lower coils of the front spring are coming in contact with each other and causing the noise. Any reputable Honda dealership should know about this and be able to fix it.

debs4 · February 2003

I see that a lot of people are having problems with their 2002 Civics that I am having. Honda Canada and the dealership have never seen this before and they're also having trouble re-producing it. It's been in for service 5 times now for this problem since early January. I've only had the car since October and it had about 14,000 km on it when the problem first started. It's a Civic Si Veloz.

My question is does anyone else experience the ABS light coming on, the radio shutting off, the lights dimming, and the gauges dropping to zero all at the same time, when you apply the brake? This happens to me and then the next time I try to start the car, it won't budge. Sometimes none of this happens and the car won't start.

I love my car, but I want something that is reliable and will start every time for me.

Thanks!

chacha99 · February 2003

Anyone that has a starting problem please E-mail me ChaCha99@aol.com. Honda obviously doesn't know how to fix this problem, cause if they did my car would have been fixed MONTHS AGO!!
I got my car in July and have been bringing to Honda since the middle of july for this problem (BIG INCONVIENCE).

NickD-- please e-mail me...

dinu01 · February 2003

I think there were other Civic owners here that experiences similar electrical glitches with their 2001+ Civic (gauges going to "zero", etc).

I don't know where in Ontario you are, but I can recommend Roadsport Honda at Kennedy/Ellesmere in Scarboro for good service (had a Civic before my Mazda). Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Sisley (Yonge/Steeles).

As far as reliability goes, the Civic is a fine car, but I do think people should do a little more research and not assume that just because it has an "H" on the hood it will be reliable, and anything else (see Nissan/Mazda is inferior).

Dinu
2001 Protege ES 53.000Kms and trouble-free

gee35coupe · February 2003

There is no problem with the Civic's reliability anywhere you "research".

chacha99 · February 2003

How are Honda's reliable cars when my BRAND NEW 2002 CIVIC has left me stranded too many times.

axp696 · February 2003

Okay, so you had a problem with your car. I'm sorry, but it happens. It doesn't mean there's a widescale problem, or that a manufacturer makes unreliable cars. However, if you want to present personal experience as some strange form of proof, my family has owned 5 Hondas for various lengths of time over the past 30 years. Many people are happy if they ever own a car that they keep for 8+ years and requires only regular scheduled maintenance and never has a single big repair. 3 of our Hondas never had a single repair. None of the 5 have ever had a major repair that prevented operation of the vehicle, and none have left us stranded. That's how Hondas are reliable cars, but again, it's only personal experience, like yours. Consumer Reports still gives Honda the best marks in every category for any given car, and I tend to think so for good reason.

icvci · February 2003

86 CRX DX 132,000
91 CRX Si 168,000
00 Hatch DX 48,875

1 bad head gasket.

86 Pontiac Fiero 2M6 136,000

3 exhaust manifolds (kept cracking)
4 alternators
3 turn signal stalks
1 E-brake cable

Sorry about your problems. Maybe you need to buy from the big3 for a while, get a dose of reality.

chacha99 · February 2003

Well maybe the older honda's work a little better then the newer ones. I know that it is a worldwide problem because I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE COMPLAINING!!
Maybe you should drive my car around for a week and see if you complain about it! The REALITY is Honda screwed up with A LOT of there NEW Civic's and Accord's.
I thought this was a site to find help with problems not to be ridiculed when someone says their HONDA SUCKS!

axp696 · February 2003

We currently own a new Accord and a new Civic, and, like tens of thousands of other owners that _aren't_ complaining of problems on this board, are very satisfied with their purchases. I'm not denying that problems do exist with some cars, but don't be caught up by the vocal minority. Further, if you don't want to be ridiculed for repeated yelling "HONDA SUCKS!", you may wish to act a bit more civil.

auburn63 · February 2003

There is 2 common noises and many other things that it could be. The 2 common noises are as stated by the Honda tec the spring problem where they are hitting each other and making a rattle and the other is at the top of the strut where it meets the body. The 2nd noise is more of a tapping,faint click like morse code where as the first is more of a suspension loose rattle noise..Good luck

anonymousposts · February 2003

We have a new Accord and a new Civic and haven't had any problems out of either of them. Also had a 98 Civic, 99 Accord, 01 Accord that were all purchased new and never had a problem out of them either.

Just because one type of car has a problem doesn't mean the whole brand sucks or that even that particular model sucks. Especially when you have data to show that historically, whether new or old, the Civic is one of the most reliable cars built. Saying all new Hondas are bad is like saying that all people in Atlanta are fat because you saw one fat person at Baskin Robins and that happened to be the only place you went on your trip.

Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions