Has anyone had a problem with their battery? I have had my civic into the dealership 3 times because it won't start. We have not left the lights on or any other reason to drain the battery. We bought the car new in May and it has failed to start 5 times. They tell me they have checked out the charging system and can't find a problem. The last time I had to jump it for over 10 minutes before it would even make a noise like it wanted to start. Finally after 12 or 13 minutes it started. The dealership has not had a problem and the car will start for a month or 2 and then not start. Any suggestions? I am thinking about changing the battery myself to see if that works.
If you check out the Tire Rack site they rate tires in several categories, quietness is one of them. Even if you don't buy the tires from them the info can send you in the right direction.
Tires are definetly a personal choice based on what you want the most in traits. Read the tire boards and check out consumer reports. They just rated a bunch of tires recently and they used a Honda Accord as one of the test cars. Now as for struts, after 10 years and almost 100K miles, it's a safe bet you need them all changed. If you go to any repair shop they can check them for you, but take from someone who changed them a few times, if they aren't totally shot yet, they are on borrowed time. Most people drive around on bad struts thinking they are just fine. When you change them, you will notice a big change in your handling and ride. You will start to remember how good your car used to ride. Be prepared to shell out $400 or more to do the work. Good luck!
At 24,000 miles, 02 Si developed an annoying creaking sound directly behind the firewall on the drivers side. The sound occurs during take-off from a start and upon stopping. The creaking sound can best be described as a creaking coffin lid in a scary movie. The longer the car is driven (warms up), the louder and longer in duration the sound becomes. During the louder creaks, I can sometimes feel a slight vibration through the steering wheel. Otherwise, the steering action is fine, and no creaks can be heard when turning the steering wheel. The Honda dealership has no clue as how to fix it - they just try little dumb things like putting sound deadening material on the air box or anti-sieze compound on the header/downpipe connection. Honda's TechLine claims to have never heard of this problem. I am going to meet with the Honda district service rep to get his imput. Was wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.
Second problem is high oil consumption with K20A3 engine in 02 Si. Since the beginning of ownership (10 miles on odometer)until now (26K miles), the engine has consumed oil at a rate of 1 qt per 1500-2000 miles. Followed Honda's break-in recommendations, in fact, keep revs below 3500 rpm for first 600 miles. First oil change was at 4750 miles. Oil consumption has been up and down. Recently it burned 0.5 qt for 400 miles of city driving, then I topped off the oill and took a 270 mile highway trip with no oil loss. The dealership service informed me that Honda's upper spec for acceptable oil consumption is 1 qt per 1000 miles. Have others experienced this?
I would speak to the service manager and insist on a new battery based on the continued failures. He should be able to replace it without any problems and if necesary ask to speak to the zone rep or call Hondas customer relations and see what they say..
I have a 2003 Honda Civic EX 5 speed with 8K miles on it. Does any one else have a clutch peddle that squeaks when pressed down. It can be heard outside, and inside the car. Is there a problem with it or is it normal.
Ya my 2003 Civic Ex with 15,000 miles does the same thing with the clutch pedal. It stops after the car has been driven for awhile. This has also been true for my 95 civic and 89 accord. I haven't brought it to the attention of my dealer yet, but I will eventually. However it isn't anything more than an annoyance. I don't think its really a mechanical problem.
I have the same noise when I use my pedal also squeaking. Some spray lube on a spring intially got rid of it, its back. It did not start till about 180k on my now 200k 95 Civic.
Hello, thanks for this board. I've searched and not found how to remove/install the rotor on my distributor.
Last weekend, on a particularly moist, rainy day, the car wouldn't start. I know this is a common problem with these cars, and I've had my car fixed at the Honda dealerhips twice for this problem, each time costing $80 (distributor cap and rotor replaced, nothing else).
I'd like to replace the cap and rotor myself this time. However, when I took the cap off I noticed there is no clear way to get a screwdriver at the retaining screw on the rotor shaft. There seems to be some kind of shroud around the inner parts that the top of the rotor protrudes from. How to get that off safely or otherwise get to the retaining screw?
B/T/W, the car started later in the day. When I took the distributor cap off, I noticed dirt and grime in the cap and the little gasket that fits between the cap and distributor body was mostly gone. After I replace the rotor, I'll put a new gasket in there to seal everything up.
Thanks for any suggestions. I've been the sole owner of this car, it has 160,000+ miles, Saxony blue metallic. 35/40 mpg. The computer fritzed once while travelling the Pennsylvania turnpike. Made it to Cincinnati, OH, replaced with $70 junkyard computer. On humid, rainy days, seatbelts hardly retract. Driver/passenger windows attach to regulator with plastic tabs that break and cannot be fixed. Only solution I've come up with is glueing/epoxy-ing windows into place (other than buying a new window!).
Also, as is the case with other Japanese cars I've driven, this car has awful handling in the rain and snow (compared to any VW I've driven, including air-cooled, and several American cars). I will drive this car until it turns into dust, but it's more likely that I will someday crash it while driving carelessly in the rain or snow and that will be that.
This is an easy one since I had the same problem and then my Dad showed me. Take the distributor cap off and you see the rotor. In your case the rotor is in the way of the screw to remove it. Just get in the car, put the key in and just purge the starter a little to get the rotor to turn. It may take a couple of tries but eventually the rotor will be out of the way of the screw.
Nobody but me. 2 door coupe. Unfortunately, I didn't see anything. Didn't expect to. The dealer split the cost with me. I had a $500 deductible, so I couldn't use my insurance.
Thanks, ncampbell2002, for the tip on removing the rotor. I have yet to try it since it's been below freezing and subzero with the windchill, I don't have a garage and when I get home it's dark. I'm also waiting on a distributor cap seal from Honda; the one on my car is mostly gone. I've got a tool box, the cap and rotor in my car, so when the seal comes in I'll just do the work in the parking garage on my lunchbreak. Hopefully the ignitor and coil will last the winter.
as message 2617 same problem linked to flat spot on idle and under acceleration below 2000rpm is this linked to emission control problem also prevalent.this problem is intermitent and never constant. vehicle civic lsi owned from new 1995 and three honda main agents cannot cure
Maybe someone can help me out, I have a 90 civic, recently its been very hard to get started when its been sitting for a few hours, it will take me like 3 or 4 turns to get it running, once its running however its fine, its only started acting up in like the past 3 weeks or so, I dont think its the cold weather, its not terribly cold here, and its never done it before,.. like i said I crank it for a few turns, then it will start and be fine, any suggestions?
Does the vehicle ever stall while driving or anything? A big discussion lately in this forum seems to involve rotors/distributors. If you have never had them replaced more than likely those are worn. Also, is the engine in your Civic PGM-FI or carborator?
Main relays and tw sensors are the two best guesses. If those have been done then I would look else where but if not then start there either by replacing one then the other or both at the same time..Good luck
I have a 2000 Civic LX sedan and during very cold mornings (10 degrees F or so)when I set the cruise control at 65 mph or so the speed drops to 45 or 50 mph before the speed becomes steady. The speed will not increase back to my original set speed and pushing the acceleration button on the cruise control will not increase the speed. Again this only happens when it is very cold in the mornings. Does anyone have any ideas of what is going on?
The car is only 7 months old, it is a 2003. It happened again last night. I would have had the car towed into the dealership but they are closed all weekend and I didn't want to leave the car there. I have about had it and I am sure it's a faulty battery. I can't understand their unwillingness to replace it?
Have you tried using a different key to start your car? Maybe the spare key or the valet key?
If the key is de-magnetized by other keys or a magnetic field, it will not start the engine (vehicle theft protection/starter kill).
To check if your battery is really dead, turn on the headlights or interior lights. If neither one works, then you definitely have a dead battery. The dealer should take care of it for you. If the problem still happens, check the lemon laws in your state and have the dealer buy back the car or exchange it for another one.
My friend was trying to help us with the following issue, but I dropped the ball. Did you say you might know what is going on?
Dudka: 2003 Honda Civic EX 5-speed w/security system.... I am not sure what is up with this car.... Any ideas?
Original post: Has anyone here experienced any major electrical issues? My friend's Civic is having problems stalling while driving, problems with the dash and a grinding noise coming from the brake system. Just a few days ago, smoke was eminating from under the hood. He had the vehicle towed to the dealership and the service guys looked at it for about 15 minutes. They said nothing is wrong.... This is a catastrophic failure. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
My friend was trying to help us with the following issue, but I dropped the ball. Did you say you might know what is going on?
Dudka: 2003 Honda Civic EX 5-speed w/security system.... I am not sure what is up with this car.... Any ideas?
Original post: Has anyone here experienced any major electrical issues? My friend's Civic is having problems stalling while driving, problems with the dash and a grinding noise coming from the brake system. Just a few days ago, smoke was eminating from under the hood. He had the vehicle towed to the dealership and the service guys looked at it for about 15 minutes. They said nothing is wrong.... This is a catastrophic failure. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
My friend was trying to help us with the following issue, but I dropped the ball. Did you say you might know what is going on?
Dudka: 2003 Honda Civic EX 5-speed w/security system.... I am not sure what is up with this car.... Any ideas?
Original post: Has anyone here experienced any major electrical issues? My friend's Civic is having problems stalling while driving, problems with the dash and a grinding noise coming from the brake system. Just a few days ago, smoke was eminating from under the hood. He had the vehicle towed to the dealership and the service guys looked at it for about 15 minutes. They said nothing is wrong.... This is a catastrophic failure. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
Please stop hitting refresh after you post, it creates multiple posts and you don't have to post the same thing on several boards, just pick the one that applies. You may get an answer then. You didn't have a catastrophic failure or you wouldn't be able to drive the car. The smoke could have been anything. We need a little more details. You may need to visit another Honda dealer if this one isn't trying to fix your issue, but if the problems are intermittent, you may have to wait until they can be duplicated at the dealer. Good luck!
Sorry about the refresh thing....first time user...
As for the car, when turning corners or going straight it sometimes dies while clutch is engaged, at times the gauges do not work when the car is turned on and must be turned off to make them work, the gas light has come on when the tank was still half full and stayed on, the car also had smoke coming from under the hood which smelt like an electrical fire. Also, at times the car will not start until the 2nd or 3rd try. I have never owned anything but a manual so that is not a factor with the car dying. Thanks for any help.
Is the security system an aftermarket item or Honda? Has any other electrical equipment been added i. e. stereo, amp, speakers or anything else at all?
If you have original honda security system, then it is covered under warranty. If it is an aftermaket system that your dealer installed prior to purchasing the car, then you are covered by that dealer. If you have an aftermarket security system installed by some shop, then it becomes that shop's warranty issue. Honda will not touch a car with aftermarket alarm that has electrical problems, unless that particular dealership installed the alarm. The steam coming form under the hood usually happends when you go through a car wash, the water collects in the crevices in the engine compartment, then when you drive off it is blowin into the hot radiator, exhaust and engine parts creating steam. If you did not take her to a carwash, but it still steamed, the dealer should have checked the coolant level, and you would have noticed the sweet taste when the steam entered the cabin. You mention that the gauges don't work sometimes, and you had to restart the car. Next time it happends, don't restart the car, take it to the dealership and don't shut it off when you ask the service manager to look at it. The car cutting out in corners, that may be a sign of bad electricals, or low oil, or bad fuel pump. There is not enough information that can be given through internet, the car has to be seen in person. Make this your dealerships's problem. Insist that they drive the car, or ride with you. When the car cuts out next time, note the conditions, such fuel level, brand of fuel, engine temp, air temp, weather conditions (rain, shine, snow, wind), presence of pot holes, the dergree your turned the steering wheel, whether you have a passenger or not, every little thing. and then try to repeat the conditions. It will make it easier for you and the dealer to figure out what is wrong. Research your state's lemon law, you may have a lemon and need to get the wheels rolling, because some states have very short lemon law protection. Good luck, and keep us posted
The mileage on my 01 CivicEX has dropped from 38 to 32 after my last 2 fillups. The weather has been bitter cold here in Mass. Could this be the reason? Help, please.
Your mileage drops due to colder weather especially if you warm up your car (you get 0 mpg during that time killing the average). Also a reformulated fuel for winter drops mileage.
I believe so. My 04 LX auto run 27MPG at the first tank fillup. Last week it only ran 25MPG. 75% city / 25% hignway. I used to warm it up for 5 minutes in such cold temp, is that too long? I hope it will get the normal MPG after 1,000 miles. How do your cars do in this bitter cold weather?
I have a 2002 Civic EX coupe. For the past few months since I have had to use the heater, I have noticed an exhaust smell in the car. It happens mostly when I am stopped at a stop light. It seems to happen even if I'm the only car there. At first I thought I was smelling another car, but I don't think that's the case. Does anyone have any idea as to what could be causing this?
5 minutes is not necessary to warm up your car for its sake. Just drive it easy till it warms up. Of course for comfort you can run it, don't go to long as it really is not good for it and wastes fuel (ie MPG). My car mileage dropped to 30 MPG from typical 35 MPG (95 Civic EX Coupe) due to cold and extended warmup/idling. Also using defroster with AC can reduce mileage due to increased load especially in city. You also need to drive speed limit to get stated mileage of car. Cars MPG is a standard test by government in moderate temperature with no accessories on ie headlights, heater fan, AC etc. The highway mileage I believe is done at 50 mpg, very outdated for current standards. I believe change would shock the current numbers.
MPG in cold will decrease because of multiple factors: 1) Extensive warm ups, which, like state above, produce 0 MPG, and are not neccessary. 2) Engine management adds more fuel into the combustion chamber based on the intake temps. Low air temperature reduces combustability of gasoline. 3) Winter gas has different fomulation to compansate the lost vapor pressure at low temps. 4) In some areas winter gas has MTBA, or Ethanol. 5) Your vehicle's drive train puts more strain on the engine as the transmission oil is codl and thicker, so are the bearings lubricants, the heater blowing and headlights on put more load on the alternator which puts more load on the engine. EPA calculates MPG's at 60-65°F at Zero Altitude, with no wind at 50 MPH. Manuals are shifted when the "dummy" light comes on, if ther eis no dummy light they are shifted at 3000 rpm or bellow. Automatics are also granny driven.
Celica 115, don't expect your MPG's to change at 1,000 miles, Honda engines are not really broken in until 10,000 or more miles. This is when you will notice better perfomance responce and better mileage.
You guys said warm ups are not neccessary. Even in this cold weather? I always think warm up is neccessary in cold for any car. As you said, the engin and transmission oil is cold and thick. Shouldn't we let it warms up a little bit before we operate it. Of course, how much time we should spend warming up the car is different issus. Correct me if I am wrong.
They told you correctly. As soon as you crank the car, you can put it into drive and go. Anything more than a few seconds is just wasting fuel. Just drive easy until you reach normal operating temperature. I've read a number of technical studies on this subject and warms ups are definetly not beneficial or necessary.
yes its happened on mine twice at 90k and then 180k miles when the garage tore it off. a cheaper place or will just tear the thing off or you can perform it yourself and rid yourself of the annoyance.
Just bought my car last week. On the fourth day, the passenger side door wouldn't close after my friend opened it. We had to slam it 10 times to close it. It was very cold. I dunno if that would do it....
I also opened the hood once and had a hard time closing it. I had to drop it real hard to close it. I was hoping that it'd close easily if I pushed it with both hands but nope.. Or am I expecting too much?
My main concern though is a rattle that comes from somewhere. It sounds like it's from the right side of the engine but I am not sure. It happens when you are at full stop and start to accelerate. Then it goes away until you stop and move again.
I took it to the dealer twice. First time, they couldn't find anything. Second time, they said air got stuck in the coolant system and that made the noise. They said they took the air out and the noise was gone. I picked up the car today and the noise was still there! I am feeling a little blue. Did i get a lemon car?
If it's the one around the front pipe, an easy and permanent fix is to wrap a large diameter stainless hose clamp around the shield and tighten it to the pipe. Done deal.
Yep happened to me to when I had my 95 Civic around 75,000 miles. The thing finally gave way and started dragging on the ground. So I just pulled over and reached underneath the car and tore it off!
front pipe? I dunno much about cars so I should probably tell the dealer to look at it. However, this car is brand new, so it doesn't make sense to have any loose stuff already. Thanks.
The main purpose of the heat shield is to prevent things from catching on fire that you might park over such as dry brush etc....It will not affect the mechanical performance of your car.
I called the service dept at the local dealer. I was told that "unofficially" the shields can be taken off & in fact, that person had done so.
For the record, he could not advise me to do so & the dealer could not rip the shields off for me.
I will jack up the car this week end & rip off what is loose or rattling. I am told there is a from & back shield...anyone able to advise where I should be looking for these things, in relation to the tires, muffler, etc.
Comments
Second problem is high oil consumption with K20A3 engine in 02 Si. Since the beginning of ownership (10 miles on odometer)until now (26K miles), the engine has consumed oil at a rate of 1 qt per 1500-2000 miles. Followed Honda's break-in recommendations, in fact, keep revs below 3500 rpm for first 600 miles. First oil change was at 4750 miles. Oil consumption has been up and down. Recently it burned 0.5 qt for 400 miles of city driving, then I topped off the oill and took a 270 mile highway trip with no oil loss. The dealership service informed me that Honda's upper spec for acceptable oil consumption is 1 qt per 1000 miles. Have others experienced this?
Last weekend, on a particularly moist, rainy day, the car wouldn't start. I know this is a common problem with these cars, and I've had my car fixed at the Honda dealerhips twice for this problem, each time costing $80 (distributor cap and rotor replaced, nothing else).
I'd like to replace the cap and rotor myself this time. However, when I took the cap off I noticed there is no clear way to get a screwdriver at the retaining screw on the rotor shaft. There seems to be some kind of shroud around the inner parts that the top of the rotor protrudes from. How to get that off safely or otherwise get to the retaining screw?
B/T/W, the car started later in the day. When I took the distributor cap off, I noticed dirt and grime in the cap and the little gasket that fits between the cap and distributor body was mostly gone. After I replace the rotor, I'll put a new gasket in there to seal everything up.
Thanks for any suggestions. I've been the sole owner of this car, it has 160,000+ miles, Saxony blue metallic. 35/40 mpg. The computer fritzed once while travelling the Pennsylvania turnpike. Made it to Cincinnati, OH, replaced with $70 junkyard computer. On humid, rainy days, seatbelts hardly retract. Driver/passenger windows attach to regulator with plastic tabs that break and cannot be fixed. Only solution I've come up with is glueing/epoxy-ing windows into place (other than buying a new window!).
Also, as is the case with other Japanese cars I've driven, this car has awful handling in the rain and snow (compared to any VW I've driven, including air-cooled, and several American cars). I will drive this car until it turns into dust, but it's more likely that I will someday crash it while driving carelessly in the rain or snow and that will be that.
2 door coupe.
Unfortunately, I didn't see anything. Didn't expect to.
The dealer split the cost with me. I had a $500 deductible, so I couldn't use my insurance.
Thanks again!
laker64 indicated that someone had helped with his rattle in the front fender area of his Civic. What was the solution?
vehicle civic lsi owned from new 1995 and three honda main agents cannot cure
If the key is de-magnetized by other keys or a magnetic field, it will not start the engine (vehicle theft protection/starter kill).
To check if your battery is really dead, turn on the headlights or interior lights. If neither one works, then you definitely have a dead battery. The dealer should take care of it for you. If the problem still happens, check the lemon laws in your state and have the dealer buy back the car or exchange it for another one.
Good luck.
Dudka: 2003 Honda Civic EX 5-speed w/security system.... I am not sure what is up with this car.... Any ideas?
Original post:
Has anyone here experienced any major electrical issues? My friend's Civic is having problems stalling while driving, problems with the dash and a grinding noise coming from the brake system. Just a few days ago, smoke was eminating from under the hood. He had the vehicle towed to the dealership and the service guys looked at it for about 15 minutes. They said nothing is wrong.... This is a catastrophic failure. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
Dudka: 2003 Honda Civic EX 5-speed w/security system.... I am not sure what is up with this car.... Any ideas?
Original post:
Has anyone here experienced any major electrical issues? My friend's Civic is having problems stalling while driving, problems with the dash and a grinding noise coming from the brake system. Just a few days ago, smoke was eminating from under the hood. He had the vehicle towed to the dealership and the service guys looked at it for about 15 minutes. They said nothing is wrong.... This is a catastrophic failure. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
Dudka: 2003 Honda Civic EX 5-speed w/security system.... I am not sure what is up with this car.... Any ideas?
Original post:
Has anyone here experienced any major electrical issues? My friend's Civic is having problems stalling while driving, problems with the dash and a grinding noise coming from the brake system. Just a few days ago, smoke was eminating from under the hood. He had the vehicle towed to the dealership and the service guys looked at it for about 15 minutes. They said nothing is wrong.... This is a catastrophic failure. Anyone have any advice? Thanks!
As for the car, when turning corners or going straight it sometimes dies while clutch is engaged, at times the gauges do not work when the car is turned on and must be turned off to make them work, the gas light has come on when the tank was still half full and stayed on, the car also had smoke coming from under the hood which smelt like an electrical fire. Also, at times the car will not start until the 2nd or 3rd try. I have never owned anything but a manual so that is not a factor with the car dying.
Thanks for any help.
The steam coming form under the hood usually happends when you go through a car wash, the water collects in the crevices in the engine compartment, then when you drive off it is blowin into the hot radiator, exhaust and engine parts creating steam. If you did not take her to a carwash, but it still steamed, the dealer should have checked the coolant level, and you would have noticed the sweet taste when the steam entered the cabin.
You mention that the gauges don't work sometimes, and you had to restart the car. Next time it happends, don't restart the car, take it to the dealership and don't shut it off when you ask the service manager to look at it.
The car cutting out in corners, that may be a sign of bad electricals, or low oil, or bad fuel pump. There is not enough information that can be given through internet, the car has to be seen in person.
Make this your dealerships's problem. Insist that they drive the car, or ride with you. When the car cuts out next time, note the conditions, such fuel level, brand of fuel, engine temp, air temp, weather conditions (rain, shine, snow, wind), presence of pot holes, the dergree your turned the steering wheel, whether you have a passenger or not, every little thing. and then try to repeat the conditions. It will make it easier for you and the dealer to figure out what is wrong. Research your state's lemon law, you may have a lemon and need to get the wheels rolling, because some states have very short lemon law protection.
Good luck, and keep us posted
Thanks for any help.
1) Extensive warm ups, which, like state above, produce 0 MPG, and are not neccessary.
2) Engine management adds more fuel into the combustion chamber based on the intake temps. Low air temperature reduces combustability of gasoline.
3) Winter gas has different fomulation to compansate the lost vapor pressure at low temps.
4) In some areas winter gas has MTBA, or Ethanol.
5) Your vehicle's drive train puts more strain on the engine as the transmission oil is codl and thicker, so are the bearings lubricants, the heater blowing and headlights on put more load on the alternator which puts more load on the engine.
EPA calculates MPG's at 60-65°F at Zero Altitude, with no wind at 50 MPH. Manuals are shifted when the "dummy" light comes on, if ther eis no dummy light they are shifted at 3000 rpm or bellow. Automatics are also granny driven.
Celica 115, don't expect your MPG's to change at 1,000 miles, Honda engines are not really broken in until 10,000 or more miles. This is when you will notice better perfomance responce and better mileage.
In the last week or so, I have noticed a rattling noise from underneath the car when going about 45mph & then taking foot off the gas pedal.
Local muffler shop said it was the heat shield.
I called the Honda Dealer today & made an appointment for next week to have it checked out.
They said the shields rust out & may need to be replaced ( about $100 parts & labor ).
Just wondering if this seems reasonable after 80k miles, if this has happened to anyone else, etc.
Thanks in advance-
I also opened the hood once and had a hard time closing it. I had to drop it real hard to close it. I was hoping that it'd close easily if I pushed it with both hands but nope.. Or am I expecting too much?
My main concern though is a rattle that comes from somewhere. It sounds like it's from the right side of the engine but I am not sure. It happens when you are at full stop and start to accelerate. Then it goes away until you stop and move again.
I took it to the dealer twice. First time, they couldn't find anything. Second time, they said air got stuck in the coolant system and that made the noise. They said they took the air out and the noise was gone. I picked up the car today and the noise was still there! I am feeling a little blue. Did i get a lemon car?
Thanks in advance-
I called the service dept at the local dealer. I was told that "unofficially" the shields can be taken off & in fact, that person had done so.
For the record, he could not advise me to do so & the dealer could not rip the shields off for me.
I will jack up the car this week end & rip off what is loose or rattling. I am told there is a from & back shield...anyone able to advise where I should be looking for these things, in relation to the tires, muffler, etc.
Thanks in advance-