Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

mattpdx · February 2004

Hi-

Taking my car in this week for oil change (4200 miles on it...gone over a thousand since 28 Jan!!!).

Am I putting too much mileage on my car? lol

Oh, and my gas mileage HAS IMPROVED with the use of 87 oct. I got 34mpg on a trip up and back to Washington DC from Richmond, VA. I can only hope it gets better as the weather gets warmer.

MattPDX

rte90x · February 2004

I have a 95 Civic, 90000 miles every month or so I need to put about a litre of oil in it as the oil level light comes on. There is no visible sign of an oil leak, and the exhaust fumes look clean. Anyone know whats going on here, and if it is burning oil whats the fix?

gregoryc1 · February 2004

Cars are made to be driven. Highway miles are great for any vehicle. Change your engine oil and filter often,(cheap maintenance). Use a "high quality oil & filter", and enjoy your vehicle. Be sure to keep your maintenance records.----If you want to experiment with the "miles per gallon issue", try using different brands of fuel. Try a different octane rating. ---Greg

snarks · February 2004

Check your oil at every fillup. If your light illuminates it is not due to low oil directly but low oil pressure which is horrible for the motor. First look into your coolant and make sure its not muddy colored. Otherwise take it in for a compression test, its either a seal (not visible) or rings etc.

Never let the oil light come on your destroying the engine.

snarks · February 2004

34 MPG is great for a Civic. Why worry so much about mileage, people have such a fixation on it. I would only worry if you were in the mid-20's or less. Use regular octane as car requires and brand is indifferent in a Honda. Note the cheaper no name brand is typically a mix of all the top brands. These stations buy the ends of fuel trucks for brand name stations at a cut rate so a truck does not return partially full. There is little to no difference to fuels sold mostly advertisting.

ncampbell2002 · February 2004

I agree with snarks about the octane but I do care somewhat about the brand of fuel. I try to stop at my local stations that only use 100% fuel in the summer and not that 90% fuel 10% ethanol mix. I don't know though. It might be hard to come by in other places. I live near the water where 100% fuel is required for marine purposes.

mcap56 · February 2004

I have a 2004 civic ex 5 spd. It seems like sitting far enough away from the clutch puts me too far from the steering wheel. I could sit more upright but the seats are not the most comfortable. Otherwise a great car. Any ideas??? Too bad they don't have telescopic steering.

ncampbell2002 · February 2004

I am a fairly tall person, and have been through the same thing you are experiencing. Try putting the "seat back" back some then sliding the seat forward. It works for me.

teetertotter · February 2004

your blower may just have a leaf or similar debris in it- the blower is cylindrical, and any debris will stay in it until it breaks down. See if you can clean it- you may be able to get at it by removing the cowl at the base of the windshield. Let me know if this helps.

teetertotter · February 2004

your engine noise could be a bad timing belt tensioner. They sound like main bearing knock, and are a fairly common problem on these engines. Good luck.

mcap56 · February 2004

Thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try. I think I have the seat reclined fairly far already. One problem is the proximity of the wheel well to the clutch. YOu must put your foot exactly on the clutch and not have your foot to the left at all or it will hit the bulge from the wheel well. This is why I have to sit back so far and therefore, am too far away from the steering wheel. Anyone else notice this????

uofm360 · February 2004

I have a 1994 civic DX and my wipers will only work on the fast speed(high). It will not work on the slow speed or intermittent speed. I have tried replacing the wiper motor but it still has the same problem. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks

snarks · February 2004

Have you tried testing the electrical output when on intermediate and slow after the switch and on the motor. My guess at this point is the switch or wiring, you need to troubleshoot.

uofm360 · February 2004

Thanks for the idea. I try it some time soon.

mcap56 · March 2004

The clutch on this car is one of the smoothest I have ever used. However it seems like the indentation for the wheel well is very close to the clutch. This makes for a somewhat awkward leg angle during clutching. If your foot is sightly on the left side of the pedal, it hits the indentation and keeps you from fully depressing the pedal. Anyone else find this annoying......maybe it's just me.

triathlonj · March 2004

Hi all,
I just purchased a 5 speed civic and have found the same "gurgling" noise as some of you have written about. Has any one figured out what it is exactly? I'm not too concerned about it, it's more of an annoyance, but I am curious what it is. I took it into the service center and they said there was air in the coolant system and they "bled" it out. I drove off the lot and heard it immediately. I am planning to take it back when I get some more time, but if any of you have successfully beaten the gurgles, I am all ears!

port_48 · March 2004

Any help on OBD2 devices for use with my 2002 Civic would be appreciated. I've found units ranging from displaying the DTCs to ones with software that can be used with Palms/Pocket PCs/laptops to display real time engine performance. While the latter would be nice to have I'm not sure it's worth the $$ at this point.

Do the ones with software provide anymore diagnostic information than the ones that just display the DTC? Or do they just use the existing monitoring information, combine it with the software to produce Tach displays, etc?

Thanks,

William
02 Civic DX
20350 miles

port_48 · March 2004

I've searched the archives and found the following messages describe what's going on with my 2002 Civic DX 5spd (20.4K miles): 486, 488, 489, 503, 506, 1275, 2191, 2628, 2629.

The problem is the noise that occurs when depressing the clutch, about 3/4" of pedal travel to nearly the floor. It sounds like plasticy metal on metal, like the hinge point is tearing itself apart. It doesn't happen all the time and seems to occur more consistently/frequently with warm weather (heat causing expansion?). I'm aware of a recall on the hydraulic line connection that creaks/pops when using the clutch - the fix there is to remove the hydraulic line, grease the fitting, and reassemble.

Has anyone had the problem accurately diagnosed and/or corrected? I haven't brought it to the dealer's attention just yet. I like to be smarter than them when taking a car in for warranty repair (out of warranty I'll fix it myself). Either way, I'll have it looked at by the dealer before my 3yr, 36K mile warranty expires.

Thank you,

William

psu525 · March 2004

I'm thinking of buying the 2004 honda civc EX but I'm not sure if it is too underpowered. Can anyone tell me how they feel about the civic's power compared to other cars?

mcap56 · March 2004

I just bought a civic EX. The power depends on what you are looking for. I didn't test drive a whole lot of other cars. But, compared to cars I have driven, it has plenty of power and a lot of pickup. At higher speeds on the highway, it may not be as smooth as cars with more power though.
If you are really into performance, check the Mazda3 which comes in 2.0 and 2.3 versions. I have heard some good things about it and it is priced competively.

Just keep in mind that I live in NYC and that reliability, gas mileage and a small size were considerations. I also have a 5 spd which probably adds a little to the equation.

-Marc

gregoryc1 · March 2004

One of our vehicles is a 2004 Honda Civic, the other is a 2003 Honda Accord. The Civic is not a 1964 Pontiac LeMans.(When I was much younger, I had the opportunity to drive my friend's 1964 Pontiac convertable, with a three speed stick on the foor & a big V8 engine, and let me tell you it was one "hell of an experience"). Now having said that, the Honda is a great little car. It has plenty of power for its size. It has "quality" and it has "resale value" on the "back end", when it comes time to trade. I burn premium fuel in all my vehicles, because the Honda manual states "86 octane or higher", and when I come out of a toll booth on the highway I like the performance. (To say the least, I blow a little carbon out of the engine) I also use a "fuel lubricant" in the fuel for the upper cylinder and the fuel system components, but that is my choice. If you would like to discuss this you can use my e-mail address: ggcordano@yahoo.com ---- I think if you purchase the Honda Civic you will be very happy with the product. Take one out for a test drive. We purchase all of our vehicles "out of the dealer's stock". We walk the lot with the salesperson, and when we see a vehicle that we like, he gets the keys, and we road test the vehicle. This way, we do not get any surprises at the time of delivery.----------Greg

snarks · March 2004

The Honda Civic EX is not underpowered, it is adequate given the mileage/performance it delivers. If you want more performance/fun/handling etc take a look at the Mazda3. This delivers more lively accelaration and is just plain fun to drive. The Civic is transportation and reliable at that. You don't need premium, I just turned over 200k miles on a 95 Civic EX and only have found that mileage for whatever reason was a bit worse with premium and no difference in performance.

Try a Mazda3 as its close in price and in my opinion a more fun to drive car and see what you think.

isellhondas · March 2004

Is usually 87 octane. It's a total waste of money spending extra money for premium gas. The car won't run any differently or last any longer.

For the majority of people, the Civic has more than adequate power. Give one a try!

ncampbell2002 · March 2004

I have the 03 Ex coupe 5spd. It is more than adequate for what a normal driver would need. If you want a really fast car, then the Civic is not for you. I have plenty of power to quickly get up to speeds especially in the conditions I drive, it demands it with literally almost NO acceleration lanes on some of the freeways in downtown Detroit. BTW this is with using 87 octane fuel.

gregoryc1 · March 2004

Since you have been out looking at various vehicles, you probably already know that there are four other cars in the class of a Honda Civic. They are the Mazda3, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Mitsubishi Lancer, and the Nissan Sentra. Purchasing your first vehicle is an emotional experience. Most people purchase what they like, and there is nothing wrong with that action. Out of the four vehicles listed above together with the Honda Civic, if I was to select a vehicle based on "pure emotion", I would pick the PT Cruiser. Over the years, I have owned or leased many vehicles, (Buick, Ford, Mercury, Honda Accord, Olds, AMC, Jeep and Honda Civic). While I enjoyed the experience with most of the vehicles, I made what I consider to be a "major error", in the selection / purchase process of the particular make of vehicle, purely from a financial point of view. Yes, you should purchase the vehicle of your choice, but part of that decision is the "trade in value of that vehicle", when it comes time to repeat the process. Without including emotion into the purchasing process, a vehicle is just transportation from point "A" to point "B". If you are looking at five, (5), vehicles as stated above, and the trade in value 3 to 6 years down the road is better with the Honda, then on a financial basis, the decision is simple. Had I look at vehicle ownership from this point of view when I was younger, I would have been ahead a lot of "vehicle dollars" due to depreciation, but I would have missed some "Great Experiences"! The PT Cruiser is a great looking car, but I do not think it will hold its value like the Honda. On the other side of the issue, you only live once, and if a PT Cruiser is going to make you happy, well get one and enjoy life, because that is what life is all about! -----Greg

mcap56 · March 2004

What is the best way to clean bird droppings off of the car. Here in NYC the pigeons seem to aim for the new ones only!!!!!

gregoryc1 · March 2004

I would flood the area with clean water in order to soften the mess. Then I would wash the vehicle with a very soft spong and a lot of soap. The trick is to get it off ASAP! -----Greg

blueiedgod · March 2004

I would say for the first car ever go with used.
If you are interested in power, then you would have to get manual, Honda is pretty good at putting stronger engines with manual trannys. The Civic Si and Acura RSX type S are very powerfull for the size. If you don't want to shift, then stay away from Honda. The automatics kill any fun factor from the engine. Honda engines need to be revved to get perfomance, except for the i-VTEC equipped ones in Civic Si, RSX, TSX, CRV, and Accords, which pull very strongly from 2000 rpm.

ne0 · March 2004

Please Help, I got the check engine light on last nite from my way home from work, everything runs smooth not weird shifting or surges. Brought the car into Honda dealership, and received a called that I need a new transmission. A new honda oem for $5575 or refurbished for $3800. How do a transmission die under 50,000 miles? I had a 1999 Honda civc ex with 25,000 before the transmission went, and i traded in the 1999 for the 2001 and now the same problem again. I called American Honda and they just gave me case number and someone would get back to me? But what about my car? Why do I have to spend so much money trying to buy a relialbe car. My 1989 chevy beretta lasted me over 99,800 miles of city driving and engulfing the biggest potholes in the NY & NJ area.. Where is the quaility in Honda cars these days..2 cars with bad transmission, I guess Honda does not care for it's customers, I'll keep you guys posted on my outcome of American Honda's case...

Please share your experiences with your transmission horrors.

snarks · March 2004

Sounds like bad luck, sorry. Things fail even on car generally regarded as reliable and of course there are cases of no problems on unreliable cars.

auburn63 · March 2004

What was the code that was on your computer? The general code was probably a P0700 but if you know and could share the main code that would help. We have not seen many Civic trans failures.

famngo2002 · March 2004

Hi, I've just purchased a Honda Civic 95 EX. I notice every time the car runs that I don't touch the steering wheel, it slightly turns to the left, I don't know is it alignment problem. I'm trying to learn how to fix cars, I don't have much money for mechanics. I checked the tires, there is no toe out or in as after I've run it 4000 miles, I don't see any weird tread wear. Could any one help me.
Thanks a lot

ne0 · March 2004

I'll pick up the car from the dealer tomorrow and try to get the code from the dealer, it is just weird the car runs fine , no abrupt driving or gear slippage.. but to happen twice on the same car, it's just unbelievable...

ne0 · March 2004

I feel sick nauseated more knowing this happend to me twice in 3 years.. that is the sad portion. But to shell out that kind of cash is crazy, I had the car serviced @ 44,000 miles including transmission service.. and now this, the service manager told me over the phone the diagnostic computer told him it was the transmission, but can that be true, considering the car car drives nice and smooth? Should I take the car to a Transmission specialist or another dealer to get the check engine light checked out? Is there a temporary fix availble? What are my options? All help is appreciated...

:-(

crazygrrrl · March 2004

neO, you should definitely get a 2nd opinion before you authorize the dealer to do anything. Try to take your car to a different dealership or to an independent import car service station. It seems awfully suspicious that this has happened to you twice. I'll bet that it was the same dealership, am I right?

Transmission problems should be able to be detected by performance. I think they are just trying to get $$$$ out of you.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

blueiedgod · March 2004

I hope you did not take it to Paragon Honda or their other affiliates like White Plains Honda, and some place on Long Island. They are known to be crooks.

My feeling is that neither of your Civic's had transmission failure and the dealer was just trying to get money out of you.

This is your legal foothold -- "Since they have perfomed transmission service at 44K miles and the problem "developed" so soon, I think you should seek reimbursment from the dealership. If they were competent they would have seen that the tranny was damaged and would have informed you, and done something to prevent the "damage". Since they did not, they may have put the wrong fluid in the tranny. And caused the failure"

Personally, I have seen techs at Paragon put generic fluids in the vehicles and putting "genuine Honda" on the receipt.

Another way to look at all this, maybe it is the driver? (Please don't get offended) What are the chances of lightning striking twice in the same spot? Driving in NYC is no cake, was this the first transmisison serice? If so, then this is the cause. When I lived and commuted in the City, I replaced engine oil with Mobil 1 every 5000 miles, tranny fluid every 15,000 miles, and rear differential every 15,000 miles (2001 CR-V SE) that was way ahead of scheduled intervals, but this kept the car in top running condition.

But my first hunch is that the dealership is crooked.

Another crooked dealership that I heard of is Bayridge Honda, but I never dealt with them, so can not say anything in particular.

snarks · March 2004

Definitely take it somewhere else for a second opinion. You always should even with trusted mechanic if cost gets high. Don't let the other shop know the first diagnosis until they give theirs. Let them give their own one without bias.

Lastly replacing with new typically from Honda if it comes to that is not typically favorable as they only offer a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on labor/part. Some independant rebuilds offer this with a 36 month/36000 mile interval.

ncampbell2002 · March 2004

I would take it to a tire shop like Belle Tire or Discount Tire or whatever you have in your area. They will usually at least check the alignment for free. Its hard to do your own alignment now days without the proper equipment. How worn are your tires? A lot of times it is not the alignment that is off but a broken belt in the tire that is causing this.

crv16 · March 2004

Sorry to hear about your trans failure. I'd check out ebay and get a used one. They have several listed, and they're running between $250-500. Installation should be under $1000.

Although it is hard to believe, Civics have very reliable transmissions. I was just reading the Consumer Report auto issue, and the Civic was tops in its class. Fewer than 1% (I think) of people experienced transmission problems.

ne0 · March 2004

I contacted Honda of Ameica and Filed a complaint. I've also took the car to another Honda Dealership, Route 22 Honda and they also got the same code for transmission failure and they have reset the Check engine light in the car. Honda of America finally contacted me today and offered me a solution for my car, for which I was very amazed, They had offered me a new Transmission + freight for free and All I had to do is to get it installed by a Honda Dealership. I brought the car originally from Bob Casulli Honda now known as Metro Honda, and they have agreed to do an installation for a Whopping $700 + tax, and I was shocked. I had called a friend at a body shop and told him my problem and He hooked me up with a nice gentleman at Route 22 Honda and they will install my new transmission for only $492 + tax. Metro Honda has lost me as a customer and will notify all my friends not to purchase or service a car from them at all. When I spoke to my bodyshop the gentleman these has notified me that there is a service bulletin for Honda civic transmissions for 2001. Metro Honda had not told me that and wanted to take me for a ride out of my money... Overall I'm pleased with the service that Honda of America has provided me and my car. I don't feel bad for paying a mere $492 for installtion of a new transmission with a three year warranty from Honda. If you want to get ripped off buy from Metro Honda in JC NJ.

gunavalkyrie · March 2004

Does anyone know why this does this?

I have a 2003 CIVIC LX and tonight, when I turned the key over the light flashed for a few seconds and went off(and each time I turn the key over whether I turn the car over or not). I only have 27,000 on the car...? I have changed the oil every 3,000, the plugs seem clean, the air cleaner is new.... any ideas? I'm still under warranty but I dread taking it there and them telling me "this isn't covered under the warranty" and charging me some crazy rate.

Your input would be appreciated.

gunavalkyrie · March 2004

Got it by reading over some old posts here... did the whole holding in the trip counter thing. Ok, here is another question, if it were REAL maintanace that needed tending to, this wouldn't have worked, correct?

(You hold the trip counter in and turn the key over for 10-20 seconds, in case you were wondering)

bd21 · March 2004

Try reading your owner's manual, since you apparently never did when you bought your car. Most of your answers to the questions you will have are clearly stated in your manual. The maintenance light is only there to remind you to change the oil based on the manual's stated extreme schedual, nothing else.

cartagram · March 2004

Good question, gunavalkyrie. It's probably related to a mileage-based maintenance schedule. That schedule may have an event at 27, 000, such as an inspection, belt-tightening, etc. Your manual will tell you when those scheduled events occur.

Not that you need to bring your car in at that time--or even have the work done by a Honda dealer or have it done at all. It's a reminder to the car's owner that Honda recommends a maintenance check at that mileage.

If there were a mechanical problem like the failure of one of the emissions control parts, then I believe the light wouldn't flash first. It would simply light up and stay lit.

Any Honda mechanics hanging around the forum that can explain the difference between a maintenance reminder and a potential problem?

blueiedgod · March 2004

I am not a mechanic, the "maintenance light" is only a reminder that you are nearing 30,000 mile service. The light will stay on constantly after 30,000 miles. Resetting the light does not mean that you don't have to do maintenance, you still have to perform it, either at dealer, independant mechanic or your self. I think it calls for oil change, oil/air/micron filter replacement, and some visual inspections like brakes, and CV boots.

If there is a problem with emissions, then "check engine" light will light up. It will also indicate other engine realted troubles. On newer cars it will also indicate transmission problems.

On some Honda's, if you have an auto tranny, the gear selector indicator will flash if there is a problem with tranny.

"oil light" will come on when you have low oil pressure, it will not indicate the low oil level in the crank case, it only indicated low oil pressure in the engine. Low oil pressure, will also disable the VTEC if you have a VTEC engine.

"Brake light" will be on if you have the parking brake on or low pressure or leak in the brake lines, it will not indicate the thickness of the brake pads or rotors.

"EPS" on the Si will indicate a problem with Electric/Electronic power steering.

As stated by people before, READ YOUR MANUAL, it is your friend. Most of routine maintenance is described in the manual, if you are going to do some other work on your car get Helms manual. It is the same manual your dealer uses.

ultra_one_2000 · March 2004

I just bought a 1992 civic lx with 145,000 miles. I took it to an independent shop I have been going to for years before I bought it. They said the 3 accessory belts needed replacing and probably the timing belt. They said they didn't actually open the cover to see the timing belt's condition but it appeared the cover had not been opened in a while. They guy I bought it from insisted he had the belt replaced about 20K ago. He had all the service records except for the timing belt. My question is, is there an easy way to tell if the timing belt has been replaced without taking the motor apart? The indy shop wants about $500 to replace the belt but if it does only have 20k of use on it, I'd hate to replace it.

bd21 · March 2004

No, there is not a way to check it without taking it apart. Without a receipt, I would assume the belt has not been changed. Remember if that belt fails, it will totally destroy your engine. However, $500.00 to replace just the timing belt is way over priced. That should include the water pump, which is a good idea to replace with your mileage anyway.

jodar96 · March 2004

Does anyone know how to reset this light in 2001 Civic LX? The car is my sister's. I just changed the plugs, oil/filter, air filter, cabin filter, coolant and rotated the tites. I don't want to take the car to Honda, and pay $$$$$ for basic work.

What is the best mpg you have seen in LX 5 speed 2001-2004?

Thanks,
Joe

ncampbell2002 · March 2004

Take it somewhere else to get it done. That mechanic is way overpriced. I've had them done by my mechanic and he charged me $230 out the door including water pump. You are only paying about $70 in parts, the rest is labor. A good mechanic can do this in about 2 hours.

Joe, turn on the key but don't start the engine and hold the trip reset for about 10 seconds until it shuts off.

snarks · March 2004

My Honda dealer charged $310 to change water pump, replace coolant, replace all belt including timing and perform valve clearance inspection/adjustment. The price is out of line unless you live in an expensive city. Ask for price over phone from Honda dealer.

Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

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Honda Civic: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions