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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions
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I just purchased a JET Computer Upgrade Kit for my 97Civic LX. However, in order to send my chip to JET to be programmed I must remove my original chip first. So, does anyone know how to remove the chip. Any direction would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Zach
I was hoping someone might be able to help me diagnose this issue. '99 Civic EX, automatic transmission, 103K miles, all suggested maintenance current on vehicle including timing belt/water pump. Just yesterday, about 20 minutes in a drive, the car was in traffic with the interior fan on. An initial electrical burning smell started in the vent (initially dismissed as idling emissions from the car in front of me) and then became more intense / concentrated as if something were on fire under the hood. I immediately pulled over, turned off the car and looked under the hood. No signs of smoke, damage, etc. The only things I found were a) slightly lowered coolant levels, just below the min in the reservoir and what appears to be fresh oil directly below the engine mount coming from the lid / seal area of what appears to be a comparment a little larger than a tuna fish can. I brought the car to the dealer and am awaiting a prognosis. The car itself runs fine from what I can tell and there was no loss of oil after checking levels. There is still a slight odor coming from the fan vent in the car when I turn it on. Does anyone have any idea what could have caused the electrical burning smell and what the container is below the engine mount (it is not the brake fluid or power steering reservoirs - this is a part that is not identified in the owner's manual.) Please let me know if you have any experience and / or if the two problems could be related. Thanks very much.
Ed
Any ideas??
The car is not making any funny noises or vibrations. How do I know if I'm being taken for a ride by the dealer? Any recommendations to get this fixed, if in fact there is a problem? Is this typically covered under warranty? Thx.
Pretty hard to diagnose over the internet.
I am looking for information from owners of the Honda Civic VX, a version of the '92-'95 Honda Civic Hatchback with numerous factory modifications to push fuel economy to an EPA 47/56 rating. I am very impressed by a car that rivals the Honda Civic Hybrid for economy and engine power, seats five in a pinch, and is available for $2k-$4k. Here are my questions:
-The fuel-saving technology in this car is very impressive. How good is real-world fuel economy?
-The Civic VX weighs 2100 lbs and has no ABS. If anyone has wrecked one, how did you fare?
-What are your general observations of the car? Having read some old reviews of the VX, I am curious about driver's experience with highway-speed acceleration, handling, and ride.
-Has anyone installed aftermarket cruise control? How well does it work? (This applies to '92-'95 Civics in general.)
I understand the VX is a popular car to modify in the import tuner crowd, but I am looking for information on the stock VX.
any recommendations on choosing tires ? thanks.
I am going to go out on a limb and present the worst case scenario. The VX has what was called VTEC-E, which was later used in hybrid car engines. It runs very lean when power is not needed, such as coasting. I would start looking into VTEC operation. But this would be my last resort, because it may get pricey.
Did you get an OEM O2 sensor or aftermarket? This may be one of the causes, VTEC-E relyes heavily on the computer readouts to determine what air/fuel ratio to use, as well as how many valves to open. I belive it switches from 12 to 16 valve operation under load. Check the valve clearance and tension, they probably need adjusting. Are you using correct grade of engine oil? VTEC uses oil pressure to operate, too heavy or too light oil may have an effect on VTEC operation. Check Mass air flow sensor for proper operation.
If you are going to do all the work your self, see if there is a Helms manual for the VX specifically. It should list the ohmmeter readouts for all the sensors for varyous conditions.
Sometimes disconnecting the battery for half hour resets the computer. Make sure you have the code for your OEM radio, if you have OEM radio.
After reset your car will have to re-learn all your driving habits, give it a couple of hours of driving to reprogram the fuel and power maps.
In the ten years I've been in the business, I MAY have seen five of these. They weren't good sellers when new so they are pretty scarce now as used cars.
Not bad cars. They ride and accelerate like the economy cars they are.
Recently I had a near-dead, but not totally dead battery in my 95 EX. I got a jump, got rolling, my radio was working (we've had to enter the code in the past when we disconnect the battery, so we're familiar w/that issue). However, this time, I noticed that the red "anti-theft" light near the rear defrost button was on while I was driving. Normally it flashes when the car is parked, etc. I think it has something to do w/the alarm, as now my alarm button on my keychain will remotely lock the doors, but it will not set or unset the alarm.
In short, the problem seems to be that the alarm is not working, ever since my near-dead battery. Keyless entry and radio still work just fine.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.
ps. First time post, sorry if this is a repeat. Couldn't find this topic in the forum.
I don't have an exact answer, but just going on a tangent here. What kind of coolant did you refill it with after changing the radiator. Different coolants may have different heat capacities, although they shouldn't. This may explain why you get a delay in fan coming on. The gauge in the dash is wired to the engine block, while the fan switch is wired to the actual coolant temp sensor. The difference in heat capacities is what giving you the delay. If you used aftermarket coolant, try switching to Honda OEM coolant and see if the problem persists (it is not really a problem, though)
adam
I know it sounds crazy but any ideas?
A friend had his air intake crammed full of dried dog food once!
1) If you exit a freeway and do not disengage cruise control, this can cause something weired to happen with your engine operations, however this is quite rare.
2) As stated in previous posts, it is highly likely that an engine idiling at high RPM's (900-1500 rpm is normal with Honda's) causes the car to cause a lurching sensation when shifting into a gear. Thus, if your foot is not exerting adequate force on the brake pedal, the car will continue on it's momentum causing you to temporarily loose control.
3) As you decel. from freeway speeds, the fuzzy logic computer management in the automatic transmission has been programmed by Honda (other manufacturers do this too) to drop the transmission from 4-th gear to the lower 3-rd gear to utilize the engine for braking. This causes the rpm's to rev will into the 3000 range and thus slow the car down. If the car is in fact accelerating. you have a special condition on your hands, possibly induced by the cruise control system within the car.
Honda would have a major problem on their hands if these cases were true, however driver error is probably to blame. Furthermore, irregardless of how long you've been a "CDL" or licensed driver, if you're not stepping on the brake hard enough, you're err-ing and causing a problem with the operation of the vehicle. Don't blame Honda for this, most people are not experiencing the same problem. You've got a great vehicle on your hands, learn to enjoy it.
I took it to the car to the dealer and they found the idle to be normal, the alternator charging at the correct voltage, and the battery passed the load test. Nevertheless, they sent me on my way and basically said I was crazy.
I took the car back two days later because it kept happening and a few times the RPMs dipped to 0 and I smashed the gas to keep the car running. This time, the dealer said that the alternator was not charging and they replaced it.
$450 later, my car is still doing the same thing. I am going back to the dealer on Monday for the manager to take a drive with me. Anyone have any ideas about what the problem may be? Any suggestions would be helpful!
Thanks in advance!
osu1298grad
I thought if anyone else was having this sort of problem, it would be helpful to update. This is also a double check to make sure I am not getting ripped off. Any comments, suggestions, or sympathies would be appreciated.
Still, never had this problem in the morning or at night when it's cool, always in the hot afternoon after work. Once the car starts, there is no problem at all. I also found that if I let the car idle for 10 extra sec before shutting it off in the morning when I get to the office, then I won't have problem starting in the afternoon, not sure if that's just accidental or that says something.
The car runs fine and is pretty good on gas, with no other problem. I am guessing something wrong with some kind of sensor or something along that line. Any one had this problem before? If I bring it in to the dealer or garage, they will probably not reproduce the problem and just blindly suggest what to replace. I'd like to get some more ideas before I bring it in.
BTW, still love this car even though it sometimes acts up....
Has anyone else had this sporadic problem?
I have no idea how to get to the bulb to replace it. Does anyone know how to access the front turner indicator bulb? Thanks, Steve
I had a similar baffling problem with my 1998 CIVIC DX. Water sounds in the back. Especially when turning. The car would steam up sometimes. During dry spells the sound went away, during rainy spells the sound returned. Hey, maybe it's water? Another sign...I found water accumulating in the rear spare wheel well. The back of the car was getting moldy. This was getting ridiculous.
Finally, I found out it was water that had entered the tail light compartment as a result of a seal having failed. It was a simple and inexpensive repair but it took a long time to diagnose.
There should be instructions on changing the bulbs in your Owners Manual.
HOWEVER, I can't find the part anywhere. WOuld anyone know of a good A/C parts place for Honda Civics (2001)?
Thanks
She has the same car as you, same year.
Sorry I don't have any info for you, but hopefully you can help us avoid similar problems to yours.
Good luck!
-James
I have a 2004 DX and don't have specs with me, but offer the following til you get better info. I tend to do most by engine noise, which works well unless there is so much traffic noise that the engine is hard to hear. If shifting up while accelerating, go from 3 to 4 at 39 mph, if shifting up and just cruising, shift at 33 mph. For fifth gear shift to accelerate at 51, to cruise at 48-9. Good luck.
polymorpha
Good news re: recent problems: there was damage/wear on a wiring harness.
The area had worn through causing things to short out. It was repaired Wed. Everything appears to be working again so far. I haven't done any highway or long distance driving yet which would be a better test.