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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions
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Here is my problems:
When the engine is cold (if you can call South Florida cold), my car will surge about 2-300 rpm's when shifting around the 40 mph mark on my automatic transmission. I have a 2001 EX Sedan with nearly 2,000 miles on it. The engine sometimes will surge one more time after the first time, but never again. It's almost like the clutch (even though this is auto) was pushed in too early on a shift. Anyone else experience this problem?
Also, my driver's side upper part of seat rocks a little bit. I wonder if this is a defect in the seat or can it be adjusted.
I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Maintenance & Repair.
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
interested in comments about the seat...on test drive the Civic seat seemed stiff and rather uncomfortable...if they get loose as well, this will be miserable...
.. is anyone else having seat problems??
Thank you.
Thanks.
Also, where (website?) can I find Honda part numbers with expanded views in case I want the dealer to price and possibly order it? They, of course, want to do the work which to me isn't worth it if it's just a part replacement. But then again, if there are special tools needed... With a $250 deductible comprehensive, I'm trying to recoup costs by doing the work myself and hopefully break even after buying another radio with what the insurance company is offering. At least the crooks just unplugged the antenna and harness, so reinstalling the radio shouldn't be a problem.
I use synthetic oil and change mine every 5-6,000 miles along with the filter. The problem is, with my '95 Civic DX, 12-13% of the old oil stays in the motor after an oil & filter change and the new oil starts out an amber color and gradually darkens from then on. By 6,000 miles it looks nearly black upon a cursory inspection.
My solution is to do one short interval change every other year or so. Leave the oil in for only about a month or 1,000 miles and then change it again. This flushes a lot of the gunk that's floating around inside your motor before the oil begins to oxidize, degrade and discolor.
ctnutr, Hondas have had 1-piece dashes for a while which improves their fit and finish ... but makes them harder to work on. Sorry, but I can't really help you.
-- Bror Jace
i don't think i have a gas gauge issue. It seems like one day it will have a quarter tank, then the next morning the gas light is on, but i don't know if that is normal or not...
thanks
You'll know if you have the gas gauge problem soon enough. I would fill up my car and drive 35 miles and it would read 1/2 of a tank. I would shut off the engine and then restart the car later in the day and now have 3/4 of a tank.
In fact, the dealership when checking out my car insisted that the reading was accurate at 1/2 of a tank until they went to fill it up and the car took only 2 gallons of gas.
After trying to convince me that there was no problem, they finally admiited something was wrong and had to call engineering.
ctnutr, do you live in Connecticut? There is a good shop www.manhonda.com which is a Honda dealership Manchester, CT that sells discounted parts via catalog and the net.
Junk yards/auto recyclers? I haven't dealt with them much but they are definitely worth trying for interior pieces.
--- Bror Jace
Update to my story below.
Cruise control took a dump on March 15, 2001 so the PCM need to be replaced. As of March 19, 2001, five more days has been out of service making a total of 43 days out of 65 days of ownership and it's still not repair.
Hi, I'm a current owner and like you I was very impressed since there is no transmission like it. Unlike the rubber band acceleration of previous HX w/ CVT, it has been modified for better response. It operates much like an automatic but with better acceleration and gas mileage, and it accelerates smoothly without any hesitation of shifting gears. Accelerate normally in D mode for best gas mileage and step on the gas pedal for better acceleration, or switch to S mode for even more acceleration. It is comfortable for my 90 miles commute, and it gets 40 mpg even with 1.5 hours of traffic. I just love the look of this black HX coupe with alloy wheels even without body color matching of mirrors and door handles. It even looks better than my black 95 Accord EX coupe and almost as good as the 2001 Accord EX coupe. The dealer originally wanted $14,888 for this Civic w/o A/C, and $4,700 for my 95 Accord EX auto w/ 134,000 miles. After an hour of negotiation, I paid $14,500 ($15,799 out the door), which is about $800 above dealer invoice plus destination, and I got a fair trade-in price of $6,500. However, after only 10 days and 1000 miles later, it needed a new transmission for it would slip intermittently and would not even move in D, S, or L mode. When it did work again, I drove it to my local Honda dealer for repair on Jan 23, 2001. Since this is a relatively new and limited Japanese part, I had to wait a very long time for it delivery and even without an estimate date of delivery. I called my Honda dealer where I had purchased the vehicle and Honda customer representatives several times asking for a lemon buy-back or a replacement vehicle but no such luck. So when it got to 30 days, I called the Better Business Bureau of California to proceed through arbitration, and they worked on my case right away even faxed to Honda that Friday evening. Well come Monday, the same Honda representative that had handled my case called to offer an extended warrantee on the transmission to 5 years/60K miles as Honda gesture of good will. Since Honda had provided free car rental from the second day, I felt obliged to give Honda a break so as result of further negotiation, Honda gave me 6 years/72K miles warrantee on the transmission plus A/C at $375 (1/3 the cost). In the end, it took 35 days for a new replacement transmission and A/C add-on, much angers, frustrations, headaches, and sleepless nights. Honda customer representative called this problem a fluke but if I ever get a Honda lemon again that will be my last Honda. I also brought the car back 2 more times for minor but irritating harmonic noise and rattle. As of March 14, 2001, 38 days was in the Honda dealership out of 60 days of ownership so it up to you to make your own purchasing decision.
So it sounds like the HOnda factory and the BBB worked for you, and the dealer was sort of stuck in the middle. Dealers are very reluctant to give anything away, because they don't know if the factory is going to pay them for it. Factories often screw dealers or really put the pressure on them to perform.
The BBB was formed so that bad businesses wouldn't give good businesses a bad name. The mediation process hopefully corrects bad business practices, which it seemed to do in your case.
This is not to imply your time and effort are not valuable, but really, you are luckier than a lot of people in similar situations.
I don't think your car was a "lemon"....you had one bad component in a very complex machine. If you keep thinking "lemon" you'll never be happy with the car.
What?????????????????
A lot of people in similar situations got a REFUND or a brand new car.
tn hx cvt, contact a lemon law attorney, immediately!!!!
I purchased a 2001 Civic LX on February 1 of this year. Within the first few days of my ownership I noticed the following problems: a) A low static-like noise (popping sound?) coming from the front dash area towards the passenger side while driving. More specifically, the noise seemed to come from where the front windshield met the dash and the right roof pillar. b) A slight amount of wind noise coming from the right rear door area while driving. c) The trunk would not close on the first try if you opened it with the trunk-release lever located on the floor by the driver's seat. It would shut just fine if you opened it with a key from the outside.
Feeling that the car should have been good-to-go from the start, I decided to take it to the dealership on February 19th to have them fix the above mentioned problems. After hearing the "dash" noise for himself, one of the lead technicians had me turn the steering wheel to generate the noise while he pressed down on the cowl molding at the base of the front windshield (where it met the right quarter panel and the passenger side door). This pressure caused the sound to stop so he told me that that was where they would probably start in looking for the source of the sound. I left the car with the dealership that morning and later that day the service advisor called me to say that while they were looking for the source of the dash noise, they accidentally cracked the front windshield (apparently this is one touchy piece of hardware) and it would have to be replaced. The only problem with a windshield replacement was that the replacement parts (a new front windshield, rubber seal and cowl assembly in addition to a new trunk cable for the trunk-closing problem) were not in stock and would have to be ordered from their suppliers. Unfortunately, most, if not all of these parts were also on backorder status. Twenty-four days later, on March 15th, I was able to pick up my car from the dealership. (As of the 15th, a new trunk cable had not come in yet so they had to take one off of an in-stock unit to fix mine.)
Now, the cause of the front dash noise? The service ticket states "Cause: wind noise. Found ...broken clips on frt cowl replaced cowl." Whether it was just the cowl molding in some way, the front windshield or a combination of the two, I will never know as they were all replaced. One thing I do know is that the "dash" noise IS GONE. The trunk now shuts on the first try and there seems to be less wind noise coming from the right rear door area. After all of this would I buy a Honda again? Yes. I appreciate the information shared on this website, as it has been a benefit to me.
Drive (D) Use this position for your normal driving. The transmission automatically adjusts to keep the engine at the best speed for driving conditions. To help the engine warm up faster, the transmission will select ratios that allow the engine to run at higher speeds when it is cold.
Second (S) Selecting Second shifts the transmission into a lower range of ratios for better acceleration and increased engine braking. Use Second when you are going down a steep hill, or in stop-and-go driving.
Low (L) To shift to Low, press the release button on the front of the shift lever. Use Low to get more power when climbing, and for maximum engine braking when going down steep hills.
For faster acceleration when in D, S or L, the transmission will automatically 'kick down' to a lower range of ratios by pushing the accelerator pedal to the floor.
Maximum Allowable Speeds
The CVT shifts automatically to maintain proper engine speed in any shift position.
When the vehicle reaches the maximum speed in any shift position, you may feel the engine cut in and out. This is caused by a limiter (112 mph, 180 km/h) in the engine computer controls. The engine will run normally when you reduce the speed below the maximum.
On page 185
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
On HX model
Honda's Continuously Variable automatic transmission's unique design provides a smooth, constant flow of power. It is electronically controlled for more precise operation and better fuel economy.
As you can see, there is absolutely no wrong doing on my part since I have always driven in D mode. On one instance when trying to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in D mode, the transmission kept slipping and it didn't matter if I had accelerated normally, moderately, or fully and that when I had to try S mode but that did not help either. Remembering what I have read in the Owner Manual, I tried light acceleration and maintained 60 mph till I exited from the freeway to my in-law. Another time when I had to try any mode (R, D, S, or L) was from a complete stand still by the curve. Nothing would move the car except for R mode, I kept trying all the mode even shutting down and restarting the car, and I even waited a while before restarting but the only thing that would consistently work was reverse so I reversed a little, stop, and tried to go forward and again it didn't work. I must have tried more than 10 times until the D mode blinked and check engine lighted signaling that something was wrong with the transmission. Anyway, I pushed the car forward and out of the fire station driveway, stayed overnight at my in-law, and tried it again in the morning and it barely worked. I had to drive around the block several times to warm it up and drove 30 miles locally to the Honda near my house. My wife and I came up with two conclusions that it either did not like her mother place or the colder temperature of the evening (50 to 40 F). Anyway, the service dealer experienced the same intermittent problem cause by the colder temperature. With the new the transmission, the slipping disappeared and all modes worked fine although I have not try L mode yet. There is even a Technical Service Bulletin on this problem:
Service Bulletin Number: 161000
Bulletin Sequence Number: 157
Date of Bulletin: 0010
NHTSA Item Number: SB615815
Make: HONDA
Model: CIVIC
Year: 2001
Component: POWER TRAIN:TRANSMISSION:AUTOMATIC
Summary: INFORMATION ON THE DISCONTINUATION OF THE CVT (CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION) FLUID. *TT
I would truly love this car if I did not have all of these reliability problems: a new transmission at 1000 miles, a new Powertrain Control Module (PCM) at 2000 miles, and noises everywhere. I love the interior, exterior, size, power, handling, and especially the mileage. Since day one, I have logged all the mileage listed below:
1/19/01 407 miles 10.421 gallons 39.06 mpg
1/23/01 440 miles 11.854 gallons 37.12 mpg
3/01/01 361 miles 10.354 gallons 34.87 mpg
3/06/01 484 miles 12.398 gallons 39.04 mpg
3/12/01 387 miles 9.657 gallons 40.07 mpg
Total 2079 miles 54.684 gallons 38.02 mpg
So Matt, please tell me more about your HX w/ CVT experience. Mpg?
--- Bror Jace
I bought mine on January the 9th and now have around 7000 miles. I don't know what kind of milage I'm getting now, cause my wife takes it to work and she doesn't keep a tab on this. When I drove the car, I wasn't getting more than 33-35 mpg. Infact, my wife and I drove from south jersey to columbus, Ohio and did not get more than 33 mpg. Btw, my mother in law, loves the car, she and my wife went all the way to chicago...and my mother in law drove the whole way...I thought I would never see the car again. Like I said, my wife has the car now, but I'll get it back starting next week, and then I'll start keeping a tab of the milage. This car is a joy to drive and the cvt is really smooth, hopefully I'll see the 40+ mpg soon. I'll keep you up to date with the mpg and everything else with the hx.
Hey Tin, did you realize we might be the only ones here with 2001 hx w/ cvt...
Last week when I left work, there was a small, business-sized piece of card stock paper stuck to the driver's side window of my car... it was stick into the rubber at the base of the window. (It was one of those "Make $1000/daily!!" ads.)
So anyway, I didn't notice this paper until I got into the car, and when I saw it, (stupidly) my reaction was to roll down the window and grab it. When I rolled down the window, the piece of paper slipped and fell into the door body. So now I have a small piece of heavy paper somewhere in my door frame.
I had read of some problems people had with their windows getting off-track, and I wonder if I should be concerned about this piece of paper. I'm a bit afraid to ask the dealer, because of _course_ they'd love to tear the door off my car for some non-warranty work.
Hi Ronald, read several of my messages above from tin_hx_cvt and tell me about Honda. I think for the most part Honda is doing a good job when the problem is identified and a little help from the Better Business Bureau wouldn't hurt. Have you read your owner manual? Have you been tightening the gas cap with three clicks? If you have not, then that might be the problem with the check engine light. Otherwise, maybe your PCM is malfunctioning and take a look at this site http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/Servicemmy5.cfm
Hi Matt, it is difficult to find someone here that has this 2001 HX w/ CVT and it is nice to know that your wife and mother-in-law also love this vehicle. As for my wife, she swore never to sit in my car again let alone drive it when the transmission slipped on the freeway. Any way, she did seat in the car again several times only to have to go through the same scary experience. Even though the car is running fine now with the new transmission and new PCM, she absolutely will not trust it so when I has said 'Let go to Arizona this weekend', instantly, she would respond 'Not in your car!' As for mileage, it seems to be getting better with more miles driven. I typically cruise at 65 mph but if I am behind a big truck or a slower driver doing 55 to 60 mph on the right lane, then I just cruise along with them since no one will harass me. How fast do you or wife normally drive and what is your traffic condition? I do not think you can get 40 mpg with faster speed or heavy traffic condition.
Heh, the leaf blower sounds like a possibility. I was just taking a look at it here at work, and I think now if I get a clotheshanger and a flashlight, I might be able to fish the piece of paper out manually. We'll see.
Have you ever used a fuel system cleaner? It might dissolve anything that's causing your float to stick or hang up.
I believe everyone should use a couple bottles of fuel cleaner every year to prevent problems throughout the fuel system, not just the injectors. I recommend Redline SI-1 and Chevron Techron.
--- Bror Jace
Any advice??
Thanks
As time went by the noise that I had first noticed during our test drive was becoming louder and more apparent. At about 3,000 km I decided to take the car into the dealer to have them look at it. I don’I have the exact date but it was early September. The Service Manager, assured me that it was likely something minor and indicated that the engine mounts might be a bit loose. He then suggested that the problem could be looked at when we had the car in for the 6000 km warranty service.
From early September to late November the knocking noise became more pronounced to the point where the car sounded like a diesel when the accelerator was pressed. We took the car to the dealer in November of 2000 for the 6000 km warranty service. I told the service desk representative about the noise, describing it as a knocking sound that was especially noticeable when the gas pedal was depressed and the engine was under load. The noise became louder and faster as you continued to depress the accelerator. The noise was especially noticeable while driving in 1st and 2nd gear, but also could be noticed in 3rd, 4th, and at highway speed in 5th if the road was smooth and there wasn’t too much road noise. You could also notice the noise when the car was stopped if you quickly revved the engine. The noise is only noticeable when the car is warmed up, i.e. normal operating temperature and is not heard when the car is cold just after starting. I then had one of the mechanics come on a test drive with me. He heard the noise and commented that it was not normal and appeared to be somewhat concerned.
The initial diagnosis was that perhaps the main bearings were a bit loose, although the measurements that were done seemed to indicate that they were within spec. However, I was told that to get a true measurement the engine would have to be removed and then the tolerances measured. The main engine bearings were then replaced and I picked up the car. During the ride back to our home the knocking noise was still there. We took the vehicle back to the dealer and they then proceeded to replace the small engine block. While the car was in the shop we were given two loaners, which were 2 door 2000 Honda Civic's with the same engine and over 12,000 km. During the time that we had the loaners I tried to see if they made the same noise. The same noise was not noticed over range of rpm’s, gears, and driving speeds.
The second service that was done on the car seemed to make quite a difference. Overall the engine ran a lot quieter and the noise was not noticeable. However, over the course of the next couple of months the original noise started to occur again, starting quietly at first, but then following the same pattern that we noticed prior to the 6,000 km service.
In early March 2001 I took the car into a local independent import mechanic that we had gone to with a Toyota Celica that we had owned from new for 12 years. The mechanic came out on a test drive with me and heard the knocking noise. He then brought the car into his shop and listened for the noise using a stethoscope, he also had the car on a hoist and checked to make sure that there were no loose parts. He then took the car out for a test drive by himself. His diagnosis was as follows: "Road tested – appears to be slight knock from engine block area on acceleration. 1st and 2nd gear on acceleration mostly. Checked engine compartment and underneath. Nothing loose or out of ordinary. Fluids ok. Suggest contacting dealer." The mechanic indicated that the noise was not normal and appeared to be coming from lower down towards the front of the engine.
Recently, we have also started to notice another problem. If you rev the engine up to approximately 3,000-3,500 rpm and let your foot off the gas the engine will start to slow down. as it approaches the normal idle speed there is a noticeable shudder from the engine that you can feel via the steering wheel and also hear.
We are in the process of waiting to meet with a factory representative and the local dealer. Any suggestions as to this problem would be greatly appreciated.
Kelly
Lacombe, Alberta CANADA
biscoito@telusplanet.net
I just purchase the 2001 Honda Civic service manual. I wish I had a scanner so I can scan the pages to you. Or perhaps you can send me an email with your address and I mailed to you.
jschangca99@yahoo.com