Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

178101213101

Comments

  • gasguzzgasguzz Member Posts: 214
    What brand oil filter are you using?
    It is relevant to the anti-drainback valve design.
  • goodstergoodster Member Posts: 4
    My 1994 Honda Civic has about 92,000 miles on it and for the past couple of months their has been a "rapping" sound coming from the engine when I start the car. After about 3-5 minutes the sound goes away. The car runs fine and I have changed the oil every 3500 miles and done all other service work. Anyone ever hear of this problem?
  • silverprincesssilverprincess Member Posts: 75
    Hi Everyone,


    I own a 1991 Honda Civic HB STD with 150k miles on it. I'm trying to order a cat. converter from JC Whitney but they need to know some spec's which even the Stevens Creek Honda parts dept. personnel (San Jose, CA) doesn't know. So if you know the following, I'd really appreciate some feedback!


    * Is it a single in/out or dual in/out? With single or dual air tube?

    * Inlet/outlet dimensions - 2, 2.25, 2.5 or 3 inches?

    * Here's the details on JC Whitney's page:

    http://server2.edmunds.com/edweb/JCWhitney/Parts/55ZC4974.html


    JC Whitney quoted me price range $104-134 and described as "high capacity super flow cat. converter" Not bad for price compared to original Honda part for $769.14 list! If anyone has any comments on this part or price, please comment.


    Thanks!

  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Have the car put up on a hoist and look under it.
  • brorjacebrorjace Member Posts: 588
    Goodster, I have a '95 Civic Coupe DX and have the same sort noise when I start my car ... and the colder it is the louder it gets. Once warmed up, the sound goes away.

    I'm convinced it is a slight exhaust leak ... probably at the head gasket. Once the engine warms up and expands, the leak is sealed and the noise goes away. I'm gonna let mine be unless it gets much worse.

    I've heard that our cars are prone to head gasket problems and that there is a special head bolt kit that is part of a proper fix. Just replacing the gasket does not last long before the problem returns.

    --- Bror Jace
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Pretty unusual for a head gasket to leak compression gases to where you'd hear an exhaust noise. It'd burn through the gasket pretty quickly and cause a major driveability problem. Should also be losing coolant and/or oil. Are you sure there isn't a hairline crack in the exhaust manifold, or a leak in the exhaust manifold gasket which seals it to the head?
  • brorjacebrorjace Member Posts: 588
    alcan, I've heard this theory of mine (it really isn't mine, originally) from a number of sources and it seemed to make sense ... especially when these motors are prone to head gasket problems.

    The car burns no measurable amount of oil between changes nor does it lose any coolant.

    What you say makes sense, though. My second guess would be a hairline gap where the exhaust manifold meets the head. The same concept still applies, though. Once the parts heat up and expand, the gap is sealed and the noise disappears.

    --- Bror Jace
  • philco1philco1 Member Posts: 1
    Even a car manufacturer with impeccable credentials such as Honda can still build a lemon!! Honda should simply save face with you and replace the vehicle on a pro-rata basis. Keep up posted on the results......
  • pklaspklas Member Posts: 20
    I have had similar problems with my car (2000 Honda Civic SI - EX in the U.S.). I purchased the car in late August. At around 2000 km, the heater worked intermittently. After tearing down the engine, an unused bolt was found in the intake manifold. The head gasket was replaced at 6000 KM. Honda Canada deemed the car to be fit. In any event, after threatening legal action, Honda gave me an "extended warranty". Big deal!!

    In any event, at around 10 km my car started developing a weird rapping/marble in a can noise. Brought it in and dealer responded by telling me it was normal. Noise got worse, especially on cold starts in the morning.

    Brought the car in yesterday for 24 km service. Pointed out the noise again, and they adjusted the valves- no change!! The loud marble in a can/rapping noise was still there. Service Technicians all agreed it was not normal.

    A district sevice manager was at the dealership today and I had him hear it and he told it me was normal. What an arrogant individual he was (typical of Honda Canada- you know Honda builds the best cars, we're not Chrysler- yada-yada-yada). I left the car with him to start four hours later. I came back to the dealership and now they are looking at the prospect of replacing the engine block. No apology given.

    In any event, there is a recent TSB out there on 2000 Civics regarding Piston Slap. In essence, Honda is now telling people that it is a characteristic of the car. I say that is [non-permissible content removed]. Many people will disagree on how serious or unserious piston slap really is. In my own opinion, piston slap is a quality control problem that is a good prognosticator of powertrain problems down the road. Ask those Ford F-150s owners about piston slap: Ford has been replacing a lot of engine blocks of late. At least, Ford is doing something about it (not that I am saying Ford builds good cars to begin with)

    I am starting to believe that Honda does not build as good a car as it once did. The company, it appears, is milking its reputation built in the early and mid 90s and is now producing GM type cars. Each generation of Civic has become more "decontented". Maybe it has to do with manufacturing the cars in North America together with its increased reliance on 3rd party suppliers. All service techs at Honda tell me that the best built cars are the Prelude and CR-V (both made in Japan). The 2001 Civic is essentially a Chevy Cavalier - not my words, but from people at Honda Canada. Go figure.
  • phantomcaphantomca Member Posts: 20
    My old honda accord (1990) is built in Japan and I got 280,000 miles out of it (most of it highway). I sold it and is still drivable. The only problem I had when I sold it is a heating proplem after my radiator hose broke and the car overheated. My friend has an accord 1991 and built in Japan with 340,000 miles on it (highway). My new civic 2001 lx is built in Ohio. I do see parts that doesn't fit right. Good example is the rear door. The rubber door trim doesn't cover the top part of the sheetmetal. I can see little gap where water might get through. I bought some silicon and patch it in. In general....I am quiet happy with the car so far. Haven't have any problem with the fuel gauge or the rattling noise. Just my 2 cents.
  • imhip2imhip2 Member Posts: 30
    I have a 2000 Civic SE and do NOT feel a vibration when I drive at highway speeds. Do any of you NOT feel a vibration? I ask because my 2000 Odyssey does have a vibration/shimmy in the steering at highway speeds which Honda has been telling us Odyssey owners is normal. So if it is normal for my high priced, superior quality Odyssey to shake, my less expensive, lower quality Civic should have a shake don't you agree? I just want to know if anybody has had any experience dealing with Honda to make their Civic vibrate.

    ; )
  • rkanrkan Member Posts: 11
    I think I read somewhere that some civics for the US are made in Japan. Anyone else heard this? And Cant you tell the country of manufacture by the first letter in the Vin? If so, is Japan J and USA U?
  • max_2ksemax_2kse Member Posts: 5
    J is for Japan, 1 is USA, 2 is Canada.
  • rkanrkan Member Posts: 11
    WOO HOO! Mine is made in Japan! Hopefully the rumors are true.
  • skihoserskihoser Member Posts: 12
    So far, we have not experienced any of the above mentioned problems in our 01 Civic EX. Ours was also purchased in December, however it has not been entirely trouble free. With 1400 miles on it the transmission was replaced (5-spd). It kept jumping out of 2nd gear, or would not go into gear. After waiting a week for the parts to repair the diagnosed problem (synchronizers) a whole new transmission was installed. No problem since. It does have squeaks and rattles that I would not have expected with only 4300 miles -- but, it is a gas to drive. And, no complaints on the 38-40 MPG.
  • goodstergoodster Member Posts: 4
    Another theory that I heard from a Honda Mechanic is that the problem is the main bearings and that they are cheap. Over time the bearings get smaller and that's were the noise comes from. He told me to fight with Honda and try to get them to replace them. Has anyone had any luck with this?
  • brorjacebrorjace Member Posts: 588
    I haven't heard that the 'bottom' of Honda engines is weak. Quite the opposite, actually. Keep us posted if you find out for sure.

    --- Bror Jace
  • nuttyjjnuttyjj Member Posts: 1
    Hello
    First let me congratulate you on a great website, It has so much useful information.
    I love it!!!

    I just bought a 92 civic DX 5 Spd with 105k miles from a friend about a month ago, she had it for about 3 yrs since 78k miles. Anyways, about 3 or 4 months ago the check the engine light came on. And now that I own the car I did the self diagnosis following the instructions of the Haynes civic manual and it gave me a code 19 which is for a Lock Up Solenoid Valve, and the fun begins because this only comes on automatic transmissions and I have a 5 Spd.
    I spoke to the dealer in town but they are a bunch of fools who dont know anything and couldnt help me.

    Also, can you tell me what type of gas and oil is best for my car.
    I have been using 93 octane gas lately thinking it was better and i started using Castrol synthetic blend motor oil 20w 50, but now that I have read all of the comments here, Im not too sure about what Im doing.
    I drive it about 15 miles daily to and from work, but about every other month travel about 650 miles to visit family.
    Im hoping i can reach 200k miles without mayor trouble.
  • schragemschragem Member Posts: 16
    Just got a call from the repair guy who said that the distributor bearings in my '92 Civic VX are shot. Anybody else have this problem and is it covered by recall, etc.--I highly doubt it, esp. given the age and mileage (137k) of my car. Let me know...Matt
  • mdrivermdriver Member Posts: 385
    Recalls only concern safety related defects, regardless of number of miles. You should have received a recall notice if there was a recall for your problem.

    Since you have a Civic VX, what is your fuel economy like and does your engine seem to lose power at steady speeds when attempting to accelerate? This appears to be an undesireable characteristic of the lean burn engine.
  • 97jettagtgrl97jettagtgrl Member Posts: 10
    I hate my 1997 Jetta GT...not only do I believe it is cursed (2 accidents within 6 months neither my fault), i just do not like the car. I have no options in the car, it is a very base car. I was looking to trade it in for a 01 Civic EX manual trans. I was wondering if anyone with that car can give me some advice. Is the stereo problem solved yet? After looking at Jetta Maintenance probs..(engines exploding, cars stalling as soon as leaving dealership brand spankin new..etc) I am believing that Honda's are better than the Mexican built VW's...HELP me please I need to rid myself of this cursed Jetta!
  • brorjacebrorjace Member Posts: 588
    I wouldn't use Castrol oils after the scams they've tried to pull. Most synthetic blends are a bad deal (too expensive for what you get) but even 100% Castrol Syntec isn't REALLY synthetic so their blend is an especially bad deal. Us another brand like Valvoline, Mobil, etc ...

    I'd use either a 10W30 conventional oil or perhaps you could try Mobil 1 15W50 if your engine is already consuming some oil. for winter use, try to stick with 5W30. Use OEM filters for best results, regardless

    As for your check engine light, I'd suspect your O2 sensor ... which I believe is that thing screwed into your exhaust manifold. Not cheap ... but not the end of the world either.

    --- Bror Jace
  • teddwoodteddwood Member Posts: 16
    I hear a faint noise coming from the front left. It sounds like something is rubbing and usually only occurs when I am turning right, or when passing over a dip in the road. Took the car to a dealership last week. They told me Honda is aware of the problem and working on some procedures. I asked why don't they just replace my struts. The dealer insists the structs are good.
    97 jettagrl, I won't recommend that 01 Civic. I have a lot of problems w/ mine. Good luck!
  • schragemschragem Member Posts: 16
    My '92 VX still gets about 50 mpg on hwy and 40 in city...pretty remarkable. This is after replacing the O2 sensor last month (had been averaging about 40 on mostly hwy driving). The engine burps occasionally when the RPMs drop under 2000 and I try to accelerate, but this rarely happens and I love the car in general.
  • cdtcdt Member Posts: 6
    hi

    my civic 93 is hard to start at hot weather, especially after i drivng it for a while. I mean after turning off the engine, it is very difficult to restart it. what i have to do is open the hood for a long time and then i can start the engine again.

    is there any way i can fix it? i called the dealer and he really can not make any sense at all.

    thanks for help
  • cdtcdt Member Posts: 6
    hi

    my civic 93 is hard to start at hot weather, especially after i drivng it for a while. I mean after turning off the engine, it is very difficult to restart it. what i have to do is open the hood for a long time and then i can start the engine again.

    is there any way i can fix it? i called the dealer and he really can not make any sense at all.

    thanks for help
  • cknisley1cknisley1 Member Posts: 5
    I've been around the Civic for a while, so hopefully I can shed some light on a couple of these problems.

    The guy with hot weather start problem:
    The problem is almost definitely your PGM-FI main relay. It is located behind the fuse panel. That relay is notorious for causing an intermittent no-start condition in hot weather (particularly if the interior has heated up from sitting in the sun all day).

    The guy with the bad distributor bearing in the VX:
    This is also a very common problem with Civics. In Canada and I believe the US as well, the cheapest solution from the dealer is a distibutor subassembly which is very expensive ($460 CDN). If you can find someone with a machine shop, you may be able to get the bearing pressed off of the shaft and replaced. You can find the bearing at http://stores.yahoo.com/bearingsdirectcom/hondis.html . If you go this route, the screws are hard to get off, and be careful not to break the soft iron sensor wheels. I've heard myths of a "secret warranty" from Honda, but I wouldn't bet on it. The shavings from the bearing may be arcing across the distributor, causing your "burping" condition.

    The people with the rattling sound from engine, particularly during cold weather:
    This is almost always piston-slap which occurs when the cylinder bores become elliptical from wear. There is no cheap or easy fix for this problem, but fortunately a lot of people report that their Civic has been running for many 10's of thousands of miles without a significant change in the condition. This usually occurs on higher mileage cars (100 000 mi) and at this point it is seldom economical or wise to rebuild. The best way to deal with the problem is to simply let your car warm up for a few minutes before driving it and be gentle on the throttle for the first minute or so of driving.
  • cdtcdt Member Posts: 6
    hi

    thanks for your response.

    i called a dealer and that guy asked me to bring my car to his place this weekend. but i remember someone post a message here and said that the relay problem can not be solved by replacing a new one. It is a design problem of civic and there is no way to solve it at all. Is that ture? anyone has succesfully solved this problem, please share your experince.
  • cknisley1cknisley1 Member Posts: 5
    You may have misunderstood; the problem is caused by the relay, and replacing the relay fixes the problem. What was probably said, was that the relays have not changed in their manufacture so it could occur again later in the future. The problem in the relay is a poor solder joint, which is a manufacturing defect - not a design defect.
  • spokanespokane Member Posts: 514
    While the Civic is a very reliable car, two of it's worst problem areas are those addressed by cknisley1; the distributor bearing and PGM-F1 relay. Thanks for providing details on each of these problem areas..

    Would you deem it worthwhile to replace the distributor bearing on a preventive basis? If so, at what mileage? Again, thanks.
  • rogger1rogger1 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 1992 honda civic and the central door lock is not working at all. any one can help me and tell what I should check, maybe a relay or a fuse, and were I should check.
    thanks...
  • cknisley1cknisley1 Member Posts: 5
    I agree entirely with your view on the reliability of the Civic!

    As for the distributor bearing, I don't really know enough about their lifespan to suggest whether or not to replace it as preventative maintenance. The one on my car went at 270 000km (167 000mi). If I had to pick a number as an average I would probably say 120 000mi, but I doubt that I am any better qualified to guess than you are!

    If you could get a used shaft assembly that had a shot bearing from a dealer or a wecker, you could get a new bearing installed on it and then you'd have a spare when yours went.
  • brorjacebrorjace Member Posts: 588
    cknisley, I've heard of this "piston slap" explanation before but I remain highly skeptical.

    My car is meticulously maintained and I burn no discernable amount of oil so I don't see how wear could be a problem. I started to notice it at 90,000 miles ... or even before.

    Also, why would this "piston slap" noise go away after the car warms up?

    --- Bror Jace
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Pistons expand as they heat up, reducing piston skirt to cylinder wall clearance.
  • cknisley1cknisley1 Member Posts: 5
    Exactly as Alcan said (and with a name like Alcan, he should know) the aluminum pistons expand with heat and eliminate the small gap necessary to cause piston slap.

    I don't know what I was thinking when in my previous post I said that the cylinder bore becomes eliptical from wear. It is clearly the aluminum pistons that wear, not the cast iron cylinder liners!

    Note that the Mercury Villager / Nissan Quest had the same problem, and they actually replaced the pistons under warranty if you can believe that! I certainly wouldn't want a mechanic racing the flat rate clock to tear my engine apart and put it back together....
  • brorjacebrorjace Member Posts: 588
    I figured that the engine heating up COULD cause this noise to go away ... IF it is 'piston slap' but how could this happen on a meticulously owned car that doesn't even consume a measurable amount of oil in over 5,000 miles? My car has gotten synthetic oil (mostly Mobil 1) and a new OEM filter every 5-6,000 miles and the noise started to be noticeable at around 80-90,000 miles. Other than the noise on particularly cold mornings (20F or less), the car runs like it is new.

    I figured it was an exhaust leak because the same thing happened to my brother's 2-stroke dirt bike. Using a mixture of gas & oil, you could even see the puff of smoke leak out along with the extra noise before the engine heated up.

    --- Bror Jace
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    cknisley1, you were right the first time. Although we usually find this on higher mileage engines, cylinder walls can and do wear in an elliptical shape. Most of the wear occurs on the piston's major thrust side, the side opposite the direction of engine rotation. That's because the piston isn't pushing the connecting rod straight down but at an increasing angle as the crankshaft rotates. Piston pins are offset toward the major thrust side to compensate. Cylinders also develop taper wear with most of the wear taking place at the upper portion of the cylinder. That area receives the least lubricating oil. As an example, Chrysler 2.2L engine cylinder wear specs are up to .005" taper and .005" out of round. Noisy as *ell but still in spec.
  • cknisley1cknisley1 Member Posts: 5
    You may find the following interesting from rec.autos.makers.honda . Thanks for the info, alcan!

    >I have a 97 Civic LX with 80K miles which has had a cold weather engine knock.
    >I live in SC so cold is 40 degrees. Been knocking bad for about 15K miles.
    >Knocks the first 2-5 minutes after startup. Heard it could be piston slap.
    >Needed to replace timing belt so I have the engine apart in my garage right
    >now. I dropped the pan. The bearings check OK but the bottom of the cylinder
    >bores have signs of wear. The metal is rolled on the bottom edge. The pistons
    >shirts have .003 to .004 clearance the best I can measure with a small feeler
    >gage. Book says .002 or less. With small pressure I can rock the pistons in
    >the cylinder.
    >
    >I have taken good care of this engine. I checked the oil pump and it still has
    >the original machine marks. I started using Mobil 1(SYN). Not much help if
    >any. I tried running extra quart of oil and it shortens the knocking time.
    >The knock starts 10 seconds after start not instantaeous. Like it is not
    >getting lubrication at first.
    >
    > I have been reading about a lot of people having this problem. Any solution
    >other than rebuilding the engine? Honda doing anything about it? Replaced the
    >O2 sensor at 60K otherwise reliable machine. (The sensor internal heater
    >terminals rusted. I bet a lot of them have failed!) Most miles have been
    >highway.
    >
    >Anybody got an idea what boring the cylinders and replacing the pistons is
    >going to cost? I have been out of the repair loop for 20 years. I'm thinking
    >the best thing is to put it back together and buy a Nissan. Any comments?
  • syldacatsyldacat Member Posts: 8
    My son's 1990 Civic DX with automatic transmission hesitates when he tries to "step on the gas" and accelerate quickly, as when he enters a freeway from the access road. If he shifts down to D3, it will accelerate fine, but if he doesn't manually shift down, it seems to take a while before it is able to respond. We are worried it may be a transmission problem. This car has about 103,000 miles on it but has been maintained carefully. Can anyone think of what the problem could be?

    thanks,
    Pat
  • dena4dena4 Member Posts: 4
    1997 Honda Civic Coupe "Check-Engine Light" problem.

    The car was flawless over 43K miles, then one morning two weeks ago on start-up the "check-engine" light came on.

    I called the dealer and he said don't worry and that approximately three "cold starts" will cure the problem, and that it was emissions related.

    More than 10 cold starts later and a couple of tanks of gas--THE LIGHT STAYS ON.

    Does anyone have a suggestion/solution to this before I bring it to the dealer for a check-up.

    Thank you very much.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Dena4, your car is OBD-II compliant and a scan tool is required to retrieve the stored diagnostic trouble codes and turn off the CEL. The cause may be something simple, but to get an idea of the things that might be at fault check the link below. Although not all codes apply to your vehicle it should be evident that any suggestions as to the cause are guesses.

    http://www.batauto.com/Pcodes.html
  • pocahontaspocahontas Member Posts: 802
    Hi Everyone- For those interested discussing the new 2002 Honda Civic Honda Civic Si, here's a direct link to our new Hatchbacks Message Board discussion: Honda Civic Si (2002) discussion.


    And now back to the subject of Honda Civic Problems. Thanks for your participation. ;-)


    Pocahontas

    Host

    Hatchbacks/Station Wagons Message Board

  • devoredevore Member Posts: 39
    I have a new 01 Civic EX, and I'm wondering about the noise I hear from the engine when riding in the car.

    When I roll down the windows, and drive between objects (like parked cars, or guardwalls) I hear a "static" or "hissing/gurgling" type noise that happens when I apply gas. The noise seems to come from the rear (exhaust) of the car, and my girlfriend says it's normal, and that her 94 Toyota Tacoma does it also.

    The noise is distinctly different from the engine noise coming from under the hood. And I only hear it when I apply moderate to hard acceleration.

    I'm not so sure I can compare a 7 year old truck with 100K miles on it to my 6 month old Civic with 3K miles on it :) so I was wondering if someone can identify what this noise is, or can confirm that it's normal?
  • cwosignscwosigns Member Posts: 13
    I posted this message earlier, but because of the 'hiccup' it was erased apparently.

    I just took my '97 Civic EX Coupe to the dealer for an oil changed, and they said that my exhaust manifold was practically in two pieces and that it needed replaced. The total for an oil change($25) and the exhaust manifold was $419 (including labor). Does that sound reasonable, or did I get taken?
  • mattbratmattbrat Member Posts: 17
    I recently received a letter from Honda saying that my car may have a transmission problem (reverse gear may stop working properly). They asked me to bring it in so that they can replace a solenoid in the transmission. Have any of you guys received this letter or heard about this? To tell you the truth I have had no problems with my tranny and I don't want the dealer to take apart my tranny if there isnt anything wrong with it. Can anyone shed a light on this matter?
  • cartagramcartagram Member Posts: 115
    My '01 Civic LX 5-speed began to make a tinny, spring-like ratcheting noise as I worked the clutch pedal. My dealer replaced the whole pedal assembly, and warned me that because the noise continues with the replacement assembly, it's likely a design characteristic. However, at a nearby dealer, the technician and I sat in an unsold '01 Civic and the clutch pedal works noiselessly.

    Any suggestions on the cause of the noise?
  • tin_hx_cvttin_hx_cvt Member Posts: 6
    Yeah, I have got the same letter. When did you buy your 2001 HX w/ CVT? I bought mine on January 15, 2001 and I think it was manufactured in December 2000. Read my earlier post and you will find my 2001 HX CVT had the exact problem in January 2001 except it was the forward solenoid and not the reverse. I think Honda was not aware of the exact cause at the time so they took everything apart to put in an entire new transmission at 1015 miles and it resulted in a complete mess. As a result of this repair, they also replaced the steering knuckle and outer CV joint as well. Perhaps, this letter was a result of my transmission failure which Honda engineer must have studied and identified its exact cause. In the beginning, my transmission would slip intermittently and shutting off and restarting would seem to clear the problem. Later on my wife and I figured out that it has something to do with cold temperature. The transmission would fail whenever the engine was cold and, or the outside temperature was lower than 50F especially in the evening. In the end, nothing would work except for reverse and shifting to D, S, or L is pretty much useless. Although the new transmission worked fine, to this day I always warm up this car for 5 minutes or till the temperature gauge needle starts to climb up a little. At 2200 miles, my cruise control went out and even shutting off and restarting did not help so Honda replaced my PCM (Powertrain Control Module) and VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) and the problem was gone. Well 1100 miles later and on April fool day, my cruise control went out, came back, went out, and then came back each time after shutting off and restarting again. Everything was fine till another 1200 miles, the cruise went out and came back again. First, I use this car almost exclusively for my daily 90 miles commute and I use cruise control almost everyday. On the night before the first instance, I made a short trip of less than 2 miles from my house to my sister-in-law in the evening, stayed there for about 2 hours, and drove home. Next morning the cruise control went out while on my way to work. On the night before the second instance, I drove from my mother-in-law house to Ralph store of not more than 2 miles away, went inside the store for less than 30 minutes, and drove back. Next morning from there, I drove to my dentist office and the cruise control went out. About 45 minutes later, from there I drove to my mother house which is about 4 miles away and the cruise control came back. While I was there, my brother took the car for a test drive and the cruise control went out again. After we came back, my brother-in-law decided to test drive the car too and again the cruise control came back. On the fourth instance, from work I drove to my coworker home to give him his laptop, and check out his new home. Afterward, I drove about 5 miles to the restaurant; parallel parked in the street and had dinner with my wife, and her relatives. After dinner, I moved the car from the street to restaurant driveway and shut off the engine to pickup my wife and baby, and again the cruise control went out on the way home. Based on the four instances when the cruise control went out, I think it has something to do with short trips like less than a few miles. If anyone else with 2001 Civic cruise control problem, please share. By the way, I am no longer a miserable owner of a black 2001 Civic HX w/ CVT, the lemon one. Thank to Honda Corporation, Autoline BBB, and California Lemon Law, I am now a proud owner of a silver 2001 Civic HX w/ CVT & AC, and I feels great to own a Honda Automobile once again, and to know that I will be ready when gas price hit $3.00 a gallon this summer.
  • devoredevore Member Posts: 39
    I also experience this noise when operating the clutch in my 01 EX. Actually, it sounds like a soft "click" about 15-20% of the way through the clutch range of motion. Happens every time I depress the clutch.

    I have noticed that if I press to the RIGHT on the pedal while pushing it down, the noise does not occur.

    I'm taking my car in for its first oil change and this noise is one of the things I'm having them take a look at, so we'll see.
  • cartagramcartagram Member Posts: 115
    Thanks, Devore, for sharing your clutch pedal experience. Mine is more like a spring that's being pulled out, but rubbing a protruding piece of metal, causing a series of tinny clicks. It happens when the pedal is depressed and let back up.

    Funny thing is that my dealer (Huntsville, AL) said they replaced the whole pedal assembly and the noise was exactly the same--no better, no worse.

    Which means that (a) the problem is beyond the pedal assembly, or (b) the mechanic did what I usually do--replaced the old piece with the old piece, then promptly through the new one in the trash. I'll take it to another dealer soon.
  • max_2ksemax_2kse Member Posts: 5
    We were surprised to hear from the local Honda dealer that the CV boots on our 96 Civic LX are starting to leak. I inspected them closely and sure enough the mechanic was right. The car has been well cared for and has only 45kmi, isn't it a bit premature for the boots to crack?
This discussion has been closed.