Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

tfwong · August 2001

Hi all,
I got a Civic EX 2001 5 Speed and I have noticed that the car require too much acceleration to reach specific speed, for example when I am at 72 mph in the 5th gear I am at 3500 RPM's while with a Toyota Corolla at the same speed and gear I am only at 2600 RPM's. Does anybody know if this is Normal on Civics ???

Other measurements are ( RPM-speed in mph):
3rd gear- (2500 RPM -32mph) ---(3000 - 38) -----(3500 - 44)
4th gear- (2500 RPM - 40mph)----( 3000 - 49 )---- (3500 - 57 )
5th gear- (2500 RPM - 52mph )---- (3000 - 62)

Another "issue" i found is vibration on the stering wheel when you are around 65mph +. According to the "certified" Honda technicians, it is normal to feel some vibrations. I already balanced the wheels but the vibration remains, Does anybody now something about this ???

lheadl · August 2001

I recently bought a 95 Civic EX with VTEC engine with 115K mi. The engine seemed a little noisy but it sounded like valve noise. In the last week I noticed a light "knock". It begins at about 2200 rpm and seems to only be there when accelerating. I can bring it out by holding the engine at steady rpm above 2200 and then accelerating. It does not go away when the engine is hot, unlike the piston slap noise on some earlier posts in this forum. My brother, who was a mechanic for 20 yrs (general not Hondas) thought it is either the front main bearing or a piston slap. His first reaction was front main, and he thought it is definitely at crank speed not camshaft speed. The noise is not very loud, and my brother thought it is not something to worry about much. The car has never had the timing belt changed, and I had planned to have that done right away, but now I would like to get the noise fixed, if possible, while they have the timing belt off. I think that should be possible if the main bearing is the problem, but I'm not sure if the piston can be fixed without a full overhaul. I'm first going to take the car to my regular garage (not Honda) and have them listen to it, then to the Honda dealer. I have no previous experience with the dealer. I would welcome any comments on what you think the noise might be, how I could check to make sure before spending too much, and how expensive the fix might be. Other than that the car seems to be in excellent condition so I don't mind spending a few hundred on it. Thanks very much.

Btw, I am new to this forum, but it appears to have some good information and quality members.

isellhondas · August 2001

In any engine is not a good thing!

Instead of trying to guess at the cause I would get it checked ASAP by someone who knows what he/she is doing when it comes to Hondas.

If ignored this could lead to something very expensive!

brorjace · August 2001

The dreaded "piston slap."

My car gets this at start up ... especially on cool or cold mornings. Once the engine heats up and the metal expands the noise disappears completely.

If your's IS an actual rod knock, I'd go with one step thicker motor oil and see if that doesn't quiet it down some.

My car's a 95DX with 105,000 miles on it. I'm gonna drive the sucker till it explodes ... which will probably be a while since it's a Honda. >;^)

--- Bror Jace

auburn63 · August 2001

They actually say that it can be caused by an over tightened external belt. Mostly the Power steering belt.Anyhow Honda also says that the chances of it getting any worse are slim unless the belts are over tightened again.If the noise is minor at this time it will not hurt much to let it go and keep an ear out for it getting worse. However if you want it fixed and it is indeed the main brgs then the repair is only minor surgery as car repairs go. Drop the oil pan, drop the main caps, slide the brgs out, order the correct colors and reassemble.Give or take a few steps.. Good luck

jenndawg · August 2001

Okay.. I am to the point of going crazy over this car.

I'm gonna make this simple:

It's a 97 EX, 2-door, 5-speed

When I turn right it clicks and will sometimes click when I go over large bumps but the noise always comes from the right side.

The car is still under warranty.

I have taken it in 3 times. They have replaced the bearings and both axles. It STILL clicks.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Jenn

auburn63 · August 2001

Does it click constantly on turns or just a one time click?

Could it be more of a kncoking noise than a click?

Noises are hard to describe I know but there are several things that make noise and go bad in the front. It confuses me on why they replaced the wheel brgs for a click. I would think if it wasn't the axles that it may be the front strut, the sway bar link or the lower arm. But noises are so hard over the net...

jenndawg · August 2001

It's is kinda knocky sounding. It's a series of knocks/clicks.

lheadl · August 2001

Thanks for the comments on #783. I tried changing to 20w50 oil but it didn't seem to make much difference. As soon as I have time I will try the garage that has been doing work for me for the last 10 yrs, then probably the Honda shop, before doing anything serious. Auburn63, interesting comment about tight belts. I'll try loosening the power steering belt and see if the noise changes. I'll let you know what happens.

dudka · August 2001

before you do anything about the engine noise, try higher octane gas. if that cures the knock you just need the tune up, (or check the manual what kind of gas the 95 VTEC required) also, if the vlaves were never adjusted the engine would make clicking noise when idling.

clicking in turns is probably a CV-joint. going over bumpbs changes the angle and it makes noise in a CV joint that is not well lubed or out whack.

transitdoc · August 2001

Has everyone forgotten about the ECU (PCM/TCM) problems previously mentioned? Or is it not "sexy" enough now? I know of at least 15 honda civic owners in or around the NYC area with problems regarding hesitation/stalling. I am surprised given the technical sophistication of some of the subscribers more has not been written.

auburn63 · August 2001

Are you still having problems or didn't you get the 2nd ECM/PCM yet? Usally after the new ECM/PCM the problems go away unless it is something else such as bad fuel.

quebecois · August 2001

I tried to buy a '92 civic lx 89,000km black. For a 9 years car, this kms is really nothing, but it had 2 small accidents years before and has a little bit rust. Will any body tell me the real value of this car? many thanks.

transitdoc · August 2001

Actually, the third ECU (the second was worse than the first)got rid of the stalling, but the hesitation is still there. Sometimes the car seems to "forget" what to do when I depress the accelerator. Gas doesn't matter. Different grades, different brands, same effect. It runs, but not as well as I had hoped.

sobers · August 2001

Hi my friend has got 89 Accord & mechanic advised him to refill the freon R12(which is now illegal ?) Is R134 compatible with this ? PLease suggest ! Sorry for asking this question here !!!!

isellhondas · August 2001

It's not illegal. The do gooders have made the stuff so expensive and hard to get that your friend might as well make the conversion to R-134

Too bad...it doesn't get as cold.

dudka · August 2001

you can get a conversion kit at k-mart and R134 is very cheap for now. all you might have to do to make it as cold as the R12 system is to install another fan infront of the radiator to cool off the a/c radiator.

isellhondas · August 2001

Most do it yourselfers don't have the equipment to evacuate and charge an A/c system.

A load of R-134 in the face when the K-Mart valve fails wouldn't be a good thing.

sobers · August 2001

Thanks to all the gurus on this board !

sobers · August 2001

yort03 · August 2001

Sometimes after the engine sits and gets warm, it won't start until it is parked in the shade or the hood is raised for 15 minutes. Selenoid and/or starter, or a much bigger engine issue?

Thanks,

Yort

fxashun · August 2001

My 93' EX did the same thing. Sometimes it threw out a code three on the codes. It was the emissions coolant sensor. 39 bucks at the dealer. Right under the distributor.
I had a 91 300zx Turbo that did the same thing and needed the same part.

auburn63 · August 2001

Could be the TW sensor as stated by fxashun but we see more main fuel relays cause that problem.Good luck..

isellhondas · August 2001

" They" make it as hard as possible to get R12 but you can still find it. The small DIY cans disappeared years ago.

Oh...I don't know...I guess I would probably cave in and have it converted to R134.

j_eddy · August 2001

Hi all,
I already posted a few previous messages. I have been really trying to fix my car with no luck. The car(92 civic lx 1.5L M/T) won't start. I have checked the main relay and it passed. I seem to be getting the voltage to the injectors, but don't know if they are getting their grounds. The fuel pump is not getting its power through the relay(solenoid energizes by ground from injector system). The pump operates when tested according to the book. I have tried to check for spark, but don't seem to be getting fire. The voltage is there at the distributor when key is on and drops from 12.5Vdc to 8.4Vdc when trying to start engine. Is this voltage drop normal? The plug wires Ohm out ok. I have changed the cap, rotor, and plugs so far. I tried a new distributor and took it back(didn't fix). The ignitor checks ok also.

mdriver · August 2001

It's R-134a not R-134.

auburn63 · August 2001

The fuel pump only gets the power signal while cranking and for the first few secounds after turn on. If you do not have power there but have it at the main relay then maybe you have an open bettween the two. Do you have spark at the plugs? Then do you have fuel presure at the filter? If you have both then maybe you jumped a tooth or two at the timing belt. I will try to check message board again today to see if you have those or not..good luck

j_eddy · August 2001

Hello,
I moved the engine to #1 tdc to check belt damage/slippage. The marks were lined up and tdc arrow was in line with mark on camshaft pulley. The rotor appeared to be just about dead on #1. Condition of the belt was good. How much play should I have in the Timing belt?(It has about 20k on it) I used an in line spark checker on all cylinders respectively and I didn't see spark. I checked the power at the fuel pump power pin 7 on the main relay as it was supposed to be energized during start. I did not get voltage. The pump operates when voltage is applied. The schematic in Chilton's shows power to the pump supplied after relay gets ground through Injector/ECM circuit. I do have voltage available to the injectors coming from the relay, but I don't have any ideas on how to check if they are getting a good ground. The schematic just shows them going to the ecm. I assume that the ecm governs grounding to each individual injector. I appreciate your responses. Any ideas? I hope it is not the ecm. (the check engine light remains constant on whether service check is jumpered or not) Also, how much would you think it would be to have Honda do a checkout? Thanks...
J_Eddy

auburn63 · August 2001

Still sort of sounds as if you have a bad main relay. Uf power is supposed to come out of the relay and is not then internally it may not be making the contact. If the ground at the relay is good then I would say it is the relay. The ECM is always a possibility but we see very few. As far as what a dealer would charge, we would get $66.00 to diagnose.Which is 1 hour of diagnose time. Good luck.

j_eddy · August 2001

I thought of the main relay possibly being bad and did do the checkout by applied voltage/grounds to the pins and checked for continuity. All checked ok for everything on the relay. I had a hot restart problem 2 months before this problem happened. The relay was changed for that. I had to pay about 70 for that one from Honda. Could something be gradually frying my relays? Thanks for the reply about the cost of a checkout. Would that involve a computer hook-up or just physical inspection/testing?

auburn63 · August 2001

The diagnosis for this would be more of a physical inspection. The actual repair may cost you more than the 66.00 or so but the diagnosis should not be much more than that I wouldnt think. There isn't much that can't be determined in that time for a no start condition. There are exceptions to every rule but for the most part no starts that aren't intermitant are pretty easy to diag. Good luck..

dudka · August 2001

to me it sounds like your ignition coil is not working properly. if you say you get voltage at the mail relay, it should be fine. i am not sure whre the 92 civic had a coil but you should be able to trace it from the central wire from the distributor. i may be wrong, but this is what i would check.

j_eddy · August 2001

I tried a totally new distributor which contains the ignitor unit and a few sensors. The new assembly didn't fix the problem. The original distributor was replaced befor I purchased the vehicle. I am not sure how many milesthis one has on it. I have put 35k on it myself. The ignitor ohms ok and is getting 12.5 volts. When the ignition goes to start position the voltage drops to 8.4.
I thought this may be strange, but do not know if this is normal for Civics or not. I do not think I am getting spark. THe plug wires ohmed within tolerance and I changed the plugs, cap, and rotor.
I have voltage to the injectors. I am not getting voltage to the pump.

dudka · August 2001

if you say there is no voltage to the pump, check the fuse and the pump relay (??) first,then if no success, try running a couple of wires directly to the pump and see if you can start her up. if you do, check whether the car had an alarm installed before you bought it. some alarms instead of cutting ignition cut fuel pump. or maybe you simply have wires pinched somewhere.

philly595 · August 2001

My Civc LX 2001 has about 5500 miles on it and recently I have noticed a clanking sound when pressing the brakes. This usually occurs within the first 10-15 minutes of driving the car and then I do not hear it again. Anyone have any idea what it could be?

rsreeny · August 2001

Hi

This is my first car bought in Dec 2000. I have been experiencing the following problems :

I kept getting the humming noise whenever I turned my wheels. The service people found out that Power Steering Rack was leaking and replaced the whole steering gear box assembly.

I was thinking may be something was wrong with the way I drive (too much turning of steering
to extremes), still nagging doubt is the mechanism so fragile that it won't even take pressure from a new driver.

I learnt that it had happened to some of my friends who bought it around the same time. Is it a common problem in 2001 Civic LX, Any recalls so far ?

TIA

brorjace · August 2001

Philly, A clanking sound could be loose caliper bolts. I had this happen to me when I did a brake job on one of my cars (a '90 Integra). I did not properly tighten all the bolts after replacing the brake pads.

--- Bror Jace

dsgecho · August 2001

Looking seriously at a 2001 LX. Is there confidence now that late model year build 2001's have the kinks worked out in them?
Thanks,
Don Gillespie

mdriver · August 2001

Major bugs are probably worked out ASAP, but minor bugs wait until next model year. I'd wait a few weeks for a 2002. You may not get as good discount on a 2002, but it won't be a year old as soon as you drive it away like the 2001 will be.

miata007 · August 2001

Over the past few weeks, I've discovered two big problems with my 2001Civic exterior. First of all, I've found out the paint on the bumper of the rear is peeling off slowly. Started out near the gap between the rear light and
the bumper, I believe is the poor paint job honda did with the bumper or is the bumper is scraping on with the rear lights since the spacing is minimal. Haven't brought back to the dealer yet,
I am expecting a lot of *%*&%##&&(%$& and headache from the dealer.
The second devasting thing that I've just found out this weekend while washing my car was seeing there're dents on the roof. There is a total of four dents like someone actually hitting the car with a baseball bat. Two is located symmetrically on both side of the roof(pass. and dr). The location of the dents are at the strong area of the roof near the side where the front windows are(not windshield). The funny thing is the dents do not have scratch or paint damage on it. After some thought or guess, I suspect it is due to the twisting force of the body doing sharp turns. I am trying to say it's a body structural issue and not the thin layer of sheet metal on the roof or the fender.
Sorry for such a long message! Does anyone have experience the same problem(s) that I am getting?
Note: the dents can only be seen at the side angle let say if you are looking at it from the front or rear but not perpendicular. On the next couple of days, I will bring it in to the dealer and demand for a new replacement(may sound silly to some of you).

Thanks for you comment!

pj23 · August 2001

I noticed the exact same thing on my 2001 EX Coupe, with respect to the rear bumper. The paint on my car is beginning to rub/peel off below the passenger side rear light cluster.

As for the roof, I've not noticed any denting. BUT, I have noticed a persistent and annoying squeak/rattle coming from the moonroof when the car goes over an uneven bump, or when I am turning into a parking lot or driveway, and one front wheel or the other is pushed higher than the rest of the car. It reminds of the noises I used to hear from the T-tops on my '85 Camaro Z28. That car had the chassis stiffness of a wet rag. I really hope that is not the issue with the Civics, but with what you're describing, I'm afraid it may be.

kingepoy · August 2001

My 1998 Civic EX Cpe, auto transmission, 48k miles
makes a humming noise coming from the front between 55-65 mph and also during deceleration.
First I thought it is coming from the tires, so
I rotated them, but the problem is still there.
I changed the trnsmission fluid, the humming sound
is still there. Anybody have similar problem? How
did you get it fix?

justin · August 2001

I also have the rattle/noise in the sunroof/headliner area near the sunroof. It does not happen on smooth surfaces - only when turning into parking lots or garages. I have to get my 7500 service on my 01 Civic EX Coupe on Saturday - going to have the dealer check it out.

The driver seat in my car also seems to move a little bit in it's tracks, when I brake. Anyone have that problem on new Civs?

pj23 · August 2001

Let us know what they tell you. I am waiting for my first maintenance interval before I have it looked at, but would be interested in what Honda's response to the complaint might be before then.

devore · August 2001

I've got a 2001 Civic EX and experienced a persistent "squeaking" or "rattling" from the headliner just above my head as the driver.

I noticed that it would go away if I would put my finger in the gap between the headliner and the moonroof interior sliding cover (with it closed.) Basically it seemed like "pulling down" slightly on the headliner would stop the noise.

When I took my car in for the 10,000 mile maintenance (BTW the "check engine" light will illuminate and stay on when you hit 10,000 miles, techs will turn it off when you bring it in) I mentioned the problem to the service department. They "fixed" the problem by "lowering the liner by using felt inserts."

It's true, it doesn't rattle anymore, but I am a bit worried about "pulling down" on the headliner. I asked them specifically if these inserts would eventually cause the headliner to pull away from the roof of the car, and he said that it wouldn't.

carguy000 · August 2001

I thought it was the Maintenance Required Light that came on between 7,500-10,000 miles. You can actually reset the light yourself, too. The instructions are in the manual.

sparklesscivic · August 2001

Hello,
This is my first post here, and I'm hoping someone can help me find out what we did wrong.

My brother in law has a 93 civic ex, 1.6litre that was running when he stopped by yesterday. He had been losing coolant little by little(very little), and someone recommended head gasket replacement. I suggested a compression test first, since the car seemed to be running well and wasn't blowing white smoke.

We pulled the plugs, ran the test, and now there seems to be no spark. We later read the haynes book, and it says to disable the fuel & ignition systems. Being the fools we are, we did neither. We bought a new ignition module, and this seemed to have no effect. The coil passed the ohm meter test, so we didn't try replacing that. A friend of his told us that if the tach bounces while cranking, the coil is bad, but if it didn't bounce, the module was at fault. The tach didn't bounce with the new module, nor does it with the original one reinstalled. I'm wondering if we didn't damage the pickup module somehow. That would seem to fit in, with having no bounce on the tach(even with a new module). We're not sure which direction to look in now.

Thanks in advance for any help offered by anyone!

eludwig · August 2001

As a former owner of a US-built '95 Civic LX 5-speed and current owner of a Japanese-built '00 Accord EX 5-speed, I'm amazed by the number of problems on some of the Honda and Acura boards.

My Civic had no problems in 4 years and 60k miles of ownership through the harsh winters of upstate NY. And it was definitely built better than my 1 year old Accord, which has clutch problems, terrible paint (nighthawk black), and woeful fuel mileage. It appears to me that Honda is becoming complacent, as the likes of VW/Audi play catch-up.

At the same time, Honda's cars (with minor exceptions) seem to be getting much more boring and mundane. Take the new Civics (minus the upcoming hot-hatch) and my Accord, for example.

Honestly, when I had my Civic I didn't think I'd ever own anything but a Honda. With my Accord experience (boring, too damn big, quality issues, etc) I'm not sure I'll ever buy a Honda again. Have they lost track of the target?

Does anyone else feel the same way?

goody01 · August 2001

For as long as I've had my '91 Civic wagon, I've had no serious problems. That is, no problems except the ignition coil. It's gone on me four times in the past four years, all without warning. I must admit that two of those occasions were bad repair work and/or bad parts. Still, the ignition coil is the only blemish on an otherwise superb vehicle. I read somewhere that ignition coils are one of the few things that tend to go wrong on Hondas, at least the older ones. I guess I'm not alone.

devore · August 2001

eludwig:

I guess I've kind of had the opposite experience. I owned an '89 Accord 4DR for about 5 or 6 years, and finally sold it in 1997 when it had about 190,000 miles on it. It was still running beautifully, of course.

I then owned a 93 Buick LeSabre, which had a host of small niggling problems, even though when I got it it only had about 36,000 miles on it. It was a major gas hog and was very ugly.

This year as a result of an accident with that car, I was able to return to the Honda family and bought a new 2001 Civic. I've been more than happy with the overall quality of the car, taking into account that 2001 was a redesign year for that model. The gas mileage is great, and IMHO at least, the styling of the Civic is great. I'd much rather have a car with slightly more conservative styling so it looks good for many years, than a car like the Focus with more radical styling that I think will look tacky in a few years.

Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions

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Honda Civic: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions