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Honda Civic: Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY

5207 messages,  Last post on Oct 17, 2006 at 8:05 AM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Civic, Honda Civic del Sol, Honda Civic CRX, Coupe, Hatchback, Sedan

Messages Page 333 of 521

#3318 of 5207 by bricey

Dec 23, 2004 (10:34 am)

yo
 
no im not scott or irish ha ha,im 20 years old,
the civic i have is none v-tec 1992-1995 coupe honda brought the v-tec out on the face lift model 1996.my model is the Lsi not sure if you guys over in the states recieved this model,but mine has multi-point injectors could this be the reason the car takes off like a rocket at 3500-4000rpm??before i get to 3500-4000 the car is quite slugish(but quick) but when i reach 3500-4000 its like pressing a nos button with 50bhp shot,its mental.
what is ment by 'spoon engine' this this a manufacture or just slang word,i hear they are quite expensive but are the dogs bollox.
could u if possible inform me what b16-b18-b20 are i hear so many people putting them into civic's and they give phanomamal performance.

#3319 of 5207 2001 Honda Civic LX Wiper problems by markj203

Dec 23, 2004 (1:14 pm)

I've tried four different brands of wiper blades(including Honda) and my wiper blades skid across the windshield even during a heavy rain. However, some days they work ok with very little vibration which doesn't make sense at all.
 
There was no problem with the original set of blades when I bought the car.
 
This is driving me crazy! Can anyone help.

#3320 of 5207 by ruking1

Dec 23, 2004 (1:20 pm)

Two things:
 
1. go back to the oem replacement blade and/or wiper.
 
2. anymore, the constant noise of wipers drives me batty (over 5 models of cars, so it is not just Honda), so I have also taken to using a Rain X type product and use the intermittent wiper option when the rains are really bad.
 
Maintenance items: most of the time, the rubber blade of the wiper's suffer most from neglect and/or trying to function them after they have been (glued) stuck to the windshield for a time. This of course contributes to, if not totally, tearing them. Periodic cleaning really extends the life. One trick is to separate them from the windshield if you park in the hot sun a lot. (the hot sun and usually black dash board act like a reflective oven to the blades sitting on the windshield). When the blades start to smear (best is BEFORE) another trick is to use the nylon part of the ubiquitous dish sponge to "scour" the old dead rubber off the blade.

#3321 of 5207 Re: 2001 Honda Civic LX Wiper problems [markj203] by kauai215

Dec 23, 2004 (1:57 pm)

Replying to: markj203 (Dec 23, 2004 1:14 pm)
Markj wrote:
"...my wiper blades skid across the windshield..."
 
I assume you mean what I call "chatter." At its worst it is not only visible, but audible, too, and very annoying.
 
Clean glass and clean rubber blade inserts help minimize this problem.
 
Clean the rubber blades weekly with isopropyl alcohol.
 
Treat the windshield with Rain-X. It's an amazing product that really works. In fact, following a fresh application, you aren't likely to need your wipers at all, not even in the heaviest downpour. Try it, you'll see.
 
The downside of Rain-X is that it doesn't seem to last much longer than one week for maximum benefit, although it continues to be functional beyond that.
 
I just installed a new silicone blade on the huge 24" driver's side of our '02 Si ... and it chatters, too. It's not audible, but I can see it jerking its way across the glass as I watch it.
 
You'd think someone would work out this business of cleaning auto windshields better in the rain, wouldn't you? After all, we can drive RC cars around the surface of Mars, for heaven's sake. Why can't we clean our windshields better here on earth?

#3322 of 5207 Re: 01 Civic front struts leak [jlim1] by steve6

Dec 23, 2004 (9:08 pm)

Replying to: jlim1 (Sep 25, 2003 9:02 pm)
This is a well-known defect in many '01 civics. I don't believe that there was ever a recall, but there were certainly service bulletins. Even though you're out of warranty, check with Honda, they might help you out, go halvsies, free labor, or something.

#3323 of 5207 I agree with Steve. by gee35coupe

Dec 23, 2004 (9:55 pm)

There was someone a while back that got new front struts by just paying labor.

#3324 of 5207 Re: 2004 Civic speedometer [rogue3] by rogue3

Dec 23, 2004 (10:26 pm)

Replying to: rogue3 (Dec 15, 2004 3:47 pm)
Not a single one of you has a damn thing to say about the speedometer?

#3325 of 5207 Re: 01 Civic front struts leak [jlim1] by kauai215

Dec 24, 2004 (8:52 am)

Replying to: jlim1 (Sep 25, 2003 9:02 pm)
You wrote:
“My 01 Civic went for the 45K mile checkup. The shop said the front strut starts to leak. Cost to fix is about $300 or more.”
 
I think that’s a reasonable price for that job if you need new struts, and it sounds as though you might need them.
 
You wrote:
“I can't really believe that such leak can happen so early. . .”
 
Oh, sure. 45K miles is a lot of miles on a shock absorber, especially if the roads you traverse are not in good condition. Rough roads kill shocks quickly.
 
Whether or not Honda has a recurrent problem with leaking struts/shocks is another issue, but either way (defective, or not) 45K miles on rough roads will use up your shocks.
 
I suspect shocks are a much-neglected item that need replacement long before the average owner finally gets around to replacing them. They’re unlike, say, brake pads and tires, which call attention to themselves when they’re worn out, unlike shocks, which can continue on despite having died long before. I take it for granted that any of our cars with 50k miles would benefit from new shocks. So far, we’ve always sold our cars around that point, but I always recommend to the buyer that they get new shocks if I sell the car privately.
 
You wrote:
“. . .of course I am not very pleased with the road conditions I drive in the city. Can this be the cause of the struts wear that leads to the leak?”
 
Yes. Absolutely.
 
Your city sounds like mine.
 
You wrote:
“Do I need Honda shop to fix it or get help from a non-Honda shop because of the original parts concern?”
 
Either one is fine.
 
In fact, I would encourage you to consider purchasing after-market shocks. There are many after-market shocks, which are far superior to the original equipment Honda shocks. Three big names that immediately come to mind are: Koni, Bilstein, and Tokiko. There are others as well.
 
The advantages of these after-market shocks are that they: (1) will probably cost no more, maybe even less, than the Honda shocks; (2) will come with a lifetime warranty; and (3) will outperform the Honda shocks. You can even buy adjustable shocks, which allow you to tailor your shocks to your immediate driving requirements. “Soft,” for example, for urban commuting on rough streets, “Medium” for highway trips, and “Firm” for zooming around twisty country roads. Those cost more, of course.
 
If you have any interest in improving the handling of your Civic, you might wish to read about these shocks and buy the ones meeting your needs. A word of caution, though: I would suggest you not be seduced into buying the “most sporting” shocks, since they will ride very hard. If a really harsh ride is no concern to you, and you accept it for the sporting benefits, then okay. My experience, though, is that what is fun at first with very stiff suspensions. . . grows old over time. You may find yourself wishing you’d chosen a softer shock. Something to think about, especially when reading the comments of the youngsters who often do extreme things to their Civics in search of maximum performance and the “right look.”
 
The kids with their fast and furious “slammed” Civics will assure you that their cars ride just fine. Don’t believe them. They mean well, but their enthusiasm may have overcome their reason. But they’re happy with their cars, and that’s good; it’s fun. But it’s not the best solution for most drivers.
  
You wrote:
“I also noted some steering wheel vibration at about 55 mph, though I had the tire shop checked and rebalanced before, but the vibration is still a bit evident. Can this vibration be anything to do with the strut leak?”
 
Yes. Absolutely.
 
Worn (or leaking) shocks permit the wheel and tire to bounce up and down uncontrollably, getting progressively worse over time. I would expect the driver could sense vibration through the steering.
 
It could always be that you have other problems, or a combination of problems, of course.
 
I hope this has been helpful.

#3326 of 5207 Re: 01 Civic front struts leak [kauai215] by bricey

Dec 25, 2004 (5:15 am)

Replying to: kauai215 (Dec 24, 2004 8:52 am)
yo
 
if you are wishing to change your shokx an not pay your $300,check out 'spax' or 'blistein' over here in the uk these two company offer very good prices for either-stiff or soft shock lowered or not lowered or fully adjustable,dont always go to your main honda dealer for parts there are always cheaper options but they offer a longer life span an are alot better quality,
if your feeling the car aint driving right get your tracking down first of all as honda's have a little problem,,,,,the tracking is so easily knockd out.

#3327 of 5207 heating problem???!!! by ncampbell2002

Dec 26, 2004 (6:37 pm)

Hello again everyone. I thought I would bring this up on the board especially for those of you that have to tough out cold climates over the next 3-4 months. As most of you know I own a 03 Civic EX coupe. It seems that the vehicle does not want to maintain proper water temperature in the cold when I am running the heater. It is fine when I'm driving, but if I get stopped at a traffic light idling for 3-5 minutes, the temp. gauge will start dropping. I found it especially peculiar that the temp. gauge did not rise at all this morning when I went in the garage to preheat the car (outside temp about 10 degrees F. (I know I stated previously that I was against this practice of preheating cars before driving them, but I was running a fever and had a big chill in me . This was after 20 minutes of the engine running with the heater on high. I wasn't expecting it to be to operating temperature, but when I got in the car the heater was barely blowing out anything worthwhile and the gauge was still buried at the rock bottom. I don't THINK it's the thermostat, because the car maintains temperature while crusing, whereas the thermostat in my old Civic went and the temp. gauge never rose above the cold mark. I was just wondering if anyone else has similar experiences with this before I take it into the dealer crying out a thermostat problem.

Messages Page 333 of 521

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