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Sedans Honda Civic Honda Civic Si/SiR Maintenance and Repair
225 messages, Last post on Apr 18, 2009 at 11:41 AM
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Replying to: taykinitezy (Aug 16, 2004 12:57 pm) “Thanks for the input.” You’re welcome.  That’s interesting that Honda changed the tire pressure balance front to rear from the 33/30 for our ’02 Si to your 30/30 on the ’04. I wonder if they altered the suspension setup from the original as well, or if they just think a little more understeer (aka push) is a better idea for American drivers? Running 3 psi more in the fronts than the rears would normally give a bit more grip up front, reducing understeer a bit. You wrote: “I sometimes question the body assembly.(little squeaks here and there just enough to be annoying).” I know. Ours is still pretty good in that regard, although we’ve both gotten the impression that the doors no longer close with the same authoritative, solid thunk as when it was new. And for a while last year we had an odd creaking sound from the steering in parking lots, etc. at low speeds making tight turns. Then it went away. Wasn’t it you who had mentioned something similar recently? The overall build quality seems a wee bit less than our previous Hondas. Given the choice I’d prefer an American-built Honda rather than this Brit-built one, but the Si isn’t built in the USA. All the same, we like the car and hope it will last us 100K miles or so without problems. You wrote: “Could that be due to the stiffer suspension?” [squeaks and rattles] I would think so, sure. It seems reasonable to figure that if you shake something more vigorously over time it will rattle a bit more. Build quality probably has something to do with it as well, but I’m just guessing. You wrote: “If I wanted a softer ride would a different tire really make much difference as long as the suspension was the same?” It depends.  Consider this: Going from a 15” standard wheel to the big 17” wheels the kids put on, pairing them with ultra-low profile performance tires like 205/40s with very short and stiff sidewalls will markedly increase ride harshness. I’ve talked to these kids, and they say they like this. Who am I to disagree? You’re talking about wanting to reverse this to get a softer and more compliant ride. You could fit a 60 series, or maybe even a 65 series tire that was made to ride softer as well (more of a touring tire than a sporting tire) and I’d guess you would see some improvement, at least as much as you’d see by lowering your tire pressures 2 psi all around, maybe more. I don’t know really, I’m just guessing, but it seems reasonable, don’t you think? Wheels and tires can make a large difference in ride quality, depending on your choices. And, yes, that’s independent of the suspension setup. I remember learning just how much difference it can make when many years ago I swapped the OEM wheels on our newly ordered VW GTi, replacing them with one inch larger rims and 50 series tires. I’ll never do that again. The difference in just a plus-one application was dramatic in this instance, and that was the only change. To be fair I need to note that these particular tires were an unusually short sidewall 50 series, but all the same. The ride difference between our new GTi with the after-market wheels and tires vs. the stock GTi was significant, not subtle. But the tire make and model matters, too, so. . . If the aesthetics are of no great interest to you, you might sell your 16” wheels and replace them with 15s like on our Si. Then you could run the 60 or 65 series tire with minimal effect on the speedometer calibration and get a softer ride. You might find a market among the ’02 and ’03 Si owners who’d like to move up to 16s and want the OEM Honda wheels. Maybe you’d even prefer the appearance of the smaller wheels with taller tires; the trend these days is to large wheels and very low profile tires. The reality is, especially in this price range, that handling performance gains come at the expense of ride comfort -- there’s no avoiding this trade-off. It’s just a question of where your tolerance level is. (There is a solution -- active suspension systems -- but they remain very expensive, and so we’re unlikely to see these systems anytime soon on cars in this price segment of the market.) I understand exactly what you’re saying about the ride harshness getting old. Our ’02 Mazda Protege5 rides like a go kart -- much worse than our Si. In fact, I’ve given some thought to doing the very thing I’ve suggested here, namely dropping down one inch in wheel size and getting a taller tire. I love the P5’s handling responsiveness, but my goodness, a long stretch of rough pavement will transfer whatever’s in your kidneys right to your bladder and fill it to bursting in no time! And then that shaking becomes truly unbearable! In any case, I am definitely going to replace the P5’s OEM 195/50-16s with a taller tire, probably 205/55-16s when the time comes. This will change the speedometer calibration a little, and it may not be quite as crisp and responsive, but will otherwise yield a more compliant ride that on balance I’d prefer. If you’re really serious about getting a more compliant ride, buy smaller wheels and pair them with the tallest, touring “comfort” tires that will fit. If you were to move down to 14” wheels, I think you’d find the change truly dramatic. It’s a sensible path to take if you’re more interested in the utility of the car than it’s sportiness. Buy some after-market 14x6 rims and put a 70 or 75 series tire on there, and I’ll bet you won’t believe the difference it will make. Just remember, the currently crisp steering response and grip will be reduced to comparative mushiness. As I’ve said, it’s all a trade-off. Oh, and you’ll be branded a heretic, of course, should you do this. The kids will come up to you and demand to know what-the-<bleep> did you do to your wheels?! Just tell ‘em that your expensive 17” BBS forged wheels were stolen and these are just temps. They’ll commiserate and forgive you for otherwise desecrating a perfectly good Si.
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Replying to: taykinitezy (Aug 16, 2004 12:57 pm) Most definately it will. Stock Michelins are pretty stiff tire. Try a Yokohama Avid, or strictly summer tire. The softer compound will make a difference in stiffness. Goodyear runflats will give you the stiffest ride ever due to very thick and reinforced sidewall. Also, going with a different speed rating will either make the ride stiffer or softer. Playing with the inflation will give you an idea where you want to be headed with your tire choice. |
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Replying to: kauai215 (Aug 16, 2004 8:40 pm) |
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Replying to: taykinitezy (Aug 19, 2004 8:54 am) "The dealer said they did not see anything wrong but replaced the front struts just yesterday." Thanks for sharing this; I need to talk to my dealer. Who knows? Maybe we need new struts, too. The glove box rattles can be a real trial to locate and fix; I don't envy the poor dealers struggling with this kind of problem, as it's almost certainly a money-losing proposition for them. They lack incentive to solve these kinds of problems beyond a quick attempt at a fix. If the rattle bothers you sufficiently, and it would bother me, you'll probably need to fix it yourself. I'd empty everything on the dash of its contents. Don't forget the parking meter coins stored in the ash tray, etc. Buy some adhesive-backed felt. Progressively pad everything you suspect. With any luck you'll eventually pad the offending parts.
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Replying to: kauai215 (Aug 19, 2004 6:14 pm)
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Replying to: taykinitezy (Aug 22, 2004 4:20 pm) "Hey, after 3500 miles I think I'm in a love/hate relationship with my Si." I know what you mean. On the other hand, the problems are largely limited to minor things, however annoying, unlike, say, the Mini Cooper, which has had a long list of problems since its introduction. In this price range, what else is there to buy that offers comparable performance and value? Clearly, personal taste and preferences play a key role, and what I like may not appeal to others. Given my preferences for sportscar-like performance, I'm hard-pressed to come up with many alternatives without spending a good deal more. The Mini looks very appealing to me, and may be our next purchase. But even without choosing some of the more expensive options (I'd go with the small wheels and taller tires, for example, for the very reasons we're discussing here -- better ride quality), and assuming it could be bought at MSRP, not a markup, the Mini would still end up costing around $21K+. No doubt it's worth it. I'm not sure it's worth $4K+ more than the Si to me at this time. That's $4,000 I could buy other things with like more kayaks, more optics, more... You wrote: "I would like to find a spot where I can really open it up and see what she'll do but that is tough in my suburban area." These cars feel much better at 80-90 mph. You wrote: "I am still contemplating what to do with the tires, as I would like a little bit softer ride. decisions...decisions...." I looked at the tires on the '04 the other day, and they look fairly "tall." If you were to stick with the 16" wheels, I wonder if you'd find enough difference going with a taller sidewall tire to justify the expense of discarding your current tires. It's hard to say, though, without actually trying it. How much is enough difference for you? Who knows? If you do go with different wheels/tires, I'd be very interested in reading about your experience. |
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At 1500 miles I began to experience a clicking or cracking noise in the front left end of my new 2004 Honda Civic Si, which of course, the dealership service department cannot hear. The noise appears to be generated from the steering column, and when turning to the left or to the right. It is noticed at a standstill when turning the steering wheel and also when driving at low speed, 5 miles an hour, and when backing up. Not noticeable at higher speeds. Looking to know if anyone else has experienced such issue and found resolution. Thanks, toofast
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Replying to: taykinitezy (Aug 22, 2004 4:20 pm) Sorry about your squeaking issues. Most of the noises I har are coming from the items in the storage bin (under the cupholders), glove box, door pockets, or "under-radio" box. Empty everything from the car and see if you are still getting the squeaking noises. I have a parking permit, that I store in the "under tha radio" bin. It makes noise when I got over rough pavement. Initially I had the driver's cupholder (next to the sideview mirror under the a/c vent) making noise over rough roads, but it went away after it has been loosened with use. Pricewise, I paid $500 less for the new 2002 Si than I did for the new '99 Civic EX coupe back in 1999. No options on either car. EX had no ABS, had drums in the rear, no cool shifter and 160 hp, and cost more. |
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Replying to: toofast (Aug 27, 2004 7:14 am) “At 1500 miles I began to experience a clicking or cracking noise in the front left end of my new 2004 Honda Civic Si” Yes. We, too, experienced this. It appears to be a problem in the front struts, something related to the bearings. Apparently, there is a Honda TSB on this. A Google search did not show me this TSB. One of the sites I found declared that Honda USA “requested” that they not provide TSB’s to the public any longer. Hmm. . . Can anyone provide me with a copy of this TSB, or direct me to where I might read it? I’d be grateful. A recent contributor just noted that his dealer replaced his struts to correct this problem. I don’t know that strut replacement is necessary, which is why I’d like to read that TSB for myself. In our case, the problem persisted for some time last year, but has since disappeared. We are on the verge of going out of warranty, and if we need new struts, as opposed to lube/adjust bearings in the strut towers, I’d sure like to know. At this point I wouldn’t argue that we’re entitled to new struts for free (some pro-rated fee might be fair and reasonable), since we’ve gotten much use out of the current ones, despite the fact they’re probably a long ways from being dead yet. I figure they’re about half way through their useful life. The problem here, of course, is that there is no way I’d spring for OEM Honda struts. That would be silly. I’d likely get Koni, Bilstein, Tokiko, or something of the sort, which are vastly superior products. We were supposed to get this problem addressed today, but the mechanic we made a specific appointment with, a good man and a former Trans-Am crew chief (a racer, i.e. VERY good), wasn’t in! What?! So, why’d they schedule the appointment, then? <sigh> ***** QUESTION: CAN I NAME THIS DEALERSHIP IN THIS FORUM? In any case, now we’re re-scheduled for Monday. We’ll see. You wrote: “. . .which of course, the dealership service department cannot hear.” Of course. This goes without saying except on rare occasions when stonewalling and denial cannot work. <sigh> What you need is that Honda TSB reference number. Can anyone help? |
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Replying to: kauai215 (Aug 27, 2004 9:16 pm)
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