[sumeethaldankar]

Couldn't help posting a couple of observations. The clutch judder in reverse which was felt from last year's clutch overhaul has now become negligent and almost gone. In-fact i don't feel the judder anymore. As mentioned in my previous post before i attribute this to the sub-frame mount change.

Another thing, before the rack overhaul was done at Deva's garage whenever i would reach the steering wheels max turn it would stop with a metallic clang which would often be accompanied with a creaking sound from the power steering pump especially if the steering was held at max turn position for more than a few seconds. Both these issues now have disappeared and i am not quite sure the reason behind the same. Now when i reach the max turn limit the steering just stops more or less softly and not harshly like before and the overall operation has become more smooth. I don't know what Deva did but i am sure glad he did it. The previous garage probably had not setup the tie rods etc properly.

Meanwhile i was fiddling with the image editor and had taken some pics of the interior for no good reason at all. Uploading same here to burden Team-Bhp's servers

[sumeethaldankar]

A bunch of updates. Had given the car to service at Linkway Honda. Got the oil change and oil filter changed. Asked them not to change the air filter as I got a cheaper one (400 bucks) from outside. Honda air filter costs 1200 bucks. They diagnosed a leak in the coolant rubber hose which I had previously had noticed. Cost of pipe was a mere 275 bucks and 2 litres coolant was needed for which I gave a go ahead. Total service bill came to around 5.9k and I was satisfied with the work done. I had asked them to check the ignition coil and spark plugs and they came back saying both are in good condition much to my relief. The car is facing some jerking problem and it also stalls after a bout of heavy traffic in CNG. After the service I have installed a new air filter and it seems to behave a little better.
Pics of the Pipe along with product code. A rare item which is not very expensive at HASS.

The new hose pipe doing duty.



Part No of the Pipe.



The car’s steering had developed some irregularities and I was finding it uncomfortable to hold so I had a leather steering cover installed for 1100 bucks. The quality of the leather is good but the installation could have been done a bit better but I am ok with it. I wish they had red threading to go and would have look good but they had none in store. The steering now feels even meatier to hold.



Fit and finish is ok.






For long I was agonizing over the droopy stance of the rear due to the added weight of the CNG. The Autorunners helped to a certain extent but the rear sagged miserably when loaded with 3 passengers in the rear. Garage man Devabhai had suggested I can install spacers to get rid of the look. That is precisely I went and got done from him today. The spacers were bought for 850 and 600 bucks were labor. Gone is the droopy look and the car does not look as though it has a CNG tank in the trunk. I have driven the car only 20 kms and it’s too early to say anything about handling but overall it has retained its usual road behavior and feels better at the rear. I was told that there is no need to get alignment done and I can do say only to double check and be sure. Might get the alignment done later. So overall happy the sagging rear has been addressed and the rear stance now looks more upright and normal.

Below are pics.

Rear assembly removed.



Springs removed.



Devabhai in action.





The spacer is the top thingy which is sandwiched between the spring and the cars body. I was not able to take a good pic of the new spacer as i was not around when it was installed.

The spacer installed.



Before the spacer was installed.



After the installation at the same parking spot.



I am sure you can make out the difference in ride height.

[sushrutha]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

I was told that there is no need to get alignment done and I can do say only to double check and be sure.

Get an alignment done.
Remember civic has an independent suspension, the moment the suspension parts are removed(for repair) and put back, the caster,camber & toe settings will not remain the same.

After the assisters you have put, there will be a slight difference in the way your car handles, take it on a highway(cornering) or on corners at good speed then you'll definitely notice the difference. If you are a sedate driver then you may not notice much of a difference.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by sushrutha

Get an alignment done.
.

I am glad I took your advice and took the car for a alignment job. The guys at straight line found 2 nails stuck in the front right and rear left tyre. One nail was 2 inch long and I seem to have been driving with it for several months without noticing it.


Here is a pic of the pad and the bill details incase someone is interested in getting same for the Civic. I am glad I got this mod as the car now is back to it’s normal stance & look before the CNG installation.


Bill details & shop name. Got it installed from Devabhai , Chembur.


Meanwhile got some goodies for the car.
A Jopasu duster, which came in a almost 5 feet plus packaging.




A tyre pressure gauge, since I find the Emporis pump’s gauge inaccurate. Used it only once for now and pressure reading seems correct.



A MOMO style (don’t know if this is genuine) gear knob. Had trouble installing this myself but after two attempts managed to fix it. I know the gaiter doesn’t fit well and the color does not match that much but it will do for now. Had to use glue as a temp measure to keep the gaiter from slipping down.

[sumeethaldankar]

Been through days of torture & frustration. It all began on the morning of July 4 when i went to check the tyre pressure. I have to pull the car away from the side wall since i need space to check the air pressure in the tyres on the side next to the wall. I cranked the car, it did not start. Cranked it again and still it no response. Alarmed I opened the hood and saw the ugliest rat sitting on the engine. I shooed the rat away and to my horror noticed it had gnawed away at the engine & CNG wires.

Kept cool and called Honda and asked my old service advisor what can be done. He said they will look into it but i would have to tow the car to Honda. I call up a 24X7 towing service and they come promptly. They tow the car to Linkway Honda (Andheri) where i find that my regular service advisor is not there and that i would have to settle for some incompetent SA to which i reluctantly agree.

The SA gave me another shock by stating it would cost 15K + to fix just the engine wire issue. I ask to see if i can do via insurance and they ask me to call my Insurance co and see if i can get the same claimed. After more than 30 mins of trying my insurance co 's no (HDFC ergo) i am able to get through their dumb telephone system and they confirm that i can claim insurance for same. I convey same to the dumb SA at Linkway Honda who then say that i have to fill a form and they will take care of the rest. It took me two hours to get all this done at Honda and had to wait patiently till i was attended. Little did i know my patience would be tested more in the coming days.

July 6 i got a call from a nincompoop of a SA from Linkway Honda Kanjur Marg stating that he is not able to figure out what is wrong with my car and that my car's key has been broken. I learned that all Insurance work is done at KanjurMarg and that my car was taken to the Kanjur marg branch. Since the car had no visible damage the moron over there couldn't figure out the issue. So much for co-ordination between the two departments of the same company. I explained to them what was wrong with the car and informed him that i will be carrying the spare key to them the next day.

When i reached the next day i found the car's key was broken at the place where it connects to the remote and the gentleman said he had no idea how it broke and it was probably the towing guys who did it. I called up the moron at the Andheri branch and he said the same thing. I knew my towing guy did not break the key as it was working fine after they had dropped the car and it was their towing guys or someone who screwed up the key. Also those idiots left the key on in the ignition in broken state leading to battery draining completely. Neither morons claimed responsibility for the damages. I was promised that as soon as the surveyor comes my car would be looked into.

The surveyor came, on July 7 and my claim as approved. The morons at Linkway Honda gave me a estimate of 31k out which half or approx 15k would have to be born by me. I agreed since i had little choice and asked them to proceed. I was promised that the parts would arrive in 3-4 days max. I waited patiently for 4 days and called up the SA who borrowed more time and asked for a couple of days more. on 15 th july get fed up when i hear that parts have not yet arrived. My car was with Honda from july 4 over there. I get mad and threaten to take the car away as it is. To this the moron asks for a hours time to confirm the date when the parts would come. He comes back and informs the parts can only come on july 27. I get furious and tell him to prepare my gate pass for the car for the next day and keep car ready for towing.

I call up my mechanic, Devabhai who unfortunately had a accident on his scooter and was unable to to attend me when i had called up earlier for same issue. This time he said to get the car and he will take care. Meanwhile the crooks at Linkway Honda call up and say that i have to pay a parking charge and estimation fee around 5k. I get mad and tell them its not my fault they were not able to get parts in time and that they should also consider they damaged my car key. I get the towing van the next day to Linkway. This is the 3rd time the car was being towed in a matter of just a few days. They present me with a reduced bill of 3.1k which i pay and get the car towed to my garage guy 10-15kms away at Chembur.

Deva gives me 2 options, get a used wire or fix the existing one. He tries to procure a used wire but they come expensive at 15k since the entire harness has to be changed and not just the broken piece. So they get a specialist who pulls out the entire wiring and fixes it back by soldering. Total damage was 8k for everything including a cut compressor wire which was also gnawed away by the rodent. Car was with Deva from july 16 and i got it back on july 21. Since the battery was drained they had tried to charge it but it failed again. Upon checking its cell was gone and had to be replaced with a new Amaron. So more $$ spent on same. When i came back home with the car that day i found the wiper washer was not working and the right side power mirror would not fold and the motor was constantly whirring. I went again today and got those issues fixed today. The washer pipe was cut by the rodent and seems someone had forcefully moved the power mirror making the gears inside slip. Both were repaired for 500 bucks. Also got the CNG fixed for 800 bucks.

All in all the car was not with me for a good 18 days and was towed 3 times. It was frustrating to have your car damaged in such a way and to top of though i had to deal with Linkway fools who showed how incompetent and careless they are when dealing with customers. As for the rodent problem this was done to tackle same.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post4021224

[sumeethaldankar]

Happy Independence day guys.

The "odo" has crossed the 80k mark. Uploading a couple of pics.

[sumeethaldankar]

I had given the car for service to Linkway on sat and got it back by evening. Total bill was 4051 which included oil/filter change and throttle body cleaning. The car is stalling in traffic in CNG. The throttle body cleaning should have resolved the issue but it again stalled in heavy traffic when I was driving home from Linkway. I might give it to Suraj gas for a tune up. It’s only after driving through heavy traffic after say 15 to 20 mins does the car gives a shudder and stalls. Switching off a/c to does not help. I was hoping the TB cleaning would set things right but it has not.

Linkway got back with a couple of issues, lower arm bushes have been cut and the stabilizer boot seems to have a leakage. These were mentioned in the remarks but it was not conveyed by the service advisor so I am assuming these are not urgent so I am not touching them as of now. The car will be getting new shoes by Mar next year so will be fixing these issues by Jan/Feb ‘17and then go in for the tire changes.

Meanwhile the long waits for CNG at the pumps has made me drive more and more on petrol and keep the CNG for traffic infested areas. This way I am able to reduce the frequency of trips to the CNG pump. I use up around 32 litres of petrol every month and have to visit the CNG pump around 4 to 5 times only instead of every 3 days earlier. This was I drive on the highways in petrol mode and in congested areas in CNG mode.

[sumeethaldankar]

There was a constant metallic type sound coming from the right side near the dashboard while driving at low speeds. It was initially thought to be a busted strut mount but later on opening the strut it was found to be the strut bearing. I had gone to Deva and had bought new strut mounts thinking the noise will be for same after reading a bhpians advice but later exchanged them for engine oil as it was found that it was bearings which needed replacement.

Both strut bearings were changed for 1200 a piece other side was also changed to maintain consistency. Labor was charged for 800 bucks for removing both struts and replacing the bearing. While doing the suspension work the axle boot got torn accidently and the right tyre and its surrounding area was covered in grease. I saw this the next day after I had done the bearing work and had to go back again to Deva. Initially I thought it was brake fluid but after checking fluid levels I realized it was something else.

Deva’s mechanic confirmed the axle boot had torn and it being Sunday a replacement was not readily available. So they put a tape on it and some glue and I drove the car like that for a week till I finally got the boot replaced today. 350 bucks for the boot and grease and 500 labor was charged.

Also the car’s stalling on idling problem in CNG resolved on its own after I cleaned up the air filter and fitted it back. It seems more or less fine now touch wood.

Shocks removed to replace bearing



The new bearing


The mount was fine.


The new mount purchased had to be returned as it was not the issue.


The axle boot was torn accidently and had to be replaced. It smeared grease everywhere.




Work being done on the axle boot replacement.



Gear oil had to be drained and refilled for the axle work.


Gloves in the glove compartment. Due to some hand skin issues have now resorted to wearing leather gloves while driving

[sumeethaldankar]

The lower arm bushes were changed along with lower ball joints. This time went with Honda original and it cost 11.8k hole in the wallet. The bushes on both had given way in just 2 years of overhauling which does not say much about the quality. Mumbai’s unforgiving roads took a toll on them it seems. Since there are no plans to sell the car due to other financial constraints decided to go ahead with the change. No more non OE Honda suspension parts for me. Also the important thing to note is HASS did not seek a total lower arm change as reported by some owners of Civic but only changed the bushes on the lower arms which had gone kaput. The ride does feel a firm now.

There is still some suspension noise and HASS advisor did come back saying there is minor play in the tie rods but will live with it for some time. Will do the suspension parts change over several months period rather in one shot as the need arises. Already I had put off replacing the lower arm bushes change for a year, yes HASS had reported the cracks in the bushes last year itself which means they only lasted around 1 year.

The “Odo” stands at 86540 which means I have completed 50k kms of owning and driving the Civic. A very expensive 50k kms but still some way I am satisfied and still ok as there is little out there which will entice me to buy another car soon.

The old bushes were RBI make, sadly they were only good for a year.






The old ball joints.



The new ball joints doing duty.



The bill and part details. One need not change the entire lower arm just for the bushes.

[sumeethaldankar]

The car’s tires were long overdue for change. They had developed surface cracks last year itself and I think after more than 5.5 years and 50k kms I had pushed them enough. Did not go in for fancy tires and settled for factory size 195 65 R15 Bridgestone Turanza T001. Strangely there are not many reviews of this tire and I just decided to just go with it instead of break the bank and my head for Michelin etc.

The tires look pretty ordinary and do not have the premium feeling of the outgoing Turanza. Gone is the muscular look and the car looks running on skinny tires since I was used to see it on fatter ER60.
Why I downsized the tires?
1) Lighter steering.
2) Lesser load on Power steering that way.
3) Better initial pick up.
4) Lower cost of purchase. Have I not spent enough on this car anyways?

I have done just a few kms and quite very frankly I am not able to tell much difference from before. The ride seems same smooth and the steering seems a tad lighter but has almost the same heaviness. Overall as of now I am afraid to say it but I am finding my decision to downgrade a bit dubious and erroneous but only time will tell how the T001 hold up. The tire looks are something I haven’t digested yet but I wanted to go with Turanza’s again simply because the before ones even if they had been punctured several times did not leave me stranded in need of a spare tire swap. Let’s hope the T001 serves me as well too.

The old Turanza from far looked in good shape.


But this what the real picture was on close inspection




The new T001 lacks the visual appeal but i will have to live with it for the next 3 years min.





Total damage was 5500 for the tires X 4 nos plus 900 for alignment & balancing. Got new valves as well.

[sumeethaldankar]

Got back from a short 20km highway run. Nothing like a Sunday drive on new years morning with min traffic. I am pleased to report the car feels great to drive with the new tires. The initial apprehension over the skinny tires have seems to be fading and i am more or less adjusting to the new look of the car. The car now feels lighter and quicker and i found myself reaching at decent speeds a bit faster than before. What i have observed is that i can feel the road irregularities more than previously as i believed the taller tires provided better cushioning. The old tire racket is no longer there and i could only hear the sound of the engine while driving which is a good sign. This means the T001 is silent as expected from a new tire. Overall i am now satisfied the purchase.

Some Pics. The new front.


The old & new rear for comparison.


[ATTACH]1590708[/ATTACH

[petroguzzler]

Sumeeth,

I have a query regarding the Civic manual. I drive in peak traffic everyday and the initial response is dismal. The car does not move from standstill with half clutch. Is it normal in manual civics???

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by petroguzzler

Sumeeth,

I have a query regarding the Civic manual. I drive in peak traffic everyday and the initial response is dismal. The car does not move from standstill with half clutch. Is it normal in manual civics???

Yes this is quite normal. What you are experiencing is the poor low end torque of the Civic. With time you will get used to tackling same in traffic. I even now at times shoot the rpm to 2k while lifting off.

[sumeethaldankar]

The Car completes 10 years in this month ie since it’s a Jan 2007 model. A 10 year old is bound to throw tantrums and it did just that. The A/c stopped working. Dreading a cooling coil issue I went to the ac guy closeby (Gomes A/C). He said in case it is the cooling coil it will cost 3 to3.5k for the coil (aftermarket) and 2.6k for the a/c service and labor (gas refill etc), I give him the go ahead.

They open up the a/c components and pull out the coil. It was changed at another garage whose name I don’t wished to take and had cost 8k just for the coil alone. They immerse the coil in water and pass air pressure through it seemed and the coil checks out ok (a sigh of relief) . They then diagnose the issue due to a leaking hose which costs 900 bucks to replace. After getting back the car I can feel the difference in the cooling. It chills very well and I keep the temp only at max 26-27. The ac components had clogged up a bit and there were debris, plastic bags etc sucked inside.

Pics of the ac work done

This ac unit part had debris inside the space seen plastic bag, leaves etc.


Air Intake had to be removed.




The old cooling coil, thank God it was not the issue.


The cuplrit.



The new hose doing duty. It cost 900 bucks for the pipe and 2.6k for gas/labor.


Some feedback on the T001.

Ever since I have got rid of those truck tires I have been more happy driving the car. I do not know what possessed me to go for the upsized tires. Gone is the heavy feel of the steering, the pick up is faster, the mileage has improved. I am getting close to a KG more to the gas and I am expecting better mileage from the full tank of petrol that I use every month. The tires are fairly silent and I can hear the engine distinctly now rather than how it was masked by the drone of the older Turanza’s.

I also got a chance to test the car when fully loaded. It did not scrape at the bottom even once. On the other hand as I have mentioned in earlier posts the ride has become a bit less softer shall we say . I have even activated the ABS a couple of occasions and it kicked in a longer duration than it has done before. I guess this shows the grip levels were better before but I have got the hang of things. Braking also has one can say got down a bit but nothing unmanageable. Frankly to me the Pros far outway the cons as far as using the factory size goes.

Meanwhile the car is feeling a bit clunky while driving over roads and I feel another strike on wallet is to happen. The service center had said something about play in tie rods don’t know for sure but it will have to be looked into the next service as the sound is driving me crazy. I am not going to go the after market way as far as suspension components are concerned as they do not last long. I can cite other bhpian’s example too who had got after market parts for suspension and they failed sooner than expected. My advice to Civic owners atleast in Mumbai, avoid after market parts for suspension if you plan to hold the car for along as they are not worth it. I had overhauled the front suspension in Nov 2014 and 40k kms later many of them have given way and now seem to be in need replacement.

[sumeethaldankar]

Got some stuff for the car from spareshub.com. Nothing fancy just the suspension components, a pair of steering ball joints, tie rod ends and front stabilizer link rods. The suspension overhaul done in 2014 end by my now unfriendly garage is coming undone. The shocks installed had their bearings replaced a couple of months ago. The stabilizer link rods have gone kaput and are rattling like crazy while going over uneven roads. I could literally shake them by hand last time i tried. The tie rod ends seem to make kadd kadd sound now and then even while going over smooth roads.

I had got the lower arm ball joints and lower arm bushes done from Honda as i wanted to keep them original. HASS advisor said they have a decent life around 3 years rather than the 35k kms < 2 years i got from the non oe parts before. I had inquired about the stabilizer link rods and my Honda guy said they cost 3k a piece. So much for such a small component.

Decided to try other options and had a word with bhpian Saurabhkum who had got aftermarket parts from spareshub. After getting his word that they are reliabled ordered the below from spareshub.com of TRW make. This is a German brands and promises better quality over the local stuff that i had put it. It cost me 7.5k for all the components. That is just a little over the price of a OE stabilizer link rod set at Honda. At the price of one i got all three components. Even if they last atleast 2 years they are worth the money as I will save thousands if i had gone for Honda. Hopefully they will last longer.

All components were bought in pairs.


The stabilizer link rod, steering ball joint & tie rods.


TRW, German brand, hopefully will last longer than the desi nonsense i have now.


Will fix the parts later on when i have time to go the garage.