Honda Civic 1.8V A/T. EDIT : 9 months / 8,500KM up!

[csentil]

I never bothered to ask. :( Will try to find out. Well how does one even know if they really filled in synthetic oil. Basic human trust I guess!!

[indivic]

Originally Posted by shuvd

@ Csentil - Thanks for the reply and all the best for you trip. Guess I'll also change over at 10k kms. Do you know which brand of oil they used?

At Sundaram Honda I could see an ad which carried a prominent HONDA logo on the bottle/can,but I could not see the name of the lubricant manufacturer,so I asked the service advisor and he mentioned Idemitsu but I could not confirm it.

btw my service advisor indicated that I need not switch over to synthetic since my monthly running does not exceed 500 km

[Mpower]

Guys, anybody know where I can get a rear sun shade/blind for the Civic? Manual OK.

Originally Posted by csentil

I never bothered to ask. :( Will try to find out. Well how does one even know if they really filled in synthetic oil. Basic human trust I guess!!

Yup. Sometimes with small garages, people are even afraid of mechs mixing old and new oil or not changing at all depending on how naive the customer is. Back in the day, my dad used to ask that the oil be changed in his presence (just like you ask to see the meter being zeroed when you fill petrol)

[shuvd]

@ Mpower & Csentil -Thankfully, this Honda dealer allows me access to the work shop floor. So, I can actually verify what they are up to.

@ Indivic - Thanks for the heads up! Wonder which one of these they'll actually use though!! Products : Rotary Lubricants at Idemitsu Racing Oil

[indivic]

Folks,

Sorry if I am hijacking this thread for a query.

Today morning on the way to office, I managed to have the front right tyre cut by a huge block of rock bang in the middle of the road, it had just fallen off a truck carrying these from a quarry or something.

I was doing 60 since the road was free, slowed down to around 35 and just managed avoid going over the stone itself, but the sharp edge did cut deep enough to lose pressure.

Office was close by (around 300 mts), so drove there without issues and from the look of it, I need to replace the tyre since I can push my finger in.

My dilemma is

1) Use the spare tyre + wheel for the front right and put the new one in the boot,

or

2) Get the new tyre for the front right, leave the spare as it is

Can I avoid having the wheels balanced if I follow anyone of the above?

I am bit short on money since its month end, but I have a highway trip coming up in the weekend and don't want to go without a spare.

Any advice would be useful.

Thanks.

[Fountainheader]

Originally Posted by indivic

1) Use the spare tyre + wheel for the front right and put the new one in the boot,

or

2) Get the new tyre for the front right, leave the spare as it is

I'll assume here that the spare tyre is a used one. Else there would have been no difference between the 2 options.

I guess a lot depends on the usage of the other 3 tyres. Not that it makes a significant difference, but I'd rather use a "used" spare along with the other 3 running tyres, and put the new one in the boot.

[indivic]

Originally Posted by Fountainheader

I'll assume here that the spare tyre is a used one. Else there would have been no difference between the 2 options.

I guess a lot depends on the usage of the other 3 tyres. Not that it makes a significant difference, but I'd rather use a "used" spare along with the other 3 running tyres, and put the new one in the boot.

My bad, that I didn't mention that.

Actually I haven't touched the spare at all, it practically new, only thing is that it is from the year 2007. I have done only 10K in 1.5 years.

All other tyres are in good condition, I pride on being a smooth driver so no wheelspinning stuff, heck even the red lines on the tyres have not gone away.

[sgiitk]

The rule of thumb is 'newest tyres in the front wheels'. If your spare is unused why not put that and the new tyre in the front and send the other front tyre to the spare. In a FWD car over 75% of wear is the front tyres. This way you have new tyres up front and nearly new ones on the rear.

The new tyre must be balanced. This is normally included in the price. Also, if your wheels have never been balanced from new it is time you got it done.

[iraghava]

Here's what you do then:

1. Post pics of the busted tyre.
2. Move the front left on to the spare and use the new tyre+spare as the front tyres.

[indivic]

@Fountainheader,@sgiitk and @iraghava : Thanks a lot guys for your prompt responses.

I will run the new tyres on the front and move the front left to the spare.

@iraghava :One more Q, I checked with a few dealers including a Bridgestone select shop they quote between 4300 - 4500 for a Bridgestone B250 (thats the one on my car). I confirmed that the stock is new from Dec'08.

I decided to go with the shop that I had prior experience with and he had the lowest price as well (Rs.4300), do you think that is a reasonable price, since I heard that tyre prices have gone down.

All prices are exclusive of balancing and alignment charges

I dont have a mobile with a cam, so I will post the pics when I replace the tyre.

TIA

[iraghava]

Well 4300 is around what it should cost but don't pay extra for balancing, ask him to throw it in for free.

[ImmortalZ]

Hello guys.

I'm just back from a 1000KM trip spanning just two days. I had to travel on GQ roads, good rubberized NH and good old broken tarmac, all in an overloaded car. It kept impressing me and the passengers as the kilometers ticked by. The soft suspension was a problem though - as several parts of the GQ from Nagarcoil to Madurai is unfinished and smooth tarmac begins and ends abruptly. The suspension bottomed out dozens of times when we crossed these sections.

Other than this irritant, the car never let me down. One sight that remains in memory is what I witnessed when we reached out destination at Ramanathapuram. We all bundled out of the car, parked on the roadside. We meant to put all our luggage into our rooms and then take the car to a covered parking arranged by our friend. As all of us walked to the hotel, I heard a distinct tak tak tak sound. When I turned around, there he was - an urchin had taken a stone and was scratching the side of the car as he ran by it. As he ran past, as if he has unsatisfied by his demonic work, he came back, hit the headlight a few times with his weapon of choice and then ran away for good.

We were stunned to silence by this act. The paint has been cut straight to the primer across the entire left side of the car.

*sigh*.

The car is scheduled to go for it's third service on the 29th of this month. I'll update this thread with costs and such after that.

Until then, I leave you with a couple of choice pictures.

P.S : It went on until 180. :P

[lalitk25]

I am not sure if this is the right thread for this issue but saw the latest updated thread on civic and thought of posting it here.

I drove my civic after 7 days of parking and today after driving for 3-4 kms breaks were fix and i was not able to drive it it was like breaks are jammed and i was trying to run the car with high rpm and it was dying the moment i put off my foot from accelerater. I stopped my car for some time and thought of calling honda for 24X7 helpline then i tried one more time and this time after starting the car I pressed the break paddle many times and pulled it back applied hand break 2-3 times and removed it.... then I tried driving and it was all ok.
I dont know what was the issue and how it was resolved after that I drove around 10-15 kms and till now it is smoth again and no issue.

Please share your views if someone has faced anything like this.

My civic is 13 month old and only completed 9600 km.

[manim]

Originally Posted by lalitk25

I drove my civic after 7 days of parking and today after driving for 3-4 kms breaks were fix and i was not able to drive it it was like breaks are jammed and i was trying to run the car with high rpm and it was dying the moment i put off my foot from accelerater.

Please share your views if someone has faced anything like this.

I have read about similar problems in various posts, and nearly the same happens to me regularly. After say, a week of parking, I start my car and release the hand-brake and put the auto in reverse, the car refuses to move! But in a few seconds there is a TAK,TAK noise as the brakes releases on its own and for a few seconds there are noises as the car moves as if the brake-pads are not fully released. But after these few seconds, everything is fine!
I feel that this is only a minor irritant, but if it can compromise the safety of the car then I should be worried.

But you say that the brakes were jammed after a few kms of driving. This has never happened to me, only when I start after a long parking.

Anyway there is one other problem relating to my brakes which has never been resolved. When I brake at high speeds (> 100 kmph) the whole car shudders and the steering vibrates. It could be due to the brake-disc being warped.

My AT has done 37,500 kms in around two years.

[lalitk25]

After parking for a week or longer the initial sound was something I was familier with but whatever happened yesterday was new to me.
BUt till now there is no problem so I am not that much worried but I would definitely get breaks checked in my next visit to showroom.

Regarding breaks over 100 and vibration in steering this must be ABS kicking in.