Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Technical Stuff (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/)

-   -   Honda Civic : Maintenance, Service Costs and Must dos (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/47997-honda-civic-maintenance-service-costs-must-dos-26.html)

My car was purchased in Aug 09, just before the facelift was launched – its completely in stock condition. One point to remember at the outset, my response was in the context of using paddles to engine brake. I’m not claiming or looking to use paddles in D mode as a “full manual mode”.

I can’t comment on your vehicle nor am I aware of what changes Honda may have carried out over the years. Perhaps they made this change in the electronics before launching the facelift - might be worth checking. In any event you are welcome to see this first hand if you ever visit Mumbai. But here’s how the paddles in my civic work.

D mode

In D mode, if I use the + or – paddle, the car upshifts or downshifts as applicable (provided I’m in the permissible speed range). During such gear changes, it also displays the gear its moved into (e.g. “3” or “2” – it does not display the gear like it does when using paddles in the S mode, which is “M3” or M2”). I can tell from the RPM meter as well as the engine sound that the car has in fact actually downshifted. If the speed is not right for the gear change, the gear number simply flashes on the screen without allowing the change.

Having changed gear, the car will continue in auto mode and subsequently change gears on its own at the RPM / speed levels one would associate with the D mode. Effectively, it provides a brief override benefit without changing to full manual mode i.e. requiring me to use paddles continuously like I would in S once one uses the paddles.

S mode

Gear changes automatically albeit at higher revs until paddle is used.

Once paddle shift is used, all up-shifts have to be undertaken using the paddles allowing the car to redline. Downshifts however are undertaken automatically by the car if the speed slows well below the selected gear. Like I said earlier, gear number is displayed preceded by an “M” when using paddles in this mode.

Personal use (point 1 being what I was mentioning in my original post)

To me, using the paddle in this manner in D mode is my most preferred manner of use since it provides me temporary overriding control over the automatic without having to be forced into full manual mode and having to only shift using paddles. Some typical scenarios where I find this helpful:

1. Engine braking – I supplement my regular foot braking with a suitably timed paddle down shift, particularly so at times when slightly quicker braking is required.

2. Overtaking – instead of using kickdown, I engage a single downshift in D mode when I want to overtake or zip ahead a bit and I feel I’m not in the sweet spot of the power band. I find the resultant quicker acceleration I get is smoother to what the kickdown option offers.

3. Upshifting – Very rarely I may use the paddles to upshift marginally quicker if I feel I’m likely to maintain pace but this is really quite rare since its mostly unnecessary.

All of this to me is even more useful on the highways, where again I preferred using the paddles in D instead of S using the short bursts of power without having to use full manual mode.

Hope this clarifies.

PS: I don't need video proof for your car - I would credit you with some basic understanding of your own car.

For MT, could any pros tell me the appropriate/ideal RPM band for shifting the gears to get to the maximum speed faster (say 200 kmph)?

1st gear - starting
2nd gear - ?
3rd gear - ?
4th gear - ?
5th gear - ?

I was just joking dude, chill :D

It seems your car has the new ECU code without any of the exterior changes.

@iTNerd : Shift before the redline, don't shift to fifth.

no worries mate :).

incidentally i read quite a few of your posts at the time i made my own purchase decision. and yes, i think an ECU change may well have been made.

Thanks... see.. I am completely new when it comes to VTEC.. but now that I had a hang.. I tried this morning and man.. love the way it propelled the car to 175 kmph (4th gear, 5300 RPM) before the road ran out... clap:.. addictive I must say.. the VTEC roar from the 16 valves is music to ears..

But one thing though.. when I went on revving, my god, the reading of the average FE display changes repeatly (down) just like a second hand in the clock ticking.. from 15.8 kmpl to 14.2 kmpl is just 25 seconds

At the risk of sounding contrite, anyone inspired after reading the last few posts to try and achieve high speeds on the Civic, please make sure that you are comfortable at such high speeds and your Civic (tyres, brakes, handling etc) is also capable of doing the same.

Axe77, thats a nice feature to have. The older Civic's don't have it. :(

Hopefully the dealer will update the new ECU code to the older civics also? I am going to persuade my dealer to do that at the next service in a few weeks. Auto locking and paddle shifts in D mode would be enough, rest is minor.

I say that they normally would because I do recollect that the grade logic was not working very well on my first trip in the ghats and I had to use the S mode and manually downshift. After a year or so, after a service, I noticed that the FE had suddenly improved by 20%, there was increased engine braking in general and the next trip in the ghats after that, the grade logic worked very well. No need for S mode.

:-) I know - I realised that prev civics may not have had the paddles working in this manner and I'm quite relieved my version has this. I wonder if its a simple change to achieve aftermarket though because it really is quite useful.

Of course. I have only once done about 195 in my AT civic and that too for a couple of minutes, just to see what she could do. It was on a very slight incline, so I guess she was capable of about 200-205 as others have posted. Have never tried breaching that again.

Frankly, in Indian conditions IMO anything above 30 kmph is dangerous, more so at night. 2 wheelers / pedestrians popping out any which way, drivers / people talking on mobiles, everybody makes abrupt lane changes, driving on wrong side of road, entering main road without checking, half (sorry 80%) of tail lights/brake lights not working, 90% headlights on high beam or poorly aimed, list is endless.

Not sure if it is a dumb question, but the Civic specs say dual horn. Does it mean it is equipped with two different horns and we can select which one to use? And how do you put on the rear fog light?

My understanding of a dual horn is the presence of two horns(similar ones) which work in tandem when the horn button is pressed.

It doesn't freewheel. From what I understand, you get engine braking with the CVT box while you don't get that in slush boxes unless you put it in S and manually shift down.

I hate to quote myself, but yes, it's an easy after market mod. The only problem is getting someone local to do/offer it.

This is one great thread. It helped me make my decision to pick up a used Civic. A special thanks to ImmortalZ for the informative posts. I will be posting my ownership report shortly.

Has anybody done the 40K service? If yes, what was the cost incurred, and what things they changed?

Hi,

You have a point there. In a regular auto all you have to do is shift to alower gear.

Even in the CVT, the engine braking is far less than when you shift down in a normal auto.