[nik0502]

Hello Guys,

I recently took a 1400 Kms trip on my Civic. I am worried about 2-3 things and need inputs from the experts.
1. I went over a pothole at about 50-60 km/h after crossing the pothole when I accelerated the revs started to increase but the car didn’t move as if it had shifted to neutral but the car was actually in drive mode. I shifted to neutral and shifted back to drive the car behaved normally. It had once happened 2-3 months back also. What could be the reason? The gear oil was changed 40 K Kms ago if that matters.
2. On my return when I was driving on expressway I started to hear a very faint whistling noise while accelerating. The air filter assembly seems to be normal there’s nothing loose. What could be the cause.
3. The alternator on my car gave up about 2 years ago and the repair guy gave me a replacement. The alternator is working fine however in last six months the car has thrown battery down light thrice. Every time the light disappears in 10-15 seconds. I am assuming there’s a loose contact. I will give the car to get it checked but any advice would be helpful.

I have been very busy in last 6-7 years due to personal and professional commitments and have now started venturing out taking road trips and I am trying to be extra cautious. I am afraid that these issues could amplify in future and might leave me stranded on the highway someday hence would like to address these immediately.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by nik0502

Hello Guys,

1. I went over a pothole at about 50-60 km/h after crossing the pothole when I accelerated the revs started to increase but the car didn’t move as if it had shifted to neutral but the car was actually in drive mode. I shifted to neutral and shifted back to drive the car behaved normally. It had once happened 2-3 months back also. What could be the reason? The gear oil was changed 40 K Kms ago if that matters.
2. On my return when I was driving on expressway I started to hear a very faint whistling noise while accelerating. The air filter assembly seems to be normal there’s nothing loose. What could be the cause.
3. The alternator on my car gave up about 2 years ago and the repair guy gave me a replacement. The alternator is working fine however in last six months the car has thrown battery down light thrice. Every time the light disappears in 10-15 seconds. I am assuming there’s a loose contact. I will give the car to get it checked but any advice would be helpful.

Hello,

Though I cannot help much with first 2 points but still my 2 cents:
The faint whistling noise could be nothing to worry about. This could be the sound from resonator box (post airfilter) and you might have noticed because other noises like engine and road noise may have been cut down due to various reasons at a particular stretch.

Regarding the 3rd issue, I would like to tell you that there is no 'battery down' light in Civic. The light you saw would be the red one with battery indication and that indicates your alternator is not charging the battery at that moment. So, either your alternator is having an issue or there is loose contact somewhere in the charging circuit. You need to get this one checked. Please check if the car is charging (means the red battery indicator light is off) after starting the engine and without revving it. If there is a loose contact in the electrical circuit, that can also explain the point 1.

[CzechItaliaMoto]

Hi, we just bought a 2009 Honda Civic. I just have a few queries about it-
1. Does the blue portion on the edge of the low beam headlamp have any functional lights inside it? or is it just a dummy?
2. After installing suspension spacers the car is tilted towards the right side by around 0.5 cm. Will wheel alignment fix it? or do we have to recheck the installation of the spacers?
3. The CD player does not work- it says disc busy/wait. I'm assuming someone inserted something in there and its been jammed for a while?
4. The radiator fluid seems a bit green and feels like there's particles in there. Is it recommended to change it? The car has run around 70k kms.
5. Is it recommended to change the engine oil @ 75k or can we wait till 80?

Thanks

Hi, we just bought a 2009 Honda Civic. Although I haven't posted before, I have been following a lot of the stories on Team-BHP via the newsletter. I have a few queries about the Civic, starting off with the headlights-
1.The blue portion next to the low beam headlight- does it actually light up or is it a dummy? It doesn't light up in ours, so I just wanted to know if there's actually a bulb there or not.

2. We recently installed suspension buffers in the rear and the car has tilted a bit to the right side- by around 0.4 cm. Should we check the suspension buffers or is it something to do with wheel alignment?

3. The CD changer does not seem to work- it always says disc busy/wait whenever it comes on- does that mean someone has jammed something inside the tray?

4.The front right tire takes an awful lot of time to fill up and it always seems like it is losing air when we are filling it at the petrol bunk. Should we get the valve stem checked or is that a normal thing?


Thanks in advance

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by CzechItaliaMoto

1. Does the blue portion on the edge of the low beam headlamp have any functional lights inside it? or is it just a dummy?
2. After installing suspension spacers the car is tilted towards the right side by around 0.5 cm. Will wheel alignment fix it? or do we have to recheck the installation of the spacers?
3. The CD player does not work- it says disc busy/wait. I'm assuming someone inserted something in there and its been jammed for a while?
4. The radiator fluid seems a bit green and feels like there's particles in there. Is it recommended to change it? The car has run around 70k kms.
5. Is it recommended to change the engine oil @ 75k or can we wait till 80?

1. Cannot understand your question, please upload a photograph to demonstrate what you mean.

2. Since the car has run 70 thousand kilometres it’s best to get the wheel alignment and balancing done. Also check the tyre life and suspension spacers.

3. Does the CD get accepted by the player? I mean does it completely go inside and then pop out again with the error message. The CD player many a times does not accept anything besides original CD’s, try an original CD and see if it works. If it doesn’t go all the way in, then there is an obstruction in the passage.

4. Since you have bought the car at 70 thousand kilometres, I would suggest replacing the coolant, engine oil, filter, transmission oil, power steering fluid and brake fluid as well. In short get a full service done for peace of mind.

All the best with your Civic.

Cheers

[eccentric]

Originally Posted by CzechItaliaMoto

1. Does the blue portion on the edge of the low beam headlamp have any functional lights inside it? or is it just a dummy?

It is just a dummy. IIRC, Honda advertised it as, "Blue accessory lens." Still wondering what they meant!

However, you can find that same lens sporting an orange shade on Acura CSX sold in Canada, possibly as a side marker lamp.

Originally Posted by CzechItaliaMoto

The CD player does not work- it says disc busy/wait. I'm assuming someone inserted something in there and its been jammed for a while?

Yes, seems more like it. If your car is a pre-facelift, it has a 6CD changer system by Alpine.
1. First, try to eject all the CDs
2. If all the CDs would come out, then there is 90% probability that the stereo system can be fixed by a DIY

If you observe the CDs that have come out, they must be terribly hot and the sectors will be warped! Never use them again.

The DIY
a. Switch OFF the stereo. Park the car in a shade and turn off the ignition. Allow it to cool overnight
b. Locate Fuse No: 35 in the under dash fuse box. Pull it out using the fuse puller present in the engine bay fuse box cover
c. Tap gently the portion of the dashboard above the stereo for a few times
d. Pause your DIY for an hour
e. Resume by reinstalling the fuse
f. Turn the Key to ACC position. You could see the clock blinking repeatedly. Never mind. Operate the stereo by inserting a new CD

The stereo would perform flawless. When you have turned off the stereo, reset the clock by the steps mentioned in the owner's manual.

Originally Posted by Cyborg

4. Since you have bought the car at 70 thousand kilometres, I would suggest replacing the coolant, engine oil, filter, transmission oil, power steering fluid and brake fluid as well. In short get a full service done for peace of mind.

+1.
I'll add clutch fluid as well, if the car is a manual. Would insist you to compare the service history vs the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual and do the necessary.

[CzechItaliaMoto]

Originally Posted by eccentric

Yes, seems more like it. If your car is a pre-facelift, it has a 6CD changer system by Alpine.
1. First, try to eject all the CDs
2. If all the CDs would come out, then there is 90% probability that the stereo system can be fixed by a DIY

When i pressed the eject button, nothing would happen and it would stay in the "disc busy" position. Also, when i switched it off and pressed the button again the red light below the load button started to blink. I think I'll try out the DIY and hope that things get fixed. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Cyborg

3. Does the CD get accepted by the player? I mean does it completely go inside and then pop out again with the error message. The CD player many a times does not accept anything besides original CD’s, try an original CD and see if it works. If it doesn’t go all the way in, then there is an obstruction in the passage.

4. Since you have bought the car at 70 thousand kilometres, I would suggest replacing the coolant, engine oil, filter, transmission oil, power steering fluid and brake fluid as well. In short get a full service done for peace of mind.

All the best with your Civic.

Cheers

I did try inserting a CD in there, it wasn't going in.

About the service, yes I'll do that, thanks a lot!

[Nikhil Paradkar]

Hi All,

I have a 2008 Honda Civic. Recently the car started making some noise while driving. When I checked with the showroom and outside local mechanic, they confirmed that the bearing inside the power steering pump may have gone kaput due to which this sound is coming though it doesn't impact the power steering functionality at all. It is just the sound that irritates me.

The showroom as usual asked for replacement of the entire power steering pump assembly which would burn a hole in my pocket with approx. 30k expense.

I would like some suggestions on a local trusted mechanic in Bangalore who is an expert with Honda Civic vehicles and may be able to repair this properly instead of replacing the entire assembly.

Also, I would like to get the disc skimming done as well so any recommendations for a trusted mechanic for that too would help.

[CzechItaliaMoto]

Originally Posted by Nikhil Paradkar

Hi All,



I would like some suggestions on a local trusted mechanic in Bangalore who is an expert with Honda Civic vehicles and may be able to repair this properly instead of replacing the entire assembly.

Also, I would like to get the disc skimming done as well so any recommendations for a trusted mechanic for that too would help.

I'm not sure if this garage is an expert with a Honda Civic or not, but other BHPians have reviewed it-
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/banga...bangalore.html (Automotive Garage - Automechs (Koramangala, Bangalore))

You can also get a quote from Alphation Auto, I believe they used to be a dedicated Honda service center before switching to other cars as well-

https://www.google.com/search?q=alph...rome&ie=UTF-8#

[abhijitrpatil]

waxed up the civic and it's as good as new!
Doesn't look that it's more ten years old, does it.

[CzechItaliaMoto]

Originally Posted by eccentric

If you observe the CDs that have come out, they must be terribly hot and the sectors will be warped! Never use them again.

The DIY
a. Switch OFF the stereo. Park the car in a shade and turn off the ignition. Allow it to cool overnight
b. Locate Fuse No: 35 in the under dash fuse box. Pull it out using the fuse puller present in the engine bay fuse box cover
c. Tap gently the portion of the dashboard above the stereo for a few times
d. Pause your DIY for an hour
e. Resume by reinstalling the fuse
f. Turn the Key to ACC position. You could see the clock blinking repeatedly. Never mind. Operate the stereo by inserting a new CD

The stereo would perform flawless. When you have turned off the stereo, reset the clock by the steps mentioned in the owner's manual.

I tried this DIY, didn't work for me atleast. Also, I removed the whole stereo system and took it apart to take out the jammed item(turned out to be a really old CD) and put it back together. Unfortunately, I think i made things worse and even if there is no CD in there, the system displays the same message, but now it makes more unsettling sounds that are very displeasing to hear!

[swageo]

My 2018 Civic with almost a lakh in odo started making some deep bass engine sound. I noticed some oil wetness in exhaust tail, which I haven't seen before.. What could be wrong ?

Google search suggest possible trouble with piston rings

[CzechItaliaMoto]

Originally Posted by swageo

My 2018 Civic with almost a lakh in odo started making some deep bass engine sound. I noticed some oil wetness in exhaust tail, which I haven't seen before.. What could be wrong ?

Google search suggest possible trouble with piston rings

Are you sure it is oil and not water? Because if it is water, it is mostly just a byproduct of the combustion reaction or from the AC condenser, completely normal.

Even our Civic does have a few drips of water from the exhaust.

[eccentric]

Originally Posted by CzechItaliaMoto

Unfortunately, I think i made things worse and even if there is no CD in there, the system displays the same message, but now it makes more unsettling sounds that are very displeasing to hear!

That's disheartening. I had those unsettling sounds as well irrespective of the stereo being ON/OFF. Before attempting the DIY, I had to switch on the stereo and change the mode to 'AUX' to mute those sounds!

Repairing the system is useless, bud. It's high time for you to upgrade your Head Unit unless you want to retain the stock looks and hell bent on experiencing nostalgic CD's.

The backlit stereo during night drives, so soothing to look at!

[CzechItaliaMoto]

Originally Posted by eccentric

That's disheartening. I had those unsettling sounds as well irrespective of the stereo being ON/OFF. Before attempting the DIY, I had to switch on the stereo and change the mode to 'AUX' to mute those sounds!

Repairing the system is useless, bud. It's high time for you to upgrade your Head Unit unless you want to retain the stock looks and hell bent on experiencing nostalgic CD's.

The backlit stereo during night drives, so soothing to look at!
Attachment 2253180

The thing about the Civic stereo is that it is so much more sleeker than other stereos of its time, looks really futuristic. I remember the 2009-13 City's stock stereo looked really cluttered and was really mainstream to look at. Also, nobody uses CDs nowadays, I agree, but I'm a guy who burns CDs and uses them in my dad's car which doesn't have a provision for AUX input, so I got used to that. The stock audio system doesn't really sound bad for someone who is coming from a Maruti from 2007 with a basic Panasonic setup with absolutely no bass and treble.

P.S The throw of those headlights are pretty fascinating! Can you tell me which bulbs did you upgrade to?

[eccentric]

Originally Posted by CzechItaliaMoto

The thing about the Civic stereo is that it is so much more sleeker than other stereos of its time, looks really futuristic. The stock audio system doesn't really sound bad for someone who is coming from a Maruti from 2007 with a basic Panasonic setup with absolutely no bass and treble.

Also, nobody uses CDs nowadays, I agree, but I'm a guy who burns CDs and uses them in my dad's car which doesn't have a provision for AUX input, so I got used to that.

No AUX? I presume your Civic is an 'S' variant. Probably another retrofit added to your list.
Please let me know the software you're using to burn the sound files.

P.S The throw of those headlights are pretty fascinating! Can you tell me which bulbs did you upgrade to?

Refer the below for the necessary,

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post5156340 (Honda Civic : Maintenance, Service Costs and Must dos)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post5179391 (Honda Civic : Maintenance, Service Costs and Must dos)