[vasoo]

My car is lying idle for the last 5 months since I moved to US in October. I was planning to go to India in between and hence I did not sell the car. Now I am not sure when will I be going back and in what condition the car will be. Anybody here has similar experience ?

[sgiitk]

@vasoo; When I had my heart surgery my Accent was not started for three months. Nothing was required.

[ramanak]

@Vasoo- My Civic was run only once for 10-15 kms over a period of 6 months in 2013.No issues whatsoever.

[sumeethaldankar]

Has anybody got their cars steering wheel leather replaced ? What are the costs ? Any alternatives ?

Thanks.

[WasavaTyres]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Has anybody got their cars steering wheel leather replaced ? What are the costs ? Any alternatives ?

Thanks.

I think replacing the leather is not going to have the same finish. Mine had worn off the perforations on either side of where we grip the wheel. I bought one from chor bazar ( salvage vehicle perhaps) It came without the steering boss / SRS unit and cost me 2,000

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Has anybody got their cars steering wheel leather replaced ? What are the costs ? Any alternatives ?

Thanks.

I'm getting my civic's interiors revamped.

I'm getting the following deal:

Hi - Tech Nappa art leather seat covers + door trims+ armrest + gear fob + leather steering wheel cover ( art leather doesn't last) + re-painting of control panels on doors = 15,500/-

I've decided on a leather steering wheel cover..costing around 1200 as art leather doesn't last.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

I'm getting my civic's interiors revamped.

I'm getting the following deal:

Hi - Tech Nappa art leather seat covers + door trims+ armrest + gear fob + leather steering wheel cover ( art leather doesn't last) + re-painting of control panels on doors = 15,500/-

I've decided on a leather steering wheel cover..costing around 1200 as art leather doesn't last.

I need to get the door trims replaced. What kind of shop do I need to go to? Will the big guys like Stanley do it at reasonable price?

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by smartcat

I need to get the door trims replaced. What kind of shop do I need to go to? Will the big guys like Stanley do it at reasonable price?

Stanley is expensive. Would suit you to match it with whatever quality you've used for your seat covers.

There are places where you could get it done for a nominal cost. Should cost anywhere between 2k -4k for the door trims - considering you'll want good quality art leather.

Team bhp directory should guide you to a good place in bangalore. Or you could probably go to the place you got your seat covers done.

[WasavaTyres]

Originally Posted by smartcat

I need to get the door trims replaced. What kind of shop do I need to go to? Will the big guys like Stanley do it at reasonable price?

Stanley will charge a bomb ! Try Epona lifestyle. Harish is the guy who runs the outfit. I can PM you his details if required.

[petroguzzler]

Team,
When I start my civic in the morning, droplets of water come from the exhaust. On close observation these droplets have a slightly black colour. Is it normal?

[Jeroen]

Perfectly normal upon start up. It's just a little water condensation from the exhaust gas on your still relatively cold exhaust system. It's black because of the soot in the exhaust. Condensation stops as your exhaust system heats up.

[manim]

How long I can go between oil changes for very low running?

My Civic is nearing nine years old, and I have so far faithfully done the routine services (oil changes every six months (or) 10,000 kms). Now, my car has been mostly idle for the past six months. My last oil change was in June-2015 and has done around 6,000 kms after it. I have a 1,500 kms trip coming up shortly. So I am in a dilemma: do the change before the trip or after.

[ImmortalZ]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

My car is 9 years old. I do know how to set the AC on auto and change the fan speed manually

The issue I am facing is, on a long drive, the fan speed suddenly drops, and despite cranking it up manually, the fan speed remains the same. There is just very little airflow. It still throws cool air but absolutely no airflow. I tried getting the temperature lower, but even at Lo, the fan speed stays the same. Then If I turn the compressor off, and put it only on blower, the fan speed issue corrects itself and I'm able to manually alter the fan speed.

So every half an hour, I have to either switch the compressor off for 10 mins or switch the AC off. When I switch it back, it works fine for a while. Then same issue. Any advice?

This is something I faced myself. It's the thermostat.

See what happens is that the AC compressor doesn't turn off. This happens because the temperature sensor on the evaporator coil inside the dash doesn't work. So the the compressor doesn't cut off and ice builds up on the evaporator, impeding air flow. When you turn off the AC for a while, the ice melts off and everything is normal again. You can even observe this by turning on the AC again with the air on full blast after a few minutes. Ice crystals will come flying through the vents.

Take the car to a reputed AC shop and have the thermostat changed. Driving the car around this way will have a noticeable impact on FE and I doubt it is too good on the compressor either.

[slickshots]

UPDATE : Mar 13, 2016 - Ultimately I did take the Civic to Raghav and after a test drive, he said everything seems ok. However knowing my car well, I pointed out the nuances and ultimately he opined that the clutch might replacement. Although there was no slippage or any such thing, I respected Raghav's diagnosis and dropped the car off after a few days. Raghav called up and went over the options and I did end up getting a XCD performance clutch. Also I was updated on the constant progress and we had to have the spark plugs changed to NGK as the earlier ones were Santro plugs, not sure how or why the previous owner did so. A through check up later, so water was found in the drive shaft boot (I think), cleaned, engine, brake oil, filters, plugs and clutch assembly changed.

Its a huge change when I drive the car now, yes I do have to rev the RPM to be around 1800 or so, but clutch is smooth and so is the car. Raghav encourages me to push the car around Long story short, very happy with Ignite and I coincidentally found that Raghav also graduated from the same college as me, so I have some alumni bonding as well. Irrespective of that his professionalism and personal ethics sets him apart.

Yes, while Raghav set some high standards for himself, there is always scope to improve. Not a make or break deal, few small items like keeping the shop floor clothing off the car upholstery etc. I'm sure it will be a thing of the past when I visit him again...Thanks guys/Team bhp. Definitely looking forward to my next visit to Ignite!

*******************

Originally Posted by slickshots

Thank you fellow BHPians. I have a lot to go after now First step I will try and check on the clutch cylinders with a trusted mechanic of mine cylinders, fluid level (?) and cable play etc. However I have already ruled out the obvious issues like obstruction under the mat or any such visibly simple issue. I have heard a lot about Raghav and Ignite garage, will take it there too, hoping its a simple case to fix. Will update post after I fix it, many thanks again guys

[laluks]

A new issue has cropped up, that too in summer

The fan which cools the condenser is making some weird noise, as it is scrapping somewhere. Hope the motor is fine and its just some lubrication issue.