[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by eccentric

The problem with Honda ASC is that they want to replace the entire shock assembly though Honda provides just the strut alone as OEM spare. To give a complete perspective of my symptom, kindly read the context in the images via the below link,

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post5129397 (Coil Spring Adjusters : VFM Fix for the Honda Civic's (lousy) soft rear suspension?)

Will TRW dampers at the rear, prevent bottoming out under load?
Am gaining some momentum by reading lot of posts related to Civics suspension and contemplating about the necessary. Thanks for sharing!

I had auto-runners at the back and also had a spacer (Honda Civic Independence : CNG'd. EDIT: 1,13,000 km up and SOLD!) at the end. I had heard from another bhpian that he had stiffer TRW at the back that did help. Since I had sinned and put in a CNG tank in my poor civic I did in spite of above setup managed to make the rear meet mother earth at times. If your Civic does not have permanent heavy equipment at the back eg woofer etc than TRW shocks + autorunner + spacer will definitely help. You can check my before and after images post the spacer install. Not sure how it will affect rear end handling though since mine was mostly driven in the city.

[eccentric]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

I had heard from another bhpian that he had stiffer TRW at the back that did help. If your Civic does not have permanent heavy equipment at the back eg woofer etc than TRW shocks + autorunner + spacer will definitely help. Not sure how it will affect rear end handling though since mine was mostly driven in the city.

My Civic is bone stock except for the aftermarket LED bulbs I installed last week. Am unsure of using the coil spring adjusters since they prevent the well-functioning of the spring but divert the resultant stresses to adjacent suspension parts. Also, my Civic is being used only as a highway cruiser, hence will be mostly at speeds above 100 KPH. So, mostly will be refraining from using them. Should TRW parts be sourced via Boodmo or spareshub.com or any other alternatives?

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by eccentric

My Civic is bone stock except for the aftermarket LED bulbs I installed last week. Am unsure of using the coil spring adjusters since they prevent the well-functioning of the spring but divert the resultant stresses to adjacent suspension parts. Also, my Civic is being used only as a highway cruiser, hence will be mostly at speeds above 100 KPH. So, mostly will be refraining from using them. Should TRW parts be sourced via Boodmo or spareshub.com or any other alternatives?

I bought the joints etc from spares hub. Not sure of others.

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by eccentric

Used to read this thread when I was a non-member. Glad to see the thread back to life after 7 years! How beautiful is the subtle shoulder line that runs across the body and pronounces itself by creating a chink effect in the front bumpers!

Thank you so much!
Yes, that was actually a casual click taken while the car was dirty, but it is that exact smooth flow of lines that prompted me to post it up

My Civic too is in due for a suspension rehaul since it bounces heavily after the recent service. Could you please provide some insights on the suspension rehaul?

I did mine in HASS. Had to do the full suspension overhaul. The front suspension is the costliest of the lot and would be ~40K for the task. Mine unfortunately had to be done due to the car being idle for a long time and was bottoming out pretty heavily. But once the overhaul was done, its very much back to normal and am happy that I did the change.

I also have spacers on the back suspension. They are doing well so far.

If by any chance, you happen to still possess this brochure, kindly let me know. IIRC, this must be the 2007 V variant brochure. Had this in 2007 but lost it when we shifted houses. Now, my heart aches to get this again though owning the car.

Sure, attaching the same here.

[eccentric]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Mine unfortunately had to be done due to the car being idle for a long time and was bottoming out pretty heavily.

Same scenario here. 13 years and just 47,000 KMs on the ODO. Shared my predicament below,
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post5129397 (Coil Spring Adjusters : VFM Fix for the Honda Civic's (lousy) soft rear suspension?)

Sure, attaching the same here.

Thank you so much! Waves of Nostalgia nuzzling me while am listening to 'Saltwater by Chicane', penning down this. I was 11 years old when I saw my neigbour admiring his Civic after bringing her home the first time. Used to visit often and sneak a peek into that out of the world dash. The gentleman's father on seeing my eccentrics, handed me this same brochure and I even remember me sketching the cover page! Little did I know that I would end up with the same car in 2019.

Cars have come and gone. IMHO, the Indian Auto industry has never witnessed another car like Civic which struck emotional chords with any individuals irrespective of age. I would like to end this by a quote from 'Mad Men' and here it goes,

"This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It goes backwards, and forwards… it takes us to a place where we ache to go again. It’s not called the wheel, it’s called the carousel. It let’s us travel the way a child travels - around and around, and back home again, to a place where we know are loved."

The above quote flashes in my mind whenever I see the car. This is what a Civic is, a Carousel.



Trivia
I was constantly on the hunt for this brochure that one day I bumped into the photographer who shot its images! Hereby, I share the links of his instagram handles,
https://www.instagram.com/streamimaging/
https://www.instagram.com/satyajit_cp/

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

You can check my before and after images post the spacer install. Not sure how it will affect rear end handling though since mine was mostly driven in the city.

Those pics were super helpful in making the decision, thanks for that.

The spacers at the rear is holding up real fine and no issues for the highway runs.
I had few ~300km runs recently, with and without full load; the car handled as it had years back.

Originally Posted by eccentric

Thank you so much! Waves of Nostalgia nuzzling me ...

No problem. And yes, the Civic emotion, I can very well relate to it

[sarathlal]

The White Tiger is nearing 90000 kms as of now, and has been a loyal companion all the while. Recently the power steering pump gave a small scare, but luckily super efficient folks, Mr. Sumesh and friends at the HASS, has succesfully restored the pump back to its full glory. Ever since ceramic coating was done (Details here: Civic Maintenance Thread (Honda Civic : Maintenance, Service Costs and Must dos)), it has been fairly easy on regular exterior maintenance as well.

Though these were few wishlist items for the Civic, I did not really pursue any of them seriously; until recently when I did a real sit down on the 360 degree camera requirement. And finally took the decision to put one in, one of the first aftermarket item being done on the Civic. Apprehension was mainly due to the need to take off part of dashboard, door panels etc.

There are loads of units available in the market, varying in size from 8 to 11 inches that are suitable for the Civic. I applied the following filters for narrowing down;
1. Ease of use, responsive (Used to the pixels)
2. Latest possible hardware
3. No wire cutting or splicings whatsoever
4. Least intrusive and minimal disruptions

Zeroed in on few units, but unfortunately nothing from a known brand that fits the requirement and provided value for money worthiness. Sony have couple of really good units, but they support only two cameras and not 360. Whole point of attempting this was the 360 camera views, so had to dismiss this. Another problem I saw was, the units from relatively known brands were very slow, very lethargic and very low screen quality. Finally after a lot of checks, opted for a brand called as Geesonic from the sea of choices available. Me and my friend visited multiple shops on multiple days to arrive on this decision.

Its an 11.5 inch, Android 14 based unit that comes with 6GB RAM and 64 GB storage. 2K resolution and HD 360 degree camera support. In addition to this, had to buy the dashboard adapter with spacers that will house the unit onto the dashboard. The unit comes with series of features like wireless android auto, carplay, apps like Netflix, Youtube, DSP etc.
The installation was smooth as well. After removing the existing OEM unit, it was a direct plug and play of the wire systems to this unit. No wires were cut or spliced for this activity. I did not opt to have automatic lane watch function while engaging the indicators, since this functionality needed wire splicing on the indicator shaft wires.

Though the main driving force behind getting this system was to help my wife adapt the Civic easily, its been an added advantage for me too. The overall visibility around the vehicle is amazing, even at night, that helps in navigating around much more independently. The perks of having a modern entertainment unit was huge. Kids now have another reason to be in the Civic. Screen being big, Google maps navigation is super easy. GPS antenna is really good, audio setup is good and adapts seemlessly with the existing speaker units. Its super fast operations so far, no lag for any action and video quality is superb. It also offers option to have the videos recorded in loop mode, which enables all four camera feeds to be recorded onto a single file of 3 mins interval video clips. And luckily, though its a huge screen, its not protruding out off the dashboard is not coming onto the area of driving view.

360 Degree view



Recording perspective



Unit pictures

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Finally after a lot of checks, opted for a brand called as Geesonic from the sea of choices available. Me and my friend visited multiple shops on multiple days to arrive on this decision.

Its an 11.5 inch, Android 14 based unit that comes with 6GB RAM and 64 GB storage. 2K resolution and HD 360 degree camera support. In addition to this, had to buy the dashboard adapter with spacers that will house the unit onto the dashboard. The unit comes with series of features like wireless android auto, carplay, apps like Netflix, Youtube, DSP etc.
The installation was smooth as well. After removing the existing OEM unit, it was a direct plug and play of the wire systems to this unit

Thanks Sarathlal for your post, it’s come at the right time for me. I have a 2010 Civic for which I would like the same unit since you have done all the research and found this the best.

How much did it cost you and also the price of the dashboard adapter with spacers. Did you change your speakers as well? I am in Mumbai or I would happily go to the same place you did your work from

Kindly add any other information which may be helpful to me in this endeavour.

Just completed my 15 year passing and the HSRP fitting as well.

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

How much did it cost you and also the price of the dashboard adapter with spacers. Did you change your speakers as well? I am in Mumbai or I would happily go to the same place you did your work from

Kindly add any other information which may be helpful to me in this endeavour.

Just completed my 15 year passing and the HSRP fitting as well.

Attachment 2743969

Thanks for sharing the picture, mine will have to get the hsrp in another couple of months to be ready for the re registration as well

The model I got is from geesonic. They have a much more popular model called Diamond 2K which actually led me to this. Compared to that, I chose this because it has 6GB of RAM, bigger screen and android 14. There has been very few review for the model that I got, to which the dealer told that its relatively new, and hence lesser reach at the moment.

Model name is Geesonic GS - 2K PRO and comes with 2 year warranty.
The total cost was 32K inclusive of 5 components;
1. The android unit
2. The panel and spacer kit
3. 360 degree camera kit - Includes 4 cameras and its wiring harness
4. Camera and unit installation labor charges
5. 360 degree system calibration labor charges

The panel and spacer kit alone was 2500 Rs.
Down south, these accessories are typically expensive, so I am assuming you should be able to get these done for around 29K.

I did not change the stock speaker unit, mainly because I wanted to do minimum changes to the car as much as possible. And the DSP of this unit works beautifully well with the stock speaker system.

Do go for the 11.5 inch and not the smaller 9 inch, because the large screen size is practically useful in viewing the camera angles as well as google maps. (The screen quality is way ahead of the unit in the Kodiaq!)

The Civic's dashboard handles the large screen gracefully. It does not stick out like an aftermarket unit at all. There is one disadvantage of the size though. As you can see, it takes some visibility off the AC display. So, its not very easy to see the AC values. Since I typically always keep the temperature on 23, this is not an issue for me, but this would be a hindrance.

For the whole installation, only two holes were made. One on each of the side view mirrors. The front and rear cameras were simply screwed onto the plastic area above the number plates.

My only word of caution is, I just finished installation, so longevity factor is unknown at the moment. So far, am super impressed with the performance, its ease of use and its utility.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

There is one disadvantage of the size though. As you can see, it takes some visibility off the AC display. So, its not very easy to see the AC values

Thank you so much for the detailed post, much obliged.

Could you please post a couple of close up pictures of the AC display. I normally vary the temperature between 21 and 23 so if the display digits can be seen somewhat it should not be problem for me as well.

I will update as things happen in this regard. Just changed my tyres to Continental UC6 in the stock size 195/65 R15 on 1st April. Hardly done ~30 kms on the new tyres but seems I have made a good choice.

What tyre pressure do you maintain in your car?

Cheers

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Could you please post a couple of close up pictures of the AC display. I normally vary the temperature between 21 and 23 so if the display digits can be seen somewhat it should not be problem for me as well.

I will update as things happen in this regard. Just changed my tyres to Continental UC6 in the stock size 195/65 R15 on 1st April. Hardly done ~30 kms on the new tyres but seems I have made a good choice.

What tyre pressure do you maintain in your car?

No problem at all

I will get you some more pics on this soon. But as you can see in the third image, the AC display is hidden to a good extend. If I want to see anything thats displayed, I do have to duck down, peek and check. So, adjusting AC frequently is going to be bothersome.

I think we both are running a lot of things similar for the Civic. I replaced my Michelins with the UC6, last July. Yep they are good and comfy
The tires are kept at 32 psi.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

If I want to see anything thats displayed, I do have to duck down, peek and check. So, adjusting AC frequently is going to be bothersome.

As long as I can do some neck exercises by which I can see the AC digits it should be good. Will await your pictures, thank you.

I used to fill 30 PSI as per the information on our door frame by Honda. The tyre alignment person also said 32 PSI would be better on the Civic. Will try with 32 PSI and see how the ride feels.

Cheers

[Cyborg]

@Sarathlal, system update

Went to quite a few car accessory shops for the Geesonic system. Was unsuccessful on this but landed on the Blaupunkt Jamaica 990 10.33 inches.

Saw a demonstration of the system, wireless Apple Car Play / Android Auto with all the usual suspect additions. Bluetooth connection to the system was instantaneous, fluid as fluid can be. Not going for the 360 degree camera, only the reverse. Never used this before, don’t think it will matter to me. Got Blaupunkt damping sheets for all doors and bonnet as well.

Will be getting the installation done next week sometime and share snaps of all work done on my car.

Cheers

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

@Sarathlal, system update

Went to quite a few car accessory shops for the Geesonic system. Was unsuccessful on this but landed on the Blaupunkt Jamaica 990 10.33 inches.

Awesome, Congrats!

Yes, I remember seeing Blaupunkt Jamaica which was also very good. Definitely a good choice. Awaiting the pics.

Btw, sharing the view from drivers eye level of the AC panel.

[Old Dude]

Hi Sarathlal,
You have a beautifully maintained Civic, and I see you have a fine taste in cars with your selection of the Ciivc and the Kodiaq as your rides ( because I have the same two at my end too )

Not sure if it’s because of the lower resolution of the 360 camera in Kodiaq, I rarely use that feature intuitively - do use the front camera while parking close and of course the reverse camera all the time while backing up. From your experience, I understand the usability in the Civic is better.

I’m on my 3rd head unit on my 2009 ( pre facelift) Civic - swapped out the OEM for a 8” Windows CE unit back in 2013, which was laggy, crashed often and had terrible audio quality, but kept that on for the reverse camera and Bluetooth features.

While I was visiting Trivandrum sometime in 2019 and had gone to an auto accessory shop opposite to MOT for getting a replacement reverse camera for my sister’s car, I happened to see an Android unit labelled Bowstrick with 2GB RAM in the shop owner’s car, with a relatively slick interface, 10” display that was good resolution and sounded very good ( though he had an amp and component speakers). On an impulse, asked him to change my head unit then and there, knowing fully I can get it cheaper in Bangalore where I live. The final output was a huge upgrade to my Windows CE unit, with bigger and high resolution screen, capacitive touch as opposed to resistive, and most importantly, decent sounding audio with the stock speakers (I already had a kenwood below the seat powered subwoofer installed that adds a bit of mid bass punch- say in the 100-250Hz range). Made it a connected system with a Jio 4g dongle and using the Wi-fi to connect.

The audio quality in the Kodiaq has now spoiled me and with your post above, I’m getting the itch again - will post if I succeed in resisting or will concede to - the biggest deterrent being the pain of driving from Whitefield to JC road in Bangalore. Keen to hear a bit more on the audio quality and Bluetooth call clarity at the other end from you.

Footnote - I’m also on Continental UC6 on my Civic, and maintain 31PSI - 1 higher than factory recommended by Honda - at 32, I start to feel more of road imperfections filtering in.