Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and Honda

2006 Honda Pilot Headlight Replacement

GatorFan2000 — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:36:30 -0800

I have a 2006 Honda Pilot, and noticed that my right headlight went out. Each headlight is comprised of two headlights, a top and bottom one. The top one seems to be working, but the bottom one is out. The top bulb is easy to replace, but the bottom one is a little bit more tricky, as there doesn't seem to be an easy way to remove it. Can anyone point me to a schematic or something? I think the replacement bulb size is H11, I just don' t understand how to replace the lower bulb.

Low Mileage on a New Honda Civic?

entropicamericana — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:37:10 -0800

Unexpectedly low MPG for a brand new Honda Civic? The wife and I bought a 2010 Honda Civic LX last month and we are getting much lower MPG than I expected. We both drive the car (different days), and our commutes are short (about 4 miles of city driving each way).

Our first tank of gas came out to 19.3 MPG. (I topped off the tank after picking up the vehicle to ensure an accurate result.)

This seems way, way too low. Are my expectations out of whack?

in cars

bunny hugger — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:35:19 -0800

I am disappointed in my relationship with my 97 Honda Civic. Maybe you can give me some advice. YANMM. I’ve tried to talk it out, but it's just not hearing what I'm saying... I've got a 97 Civic AT (106K mil.) and after filling up with what I think was some questionable fuel a while back, it has started to “slip” when I go into 3rd. It feels like something is "whirring" trying to find itself. Once past that bumpy spot, it runs great. I have had regular maintenance on it – flushings, fill-ups, tuneups, etc. I even added some Lucas transmission fix to my tranny fluid (which is pink and not burnt). Also, when low on gas, I have trouble starting it. Could it just be my fuel line, or is the transmission in the crapper?

what is wrong with my car?

A Terrible Llama — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:12:12 -0800

Why is my car overheating in traffic jams? My 96 Honda Civic (you're jealous, right?) overheats in traffic jams after ten, fifteen minutes.

The fans kick on for a while: the temperature will crawl upward as I sit there, fans kick in, temperature drops.That keeps happening until the upward creep exceeds the capacity of the fan to cool it. The temperature indicator crawls upward until it gets about 3/4 up and then I crank the heater to diffuse the problem.

I took it in last week and the mechanic could find nothing wrong. He ran it for a couple of hours, he said, checked all the fluids, monitored the temperature, and gave it a once over to be sure it would pass inspection (which is coming up.)

He kind of convinced me that I was imagining it, that it wasn't really unusually high, just maybe that I didn't notice it before. So yesterday I let it creep up to just a tick beneath the red zone, took a cell phone picture, and then cranked the heat. The picture I think will convey the urgency to him a little better, when I take it back to him.

Other maybe relevant details: as soon as the traffic jam ends and I speed off the engine cools down. I commute long distances routinely and have problems only sitting idle in traffic. Since he said he ran it for a couple of hours, I'm assuming he ran it in park. That's the main difference between my traffic jam experience -- in traffic, my foot's on the brake. We have a lot of construction going on around here and creep along at five miles an hour.

He's quite competent and a good guy who we know personally. Is there something I can tell him to look for?

Please note that I am really, really, really ignorant about cars and engines.

Hondas and recommended service maintenance schedules, do you believe in them?

holdenjordahl — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:08:53 -0800

Hondas and recommended service maintenance schedules, do you believe in them? I've got a 1991 standard Hatchback, 169,000 miles. and i've done every single schedule maintenance. never had a problem with anything unexpected happening (which is why i do it). Now i'm wondering if there's a better (read: cheaper) way to do this, without sacrificing quality? I don't know any mechanics, don't want to it myself, but am curious if there's an alternative. Thanks.

How to fit a bicycle in my Civic?

ninotchka — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:09:39 -0800

Is it possible to fit an ordinary, adult-sized street bicycle into a 2007 Honda Civic? If so, how?

What is causing the whining sound in my car engine?

markblasco — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:05:19 -0800

What is causing the whining sound in my car engine? 2001 Honda CRV with about 68,000 miles on it. I purchased the car about 6 months ago, and a few months after that noticed a slight whining noise coming from the engine. It sounds similar to a remote control car or small electric motor, and the pitch raises up when the engine speeds up. It doesn't happen all of the time, but seems to be louder when going up hill.

A few days ago I was driving on the freeway for about 20 minutes, and once off of the freeway was driving on hilly side streets. For the first time the noise started to be very noticeable, and got progressively louder and louder. I shut off the car, went away for about an hour, and when I started driving again the noise was gone.

Any suggestions as to what the problem might be? I plan on taking it to a mechanic soon, but I'm pretty handy and have a fairly well stocked toolbox, so if it is something I can do myself I would prefer to go that route.

Thanks!

Honda parts

Krrrlson — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:48:35 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good source for Honda automotive parts (online or near Boston)? I'd like to buy an AC condenser, AC receiver pipe, and a few other random parts that I can replace myself. I am looking for a reliable online store or something local to Boston. Bonus points for not getting ripped off.

Insight, the big brother, or bigger brother?

7life — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:17:10 -0800

BuyingCarFilter: Should I get Honda Insight, Prius, or Prius 3.0? So I test drove the Honda Insight a few days ago. Loved it. It's small, handles well, and cheap. Or so I thought. All the dealerships I went to tacked on 1-3 grand of "market adjusted value"

With the tacked on price, I really see no reason for getting the Insight over the Prius. I would go and get it right now, except for one thing: the 2010 Prius is coming out.

Nobody seems to know the exact date though I'm led to believe it's 6 weeks away. It's a brand new model and even if I don't get it, my reasoning would be that if I wait till it comes out, the 2009 model would drop in price.

So...should I wait? I personally have no problem waiting but my better half is itching to get a new car. Maybe by that time the Honda dealership would finally face reality and price the Insight the way Honda wants it in face of economic conditions and dropping hybrid demands (I'm rather fuming about this right now actually)

Thanks in advance for your input

LCD display on the fritz

reenum — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:00:27 -0800

The digital odometer on my 2000 Honda Accord is not displaying numbers fully. Any way to fix this? I have a 2000 Honda Accord LX. Last year, I began noticing that the numbers on the digital odometer were not fully displaying. Meaning, the numbers would look scrambled. Only when I push on the dash do the numbers on the odometer display correctly.

Anyone have any experience with getting the LCD display on a digital odometer fixed? Do any repair shops even conduct such repairs? If so, how much can I expect to pay?

How do I get rid of the obnoxious tapping noise my car makes when I hit a bump?

valadil — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:03:00 -0800

My car clicks when I drive over bumps or potholes. The noise is driving me crazy. How do I silence it? I drive an '06 Honda Civic. The noise can best be described as a rapid "tap-tap-tap-tap-tap" that starts out loud but gets quiet. It sounds like *something* is out of place in the car but I can't figure out what.

When I drive it sounds like it's coming from the passenger side. When I'm a passenger the noise is quiet but still there.

I've tried adjusting the following, to no avail: windows, locks, window locks, side mirrors, rear view mirror, AC vents, loose stuff in glove compartment/cupholder, head rest height, back seats (they collapse to allow access to the trunk), seat belts (tried buckling them in to hold them in place), the plush Master Shake that dangles from my rear view mirror, and even the dashboard itself (the dash has been removed a few times and I figured maybe it wasn't put back together securely.)

So how do I make the bad noise go away?

How accurate is this dashboard light?

fermion — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:38:47 -0800

The "battery not charging" light on my dash went on; the mechanic told me I need a new alternator. Now the "battery not charging" light has turned itself off again. Does this mean my battery is, in fact, charging? After a couple-of-thousand-mile road trip, I left my mid-90's Honda Civic unused for a few weeks. When I started it again, the "battery not charging" light on the dash was on. Two different mechanics concluded that the alternator was shot (I went for a second opinion, since I just had the alternator replaced last year.) I opted not to replace it immediately, and on the drive home the "battery not charging" light went off again.

Could this mean something that came loose in the alternator has temporarily shaken itself back into place? I know the alternator probably still needs replacing, but I'm wondering if I can safely use the car for short trips until/unless the battery light comes on again.

Extra bonus question: how long can I put off replacing the alternator if I get a solar trickle charger?

I know you aren't my mechanic but help us choose between two cars!

damiano99 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:12:08 -0800

CarFilter: We're replacing our lemon S40 with something bigger in either a sedan or "small" SUV, but we're totally stymied between our choices! Looking for any anecdotal or experience advice. My wife and used to a own a 2001 S40 Volvo, that was a lemon from the get-go. It finally blew it's motor due to a undiagnosed problem in the cooling system. We got rid of it and have decided to move on. We're looking for something bigger. We liked the S40, except for the mechanical problems, but always felt cramped. We have a small daughter and another will be here next year.

We've narrowed our choices to a new CR-V LX or a used 2008 Altima 2.5S. Both will be about the same money except that the Altima has about 22K miles on it and maybe a year left on warranty. We can add another year and it will make the price between the CR-V and the Altima be nearly identical. We like both for different reasons and even though we know we want one or the other, we can't quite figure out which one.

We had considered a '06 Element but the 4 people only thing is a deal-breaker for us. My MIL visits often and we need a comfortable seat for her when #2 child arrives.

Anyone have any ideas? Any stories about either one? They both seem well-regarded on Edmunds, Car and Driver and Consumer Reports rates both well.

HELP!!

Trusted collision repair shop in Arlington, VA?

UrbanEconomist — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:33:00 -0800

Arlington, VA filter: My wife had a parking lot mishap when a lamp post jumped out in front of her car; now we need to find a good collision repair place. We drive a 2001 Honda Civic and live nearby to the Pentagon. The car is in fine shape to drive, so we don't mind going out of our way far a good and honest body shop. Thanks very much for your suggestions!

Troubleshoot my Honda's Check Engine light.

blastrid — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:09:43 -0800

My wife's '98 Honda Accord's engine light is on. Help me troubleshoot it to cross-check the mechanic's diagnosis. Mechanic A said the ECU (Engine Control Unit) spat out a code to replace the oxygen sensors, so they did (with non-Honda parts). The engine light remained on and gave the same code again, so Mechanic A concluded that the ECU is busted. We took it to a Honda dealer for a diagnostics check, and they received the same code and said it needs Honda-brand oxygen sensors, but that the ECU is fine. Back at Mechanic A, they put in Honda oxygen sensors for free, and the Check Engine light and the same code remains.

-I have heard that a car's computer/ECU rarely goes out. But does this sound like the culprit?
-I'm skeptical that they've reset it properly. I've done a bit of research online and have tried disconnecting the battery for 20 minutes, but the light STILL remains. Any other resetting ideas?
-Mechanic A quoted me a USED ECU incl. re-programming it for about $500, whereas a new one from Honda is $1400. Is there a high risk for going with a used ECU?

What car should I buy for poorly maintained roads?

ceberon — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:45:59 -0800

Not driving for work, only for fun. Have been hitting a lot of poorly maintained roads... which car to buy? I moved to Washington State (Seattle actually) 6 months ago, and my wife is finally able to move out here as well (house finally is selling, long story).

We used to both drive cars for 2-3 hours each day for a commute, but now we're either walking or taking public transportation to work.

I'm interested in hiking, and have taken my wife's old car (A VW Beetle, I get lots of strange looks) down many a dirt track, bumpy road, snow covered hill, etc, trying to find a trailhead.

For only driving on weekends and to trailheads, what kind of car would you get?

Criteria:
1. Able to take large rocks / bumps without a problem.
2. Should cost less than $5-8k used.
3. Should be somewhat reliable.
4. We won't have kids, so 2 seats are fine.
5. Should be able to handle moderate amounts of snow.

The obvious option is a Jeep Wrangler. I've also heard a few people suggest a Honda Element. Any other suggestions?

The main concern I have with Jeep Wrangler's is that I've heard they don't have a great reliability record? Anyone with a Jeep want to comment?

The main concern I have with an Element is it's too new to have many cheap used ones available. Plus I don't know much about its off-road capacity, though a few message boards have had some good comments.

I'd like a car with better mpg than a Jeep, but I figure I won't be driving enough to have it make a huge difference. I'm hoping the recent gas price hike might make used 4x4 vehicles cheaper :)

Car advice, please.

Four-Eyed Girl — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:46:31 -0800

How important is that I get these repairs done to my 2001 Honda Civic now, or can I wait a bit longer? I know nothing at all about cars, and I am just repeating what I was told I need.

I have a 2001 Honda Civic that is in need of trailing arm bushings and front struts. I was told this in March, and I have not yet been able to raise the money to get the repairs. I don't notice any problems with my car, but these may not be things that I could detect.

I plan on going on an 800 mile trip next week. Is my car capable of making this trip, or is it too dangerous to do so? How badly am I hurting my car by not making the repairs?

At $4.40/gallon, OUCH!

LoopyG — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:44:39 -0800

Why is my cars gas mileage so low? 2 months ago I bought a '97 Honda Civic EX with 150K miles on it. Since that time I have performed some repiars including: New wheels and tires, replace all the belts, replace water pump, replace engine seals near the belts.

I have been watching my fuel usage, and have been seeing a measly 26mpg highway and 22mpg city. The manufacturer claims the car should get 38mpg highway and 32mpg city.

There are two factors I know probably reduce the mileage. One is the current tires are lower profile than the stock tires, and so probably knock about 2mpg off the mileage. Also, the car is old and has a lot of miles off it, so that should knock off a few mpg also. But other Civics the same age and miles driven get much better mileage than my car, so there must be something else.

The two ideas I have currently are get an oil change (its almost due anyway) and replace the air filter. But I am curious to other suggestions you MeFites have that could improve the mileage.

As for things like driving slower and combining trips, such suggestions are good tips but I already follow all such suggestions to the T. I drive an average of 150 miles per week (not including drives for vacations), and rarely go above 70mph. I also coast as much as possible, accelerate slowly, and use the brakes only when there isn't room to coast.

In any case, after this long post, I am eager to hear what suggestions you guys have for changes to make to the car or engine to improve the mileage. I am willing to spend as much as a couple hundred dollars to improve the mileage, as I estimate the lower mileage is costing me around $36/month in wasted gas.

Help me not donate more money to dealer profit than I really need to...

Asherah — Sun, 18 May 2008 14:29:39 -0800

2006 Honda Civic service schedule: Maintenance Minder or dealer service recommendation? I've listed my 2006 Civic for sale, but am still unsure as to which maintenance schedule the car should follow, and would like to provide this information to any potential buyers. The operational and service manuals (as well as the Honda Owner's website) indicates that maintenance is only required when specific number/letter codes appear on the dash display.

Of course the dealer recommends services as specific set intervals, the next of which is 35K miles. They stated that this service includes: oil change, transmission fluid check/refill, air cabin filter and engine air filter (?) change, new brake pads, tire rotation, and a valve check. The quoted cost being a semi-outrageous $449, of course.

This car has been well maintained and not driven hard by any means. I know the dealer will obviously overcharge for the amount of work that will be done, but it would seem that getting this service done would bring more piece of mind to a used car buyer. I also already have one serious buyer who has driven the car and has not expressed concern over the lack of the 35K mile service (mileage just barely exceeds 35K).

Recommendations on what you would you do? Pay the dealer for the service, find a non-dealer who can to the equivalent for a lower cost, state to any buyers that all maintenance has been done per the 'maintenance minder' codes, which it has for the past two years.

What's up with my Honda Civic door dinger?

HeroZero — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:23:06 -0800

Why is my Honda Civic dinging when I come down to go to work in the morning? And can I make it stop? Some backstory... In December, my '99 Honda Civic was stolen and hotwired. The police found the car. When the shop repaired the steering column, they did something wrong with the sensor that tells you if you left the keys in the ignition with the driver door open. That is, the dinger goes off every time you open the driver's side door, whether or not the key is in the ignition. This is annoying, but not a huge problem.

Cut to the last two weeks. Sometimes, when I come down in the morning, I realize that the dinger is dinging on its own, even with the door closed. This sometimes happens also when I come out of work. The dinger is definitely not dinging when I lock up the car and go into my house or to work. It does not happen every day. I think it happens more often on colder days, but I could be wrong. Also, when I'm driving, the dome light goes on by itself, and I can make it go off again by jiggling the driver's side door.

What gives, so to speak? Is this something a mechanically disinclined person such as myself could fix on his own? Thanks much.

What's wrong with my car?

frobozz — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:13:59 -0800

Two mechanics have given up. Help me diagnose my car. I drive a 94 Honda Accord with about 194,000 miles. I have a problem with it going dead while I am driving. For the past three weeks it will, at random times (when driving, when stopped, when going very slowly or going 45 mph, uphill, downhill, even grade, and sometimes not at all for days), cut off: the check engine light comes on and the engine dies. There is no spluttering or anything, and I can start it up again easily, although lately it's been taking a little longer to start. The first mechanic found an oil leak around where the spark plugs are and changed the gasket and plugs, but this did not correct the problem. He said he couldn't find anything else wrong. Took it to the second shop for a diagnostic, and they called me back a few hours later and said they also could find nothing wrong and I could come pick it up. The mechanic there said it could be something with the distributor, but he didn't advise me to get any work done in that area because it would be a lot of money and could very easily not be it at all. He said I would most likely have to just keep driving the car until it gave out all together and then someone could find the problem. It is perhaps unnecessary for me to say that I found this suggestion to be neither convenient nor safe. What should I do? Just start changing one component at a time until I hit upon the right one?

Civic baby?

azure_swing — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:53:23 -0800

Will our Honda Civic get along with our newborn? The wife is pregnant and is due in a few months. We currently share a Honda Civic EX 2002, which has been a dream of reliability and ease of use. (It's been the first and only car for either of us, and we're both in our 30s.) It looks like there's more than ample room for the car seat in the back, but how have those of you Civic drivers with actual experience doing this fared? We love our Civic; will it love our child?

Most likely we will also have to buy a second car as well. I'd prefer not to commit to a minivan or something behemoth-y. Obviously safety is the primary consideration, but I also would like something that gets relatively good gas mileage and won't break the bank, as we need the money to spend on other things as well. Any suggestions for what we might look at?

Yet another Used Car question

tradeer33 — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:13:26 -0800

I’ve found a nice used 2004 Honda Accord EX that I’m interested in which is about 30 miles away in another town. The dealership is only asking $14,995 and both KBB and NADA both list the worth over $18,000. I did a carfax report for the car and it shows a one owner history with no accidents or anything. I also contacted the local Honda dealership (not the selling dealer) and asked them to pull warranty work done to this car via VIN. The only thing that was done was an Automatic transmission that was recalled and replaced under warranty. What am I missing? Why are they selling this car for what seems to me, much less than the worth of it? I have always assumed that car dealerships are there to screw you however they can. Any help would be appreciated

Does the Fit fit?

4ster — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:00:55 -0800

I am thinking of buying a Honda Fit, and I'm afraid I'm making a mistake. I am thinking about buying a new car. Currently, I own a 1999 Ford Escort with 125,000 miles on it that runs fine. My wife has a 2003 Ford Windstar that has about 92,000 (but only 50K on the transmission because it had to be replaced). We also have an elementary-aged child, and may adopt another in the future.

The Fit seems perfect. It is small and relatively inexpensive for a Honda. It has all that cool flippy seat stuff for creating room, and it has a hatchback, which I love.

The best out-the-door price (sans trade-in) I have been able to negotiate (online) is around $17,200. There are no incentives. Everyone (at least in central VA) is selling them at or slightly over MSRP because they can.

Here is the crux of my question:

1. I really hate the idea of buying a new car. I usually buy used, but of course, the last time, I got a lemon with a bad transmission (the one time I don't get the extended warranty).

2. I'm 6 feet tall. The Fit has much more room than the Escort, but its still a subcompact. I'm in my car a lot (alone) at work (I'm a pastor). Yet we need a car that the whole family can be comfy in, so we don't put all the miles on her car. I have driven the Fit, and for one person, it feels fine. I am just not sure about 3 or 4 in it at once.

3. At $17,000, I most likely can't afford an extended warranty, so I would really be trusting that Honda reliability.

What do you think? Am I getting to little car for that money? Fits sound so great, and get fantastic reviews, fly of dealers lots, and they start under $14,000, but they sure don't end there.

I hate buying cars, so any advice is appreciated.

Car noob buying used Civic, in Ontario.

kmennie — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 08:08:24 -0800

I need to buy a car, quickly. There's a used Civic I have my eye on. I have some stupid (?) questions about purchasing it. The car is a 2004 Honda Civic. I suppose the short version is "I want to buy this quickly and without hassle for less than they're asking. Got suggestions?"

Advice on negotiating with car dealers on-line is -- well, I've exhausted it.

"Check Kelley Blue Book, same model for sale on-line; use these prices as negotiating points" is standard. Getting as close as I could to what it is -- viz, in Canada, and a DX-G, apparently not sold in the States -- Blue Book C$14,862. Given that they're asking $14,720, a starting point for negotiations that is not. Much perusal of the same car for sale (on-line, in Ont) says they're asking a fair price. A friend who is VP of a car dealership says: fair price.

But, it's a car, and I'm conditioned to not just buy it at the asking price. Should I just call and say "I'll come in and buy it for $XX,XXX -- let me know?" But what's $XX,XXX, reasonably?

Possibly relevant:

It has slightly higher mileage (15k km) than comparably priced Civics elsewhere.
We want a trailer hitch. (Might they throw this in free?)
It's been on the lot since December, which seems a long time...?

The dealer has a good reputation and they were sleaze-free when we went in for a test drive. The one previous owner bought it there and brought it back to trade in; no accidents or anything of note on its record.

We'd like to be driving it by the weekend. (I know, I know, not ideal.) If "I'll take it at $XX,XXX" is indeed reasonable, how do I determine XX,XXX, and make it sound reasonable?

Finally: over the past couple of months, I have haggled down the price of a house (a lot), haggled down a mortgage rate (a lot), shopped around for the best price on insurance, got the bank to finance this car purchase, etc etc, but, since this is a car, this previous Ask leaves me wondering if Mr Kmennie shouldn't be the one negotiating. Sigh.