jordan1794

So I've had my 2006 Honda civic for about a year and a half now.It has 57,000 miles on it and I change the oil every 3,000(not sure how often it was changed before that)

Last winter was ROUGH,snowstorms and bitter cold temperatures,into the teens.

Other than a high idling speed(which I found out was normal during low temperatures) there were no issues.

This year has been a mild winter so far,with temperature rarely below freezing.
This morning however we got pretty low,into the 20's...
Last winter the lowest temperature we saw was 12 degrees,again I had no problem with the car at that temperature...
But today when I started the car,the engine died immediately...it did start the second time,but I'm wondering...is this an issue?If so how serious is it?
Why did it work at 12 degrees last year with no problem,but failed in the 20's this year?

ezone

Soooo......does it run now? Yes? No problem.

Any car can be hard to start at times. You just have to figure out what to do about it when it happens, and don't be concerned unless it becomes a regular issue.

Read page 163 in your owners manual: Starting the Engine

Don't burn cheapo gas! http://www.toptiergas.com/





On ANY car:
When it is cold out, short trips can foul plugs and make them hard to start or flood. So can idling for long periods of time.
Starting the car, moving it 10 feet, and shutting it off can make them flood.
Never ever shut the car off without getting the engine warmed up first, preferably by driving it. The sparkplugs have to get up to THEIR operating temps to burn off carbon buildup.

jordan1794

I only use 92 grade gas, but after checking out that link I'll start going to the shell or exxon near my house rather than the Wawa.

I do plan on replacing the spark-plugs soon anyways,which brings me to ask what type I should get...

I would like to get the highest reasonable quality,I know I heard about plugs that spark more and get better mileage+last longer,what are these called?

ezone

By saying cheapo, i didn't mean the octane. I meant quality. Top tier quality.

Use the correct 87 octane gas!
92 is not right unless it is an Si.
High octane is a waste of money if your car can't take advantage of it.

High octane fuel is harder to burn than low octane, and can and will cause hard starting and rough initial running.

jordan1794

I think I just got a bad batch of gas,water or something in it because I also feel a little bit of throttle lag now that I've driven a little,and yesterday they were working on the pumps at the wawa I last filled up at.

jordan1794

Well some interesting information...
I've started using top tier fuels,and I can feel the engine running smoother,and my gas mileage has gone up...
But the other day my engine failed to start again,and this time it was really warm(compared to my first failed stat-up)...

I'm thinking I'm going to change my spark plugs,as I planned to do so soon anyways.

Just curious e-zone...back about a year ago now I went a little loopy and took this little car to 100mph a dozen or so times in the period of a month,is there anything I should look to replace sooner than is suggested because of this?(Fuel filter,belts,hoses,etc.)

P.S. Know going 100 is wrong and stupid,already been through this,already learned my lesson from a friends accident
P.P.S. I already know e-zone knows about this,I put this for anyone who didn't see my post about it a while back

ezone

But the other day my engine failed to start again,and this time it was really warm(compared to my first failed stat-up)...

So what did you do to get it to start?

Unseasonably warm temperatures combined with winter blend fuels can cause hard starts. Same thing can happen if you park in a heated garage in the winter.

There are occasions where the engine is just plain hard to start. As long as you know what to do in those situations, there is no problem. This is covered in the owners manual.

If this is a reoccurring situation, and is easily duplicated, there might be a problem.
If it is caused by the fuel, there isn't much you can do about it except experiment with different brands.



I'm thinking I'm going to change my spark plugs,as I planned to do so soon anyways.

Are they due for replacement?
They are 100k plugs, BUT really they shouldn't ever wear out. They might foul due to outside influences, but I really haven't ever seen any wear the way that old style plugs did.
I would never replace mine unless they caused a problem.

Just curious e-zone...back about a year ago now I went a little loopy and took this little car to 100mph a dozen or so times in the period of a month,is there anything I should look to replace sooner than is suggested because of this?(Fuel filter,belts,hoses,etc.)

Nope. Follow the book like usual. You didn't do anything seriously harmful.
(I would have been changing the trans fluid quite often, though.)

Now if you spent all your time running flat-out, for a couple hundred miles each way across the desert in 130+ degree heat, on a regular basis, my thinking might change. (Or on a track, where everyone should do all their speeding.)

P.S. Know going 100 is wrong and stupid,already been through this,already learned my lesson from a friends accident
P.P.S. I already know e-zone knows about this,I put this for anyone who didn't see my post about it a while back

LOL, I thought this was you.

jordan1794

I tried to start it and it didn't fire.Then I tried again and held the key for about 10 seconds and it finally(but barely) started.
This is the third time I've had trouble starting in the last 2 months,I've had the car for a year and a half now and never had these issues before.I didn't have issues last year when there were fast changes in the weather,and back then I was still using wawa fuel.

How many miles should I go before getting the transmission fluid changed?(And I'm assuming "automatic transmission service" at my local mechanic covers this?(69$))

ezone

The hard start: I said this is covered in your owners manual.
Do I need to hold your hand?
Do I need to read it to you?
Snowflake.
In YOUR owners manual: Page 163, items 5 and 6, and read the NOTICE item at the end of the page.
I suggest you read up on it, and practice it. Know what to do before it happens again, and do what it says when needed.
It happens.
You have to learn how to deal with it.
You children would never get a carbureted car started unless it was by accident.



The trans:
If you can change your own oil, you can change your trans fluid. (It's even easier, there is no filter to worry about.)
It's 3 quarts, drain and fill.
Use the CORRECT fluid. Honda ATF DW-1 is the current fluid.
At the dealer I work at, we recommend every 30,000 miles, which is more often than the manual or the minder says to. If it was my car, I'd change it with every other oil change (15k-ish) or even more often.

jordan1794

The hard start: I said this is covered in your owners manual.
Forgot about that,I went and read the page now...

Do I need to hold your hand?
Do I need to read it to you?
No and No

Snowflake.
I lol'd


In YOUR owners manual: Page 163, items 5 and 6, and read the NOTICE item at the end of the page.
I did this,and the things it suggested I already knew(Hold gas pedal halfway second time,all the way third time etc.)
And I thought it was just because of the cold weather,as you said...but this time it was warm,not hot,not cold...mild...but it still had trouble...
But oh well,guess I'll just ignore it until it becomes more common.
Again,the reason I'm worried is because we had the exact same situation last year,nothing with the weather has changed,big snows,wildly fluctuating temperatures,etc. and I never had an issue with starting.I've had two hard starts this year and they were with different fuel brands...so the only thing I can think that has changed is something with the car...,




You children would never get a carbureted car started unless it was by accident.
I've started and worked on plenty of carbureted cars, from my great grandmothers old caddilac to my aunts chevy truck...honestly I know a lot more about them than I do modern cars :P

In fact the chevy truck wasn't running right because the eg valve(I think thats what its called) wouldn't open...I was able to get it started,but it wouldn't keep going,my dad,and I want to stress that it was my dad's idea, stuck a rock between the valve and a brace to hold it open...it runs fine now,but i told him he should get a new valve xD

ezone

That's nuthin. These things happen. Deal with it. Or figure out what's going on while it won't start.

If something was really broken or bad, the problem wouldn't be this random. Throw a pump relay at it?






Damn, I guess my previous reply was a bit harsh.

jordan1794

Damn, I guess my previous reply was a bit harsh.

Nah,I just want to make sure you know I'm not some clueless idiot,you work at a dealership with the public so I'm sure you're used to working with clueless idiots.

I'm in school and work at a little caesars,I deal with clueless idiots as well.

Customer:"What's that 5 dollar pizza jank?"
Me:"It's a pepperoni or cheese pizza for 5$"
Customer:"Oh,so the pepperoni pizza don't have cheese on it?"
Me:"........."

ezone

The "public" isn't my big problem with cluelessness......... I don't normally have to deal directly with the public.

A customer called me "rude" the other day.
Yeah, I have no patience and I certainly can be rude.
That's why I avoid dealing with the public.
My job is to fix cars, not people.

Nicotine withdrawal isn't helping my bad attitude either.
God must be testing me, he has placed a ton of stupid around me.

I gained a 3 second filter after I quit drinking. I lost that now that I'm trying to quit smoking.
I'm real sure I have pixxed off everyone I work with more than once so far this week.
I'm surprised I haven't been sent home or fired.