jordan1794

Hello all, I was wondering if I could get some tips/advice.
I am getting married at the end of may, and for my honeymoon me and my soon-to-be wife decided to drive all the way across the country to see yellowstone and the grand canyon.

The journey will be over 5,000 miles total, not including driving in between after we reach the destinations.

I will be taking my 2006 Honda Civic LX Sedan.

I currently have just under 80,000 miles on it.
Other than the basic stuff, such as oil changing and checking tire pressure/brakes, is there anything I should do to my civic before taking this journey?

I know the car has likely never had anything done on it besides oil changes and me changing the front brake pads about 10k miles back(Previous owner used the brakes a LOT)

Also, how long is my civic good to drive without a break? I was planning to just drive straight with me and my fiance switching on and off but I don't want to kill my car, is there a certain time or mileage limit I should stick to before giving the car a break, or would it be ok to drive 2,000+ miles at a time(With obvious small breaks for gas, food, and bathroom breaks)

Thanks for any advice!

ezone

Have a trusted pro give it a once-over?

Ever change the trans fluid?

Oil change with the proper oil, and reset the reminder
Tires
Fill the fluids (radiator and reservoir, washer juice)

Watch the temp gauge during the trip. If there is trouble, that will be your main indicator.
Other than checking the oil occasionally during the trip, it should need nothing.
I'd check oil during every fuel stop (I do that anyway).


If you go 5k all highway, I bet the maintenance minder will allow somewhere around 10-12k on the oil change. That's all good as long as you check the level now and then, add as necessary.



Boy, it's tough to say this with a straight face:

It is a machine, not an animal.
It does not need to eat, rest, rejuvenate, cool off, relax, sleep, pee, or drink water at the nearest creek. It has no feelings, it does not need petted or talked to.

This ain't the 1920's. It is a modern machine, it has a self-contained cooling system and all the neat **** like that to keep it rolling non-stop without trouble.
You can go as far as it will carry you, as long as everything works as it is supposed to.


And you can do 1000 miles in 16-18 hours, only stopping for fuel.
The (ex)wife didn't like that at all, she always wanted to stop to pee every hour on the hour.
I couldn't ever let her drive, she made me a nervous wreck.

jordan1794

Well I'd take it to my local honda dealer and ask them the same question, but I am afraid I'd get ripped off...
A year ago I complained off a wheel-bearing type sound coming from my tires, they said they were cupped and said I just needed to replace them, I was under warranty at the time but just barely.
I bought the tires, then did some research a few weeks later and found out about the rear upper control arm recall, and I also noticed the sound coming back, I went back, now outside of warranty, and they told me I needed the control arm, and wanted to charge me 420$ for it, then another 80$ for alignment...

Luckily I followed your advice e-zone and called american honda and got it all done for 100$...

But regardless, during the same visit they told me I needed to get all of this done, how much of this do I REALLY need done, and how much should I REALLY pay? (And what can I do myself, without any major tools)
(I am currently 20,000 miles since they gave me these recommendations)

Rotate and balance - 50$
Transmission fluid flush - 220$
Brake fluid flush - 148$
P/S fluid flush - 115$
fuel induction system cleaning - 145$


I know the place where I get my oil changed offers all of the above services for a 1/3rd of the price, but would it be a good idea to get it done there? They aren't a shady place, but they aren't top of the line either.

ezone

Those aren't under any recall, they were only covered by the standard 3/36 warranty AFAIK.
Common problem at any rate, and the updated arms cannot prevent the problem. They only reduce the tendency.
A neglectful owner can cause tire chop too.
Poor tire tread design choices lead to tread chop.

I think this has been covered ad nauseam.


I also wonder if the dealer remembers you and is trying to get the rest of your money this time.

RTFM. Read The F(riendly) Manual.
See: Maintenance Minder.
Rotate every 6-7k, give or take. Some do it with every oil change, some go every other.

When it shakes at highway speed is when we investigate the tire condition and balance if possible. Run it to 70-80 or however fast you will go, see if it is glass smooth.
If the tires are choppy, it will never be perfect.
If the rear tires are choppy, moving them to the front will be annoying as hell.

We do a balance at 30k with a major service, or whenever someone drives the car and notices a problem (legitimate upsell!).

Balance is not a DIY.
Flush, hell no. Drain and fill ONLY.
If you can change your own oil, this is an easy DIY.
Again, we recommend and do far more often than the manufacturer states to do it. We do every 30k when possible. I do it every other oil change on my moms 02 Accord, and so far with every oil change on my own car.

If the ATF is seriously neglected, those cars can develop torque converter shudder.

Every 3 years, RTFM. DIY. Price is outrageous IMO.
DIY. Suck it out and refill it. Or pop a hose off to drain it, then refill it. We ignore this at the shop, there just isn't big problems with these. There is absolutely no mention in your owners manual either. RTFM.No, not, never without a damn good reason.
This is all you should ever need: http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html


I'm surprised they didn't come right out and call all of these wallet flushes, because that's what it is.

You would never be able to tell that none of it was done at all. (Except for the tire care.)


When YOU DIY these, use factory ATF and factory power steering fluid.
Brake fluid is DOT3.

This stuff you listed ain't rocket science, but attention to detail makes all the difference in the world.


You need to find a mechanic that is competent and trustworthy. If you find one, stick with him no matter where he goes. One that is competent and honest will know his limitations and be up front about it if/when it happens.


What else?

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

ezone you don't pet your car? come on... thats a lie

ezone

Nope.
When I get out of work, another car is about the last thing on my mind.





The bike is a different story.

jordan1794

So I just got back from my honeymoon, thought I'd let you guys know how it went.

I basically didn't get the chance to do ANYTHING besides oil change.
After the trip though my car is actually running smoother, specifically the transmission...not sure why, but the shifting is a lot smoother, feels like a new car.
It changed dramatically after sitting in the 110+ temperatures in Arizona.
Again, not sure why but I am sure there is a difference now.

Total Mileage = 6721.3 Miles
Total Fuel Used = 183.561 Gallons
Average Fuel Economy = 36.62 Miles Per Gallon

Not bad given that I was going 75-80 the entire trip, and through mountains and hills.
Went from Central Virginia, to Yellowstone National Park, to Page, Arizona and the grand canyon, then back home.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

Awesome that sounds like a lot of fun

jordan1794

Actually I guess I spoke a little too soon...
The last 3 times my car has not started on the first attempt, but all three times has started the second time.

It acts like the battery is almost dead, as it starts to turn over, then immediately dies...

One time on the trip my battery did die(wife left the cabin light on) we got a jump and everything has been fine until yesterday(we got back two days ago)

Any thoughts on what could be the issue? Perhaps the battery is simple going bad, or could it be something else?
(It's night time now and I don't feel like going to the car to check for maintenance codes, I'll do that in the morning though.)

ezone

So have it tested.
Why? These tell nothing about what is going on with the car. They only tell you what maintenance services may be due.

jordan1794

So yeah, had the battery tested today...
Mind you, it's the battery that came with the car(2006).

The guy's meter showed 0% charge, and 11.2 volts...

So yeah...I got it replaced lol, everything is running fine now.

ezone

You got one of the good ones!


At least it waited until it got home to crap out.

jordan1794

That's exactly what I was thinking!

And on top of it being the battery that came with the car I know it was run dead on at least 6 occasions that I know of by the owner before me, plus the fact that it's been running a 900 watt amp for the past 3 years.

Kinda had to buy a battery, got a duralast gold with 5 year warranty for 135(after tax), don't really know anything about batteries, I didn't get ripped off did I?

ezone

IDK. Consumer Reports liked the Duralast battery at one time.

Our Honda labeled batteries (delivered on the Interstate Batteries truck) are 100 month prorate warranty. I believe we sell ours for 129 McDoubles installed plus tax. About the same?

Matt_75

Current consumer reports doesn't even list group 51 batteries.