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I have a 2001 honda LX, plan to install fog lights but i read the DIY and i have to saw it. any tips on how to do this without messing up cause i only have one shot to do this, any tips on what kind of saw to use and how?

 
Rep Power: 812

best bet is exacto knife with a sharp blade (may need to change it a few times). go very slowly and poke in the blade each time so you are cutting no more than 1/2 inch at a time. you just have to get the majority of the insides cut out, then you can go around and smoothen it later with a dremel or sandpaper. its better to cut too little and then slowly enlarge it til the fogs fit properly. dont forget that the side tab needs to slide in behind the bumper plastic.

 
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Mr. Gearbox,
I have a DIY question, I have a 1999 civic lx and I want to change the appearance of the head and tail lights. But everywhere I look everyone is doing that straight blacked out look with that tint spray paint. I want to do a light smokey look(almost gray, like the newer bmw lights) any idea on how to do this?

 
Rep Power: 812

you can try the VHT niteshades spray tint, just apply it one coat at a time and if you put too much on, use rubbing or polishing compound to remove some. this tends to be more of a black color tho. you may want to ask a body shop to see if they have a smoke type tint spray or can make you some. and always put clear coat over it so the paint doesnt flake off. some people use window tint film, but it always falls off too fast. another option is thick vinyl like the stuff headlightarmor.com sells, but it only works on certain shapes of taillight.

 
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Hi Gearbox,

My car got hit the back. If I buy a rear bumper and paint it myself will the color and shine match the car body? (which is six years old). They have paint online in 12oz spray cans that match manufacturer specs.

I am a DIY kind of person but never attempted painting a bumper to match the car body. If you say it is a big difference then I will check for professional auto painter to do the bumper. Thank you for your info.

Honda Civic 2005
Coupe 2dr
Value Package
Satin Silver Metallic

 
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Hi
I have a 2002 Civic LX Black, 5-speed manual, power door, power windows, power mirrors. My front right door is damaged heavily due to crash and I need to replace the door. Is there any thread that has the details of replacing such a door with a used/new one? Specially about the electrical wirings and stuffs. Please let me know. -Turen

 
Rep Power: 812

for the bumper, silver is a very hard color to match, even body shop can never get it perfect. but painting something diy with rattle cans almost never works. the body shop uses a perfect paint match and hi power spray gun, also they use a professional grade clear coat. thats the only way you can really get it to match close to the rest of the car and have the same shine.

about replacing the door, ive never done it, but yeah you would have to remove all the plastic holding clips that secure the wire harnesses. you should be able to reuse all the wiring by just unplugging and pulling off the old door. im not sure how the actual door comes out, but im guessing there are bolts holding it at the hinge. door is VERY heavy so have someone help you to hold it while you take the bolts off.

 
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Thanks gearbox. I was told that I need to disconnect the negative terminal of the battery before I disconnect the wiring from the door. And then I have to do a Powertrain Control Module (PCM) idle run procedure so that the memory is not lost. Sounds complicated, any idea?

And is there any thread with the steps of removing the door (removing the plastic clips off the wiring specially) ? That would be appreciated. thanks.

 
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shouldnt have to remove the battery, other than a safety precaution. all the connectors are plastic so no way to really short out anything. ive never come across anyone doing a door swap before so im not sure how its done exactly. the front fender may need to come off to access some bolts.

 
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Hi, I have a 1995 civic hb 1.5l 16 valve sohc. D51B7. standard, no ac, no power steering. I need to replace my rad. The rads I have been getting all come with 2 "fittings" for 2 lines at the bottom of the rad that mine don't have. Everything else on the new rad "fits". So basically can i use this rad? If i installed this rad would pressurized coolant leak from there, if not capped off? Or are those fittings for a separate fluid? I'm learnin as I go, so I appreciate any help and sorry for this newbie question.

Thanks

 
Rep Power: 812

i am betting those two fittings are for an auto trans oil cooler. most radiators have two separate pieces built in, one for oil and one for coolant. you can either use it as a separate oil cooler for something, or just put caps on the fittings to keep dirt out. coolant will not flow thru that section.

 
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I read up on how you can push a dent out of plastic rear bumper by using a heat gun. This would reduce having to paint to that dented spot. What do you think of that option gearbox? Thank you

 
Rep Power: 812

it will never come out completely, and a heat gun could warp the plastic even further. even body shops dont bother repairing bumpers, they just replace. ive seen painted aftermarket bumpers on ebay for around $200. even if you manage to pop it out somewhat, you will never have the body line in it and you still need to paint and blend. its worth a shot with the heat gun, but dont expect too much.

 
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I have a chip above drivers side wheel well. This is were I had body damage and was fixed by body shop about 3 years ago. Do I go back to the body shop and have them fix this or can I fill this crack with dealer paint bottle? Thank you again inadvance. Gearbox your answers thus far have been "fantastic" - bless you man! I have learned more from you than any other source. The beer is on me.

 
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When changing brake pads and rotors, is it necessary to replace the metal retaining clips? And where can I get a new set of retaining clips?

Thanks Gearbox!

 
Rep Power: 812

usually any auto store should have the clips. its always "recommended" to replace misc parts when doing brake work. we sold those all the time when i worked at advance auto.

and for the previous question, that is a tiny chip! i would not go get body work done just for that, because they will have to repaint the panel and we all know how hard silver is to match. it might look much worse. just use some touch-up paint. you can smoothen it out after 24 hrs with some scratch-x. but try to only apply the paint in the chip and not around it. i have about 50 of those on my car and i just put some paint to cover it up and prevent rust.

 
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thanks man, too bad you missed the V1 diy thread i had going previously, over 100 pages long til it got deleted by accident.

 
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for all who want the old DIY Thread back

http://web.archive.org/web/200804062...diy-stuff.html


your welcome!

 
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wow crazy how did you do that? thanks. it does take along time to load tho...

 
Rep Power: 200

Hey Gearbox,
I have an 04 Civic coupe EX, that I just purchased. Noticed the maintenance light was on, had it scanned and the P0135 code came up. I just replaced it, with a universal 4 wire oxygen sensor. I wired everything correctly, I assume, as the instructions were a little shoddy. Now I get the P2252 code. Any ideas on what this is?
Thanks!

 
Rep Power: 812

shouldve gone with an OEM type sensor that plugs in, and not a universal. they cause all sorts of problems.

P2252 Air/Fuel Ratio (A/F) Sensor (Sensor 1) AFS- Line Low Voltage

that means the sensor you installed doesnt work properly with the car. return it and get an oem type sensor. bosch makes em for our cars.just a word of warning, 04-05 civics switched to a very expensive wideband A/F sensor for the primary oxygen sensor. cheapest you can get those is around $250. if its much cheaper like $50, its for sure the wrong one.

 
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I wana change out those ugly door panel inserts with some kind of design instead. Is it an easy project or kind of hard???? I found an image which I am referring to here

 
Rep Power: 812

its not too bad. sedans are much better because all the pieces come apart with screws. on the coupes, you have to break stuff off. i think its the same for older civics too. its just a matter of removing the door panel, then dismantling a few pieces and pulling the fabric off. if you use thick fabric or vinyl, a good spray glue works to put it on. i used a very thin suede, so i opted instead for double sided fabric tape. either way, be sure to clean up/scrape the old glue before putting new stick on.

 
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Hi gearbox,
I was going replace my rear tail light with a non Honda part for $70 versus Honda's $136. Then I thought maybe the cheaper one might not match very well - they look slightly brighter red but maybe it will look ok when installed? Which one would you choose? Thx again

 
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Gearbox - ever replaced a starter? My car won't start; it just screams when i turn the key. I'm almost positive it's the starter. I'm going to have my buddy who is a mechanic at a GM dealer take a look at it this week to confirm. I tried the 'beat it with a hammer' trick and that didn't work. I hear that's only a temporary fix anyway. Is this a difficult job? From my understanding there are only 2 bolts holding it on and it seems to be in a relatively accessible place. Know of any DIY's? Just wanted to know what I would be getting myself into before I order the part!

Thanks

 
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Well, i looked up the procedure in the service manual and it doesn't seem to be too difficult. Any suggestions for a brand of starter? Bosch? Autoline? WSO? OEM?

 
Rep Power: 196

yo where did you get the carbonfiber around your radio?

 
Rep Power: 812

carbon fiber is oem honda trim kit from www.handaaccessories.com and they have upper and lower kit separately. its fake tho, not real carbon. but i like the pattern and its shiny plastic. if you want real, check ebay.

starters are easy to change, just unbolt the old one and unplug, then hook the new one. if you have aftermarket intake, its even easier to see and get to.

aftermarket taillights often do not fit properly, even the depo oem style replicas. it does not have the right shape and usually you will have gaps between the light and car panels. depo is sometimes okay, tyc is not bad either but depends on the light. any pics of which style you want?

 
Rep Power: 196

did you paint the inside of your car if so any tips?

 
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Parasolinc.com Verabond plastic dye is the best way