ANiceGuy

Hi there, I am in need of a new car. My Toyota Corolla of 1991 vintage is starting to need more work than the car worth. I was going to look at a new Honda CR-V but my neighbor is selling and 03 Civic with 80,000 miles. Does this model year have any common mechanical problems to look out for? Also, what kind of maintanince would be needed at 80,000 miles? I imagine the struts could need work, because our roads are terrible. Anything else I should know? Thanks!

PS, he says that he has the oil changed every 3,000 miles. My neighbor is second owner and bought the car from the first owner, who is a former neighbor.

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Likely original timing belt....which is quit aged now. (interference engine)

The track record for head gasket issues haunts 7th gens.

Sakib Kamal

Hey there! I have a 7th gen 2005 Civic Type C Ferio.

Here's the owner's manual for a 1.7 liter:
http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/p...u/CV0505OM.pdf

If you get to pg 149 and 150, you would see what needs to be serviced at how many mileages. This is a good starting point.

I usually check for brake noise, engine oil color and level, brake fluid, coolant, A/C belt, timing belt, steering alignment. This car really doesn't need a lot of maintenance. It's a good daily driver.

ANiceGuy

I have seen several threads about head gasket issues and noted mention of some resivoir behind the engine (I assume behind is toward the passenger compartment) filling with fluid. Where exactly can I find this resivoir?

Sorry for the bad spelling, I am in a hurry.

I see a bunch of maintaince checks either due or about to come around 100,000 miles. I would have to put some money into the car but at the asking price, about 2K, if I put another 1K in maintaince in the car I could have a good running car. Maybe get another 120-150,000 miles. What do you people say?

Wankenstein

Coolant reservoir location shown in this link (video #3): https://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/2...ze/add_coolant

You didn't state the car's transmission type. If, it's an automatic transmission the ATF fluid should be changed around every 30k miles. However, that is not stated in the service manual. Also, the early years ('01-'02) 7th gen civics are known for issues. Check the door stamp to see which month/year it was built. IIRC in '03 Honda addressed the transmission issues and later models are known to be more reliable.

As mentioned by CraigW it's due for a timing belt change if it's the original belt. Actually, it's overdue based on age. Inspect radiator and heater hoses thoroughly for weak spots, bubbling, stiffness. Valve cover gasket and cam end cap seal have a tendency to leak oil..not difficult to replace though.

If you are serious about purchasing the car have a mechanic put it up on rack and inspect: suspension, possible leaks, tires, a/c sytem etc..
If you really like the car IMO it's worth having it leakdown tested to find out the health of the engine and rule out a head gasket leak. Leakdown test is about $50-$100 depending on mechanic but, will go a long way for a peace of mind if the engine checks out well.

ANiceGuy

I don't actually know what type of transmission is in it yet. But I would almost completely guess it is an automatic. And I would also suspect that is hasn't had the transmission fluid changed, possibly ever. We just don't have many good mechanics around here. Lots of guys hang up a shingle but they range from really bad to OK. Then there are some dealers too. I don't know if any of the mechanics will do a leakdown test. Is that something I could do myself? I am mechanically inclined, in fact I am going to trade school for HVAC/R. But I don't have the time or the space to tear apart a car engine. I do almost all my small engine work: lawnmowers, weedeaters and chainsaws. But it takes space and time to do a big engine and I have neither. I think that I can get the gauge set as a tool rental. My compressor is just a 3 gallon pancake though. It might not have the capacity to do the test. And I don't know how to lock the crankshaft. Had read about them in a small engine service manual.

I am getting ready to go back to school, been out of high school for quite a few years, and need a reliable car to go to school and back 40-50 miles daily. I thought I had until late fall but got a call today that I can start in July. Thanks for the help.

Wankenstein

80k miles is pretty low for a D17..often see post with mileage over 200k.

Keeping the piston from moving during a leakdown test can be challenging. Your compressor would struggle and it might take a while to finish but should get the job done.

ANiceGuy

The car sold before I could look at it. Thanks for all the help! Now I get to start looking at new vehicles again. Maybe I will look at a CR-V