Rep Power: 0

Hey guys,

I just picked up a '94 Honda Civic LX Sedan this past weekend. I have been driving a 5.7L Camaro until recently, but it doesn't make for a great daily driver with 50+ mile trips each day. I figured I would drive the Honda on weekdays and the Camaro on the weekends.

So far I love the Honda. I'll be honest, it actually surprised me. It has decent power, gets phenomenal gas mileage, and it's pretty roomy. However, it is in need of a tune up though. So far I noticed that the alignment might be off (pulls slightly). Also Pep Boys was having a special on 5 quarts of GTX High Mileage oil with a Purolator PureOne filter which I grabbed yesterday. I also got a bottle of Gumout all-in-one which I need to put in when I fill the tank next.

I'll admit that I don't know much about Hondas. I was raised with domestics, but I really wanted to give the much praised Civic a try. All in all, I love the car. All my friends say she'll run forever if properly maintained. I'm hoping you guys can point me in the right direction on how to do so. I'll start browsing around the site, but if anyone has tips or suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate them. Here are a few questions I have so far:

1.) I showed a few pics of the engine bay. The spark plug wires don't look that old, but what do you guys think about changing the wires and plugs? How about the cap and rotor? Also, what brands do you suggest?

2.) I want to change the air filter of the car, but I was toying with the idea of putting an aftermarket cone filter on the car. I am not really looking for power increase, but it might allow for a few more mpg's. How restrictive is the stock air box?

3.) I believe I only need to put 4 quarts of oil in for the oil change. Is that correct? Unfortunately the car did not come with an owners manual.

Thanks so much guys. Hope to have her running like new soon. I appreciate any tips you can give me.

 
Rep Power: 812

go with some ngk plugs and wires, new cap/rotor either oem or store brand, also open up the throttle body and sensors for cleaning since they tend to gum up with carbon over time. good choice with the oil filter. for air filter, i recommend a napa gold paper filter if you want to keep stock intake, which is actually pretty efficient and quiet. may want to change the ps fluid too with some honda brand. just unhook a hose to drain the tank, then add more to the full mark. may need to do this a couple times til the fluid stays clean, but ps fluid is cheap. check brake fluid too, yours looks low from here. and do a check on the coolant see if its still good.

 
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Thank you . For 16 years old, this car is not in the least bit bad. I hope to give her a good tune up this weekend.

Do you know what gap I set for the spark plugs?

 
Rep Power: 314

Should come pre-gapped. Do not gap Iridium plugs because you might ruin the electrode.

 
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NGK plugs come pre gapped? How is that possible when different engines suggest different gapping. I believe NGK is OEM for Honda, so that may be right. If so, that makes changing spark plugs even easier .

 
Rep Power: 314

Most plugs come pre gapped nowadays. I think DENSO is OEM for Honda not NGK

 
Rep Power: 812

yeah usually they are pregapped, but i like to check anyway. i think most hondas are 0.044 but check sparkplugs.com they will tell you everything. honda uses both denso and ngk, whatever was available at the factory.

 
Rep Power: 291

3.5 qts of oil.

 
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Thank you guys .

I plan on stopping by the local Honda dealer tomorrow to pick up 2 quarts of ATF and a fuel filter. I will inquire more about the timing belt too. When it comes to simple maintenance items, I am a DIYer. However a timing job may require a shop's help.

I actually picked up a few more goodies for the Civic on my way home today. Four NGK 7098 plugs, a can of Seafoam, Rain-X Bug Remover, and a Napa Gold airfilter.

 
Rep Power: 314

I see you opted out of the Iridiums... even the G power are great plugs tho!

 
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The Iridium plugs were actually out of stock at Advance. Made my decision even easier lol. Can't go wrong with Platinum though. Just not sure what the "G" stands for .

 
Rep Power: 314

Just their way of branding them I think.

 
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Went to the local Honda dealer today to find out that they don't have a fuel filter in stock for a '94 Civic LX. Also found out that it would have cost over $30 if they did . I'm surprised since Civics are so widely popular that they didn't order any. So tomorrow I'm heading over to Napa for a Napa Gold fuel filter.

I ended up getting two quarts of Honda ATF. However I forgot how many quarts I need. Was it 1.6 quarts? Or is that for a manual trans? I have an auto.

 
Rep Power: 812

you needed 3 bottles i think. should take around 3 qts but you may want to verify that with service dept.

 
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So far I've heard that I need 1.6 quarts, 2 3/4 quarts, 2.4 quarts, and at least 3 quarts of ATF for a change lol. As far as checking the fluid level, does the Civic have a dipstick on the trans? I know some cars do, and others don't. I'll admit that this is my first Honda so I'm very new to all this. Thank you guys for bearing with me through all this. I bought a Haynes online, but it won't get here before the weekend :\.

 
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Edit: Looks like it's 2.8 qts according to service manual for anyone who's curious .

 
Rep Power: 812

good to know, auto should have a dipstick, and be sure to check the fluid level on flat ground with the engine and trans fully warmed up and running to get the correct reading. its better to add a lil bit less than what it takes and then keep rechecking the level and adding more fluid. do not overfill!

 
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Yes automatics have a dipstick for the tranny it's just way down in there. Or at least it seems that way on mine because the little ring is broken off my dipstick I have to use pliers to check it. Ugh

 
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^ Order a new one? It's pretty easy to do, and it should not be overly expensive.

 
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Drain and flush coolant, refill with Honda antifreeze (has lubricant of some sort added and use distilled water (no mineral content) to top off radiator, replace all cooling system hoses with Honda OEM hoses.

Use gasoline that has additives such as Chevron.
Never, ever overheat engine, nothing will ruin a Honda quicker than overheating, except perhaps a broken timing belt, (engines are Zero clearance)
Make sure to replace timing belt, water pump and tensioner every 75,000 miles.
Check for any cracks or tears in CV boots, replace boots asap if you do find damage.
Wouldn't hurt to check out your brake system and watch for warped rotors.....

 
Rep Power: 298

This is just a personal tip but.

Never ever ever use that Fuel system gum out treatment ****. Is will clog your inj. and your fuel filter. Good that your changing your fuel filter but your inj have their own individual filters as well. That gum out **** breaks up stuff and clogs the Inj filter. So if you have ran that stuff in your car you must now pull your inj and clean the filter screen in the inj. Its not hard but will save the life of your car. Trust me. I learned the hard way on the track at 119mph and boom. leaned out and detonated. culprate.....clogged inj. and I used to use that ****. Never again.

I may be wrong but I dont trust it.