Rep Power: 0

ok, i asked this before, but i only got one reply..and i just want to make sure about whats going on, so i'll ask this again (with some new problems).

i went to honda because it seems like things arent right with my car. but they always seem to say that "its normal".

1) rpms fluctuate when i let go of the gas pedal. for example: when i let off the gas at 3000 rpms, it drops to 1000 rpms (sometimes lower), and the goes back up to 1500 or something

2) whenever i let go of the gas pedal, theres a loud "squeaking noise" . it seems to be coming from somewhere around the wheels

3) my car starts to shake when im at a stoplight.

4) my gas gauge seems to be inaccurate. when i drive home from riverside (about an hour to 3 hours depending on traffic), the needle never moves. it always stays above Full. but the next day, when i start up my car, it seems to have dropped to almost the half spot.

5) when im approaching a red light, and i let my foot off the gas pedal to slow down, my car feels as if something is pulling it back...and then all of a sudden, it pushes forward.

6) When i accelerate from a stop, i "chirp" my tires. (i have about 6000 miles on them).

7) whenever i brake, my car downshifts. (is this bad for the transmission?)

8) when i apply the gas pedal while im driving, it seems to rev for a second, and then it starts to accelerate again.


someone on here told me that it could be my (automatic) transmission dying? i've never done anything to abuse my car. i love my car
i just want to make sure, because im tired of the honda peepz just saying that "its normal". who knows, maybe it is normal, but they could at least explain why the rpms fluctuate like that (in #1) instead of just saying that "its normal"

(i went to honda for the first 6 questions)

 
Rep Power: 583

go to a different honda dealer. rpms shouldnt be moving around mysteriously

 
Rep Power: 0

You could always try a different Honda dealer. And if you still get the typical response of "it's normal," call American Honda. Tell them exactly what's been happening with the car and what the dealer's response is. They will take care of you.

 
Rep Power: 0

i went to the one by my house and the one i bought it from. two dealers told me that it was normal. i dont really want to go to another one, because im sure that they'll say that its normal too.


but ya, i guess i can try American Honda. im just wondering if you guys know the answers to those problems? maybe if i go in with a little knowledge about these, then they'll actually do something instead of just think that im a sucker and say "its normal"

 
Rep Power: 583

well IMO its not normal for a cars RPMS to just have a mind of they own

 
Rep Power: 811

sorry but alot of those are normal. fualty fuel gauge = replace fuel sender unit. Rpms fluctuate alot, but revving before switching gears means the tranny is on it's way out. The auto has grade logic control, so when you brake it downshifts to help you stop. If your car is shaking, most likely it's caused by low rpms idle drop. Prolly a faulty tps on the throttle body. That was a known issue. I suggest looking for the TSB service bulletins posted in vehicle issues forum and download the ones you need, print out, and make the dealer fix them.

 
Rep Power: 0

i was searching around, and it said (on a toyota FAQ webpage or something like that) that it could be a leak in the vacuum or something like that. is that what could cause the rpms to act like that?

 
Rep Power: 811

vacuum leak sure, faulty tps, idle air control, could be all sorts of things. Is the check engine light on yet? If it is, you could get a scanner and read what the code means.

 
Rep Power: 0

The check engine light is not on

oh gearbox, i forgot to add that sometimes it revs longer....it revs to 2k and then starts to drop, and it doesnt feel like it goes into gear...it just revs. is that normal too?
so basically its when im cruising (not accelerating) and i want to accelerate, i apply some gas, but it just revs to 2k and drops. thats it. i have to reapply gas and then it goes into gear

also, would they do anything if i bring in a TSB? i mean, if these are normal, then shouldnt they have done something when i first brought it in?

 
Rep Power: 811

not all of them are normal. And if the tsb applies to your car, force them to fix it. Sounds like the tranny is gonna fail soon. When that happens it will just rev like it's in neutral and not go into gear.

 
Rep Power: 0

if the tranny is failing, then this sux. i only have about 6000 miles on it

i'll look for the tsb and make an appointment to go to the dealership

 
Rep Power: 291

maybe ur car hasnt really broken in yet!

 
Rep Power: 0

ya, im hoping its just not broken in yet

as for the rpms thing, im pretty sure that theres something not right there

 
Rep Power: 301

Hmmm.... I'm with gearbox on this. Sounds like you have some of the well known problems. But they are not "normal". Also sounds like you either have one of the infamous bad transmissions, or the transmission control unit is flakey. We all know by now that most dealers do not want to fix anything under warranty, and if the tranny dies, they'll try to blame it on YOU, some mod you may have made, or claim you were racing.
Over the last 3 years, my opinion of Honda has sunk considerably. While it's overall a good car for the money, the quality has really dropped a LOT. I never heard of a honda not lasting at least 150k without any problems, period. My last 2 ran well over 160k with only basic maintenance, and I drove the hell out of them. My 77 accord lasted 257,000 miles. Smooth as butter, with only 3 waterpumps, one alternator, and 2 scheduled timing belts. NO transmission work. My 82, 161,000 ORIGINAL miles, ZERO replacement parts except plugs and wires. The Auto tranny never missed a beat. I actually gave the car away when I was a big enough Idiot to think that a new 02 Civic would be a better car. WRONG! I have to totally baby the vic for fear the transmission will shred itself. POS! The rest of the car is great, but the tranny SUCKS.
Honda knows this, but they'll NEVER admit it. Same for the Acura and Accord line. Check the boards, they ALL have tranny problems.

Ok, I'm done bitching now. I'm just so tired of people getting screwed by Honda lately.
My next car will be something else. Probably a 90's acura. Much better car.

I'd lean on Honda to get that looked at. At 6000miles, it's broken in. Just wait, once it dies, they'll try to blame YOU, and not fix it under warranty.

 
Rep Power: 0

ya, thats what im worried about. them blaming it on me. it seems like everything thats checked up under warranty turns out to be "normal".

btw guys, is it a good idea to bring the car to a shop, get it checked out, tell the shop to write up the problems and causes, and then bring it to honda to show them proof (so they dont just say "its normal")? or would it be a waste of money?

 
Rep Power: 0

I think # 6 & 8 are the only abnormals. the others seem like the car just automatcially downshifting for you when you take your foot off the gas. I had to get used to that w/ my car. I had a volvo before this one and it never did that but now all this technology ish they have going on, it's just something to get used to. my car pulls back (esp driving at a constant 20mph, the revs do weird things) but it's normal I'd say. but the revving and chirping tires might be a chip in the transmission or something my parents old taurus did that, it's something about the pressure not building up right at first.

 
Rep Power: 294

not to hate on anyone, but its your TPS sensor 100%.
I have the exact same problem, revs up to about 4k then shifts with intermitten gears not grabbing. Down shifts really hard and knocks the car, ect.. all the same problems you are having. RPMs will jump to idel then up after letting go of the gas. blah blah blah..
I'm getting code P0122 I believe or something like that. Basically it states that the TPS sensor has a low voltage reading. Its intermitten and has to be fixed ASAP or your tranny will start to suffer also ( I blew mine because of this )

 
Rep Power: 0

Before i left honda, I remember reading a service bulletin that updated the pcm for rpms that went from hign to down low, or even staling at a stop sign. I would do some research and see if it apply to your civic.

 
Rep Power: 0

I think this is the one you're talking about - Link