Rep Power: 0

2001 Civic Sedan

Hello,I was parked and found my car was side swiped.The person that did it is unknown to me.The body has minor scratches and the side mirror was trashed. I must have parked it with the front tire turned to the right.The car hit the tire.The front driver side control arm was bent so I replaced it and the ball joint and got it back together.Everything else including the frame is good.Now the passenger side tire faces to the right while the driver side tire faces straight.I assume I need an alignment but what can I do to get them close so I can drive to a shop?I appreciate any help or direction.Thank you.

 
Rep Power: 517

If it's got the tires pointing vastly different directions, there's a good chance there's more bent parts you did not see.

See if the tie rod got bent in the hit. If one was against a curb it could have suffered in the hit.
Place the steering wheel straight and level then look at the tires to see which is not pointing forward, that should help tell you which side is a problem.

If the knuckle or strut or subframe got damaged in the hit, it may be really hard to see it. Sometimes those come down to educated guesses.
Sometimes an alignment is needed in order to help determine what may be bent based on what readings are off the chart, and SAI/IA comparisons.

Worst case would be a bodyshop that has a GOOD frame person and frame equipment to make the call as to what needs fixed. (The person with the talent is the most important part of that equation.)
A local top-notch bodyshop was able to determine a subframe was bent on a particular car for me, I sure could not see the damage myself.

 
Rep Power: 0

I cant beleive I did'nt even check the other side.The opposite tire WAS to the curb and for some reason I did'nt even check the steering components on that side.I will definitely check ASAP.If the tie rod got bent what would be the solution,a new steering rack??The two sides are off about 6 inches or maybe a little less but it is noticeable.I looked at the subframe.I am no expert but it looks fine.I know a trained eye will have more knowledge and possibly see something.Thank you for any help.I will post what I find on the passenger side.

 
Rep Power: 517

No, you'd replace the bent tie rod(s) if that were the case. I wouldn't replace the rack unless there was damage to it.

Or maybe try to pry it halfway straight so it can be driven to a shop without eating the tires?

It might not even be tie rods. It could be something else.

I've got that and more...but sometimes you just cannot be real certain about suspecting only a few millimeters of bend with the eyeballs and a tape measure.

I've called it on a hunch before, then compare old vs new on the floor side by side or one on top of the other and still barely saw a discernible difference.
I can sure tell you, sometimes it doesn't take much bend in something to throw an alignment way out of whack.

 
Rep Power: 0

I finally got some time to check the other side and I found the control arm is bent to hell and the stabilizer link is in pieces.The frame truly was'nt affected as far as I can tell.I will replace both and hope I can get her back on the road.The steering parts look good as far as eyeballing them but I know that's not always accurate.I will post results.Thank you

 
Rep Power: 0

So I replaced the passenger side control arm and balljoint and end link. When I got it back together the wheels were still not straight. I ended up turning the wheel several times in each direction and the wheels were straight again and it drove perfect for about 10 miles. After that the drivers side wheel went back to not straight while the passenger side stayed ok. I dont know where to go from here.I dont have funds to take it to a shop. I have a pick a part nearby and can get parts very cheap and they have 40% off once a month. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.

 
Rep Power: 366

Steering rods and tie rods, check them.

Ah, OK, you eyeballed.

Check both sides?

Also, check bushings, if you used used parts

 
Rep Power: 0

After I replaced the control arms and balljoints I turned the steering wheel both ways a few times and it was back to normal. After about 5-10 miles the wheel went back to the way it was before I turned the steering wheel both ways. I am thinking it has to be the steering rack. The steering rods and tie rods are straight as far as the eye can tell and I'm thinking it would'nt be 4-6 inches off if it was slightly bent but I've never dealt with alignment before. I dont really know how the steering rack works or is built.The control arm bushing were in excellent shape when I got them used and the other parts were new. Any input on this helps. Thank you.

 
Rep Power: 517

And it's stayed this way?
Sounds more like something fell apart. Bolt fell out of a control arm? Tie rod end came apart?

Jack it up and shake the wheels, see if there's major looseness

 
Rep Power: 0

I finally had time to get back to this problem. I had a brainstorm and parked the car really close to the curb and turned the steering wheel to see if it would force the tires to align again and it did. This leads me to believe it's the steering rack. The wheel against the curb had no resistance when I turned the steering wheel. I would assume if the rack was good it would'nt allow this. If anyone has any input or advice, please reply. Your help is appreciated. Thank you.

 
Rep Power: 517

Have aomeone else steer the same way or sude to side....while you watch from outside (engine compartment?) See if the rack is shifting sideways in its mounting brackets

 
Rep Power: 517

Or it broke mounting hardware for the rack......or ripped out rusted subframe

 
Rep Power: 0

UPDATE: I replaced the steering rack and problem solved. The rack was damaged internally. Runs excellent again. Replacing the rack wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Now I need to figure out the P1456 check code which as I am finding out is difficult to figure out or pinpoint. Thanks all for your input.

 
Rep Power: 132

You have had the P1456 for over a year now. After replacing with a new OEM gas cap, you need to have the fuel pressure checked at a shop to find this leak in the fuel system.

 
Rep Power: 517

P1456 has nothing to do with fuel pump pressure, it's related to a fuel tank system that tests as though it isn't perfectly sealed when placed under a vacuum.

 
Rep Power: 0

Where would you start when diagnosing this code? Is there a "usual suspect" with this code? I know for sure the gas cap is good.

 
Rep Power: 517

Evap codes sometimes suck all the way around.
First I'd make sure the scanner forced self test fails and watch to see if there are any clues there.
I watch the time it takes to pull a vacuum on the tank, I watch vacuum decay time after sealing the valves, and more.
I know most don't have that scanner luxury though.


Wildass guess......if the tank really can hold a vacuum........You have an 01, you may just need a new purge solenoid....the unit gets restricted, can't pass enough volume to suck the tank down to specified FTP sensor voltage within the allowed time limit, test quits and flags a fail as a leak.


If the tank really can't hold a vacuum, then smoke check may be in order..

 
Rep Power: 0

Well,I dont drive the car that much so it's been a while.I went to get an alignment and the guy couldn't do it. The tire began to move independently again afterward. This time I truly figured out the problem. The strut where it meets the knuckle has a weld that came undone and would allow the wheel to move independently from the other side. I went to pick a part and got two stuts and also mounts that are practically new OEM . My mounts were completely fallen apart. The same guy who tried to align it told me theres a part under the back seat that is usually the culprit for code 1456. Anyone know what that part is called? Thank you in advance.

 
Rep Power: 221

its an evap code, so check the evap system, could be that your gas cap isn't sealing properly, or you have a leak, or a failed evap solenoid. do some poking around

 
Rep Power: 517

If you just want a shopping list of parts to load the parts cannon with, that's the CVS valve.....and depending on how badly its screws are seized, it may also need the charcoal canister. And the aforementioned purge solenoid on the side of the throttle body is still suspect as well.


Obligatory parts cannon pic: