jordan1794

Hello all!
So my first car was a 2006 Honda Civic 4 Door LX.
I got the car at the start of 11th grade(2010) with 30,000 miles on it.
I have since had so many memories in it, from all the stupid wreckless things I did, including nearly hitting 120 mph, getting arrested ( ironically, for falling asleep and going 74 in a 35)
(No arrest on my record though, court and classes cost me $500 upfront, plus the insurance increase for having a speeding ticket)

I drove across the country in this car with my wife on our honeymoon, saw the northern lights in Minnesota, spent a week at the grand canyon and yellowstone national park each.

I could go on, bottom line is that this car has been beyond fantastic for me. My wife drives the car now, and I drive a 2014 Civic 4 door EX.
My questions are about the big maintenance things.

Most people do preventative maintenance transmission/engine repairs because they can't afford for the car to lose a tranny or engine. However I am fully prepared to drop a new tranny and engine into this car before I give it up.

So I'm wondering, in the long run, assuming that I plan on buying a new tranny and engine, what preventative maintenance transmission/engine repairs are worth doing?
(i.e I don't want to spend 750$ to keep it running another 50k miles, if I can just drop $1,000 for a new tranny and get another 120k+ miles)


Right now she is at around 120k-130k miles, oil changes have been done perfectly for the life of the car, however the tranny has only been drained and filled once, around 115k miles. I replaced spark-plugs at 118k miles.

What maintenance items do I need to do right now? I imagine I probably need a coolant replacement(as it has never been replaced, for the life the car, Yikes?)
(I have read parts of the manual, but I know certain things really aren't even covered)

Should I have any concerns about the internal workings of the engine itself?


Thanks for any suggestions/answers!

mikey1

what isn't covered in the manual?

as far as i know all maintanance is listed there at mileage intervals, you should be able to go by that,

chances are, anything you have NOT DONE you are probably overdue for


are you saying you would rather let your transmission die and replace it instead of changing the fluid?

then why do you bother changing your engine oil?....why not just replace the engine when it dies?

im sorry but i just don't understand your logic here.....or i should say lack of it

jordan1794

It'd be more expensive in the long run to have the transmission or engine pulled to replace 1 component,only to have to pull it again when the next thing breaks, than to replace the entire thing.

I guess I'm not really talking about maintenance, so much as repairs...What is worth REPAIRING if it breaks.

Obviously I'm not gonna let my engine die by not doing oil changes, they are 30$ at the dealer, very inexpensive.
In order for it to be worth it to not do an oil change I'd need to go over 1 million miles without an oil change.

I understand you being confused at my post, but the last line there was a little un-called for in my opinion :P
I know my way around a car, and have been here on the forums practically since I got the car 5 years ago.

jordan1794

The reason I said preventative maintenance is because sometimes things can be replaced before they break, because when they do break they then destroy other things within the engine/tranny

I guess the most correct term would be preventative repairs.

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Do more frequent drain and fills on the 8th gen and stick with oem stuff. Change the inline filter back behind for more assurance.

Do you like the CVT in your 2014 ???

ezone

130k is nothing. Keep doing oil changes as you have been, and take care of whatever breaks on the car as needed.
Plenty of other stuff can need attention long before the engine or trans causes serious trouble.
The car could easily become a rotted out rust bucket with one tire in the junkyard and still never have engine or trans troubles.


Like Craig, I'd do some intense service on the trans though. Maybe drain and fill the trans along with each oil change for the next 3-4 changes. Then religiously every 30k thereafter. Honda DW-1 fluid, of course.






If you have the spare cash to afford dropping an engine and trans in it, I'd say to bank it and let it draw interest.

Drive that sucker until such time as it really needs something major.

If it never needs anything, you definitely win.
Even if it needs something, you still win because you planned ahead/saved money.


If it ends up being in the 1% that cracks the block and you get it covered under the 10 year warranty extension, you get most of an engine for free. Or did that already happen?

===================

On your 14 CVT, I'd urge you to service the trans at least every 30k. Special all new Honda CVT fluid for that one too.

Preventive maintenance FTW.

At our shop we have not had a single new style CVT trans out of anything yet. So far they have been great, and we have a few customers now with more than 100k on the CVT.

jordan1794

@CraigW it definitely took some getting used to! I definitely miss the off-the-line pull, I definitely think my 2006 would easily beat my 2014 in a 1/8th mile sprint, however once you get to 6-7k RPM they just sit there while you continue to accelerate, it's so odd.

I tell you the thing I love about the CVT though:

http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/civi...dan1794/281863

@ezone - Have not had the block crack, and hope it doesn't.
I think I will change the tranny on my '14 every 30k, and for my 06' - my wife only puts about 5,000-10,000 miles a year on it, so only 2-3 oil changes , so I'll probably just keep getting a drain and fill at every oil change for the foreseeable future(unless she starts driving a lot more).

The 2006 does make a light rattling sound at cold-start-up. Not from the engine itself, but from under the hood...can't hear it outside the car over the sound of the engine, but is quite noticeable inside the car...also has a little bit of vibration at stop lights when the ac is running, I think it's probably the passenger side engine mount though.

jordan1794

Also, right now the spare cash is paying my bills while I go to college, so I can't invest ATM (Plus my bank's interest rate is only slight less than most CD's)

jordan1794

(psst mikey - I can see what your comment is when you knock my reputation down)

mikey1

you obviously have a hater, but it ain't me,

that wasn't me who left that, so stop jumping to conclusions

RIPSAW

Do the transmission ever other oil change if you can do it yourself. Pretty simple if you have place, jack and safety stands. Replace the exterior inline transmission filter. OEM part only (it has a relief valve, so no telling if it is stopped up) Mine (CRV)had some stuff in at 85K US but was probably still working. Have one for Civic but have not got around to it. Civic's is located under air filter lower box on back side. Lot of little stuff needs to be taken off to get to it. Be sure to mark it and replace in correct direction. Dealer can find part probably in radiator fish. They say it's not suppose to be replaced and most have trouble finding it. Honda's hidden secrete. Stay off the floor with the gas pedal and transmission will last a lot longer. Lift on yellow or red lights rather then charge them slamming on the brake at the last moment like 90% of the fools out there do.