Rep Power: 186

Ok so my Civic has been good to me the last year and a half since I got it used from a friend of the family who passed away(Actually my Girlfriend's moms car, we bought it from them to pay off the debt she left)

I assume from knowing her mother that the brakes were used frequently,and under extreme conditions sometimes.I also know that the car was probably not serviced for oil very often.

Since I got the car I have replaced the tires at around 50k miles,they were down to the wear indicators.I also replaced the brakes,and I've been getting the oil changed every 3,000 miles.

I'm not in a worry about un-needed maintenance, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I bought a haynes book and it looks like I'm close to some suggested work.

My question is about my CV joint and/or transmission.

When I'm at a halt,in park, and I shift the car to drive(auto) the car,more often than not,lurches and I can hear a click.Also,when I'm driving under 35 if I let off the gas suddenly i feel the same kind of lurch,it doesn't happen when I slowly let off the gas.and if I'm coasting and press the pedal at a normal speed it also lurches it wont lurch if I press the pedal extremely slowly.

And if I'm going down a hill and left off the gas,or rarely whenever i let off the gas I get the lurch,and I can hear an odd noise,like something soft rubbing against something rough...it's not particularly loud,but I have no idea what it could be.

I'm just wondering,are these issues something with my CV joint,my transmission,or both?
My haynes book tells me the lurching from a halt is the CV joint,but I cant find anything about the soft scraping-type noise...

 
Rep Power: 186

A lot of times when I'm in park,or at a halt and I start moving,or shift to drive I can hear the click but there is no lurch.The lurch isn't usually bad(unless I'm parked on a hill and shift after releasing the parking brake.)but it's enough to feel and make me cringe a little.

 
Rep Power: 518

The trans makes noise when you engage a gear. Normal, they all make some noise. You may just not be used to it.
(I don't even think about it anymore, but someone new in the shop usually asks if it is normal.)
My guess at this point is you feel slack between gear teeth being taken up when you engage the transmission from Park to Drive. A hill may amplify it.
If it drives and shifts good then I probably wouldn't worry about it.

But it is hard to tell from here since I can't hear it.

The quickest way to see if it is normal or not: Find an identical car (any 06-08 Civic like yours with no trans complaints and roughly the same mileage) and do your usual routine in it, check it and compare to yours.



My Professional Opinion:
3K oil changes for these cars is overkill unless you use low quality oil.
Use the correct oil and follow the Maintenance Minder (read the owners manual).
I see them go anywhere from 4k to 12k before the reminder comes on, depending on how the car is driven. (Honda also says no more than one year between oil changes, so make a note of that too.)
As long as the correct high quality oil is used, it is not a problem.
Note: There is far more to "correct oil" than just the 5W20 you see on the oil cap.

I would, however, double up on the trans services. At the minimum every 30k, if not even more often. It is just a drain and fill with 3 quarts of Honda DW-1 ATF. Cheap insurance for what has been a rather well known problem area on much of the rest of the Honda fleet (google it). Not this series of Civics in particular from what I have seen so far, but many of their other transmissions have had relatively short lives in the past.

My mom has an 02 Accord, I change the ATF in that at every other oil change. So far, so good.
I have a 12 Civic. I plan on changing ATF with every oil change on it, and following the maint. minder for the oil changes.

 
Rep Power: 188

How many miles do you have on the car now? These cars are very maintenance friendly, and it has a minder that will let you know when it needs service..

 
Rep Power: 307

The grade logic can do some strange stuff under certain conditions.

You should take a look at the state of the ATF, bright red ? brownish red ? dark ?

Another thing to consider would be the brake fluid...should be done every 3 years.

 
Rep Power: 186

the car has 56k miles,but 20k of that has been in the last year and a half(I drive it a lot more than the previous owner did...wokr,school, and friends whereas she was only driving to work,and her work was 5 minutes away)

 
Rep Power: 188

thats nothing for these cars..I would not worry about anything other than your normal maint for now, I would do the tranny drain and fill during your next oil change tho, you don't have to but doesn't hurt.

 
Rep Power: 188

Yea if you haven't checked out the brake fluid and transmission fluid, get those replaced at the next oil change. Cheap insurance and peace of mind. Transmission drain/fill (3 quarts or so).