New (used) car, bad vibrations.
 

Hello,

Recently I purchased a 2003 civic coupe with a manual transmission. The car has 125,000km on it and the clutch was replaced last year, apparently.

My problem is that when I start the car in first gear like I normally would, the motor shakes and vibrates badly as the clutch pedal nears the top 2/3 of the stroke.

I assumed motor mounts, and found a crack in the front mount. I replaced it and the problem remains. The other 3 mounts look fine to me.

Some facts:

- Clutch does not slip.
- Shifting is smooth.
- When I release the clutch at higher than normal RPM for me, (2k or so) vibrations are gone.
- I've driven manuals for a long time, including 2 other civics when I was looking for this car. It is not my method.
- front motor mount replaced

I am really stumped on this one. I don't know if the flywheel was resurfaced when the clutch was replaced about 1 year ago, but I assume it would have been.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Re: New (used) car, bad vibrations.
 

well then why did you not notice this issue when you took the car for a test ride before you decided to purchase it? (assuming you did drive it before purchase, like any normal person would)

Re: New (used) car, bad vibrations.
 

I needed a car immediately. Condition was great, price was good, and these civics with low KM go fast here. I was the first to see the car after it was posted. On level ground, it's not bad. The vibrations are much worse on hills or with a lot of weight in the car, and when the car is cold. I did notice the issue during the test drive, but it didn't concern me much at the time. I could also not communicate well with the owner (purchased in Quebec, my French is basic)

Why I purchased the car is my decision. The circumstances when I purchased the car were complicated, and I am not going to get into the details on this forum.

Thank you for any assistance with troubleshooting the issue.

Re: New (used) car, bad vibrations.
 

Sounds like you described clutch chatter.

I assume the engine and trans mounts are all good now?

I'd probably either suggest a clutch job using OE parts, or live with the annoyance until it's time to do a clutch job.

I always had the best luck not touching the flywheel during a clutch job.

Honda does not recommend resurfacing the flywheel. If there was any question about its condition, I would have recommended replacement.

Re: New (used) car, bad vibrations.
 

Thanks for the reply, ezone.

I put the car on jack stands and crawled under to get a good look at the rear mount. The rubber looked fine, but then I saw this.

Attachment 114363

One of the bolts on the rear mount was not fully threaded in. I was very happy to see this as I was sure this was the cause. I tightened the bolt, checked the other to ensure they were tight, and took the car for a test drive.

The vibration seems less, I think... but definitely still there. damn.