Honda Civic 2018

[misnad]

  On 9/23/2024 at 7:40 AM, misnad said:

Got the insurance claim shifted to Mag C#ty Nugegoda as they have the parts. Estimate is roughly 100k and he too said the entire assembly should be changed, but they’ll see if the rubber bushes are available in stock too so they can just fix the lens. Awaiting insurance approval now. Let’s see how this goes. 

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Done! I now have my baby back with a fully functioning side mirror. Insurance inspected it and asked them to find a lens and bracket, which they finally did. So they didn’t need to replace the full mirror assembly, thank heavens. I have a feeling it might even be my own stolen mirror they bought back.
 

Btw M*g C**y has a 3D wheel alignment device too that caught my eye; didn’t see it at the agent though and it looks like they’re using the older laser guidance method. Got them to inspect my shocks and it looks like mine are wearing out fast for some reason. Going to visit Lanka S***k A******r in Moratuwa to get that checked out/ refurbished if needed.

[tinyman]

  On 10/4/2024 at 7:35 AM, misnad said:

The compressor isn’t inside the dashboard and doesn’t need it removed. It’s only the evaporator that’s around that area just inside the firewall. I got my compressor repaired by a known technician and that saved me a very expensive replacement. Switched it to R134a entirely and it’s running fine. Only had a leaky condenser after that. More than the compressor, it sounds like there’s a leak somewhere along the lines that’s causing the refrigerant to empty out. It’s pretty nasty if you’re smelling it in the cabin and I suggest you get it fixed ASAP. Still, they’ll need to use a dye to figure out where the leak is occurring. If it’s beyond the firewall and near the engine bay, you’re lucky as that can be done up without removing the dashboard. Shall message you my contact. If it requires a dashboard removal though, I suggest going to the agent.

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Thank you.

Today sent the car for service and came with the advise to replace the rear brakepads ASAP, at agents, it cost 84k now. Thinking of replacing with the aftermarket one..Any suggestions.

[misnad]

  On 10/4/2024 at 8:58 AM, tinyman said:

 

Thank you.

Today sent the car for service and came with the advise to replace the rear brakepads ASAP, at agents, it cost 84k now. Thinking of replacing with the aftermarket one..Any suggestions.

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Please go with aftermarket ones. I’ll be doing the same when it’s time for my replacement again. Look for the brand called “Akebono” as they are the OEM manufacturer for Honda brake pads.

[fiat fan]

So am back in the land of the guns, 

uncle has a 2022 Honda Pilot that he managed to smash a mirror recently. The dealer wanted over $750 to replace.

Found a used one that was the same colour even for 250. Went DIY and it's looking mint. Honda Parts are expensive globally for some weird reason. A Merc mirror replacement cost the same.

Is it because Honda is trying to be a "premium" brand?

[iRage]

  On 10/17/2024 at 11:26 PM, fiat fan said:

Is it because Honda is trying to be a "premium" brand

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But that would be Acura would it not be ? Although Acura has not meant anything for anyone other than the Americans. But yeah..Honda does try to paint it self as the more premium brand of the Japanese brands. IMO, it is not really working out for them. They should stick to being the sportier brand they identified themselves as in the past. Sadly, that too is strange as now it is Toyota, the most boring brand, that has the more sports and enthusiasts' cars. Even the new Aqua is bloody interesting to drive...WTactualF? Honda in Japan is sad...until recently they seem to be happy just selling kei cars in Japan with some minivans. They added the Civic into the mix, but it isn't changing their position by that much over here. Their kei cars are what's keep them alive at this end.

[tinyman]

  On 10/4/2024 at 11:10 AM, misnad said:

Please go with aftermarket ones. I’ll be doing the same when it’s time for my replacement again. Look for the brand called “Akebono” as they are the OEM manufacturer for Honda brake pads.

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I have been looking for this brand for some time. yet not successful. The car service joint in Anderson Rd offered a brand called MK, which seems to be from Japan. the service manager said he stopped selling Akebono, as he received complaints on the brake pads he sold, regarding chipping on the edges.

[iRage]

  On 10/28/2024 at 7:14 AM, tinyman said:

MK, which seems to be from Japan

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In Japan, it is called Kashiyama (because the full name is MK Kashiyama). They are average brake pads and one of the most cost-effective ones compared to Akebono, DIXEL, etc. They have a reputation for being low-dust brakes and also for tending to get rather heated (probably because of hard compounds? This is the tradeoff actually...the other option of getting lesser brake dust is to reduce braking force, as in Akebonos). I would say the brake feel is not as good as an Akebono but it works and also has a stronger bite.

Company is relatively reputable...bought up one of Mitsubishi's heavy vehicle brake component plants and also the parent company owns WinMAX braking systems for sport applications.

  On 10/28/2024 at 7:14 AM, tinyman said:

Akebono, as he received complaints on the brake pads he sold, regarding chipping on the edges.

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Strange...haven't heard of this before. Are you sure it is not a bad batch he got (which may or may not have been genuine ?). 

[tinyman]

  On 10/28/2024 at 8:53 AM, iRage said:

In Japan, it is called Kashiyama (because the full name is MK Kashiyama). They are average brake pads and one of the most cost-effective ones compared to Akebono, DIXEL, etc. They have a reputation for being low-dust brakes and also for tending to get rather heated (probably because of hard compounds? This is the tradeoff actually...the other option of getting lesser brake dust is to reduce braking force, as in Akebonos). I would say the brake feel is not as good as an Akebono but it works and also has a stronger bite.

Company is relatively reputable...bought up one of Mitsubishi's heavy vehicle brake component plants and also the parent company owns WinMAX braking systems for sport applications.

Strange...haven't heard of this before. Are you sure it is not a bad batch he got (which may or may not have been genuine ?). 

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I found a place in Panchkawathe, that has Akebono pads, but the service manager at Anderson Rd is insisting that MK is better than Akebono. Panchikawathe Sri**** motors wanted to see the brake pad or know the 4-digit D number, he also mentioned that the pads are from Rs. 8,000.

[iRage]

  On 10/28/2024 at 12:15 PM, tinyman said:

insisting that MK is better than Akebono

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Well Akebono is more reputed mainly because they are OE suppliers. Whether MK is better than Akebono I believe is subjective (what's better ? red apples or green apples ?). I would say it is the same thing but different. With Akebono and Hondas you have the emotional comfort of feeling that what you are getting is closest to what the manufacturer would have wanted for the car (whether it is justified or not). Also, keep in mind that the OE parts are not the BEST parts for your car. They are the recommended parts for the car to run at the minimum recommended/advertised/guaranteed functional specifications of the car.

It won't be the end of the world if you use MK over Akebono. Provided that they are actual parts and not some fake pirated ****.  It is a standard road going Civic....not a high performing track car...so...

[Tinyman1]

There has been a lot to report over the last week.

First of all, I migrated from a browser-based password manager to a better one with multiple device support. For my bad luck, I tried changing the password of my Autolanka forum account and ended up losing the new password. for some strange reason, the password reset email from Autolanka never came. after struggling for nearly a week including writing to Autolanka as well, created this account. So, until I recover my old account, I will be using this account.

With regard to Brake pads, I managed to find a genuine set from Panchikawatha, said to be brought on order for the water board. costed 29k. Tried to find Akebono, but couldn't find it anywhere. I also ended up changing the tyres. This time wanted to get GTRadial. But the tyres are 1 year old. Negotiated and got the July manufactured Maxxis Tyres for 141k including wheel alignment, balancing and valves. I was keeping my hopes low as I was on Goodyear tyres. However, the Maxxis didn't disappoint when I drove to Kandy and back this weekend.

 

 

[misnad]

  On 10/28/2024 at 7:14 AM, tinyman said:

 the service manager said he stopped selling Akebono, as he received complaints on the brake pads he sold, regarding chipping on the edges.

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Chipped edges? Damn that’s quite a coincidence as my Honda (Akebono manufactured) ones were wearing off so quickly. The last pair I changed had chips all along the edges.. not small ones, but like chunks. 

[misnad]

December update! Yes, I still have the Civic. Just had a check engine light come up on the way back home from Nuwara Eliya and ended up replacing the O2 sensor as it was faulty; cleanup with brake cleaner wouldn't solve it. Apart from that, I seem to have a weird knocking sound from the engine after my last service just 2 weeks back. They used 0w20 Motul 8000 Performax, which I saw was specific to India (it isn't listed anywhere on the global site nor are the specifications available), but it was ACEA C5 rather than A5. Not sure if that is causing a problem since I also got a low oil pressure warning light a few days back in Colombo, but it went off within like 30 seconds and didn't reappear. Oil level seems fine. I wonder if it's the C5 oil with lower HTHS compared to the A5 ones. Also, it's a little weird since after the oil leak fix back in Aug / Sep, my maintenance minder indicated a service due in December; this was within just like 3k km or so. Need to get this thing checked and also replace my engine under-guard since that was damaged as well; thanks to the wonderful holes and roads we have.

By the way, I just checked my VIN on the Honda UK site and there’s a recall notice around the fuel pump. Apparently there’s a defect in the impeller that causes fuel to leak out, resulting in a fuel odor once parked. It apparently fails and the vehicle either stalls or refuses to start. I don’t think the recall is offered by the dealer here though. Might want to check your VIN and see too.

Edited December 27, 2024 by misnad
Updated to add about the fuel pump recall

[Hyaenidae]

  On 12/27/2024 at 2:51 PM, misnad said:

 I also got a low oil pressure warning light a few days back in Colombo, but it went off within like 30 seconds and didn't reappear.

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Bits of the wet timing belt could be blocking your oil pickup which is a known issue with all the engines with wet timing belts - oil starvation could cause knocking sounds too (and low octane fuel)

 

 

 

Oil pickup partially clogged with timing belt bits

[misnad]

Ok so I had enough with the issues and took the car to C*r C****s. Glad I did since they found out the cause for my suspension woes. Apparently the inner CV boot and tie rod ends were messed up. They also said that the rack was gone, but didn’t really inspect the whole thing, so it needed to be checked separately. I also have some weak rear shocks as the car once hoisted had its rear wheels move into the shocks even with a little push (shouldn’t be the case). This means that the car can’t even take its own body weight and hence needs those 2 replaced. Also found out that the rear wheel alignment that the dealer did last year caused a misaligned rotation marker, so it’s difficult for anyone to figure out the exact angle now just by looking at it. Needed a few more things done too, like an engine tune up as it was noisy on idle (guessing carbon build up thanks to the crappy 0w20 Performax oil they used). Will swap out for a good 5w30 next service.

Took the report to the dealer as I wanted to show them what they kept shrugging off for the past several years. They were so defensive at first and when I forced them to check it out, they admitted the tie rods were worn as there was considerable play. When asked if they checked it this way before, they said they didn’t since the test drive down their “boralu paara” was fine. They also tried to say that just because there are oil stains on the CV boot doesn’t mean that grease is leaking; asked them to change it anyway since it’s most likely cracked. They did say that the rack ends were ok though, but I’m going to get that specifically checked elsewhere. Rear shocks will be replaced later from outside as I can’t be dishing out 98k per strut at the dealer.

Anyway, the ride is super smooth now on the front end. Just like the good old days when I purchased it. A few more fixes and it’ll be as good as new!

[misnad]

Changed the rear struts finally as it was extremely weak. But apart from that, there was a weird issue with the rear camber and as per the dealer, there have been a bunch of other CR-V's and Civics that came in with the same problem. They had to do some lathe work on the arms to get it sorted. Apart from that, there seems to also be a bit of play on the rack and it's most likely one of the bushings that's worn down. The front links also seem to be a little shaky, so that's due for a change.

However, just when I thought I was getting things sorted out, ended up with a flat tyre that I didn't even notice and drove around with it unfortunately. Only realized once I landed the front right tyre over a metal manhole cover and it felt like an earthquake. Tyre had to be replaced, so I got 4 new Yokohamas... yes, another major expense there. Had to replace the rears anyway since the Continentals were nearly completely worn out (uneven wear due to previous suspension issues). The only issue though is that after that knock, there is a very slight intermittent squealing noise like those from the brake wear indicators on the affected wheel. It isn't the rim or anything either since that was swapped to the rear. Got the alignment re-done and there's no damage, but I guess something's off alignment at the rotor or pad level. Hoping it isn't the wheel bearings that have got some play since that's usually a pricey repair.

The woes never end!!

[Hyaenidae]

  On 3/8/2025 at 5:42 PM, misnad said:

The woes never end!!

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Hope the intermittent oil pressure warning went away (or you got it looked at), the woes so far will feel like blessings should the dreaded oil strainer clog issue occurs

  

  On 3/8/2025 at 5:42 PM, misnad said:

ended up with a flat tyre that I didn't even notice and drove around with it unfortunately.

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I thought the TPMS is compulsory in vehicles sold in EU? (Edit: Google says it is)

Got myself a aftermarket TPMS off Aliexpress a year ago, it's been perfect so far. Would've been very useful in a situation such as yours.

Edited March 8 by Hyaenidae

[matroska]

  On 3/8/2025 at 5:42 PM, misnad said:

ended up with a flat tyre that I didn't even notice and drove around with it unfortunately.

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  On 3/8/2025 at 6:12 PM, Hyaenidae said:

I thought the TPMS is compulsory in vehicles sold in EU?

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It is. The TPMS on the model, at least in my experience is quite paranoid and triggers a warning at the slightest difference of pressure in one tyre. The ONLY time it failed me was, understandably on one occasion when all four tyres had an equal drop in pressure. 

[Hyaenidae]

  On 3/11/2025 at 12:57 PM, matroska said:

 

It is. The TPMS on the model, at least in my experience is quite paranoid and triggers a warning at the slightest difference of pressure in one tyre.

 

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Which begs the question: how did @misnad manage to ignore the tyre feedback + the incessant beeping of the TPMS 😁

 

  On 3/11/2025 at 12:57 PM, matroska said:

 

The ONLY time it failed me was, understandably on one occasion when all four tyres had an equal drop in pressure. 

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The Chinesium TPMS is quite simple in that regard, it triggers the warning when any tyre pressure reading goes down the preset minimum value (should be set by the user) or exceed the preset maximum value (also should be set by the user)

Same with the wheel temperature. Should come handy if brake binding or something like that occurs.

 

Edited March 11 by Hyaenidae

[misnad]

Hey, yup got a tune up done and didn't have an oil pressure warning or knocking sound since; it's very quiet now. As for the TPMS, it looks like the one on the Civic is a little weird or it may just be mine. I used to never get any alert on the TPMS during daily driving in traffic despite tyre pressures being quite off (I check my tyre pressure at the shed every month out of habit and could see the fluctuation). However, if I hit the highway or drive at faster speeds, it then tends to detect the pressure difference. In this case, however, it never popped up.

What's worse is that after changing the 4 tyres, those folks pumped them up to 40-42psi. That caused a major rattle everywhere as the vehicle was so bumpy. Got that checked and reduced down to 32psi on all 4; much smoother since then. Not once did the TPMS go off though, oddly. I wonder if it only picks up these differences when driving at higher speeds for a while as opposed to stop-start traffic.

EDIT: Found this thread that explains why the TPMS might be a bit weird on the 10th gen onwards: 

 

Getting the entire front-end dismantled tomorrow to check for any worn bushings and especially that weird intermittent metal scraping noise. Hoping for the best.

BTW, do any of you know a good place that does plastic welding? I have a broken mounting hole on the lower lip of the front bumper and need that fixed; the entire lip itself is quite pricey and not worth replacing for just that damage.

Edited March 13 by misnad

[Hyaenidae]

  On 3/13/2025 at 1:46 PM, misnad said:

EDIT: Found this thread that explains why the TPMS might be a bit weird on the 10th gen onwards: 

 

 

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Honda really pulled a sneaky there didn't they?

Rather than equipping the car with actual TPMS hardware they came up with a software workaround using existing wheel speed sensors to guesstimate tire pressure!

Owners be like "we've been in forests less shady than you, Honda!" 😅

 

[matroska]

 

Whaaaat! I did NOT know this  some things are starting to make sense.

[misnad]

  On 3/18/2025 at 11:18 AM, matroska said:

 

Whaaaat! I did NOT know this  some things are starting to make sense.

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Yup! Sneaky Honda eh? Also read elsewhere that you need to recalibrate thrice if you’ve changed tyres entirely to trigger an “reset” otherwise it uses the difference from the previous values and adjusts. No idea how that SW works, but it explains a lot of false positives and negatives.