Honda Civic 1.8 s gt 09 plate
Discussion
Afternoon all, hope your Sunday is going well
I’m sure there are answered to this question some where but my search didn’t quite hit tge nail on the head.
I’m about to drop 2.5k on a 09 1.8 civic with 90+k on the clock.
Drove it today and it seems clean good pull no weird engine sounds, a little squeaky but that’s civic build quality tho.
It has a weird click when selecting gear could that be an issue or is that just the type of gear box?
The car had been warmed up before I got there, which is a pain.But it started first time. When checking the oil it seemed fresh nice amber colour, no crap around the top of the filler, no metal flakes that I cold see it feel. Is there anything else I should check?
The biting point was a little higher than I would have liked probably around the top third. Is that a costly fix? And would an aftermarket replacement including fkywheel (if work is needed) be a good way to get a bit more out of the engine? Or would it be a bit much for a 90k+ engine?
Thanks for any help
I’m sure there are answered to this question some where but my search didn’t quite hit tge nail on the head.
I’m about to drop 2.5k on a 09 1.8 civic with 90+k on the clock.
Drove it today and it seems clean good pull no weird engine sounds, a little squeaky but that’s civic build quality tho.
It has a weird click when selecting gear could that be an issue or is that just the type of gear box?
The car had been warmed up before I got there, which is a pain.But it started first time. When checking the oil it seemed fresh nice amber colour, no crap around the top of the filler, no metal flakes that I cold see it feel. Is there anything else I should check?
The biting point was a little higher than I would have liked probably around the top third. Is that a costly fix? And would an aftermarket replacement including fkywheel (if work is needed) be a good way to get a bit more out of the engine? Or would it be a bit much for a 90k+ engine?
Thanks for any help
Have a look about on civinfo.com - Lots of information on the 8th Gen civics there.
Clutch parts are pretty cheap - https://www.coxmotorparts.co.uk/honda/honda-civic-... - And there's lots of information readily avaliable incl. full service manuals if you fancy doing the work yourself.
Clutch parts are pretty cheap - https://www.coxmotorparts.co.uk/honda/honda-civic-... - And there's lots of information readily avaliable incl. full service manuals if you fancy doing the work yourself.
Go and drive some more examples of the same car, then you know if the clutch point is actually high or if they are all like that. I personally find the biting point high on Hondas. The nice thing about cars like Civic's is that there are always loads for sale, drive a few, until you find a really clean well cared for example. No need to get target fixated on one car in particular.
Is it worth fitting a new after market clutch and flywheel to a car you have not yet bought ? No, its a terrible idea opening up a perfectly working car in order to get a tiny performance increase which will be out of all proportion to the cost and risk involved.
Is it worth fitting a new after market clutch and flywheel to a car you have not yet bought ? No, its a terrible idea opening up a perfectly working car in order to get a tiny performance increase which will be out of all proportion to the cost and risk involved.
ExPat2B said:
Go and drive some more examples of the same car, then you know if the clutch point is actually high or if they are all like that. I personally find the biting point high on Hondas. The nice thing about cars like Civic's is that there are always loads for sale, drive a few, until you find a really clean well cared for example. No need to get target fixated on one car in particular.
This would be the 10th one I’ve driven but the first I’ve liked and actually considered buying. I have a few more booked to test this week too. Just to make sure.
Is it worth fitting a new after market clutch and flywheel to a car you have not yet bought ? No, its a terrible idea opening up a perfectly working car in order to get a tiny performance increase which will be out of all proportion to the cost and risk involved.
I meant if it is the clutch that’s the issue and it needs replacing , is an aftermarket any better than getting an original part. I’m in no hurry to slap 400 quid down on a whim. This would be the 10th one I’ve driven but the first I’ve liked and actually considered buying. I have a few more booked to test this week too. Just to make sure.
Is it worth fitting a new after market clutch and flywheel to a car you have not yet bought ? No, its a terrible idea opening up a perfectly working car in order to get a tiny performance increase which will be out of all proportion to the cost and risk involved.
Thanks for the help
I’ve got a fn2 and know a few of the potential issues from researching at the time of buying, not sure if they are common to the 1.8 though.
Off the top of my head:
Synchromesh can wear and they can crunch when going into third gear, still work though and mine fixed with a change of fluid.
Leaks in the boot, easy fix though.
Boot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
Stone chips on the bonnet which can rust as well as where the roof meets the windscreen, pull back the rubber to see this.
As mentioned above civinfo is a wealth of knowledge, I am straight on there if I have any issues. A couple of months ago my passenger window stopped working and after a quick search on the forums it was fixed. I had knocked the child lock when hovering the car out!
Great cars for the money though, the 1.8 is an excellent blend of reliability, performance, economy and practicality. If you get a good one you won’t regret it.
Off the top of my head:
Synchromesh can wear and they can crunch when going into third gear, still work though and mine fixed with a change of fluid.
Leaks in the boot, easy fix though.
Boot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
Stone chips on the bonnet which can rust as well as where the roof meets the windscreen, pull back the rubber to see this.
As mentioned above civinfo is a wealth of knowledge, I am straight on there if I have any issues. A couple of months ago my passenger window stopped working and after a quick search on the forums it was fixed. I had knocked the child lock when hovering the car out!
Great cars for the money though, the 1.8 is an excellent blend of reliability, performance, economy and practicality. If you get a good one you won’t regret it.
Khonda said:
Leaks in the boot, easy fix though.
Boot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
Interesting you should say that about the boot latchBoot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
My 1.8ex suffered this problem shortly before I sold it and it was never resolved. Booked it into Honda but as it was an intermittent fault they couldn’t do anything because it didn’t play up while they had it. I did read that the main drivers door actuator was the culprit so had that changed by a local auto electrician. It fixed it for a few weeks then did it again. Eventually I part exed the car and was honest with the dealer who didn’t seem too bothered. Since that I read that the fix was to replace both the drivers door actuator and the boot actuator as well. But mine did also suffer the leaky tailgate and I wondered if they were perhaps connected.
Regarding the gearbox, it’s a few years since I owned the car but I remember it wasn’t the smoothest of gear changes. Quite un-Honda like really and nothing like that in the type r. I don’t remember any clicking as such but it was definitely notchy and didn’t like to be rushed. The clutch biting point was never an issue and felt normal enough to me so if it’s high then it could be on its way out. The pedal itself did have a very annoying squeak which I believe is a very common fault. Tried all sorts of sprays and lubricants but never managed to get rid of it.
The only other problem I had was a rattly heat shield which was just removed as it wasn’t serving much purpose (according to my local garage).
Other than that it was a reliable enough car.
Might be worth checking carefully for rust too as they are getting old now and hondas do have a reputation.
The only other problem I had was a rattly heat shield which was just removed as it wasn’t serving much purpose (according to my local garage).
Other than that it was a reliable enough car.
Might be worth checking carefully for rust too as they are getting old now and hondas do have a reputation.
Khonda said:
I’ve got a fn2 and know a few of the potential issues from researching at the time of buying, not sure if they are common to the 1.8 though.
Off the top of my head:
Synchromesh can wear and they can crunch when going into third gear, still work though and mine fixed with a change of fluid.
Leaks in the boot, easy fix though.
Boot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
Stone chips on the bonnet which can rust as well as where the roof meets the windscreen, pull back the rubber to see this.
As mentioned above civinfo is a wealth of knowledge, I am straight on there if I have any issues. A couple of months ago my passenger window stopped working and after a quick search on the forums it was fixed. I had knocked the child lock when hovering the car out!
Great cars for the money though, the 1.8 is an excellent blend of reliability, performance, economy and practicality. If you get a good one you won’t regret it.
Thank you for this info. Will keep an eye on it Off the top of my head:
Synchromesh can wear and they can crunch when going into third gear, still work though and mine fixed with a change of fluid.
Leaks in the boot, easy fix though.
Boot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
Stone chips on the bonnet which can rust as well as where the roof meets the windscreen, pull back the rubber to see this.
As mentioned above civinfo is a wealth of knowledge, I am straight on there if I have any issues. A couple of months ago my passenger window stopped working and after a quick search on the forums it was fixed. I had knocked the child lock when hovering the car out!
Great cars for the money though, the 1.8 is an excellent blend of reliability, performance, economy and practicality. If you get a good one you won’t regret it.
ChrisH72 said:
Regarding the gearbox, it’s a few years since I owned the car but I remember it wasn’t the smoothest of gear changes. Quite un-Honda like really and nothing like that in the type r. I don’t remember any clicking as such but it was definitely notchy and didn’t like to be rushed. The clutch biting point was never an issue and felt normal enough to me so if it’s high then it could be on its way out. The pedal itself did have a very annoying squeak which I believe is a very common fault. Tried all sorts of sprays and lubricants but never managed to get rid of it.
The only other problem I had was a rattly heat shield which was just removed as it wasn’t serving much purpose (according to my local garage).
Other than that it was a reliable enough car.
Might be worth checking carefully for rust too as they are getting old now and hondas do have a reputation.
Thank you for the reply I will check it over todayThe only other problem I had was a rattly heat shield which was just removed as it wasn’t serving much purpose (according to my local garage).
Other than that it was a reliable enough car.
Might be worth checking carefully for rust too as they are getting old now and hondas do have a reputation.
ChrisH72 said:
Khonda said:
Leaks in the boot, easy fix though.
Boot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
Interesting you should say that about the boot latchBoot latch can fail. Avoid if this happens, very rare but several garages including Honda couldn’t solve it and the car in question had to be auctioned.
My 1.8ex suffered this problem shortly before I sold it and it was never resolved. Booked it into Honda but as it was an intermittent fault they couldn’t do anything because it didn’t play up while they had it. I did read that the main drivers door actuator was the culprit so had that changed by a local auto electrician. It fixed it for a few weeks then did it again. Eventually I part exed the car and was honest with the dealer who didn’t seem too bothered. Since that I read that the fix was to replace both the drivers door actuator and the boot actuator as well. But mine did also suffer the leaky tailgate and I wondered if they were perhaps connected.
The annoying thing was it worked 9 out of 10 times and would be fine for a week. Impossible for garages to diagnose! If it was mine I would have lived with it but as it was a customer paying top money they understandably wanted their money back.
ChrisH72 said:
Regarding the gearbox, it’s a few years since I owned the car but I remember it wasn’t the smoothest of gear changes. Quite un-Honda like really and nothing like that in the type r. I don’t remember any clicking as such but it was definitely notchy and didn’t like to be rushed. The clutch biting point was never an issue and felt normal enough to me so if it’s high then it could be on its way out. The pedal itself did have a very annoying squeak which I believe is a very common fault. Tried all sorts of sprays and lubricants but never managed to get rid of it.
The only other problem I had was a rattly heat shield which was just removed as it wasn’t serving much purpose (according to my local garage).
Other than that it was a reliable enough car.
Might be worth checking carefully for rust too as they are getting old now and hondas do have a reputation.
I had forgotten about the squeak! That was really annoying, the only other thing I would recommend to OP would be to drive it on some uneven/patchy roads as the ride is very unforgiving. It was one of the main reasons I ended up selling mine after a few years. The only other problem I had was a rattly heat shield which was just removed as it wasn’t serving much purpose (according to my local garage).
Other than that it was a reliable enough car.
Might be worth checking carefully for rust too as they are getting old now and hondas do have a reputation.
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