Honda Civic 2007 Repair/Maintenance

[Nemesis_lane]

My honda civic FD4 gear box occasionally engage the reverse gear is difficult. The car will do a big jump into reverse.

Anyone encountered this B4? Hoping to avoid an expensive gear box overhaul 

[boonhat_91]

2008 FD1. Wall of text ahead.

I've recently been monitoring with a OBDII scanner and I noticed that my coolant temp easily reaches 100°C and above with slightly heavy footed driving and stop-and-go between traffic lights. It's even worse on a hot afternoon - it reached 113°C! However, it doesn't quickly reach 100 after startup. If I drive deliberately sedately, it will reach and hover around 80-90°C. It will then usually go above 90°C when I have to accelerate up to expressway speeds but again if I continue driving sedately it will stay between 90-100°C. The segment after exiting the expressway and reaching my destination is where I always see the temp exceed 100°C and hard to bring back down, I suspect because of the stop-and-go nature and also by then the engine is relatively hot.

1. When I have enough runway to coast with foot off the throttle, 30 seconds of coasting can see the temp drop 5°C. This should mean the radiator itself is working correctly?

2. I see the radiator fan running, no reason for me to believe it's faulty I guess?

3. About 1.5 months ago I checked and saw the expansion reservoir completely empty - I topped it up but I observed no noticeable difference in the temps. I topped up with battery water and accidentally filled the tank to at least 3/4 - the max line is around halfway on the tank or even lower. The reservoir has not gone empty yet, BUT the level is now residing between min and max.

4. I've been checking oil level regularly, doesn't seem low. The car is serviced regularly but I'm not familiar with the exact part replacement history. It's owned by a family member but I only started using the car on a regular basis 2 years ago. My driving style has always been on the heavy footed side and I never noticed any issue - only about 3 months ago I saw the temp gauge jump to the 3/4 level when it is normally at 1/2 or slightly below. This is what sparked my monitoring.

I'm thinking of replacing the thermostat and flush+replace coolant and see if any difference. Wonder if any experienced folks have opinions to share?

[Yeobh]

suggest you replace the coolant ( chance the Ethylene Glycol Coolant % is too low due to too much adding of distiller water) and replace the radiator cap.

[Colin03]

check for any coolant leaking (after a night of parking) - change the hose if necessary / could be the fan is faulty too

[Yeobh]

Coolant leakage can be externel via hoses , joints etc and  radiator cap. If the leak is seeping very slow only at hig temp, visual inspection is very difficult. The most difficult to detect for leak is internal via cylinder head gasket.  Seek professional shop help that have coolant system pressure tester.

[Mkl22]

On 3/3/2025 at 12:21 PM, boonhat_91 said:

2008 FD1. Wall of text ahead.

I've recently been monitoring with a OBDII scanner and I noticed that my coolant temp easily reaches 100°C and above with slightly heavy footed driving and stop-and-go between traffic lights. It's even worse on a hot afternoon - it reached 113°C! However, it doesn't quickly reach 100 after startup. If I drive deliberately sedately, it will reach and hover around 80-90°C. It will then usually go above 90°C when I have to accelerate up to expressway speeds but again if I continue driving sedately it will stay between 90-100°C. The segment after exiting the expressway and reaching my destination is where I always see the temp exceed 100°C and hard to bring back down, I suspect because of the stop-and-go nature and also by then the engine is relatively hot.

1. When I have enough runway to coast with foot off the throttle, 30 seconds of coasting can see the temp drop 5°C. This should mean the radiator itself is working correctly?

2. I see the radiator fan running, no reason for me to believe it's faulty I guess?

3. About 1.5 months ago I checked and saw the expansion reservoir completely empty - I topped it up but I observed no noticeable difference in the temps. I topped up with battery water and accidentally filled the tank to at least 3/4 - the max line is around halfway on the tank or even lower. The reservoir has not gone empty yet, BUT the level is now residing between min and max.

4. I've been checking oil level regularly, doesn't seem low. The car is serviced regularly but I'm not familiar with the exact part replacement history. It's owned by a family member but I only started using the car on a regular basis 2 years ago. My driving style has always been on the heavy footed side and I never noticed any issue - only about 3 months ago I saw the temp gauge jump to the 3/4 level when it is normally at 1/2 or slightly below. This is what sparked my monitoring.

I'm thinking of replacing the thermostat and flush+replace coolant and see if any difference. Wonder if any experienced folks have opinions to share?

engine cooling fan also a problem. does not mean that it moves everything is fine. it should spin faster to bring temps down. if highway is cool and in traffic is hot then high chance is the fan.

[Gnahp]

On 3/3/2025 at 5:20 PM, Mkl22 said:

engine cooling fan also a problem. does not mean that it moves everything is fine. it should spin faster to bring temps down. if highway is cool and in traffic is hot then high chance is the fan.

I also bet my money on this one

 

[Volvobrick]

On 3/3/2025 at 8:20 PM, Mkl22 said:

engine cooling fan also a problem. does not mean that it moves everything is fine. it should spin faster to bring temps down. if highway is cool and in traffic is hot then high chance is the fan.

Could be intermittent failure. Eg connection loose when high speed and fan cut off or thermostat faulty.

Coolant overheat leading to more evaporative loss. 

PS don't think old car fans are variable speed. Either on or off. And if ac is on the fan should be on too.

Edited March 3 by Volvobrick

[Mkl22]

On 3/3/2025 at 7:19 PM, Volvobrick said:

Could be intermittent failure. Eg connection loose when high speed and fan cut off or thermostat faulty.

Coolant overheat leading to more evaporative loss. 

PS don't think old car fans are variable speed. Either on or off. And if ac is on the fan should be on too.

If single fan likely to have a low and high speed. But need to check wiring diagram.

 

[boonhat_91]

On 3/3/2025 at 5:20 PM, Mkl22 said:

engine cooling fan also a problem. does not mean that it moves everything is fine. it should spin faster to bring temps down. if highway is cool and in traffic is hot then high chance is the fan.

 

On 3/3/2025 at 6:37 PM, Gnahp said:

I also bet my money on this one

 

Thanks all for the insights. 

1) In this case I should be replacing the fan motor? I don't suppose the blades or housing would have anything to do with the fan speed?

2) How would I tell if the fan is not spinning at its optimal speed? Visually it looks like it's spinning at an "acceptable" speed i.e. doesn't look slow

[Beregond]

On 3/4/2025 at 9:20 AM, boonhat_91 said:

 

Thanks all for the insights. 

1) In this case I should be replacing the fan motor? I don't suppose the blades or housing would have anything to do with the fan speed?

2) How would I tell if the fan is not spinning at its optimal speed? Visually it looks like it's spinning at an "acceptable" speed i.e. doesn't look slow

Bro. Seriously?  

But no 1 even take a physical look at your car yet.

There are so many thing that could cause your issue.  Radiator choke? Last time got use coolant? Thermostats jam? Bababa.

Forum here is just to give an idea.

Should u not visit a proper workshop and let them take a look? 

[Mkl22]

On 3/4/2025 at 9:20 AM, boonhat_91 said:

 

Thanks all for the insights. 

1) In this case I should be replacing the fan motor? I don't suppose the blades or housing would have anything to do with the fan speed?

2) How would I tell if the fan is not spinning at its optimal speed? Visually it looks like it's spinning at an "acceptable" speed i.e. doesn't look slow

some use a rolled up newspaper to try to stop the fan. if weak then easily stopped. else if you have never changed the fan before just change it. the symptoms look like this if you have stated everything correctly. else just bring to workshop. dont pussyfoot around cooling system, just quickly fix it, overheat and then engine can be kissed goodbye.

 

[Mkl22]

On 3/4/2025 at 9:56 AM, Beregond said:

Bro. Seriously?  

But no 1 even take a physical look at your car yet.

There are so many thing that could cause your issue.  Radiator choke? Last time got use coolant? Thermostats jam? Bababa.

Forum here is just to give an idea.

Should u not visit a proper workshop and let them take a look? 

exactly. it is not like it is power window or aircon spoil, where can wait a bit. once overheat... then even bigger bills.

[Beregond]

On 3/4/2025 at 9:58 AM, Mkl22 said:

exactly. it is not like it is power window or aircon spoil, where can wait a bit. once overheat... then even bigger bills.

I think his car already experience overheat issue. U see he say the temperature went up to 113.  How long he drive in that high temperature.  Its an old car.

For all we know he could already have minor burn head gasket issue. Alot of thing to check.  Opening the radiator cap to check for bubbles is not easy task.

Plus the tools to check for leak is not cheap either.

Just visit a proper WS. Rather then keep dragging and matter get worst.

Like u say. It could become an overhaul. 

[boonhat_91]

On 3/4/2025 at 9:56 AM, Beregond said:

Bro. Seriously?  

But no 1 even take a physical look at your car yet.

There are so many thing that could cause your issue.  Radiator choke? Last time got use coolant? Thermostats jam? Bababa.

Forum here is just to give an idea.

Should u not visit a proper workshop and let them take a look? 

Fair enough. Ideally I won't want to end up with the workshop telling me to replace ABC when the issue is DEF, hence the attempt to narrow down.

[lightesttouch]

@Metalslug2 

Follow us on our website Lightesttouch

The 2007 Honda Civic is generally a reliable car, but like any older vehicle, there are some common issues to watch out for. Here’s a breakdown of potential problems and estimated costs:

Brake Pads & Rotors: $300–$600

Transmission Fluid Change: $150–$250

If the car has a clean service history and none of these issues have popped up yet, it can still be a solid buy. Just make sure to have a mechanic inspect it before purchase to avoid expensive surprises.

For more car maintenance insights, check out Lightesttouch: https://lightesttouch.co.uk/paint-work

Edited 10 hours ago by lightesttouch
very long paragraph

[PSP415]

On 3/4/2025 at 11:01 AM, boonhat_91 said:

Fair enough. Ideally I won't want to end up with the workshop telling me to replace ABC when the issue is DEF, hence the attempt to narrow down.

Once owned a FD2 and drove till scrap. My go-to mechanic then is SKM (Ah Heng) who came highly recommended by bros from the Honda Civic forum (can't recall name liao😅). 

To me, his prices are reasonable and services are amongst the better ones. I went to him because he's garnered a strong reputation for Honda rides. 

Just sharing in case you dun want to risk being taken for a ride. My grouse with Ah Heng is that he will not recommend parts change if he thinks still got life or bite and long queues cars so need to wait. 

Not related to the business or anything here or there. 

Stay safe. 

Cheers