Did a tune-up on my Civic today...

[randomhero439]

Hey guys! It was nice and my Civic is creeping up on 200k miles here this year, so i figured ill give it a nice cleansing.

Fram Air filter
eBay Cabin Filter
NGK Laser Platinum spark plugs
Honda MTF for the manual trans
Honda P/S fluid change
Flushed the brakes and clutch fluid with Valvoline DOT 3/4
New front Centric C-TEK rotors and Centric Premium Ceramic pads
New off-brand RockAuto front lower control arms and tie-rod ends.
About 20,000 miles ago, i did some Tokico HP blue shocks on stock springs.

WOW what a world of difference. It completely changed the car. It makes no more noises or clunks and the brakes are so sharp and do not shake anymore! Steering feels more responsive likely thanks to the new bushings in the control arms

As for the engine with 193k on it...
-Started with Seafoam in the throttle body, approx. half the can. Shut car off for 5min. Then go do some red-line shifts on the back roads.
-Amsoil Engine Flush in the crankcase and idle for 15min.
-Drain, fill, change filter. Pennzoil 10w-40 & Purolator Classic
-Fill up the tank with some Marathon 87 and Amsoil P.I. fuel system cleaner!
-Gonna run the Pennzoil for 2500 miles as a rinse. Then back to my normal 5k OCI.

Engine feels much more responsive and urgent. I do not feel a power difference however. Im curious to see how my MPG looks over the next few tanks.

 

[JavierG]

Too cool. Sounds like your Civic is well taken care of. Should get another couple hundred thousand miles easily. What were you getting in mpg's prior?

 

[daves87rs]

Sounds good!

 

[Clevy]

I've always foun that a sea foam treatment thru a vacuum line bring back the responsiveness of a vehicle.
In November I did my friends ram and his wife's equinox. Oil changes for both and seafoamed the intakes through the vacuum line.
The next day his wife called me asking what kind of oil I used because she said the engine felt like brand new. I knew it wasn't the oil. Her equinox has 150kms and hadn't ever been done before.
I used mos2 in both vehicles. Both experienced a fuel economy increase and the equinox in particular had a significant drop in engine vibrations.
I now do all her co-workers preventative maintenance.

 

[david_ES2]

Awesome !

Maybe reseting the ecu after all that work done might help too.

 

[Darwin1138]

You did all that in just one day????

Man you must be the fastest wrench in the continent. One time it took me a week to change a set of rear brake pads , it will take me years to do all that.

I hope you didn't end up like me, with a bunch of extra bolts that you don't know where they came from.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Me too ! When I finished some works under the hood I always had some extra bolts, nuts, screws, washers ... The next time I opened the hood I found some holes that those bolts, screws should be there.

 

[Clevy]

Originally Posted By: Darwin1138
You did all that in just one day????

Man you must be the fastest wrench in the continent. One time it took me a week to change a set of rear brake pads , it will take me years to do all that.

I hope you didn't end up like me, with a bunch of extra bolts that you don't know where they came from.


Brakes are easy, just don't unhook the fluid lines.

 

[Subdued]

these things are way over engineered anyway

 

[Turk]

Dude, that's awesome!!

I love those marathon sessions too.

 

[rockydee]

Cool. Did you do the FI cleaner & engine flush before or after the actual tune up? I probably would have done that stuff before changing the plugs, etc. I can't prove one way or the other if it matters or not though. Looks like you really went through that car though.

 

[jeepman3071]

Those are nice cars. My sister has a 2005 Civic that has been in our family since new. The car is bare bones with crank windows and manual locks. It only has 143k miles on it, but it runs like new. Every time I do maintenance on it I appreciate how simple and reliable it is.

Just curious, why do you run 10w40? Does it burn/leak oil? I'm not sure about 2002, but I know my sister's '05 specs 5w20. I bet running a thicker oil might make it seem a little sluggish.

 

[1foxracing]

Didn't see you mention it so I would also recommend a valve clearance/adjustment check especially with that amount of miles.

 

[randomhero439]

Originally Posted By: JavierG
What were you getting in mpg's prior?


About 28-30mpg, mostly city.

Originally Posted By: Darwin1138
You did all that in just one day????


Easy when you have access to a lift and all the tools!

Originally Posted By: Subdued
these things are way over engineered anyway


Not a chance

Originally Posted By: rockydee
Cool. Did you do the FI cleaner & engine flush before or after the actual tune up?


I changed the plugs after i ran the Seafoam and Amsoil Engine Flush. The Amsoil P.I. is still in the tank.

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
Just curious, why do you run 10w40? Does it burn/leak oil? I'm not sure about 2002, but I know my sister's '05 specs 5w20. I bet running a thicker oil might make it seem a little sluggish.


It does burn 5w-20, about 1qt/1000 miles. I usually do 85mph for a few hours every couple weeks, and the revs are at 3500rpm. I prefer the thicker oils.

Originally Posted By: 1foxracing
Didn't see you mention it so I would also recommend a valve clearance/adjustment check especially with that amount of miles.


Oh i do need to do that. Ill do both cars this spring.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: randomhero439
Originally Posted By: Darwin1138
You did all that in just one day????

Easy when you have access to a lift and all the tools!

Without a lift it's difficult to do all that in a day (8-10 hours)

 

[David1]

NGK Laser Plats very good spark plug.. Some people use Boesh +4 Plat or Ir or some use Denso and I know it says in owners manual you can use Denso....

However the NGK Laser Plats is what I use.

Also some people use them new Iridium IX,

Not the Laser Iridium

Also I hve never used seafoam... I just put in 4 oz of Marvel Mystery Oil in with each fill up.

That seafoam stuff scares me.. all that white smoke... Makes me think its going to kill the O2 sensors.

I dunno.. I have seen the videos on the you tube and that sea foam just scares me.

Ill stick to my Marvel Mystery oil and FREE CITGO Tri-Clean FUEL.

87 Octane.. Or when I can find it I get Chevron Gas...

I would much rahter use Chevron.

Also I Valvoline Maxlife for oil... However Im thinking of going to Pennzoil High Millage.

I know Pennzoil High Milage is not a syn blend.. However who really knows how much SYN is in Valvoline max Life.

Pennzoil Syn Blend at least tells you 50% Synthetic oil...

I feel that all the syn blended oils should give you a ration / % of how much syn oil is in there.

Also I understand Pennzoil, if you have a high milage car the leaks oil and synthetic oil is known to clean up the GUNK around the seals it can cause it to leak.

So IMO Pennzoill might be doing the correct thing with thier HM oil being convetnonal wih no SYN.

Sorry off topic there.

just wanted to get it off my mind

Also wanted to say you got top end parts for your brakes.

I hope your front end parts were MOOG.