meandino

Needed a car for the family that fits our needs for now. *So I found a 98 Civic EX Auto Sedan with 161k miles for $1800. Basically everything is stock with a upgraded stereo. Didn't think it was that bad of a deal, but needs a lot of TLC. It's white on gray has some body damage and Has been smoked in so couple burns in the seats and smells like it to. *

I'm going to do a tune up and possibly change the timing belt and water pump. The a/c compressor stopped working so that's being worked on now. *Windshield was cracked so I replaced that today.

I got a long ways to go before I'm finished but I'm excited to see results. *I'm wanting to switch out the interior and ether have it dark gray or black, and look into SiR, Ferio, or Domina options. *I like how the 92-95 sedan ferio's back seats have the Center consol built right into it. *Is that even possible with the 96-00? *I want to see some pics if anyone has any.

The Center panel on the dash is broken and needs replacing. *What's all involved to switching it to a 99-00 center panel?

The car also has some flaws that need fixing...

Tranny shifts fine going Through the gears when driving, but when parked and shifting manually it tends to slam into drive or reverse from neutral. Also when coming to a stop the rpms get really low but doesn't feel like it's struggling to stay running.

When speeding up going around corners I hear a clicking sound from what I think is the cv axles going out. But doesn't do it when I test them out in the parking lot.

Suspension makes a scary sound when going over bumps like something is lose and going to fall off the car.

Thanks for you help h-t. *Sorry I don't have pics right now.

virgineg6

i dont think they made any sedans with black interior i could be mistaken though

meandino

Yeah I think your right. I thought maybe there could have been a special edition or something.

meandino

Just got the ac done and the new compressor sounds worse.

Former User

Who replaced the compressor? What was done? Details would help.

meandino

Just a local shop. I just told them about it and called him back today. They think they put a bad one in and are going to switch it out today. So we'll see. It was making a bad bearing sound with the pitch changing every time you turn on and off the a/c.

meandino

So just picked up the car and the a/c was fixed.

So now when I turn on the a/c the rpms drop dramatically. Is there a DIY on how to adjust this on the automatics?

Linked

as for the clicking when turning but not clicking when in parking lots

the clicking comes from the cv joint when the wheel is under pressure as you turn at relatively high speeds, when doing it in the parking lot you probably aren't going fast enough to put the cv joint under any real stress. your axle is still bad

meandino

Yeah that's what I figured. Thanks for confirmation.

JasonGhostz

Bearings are usually the cause of clicking, and you can always do a visual check on the Boots to see if grease has leaked from a crack or worn seal. Check for excessive play with the Wheel off of the ground. Too much movement can come from either the Hub/Bearing/Knuckle Assembly, and/or where the Knuckle connects to the chassis at the UCA, LCA, and Tie Rod End (all ball joints).

When my TA Bushings snapped (about 3 days apart), it sounded like someone threw a 10 pound rock at my car. I haven't replaced them yet, and I've noticed that these and other worn bushings have led to a lot of clunking around when going over bumps. If you have things taken down, check the condition of your Damper/Shock Absorber Bump Stops. Mine are about to disintegrate, and my car's one year (and 50k mi) younger than yours.

Keep us in the loop and let us know how things go. GL and Have A Great Drive!
JasonGhostz

meandino

Thank for the help.

My driver rear door is not coming open at all. I hear it unlocking but there is never any tension on the handles. Both inside and outside. How do you pull the panel or get the door open?

meandino

No one knows how to get that panel off when the door won't open?

JasonGhostz

Remove the screws that hold the Speaker Housing and Speaker, Door Handle Cover, and Window Crank (or Power Window Master Switch).
From there, the Door Panel is secured with plastic press-in clips. Start from the bottom, pulling towards the car's centerline, then lift the rear end up to get it out from under the Tweeter Housing/Mirror Trim.

If you go to sites like hondapartsdeals.com, navigate to the appropriate section to view the diagrams. You'll be able to figure it out after looking at them for a while.

Better yet, get a Helm Inc. Manual. It'll cost about $75, shipped, but I can guarantee it will pay for itself 1873471 times over if you do the work yourself.

GL and Have A Great Drive!
JasonGhostz

meandino

Yeah it's on the back door and it won't open. I heard removing the seat help a lot too.

XDeath

Yea, a helms manual woupd help, or google.. shouldnt be too hard with honda seeing how a lot of things are usually easy to remove. Try removing the seat first if it helps.. Also as far as black interior goes, try finding an acura integras interior. They have black leather interiors that swap right in

meandino

Got the door open and switched out the lock so it works like new again.

Found some black interior from another civic so I'll just wait till I save some money and get the whole setup.