NHHONDA

hi all new member here. im going this weekend to look at buying a 98 civic ex 4-door with 160k miles. the guy told me on the phone last night that the chech engine light came on this week and hes not sure why. his ad says it recently had the headers down pipe and 02 sensor replaced. im hoping to get my hands on an obd2 scan tool before i go down and if not i should still be able to get an obd1 code thanks to the instructions on this forum. i was wondering if someone could list a few of the more likely best case scenario and worst case scenario codes that might come up and what it would cost to have them fixed. also what else should i be checking out on the car? thanks

habanerored06si

$1 to $not worth buying

Don't go without a scanning tool.

redm3turbo

Id go take it for a ride, see if it smokes, hows it run, does it over heat, hows the oil look, etc etc etc.

Usually CEL's are sensors...most are easy cheap fixes. Cat Conv's do show up though and they are not cheap

xxxrjd2xxx

if you can't get your hands on a scan tool see if you are able to drive it up to the nearest autozone. they usually pull the codes for you for free.

HondaPartsHero

My guess is its a P0420 code, bad cat. But its just a guess.

doctorake

I would just buy something that has no issues.

98civdx

You don't need a scan tool. Just jump the connecter and count the blinks.

check the sticky at the top to learn how.

NHHONDA

ya i already read some of the code thread, if i cant get a scanner i will do it that way, but i think i read in there that the scanner will give you codes that are more specific about whats wrong with the car so i'd prefer that.



ive been checking out craigslist for a few weeks and this car seems to be the best of all of them. and the seller already said he would knock a few hundred off the price because of the cel, so if its a cheap easy fix then it actually works in my favor.

strategy400

Read the code and see what it is. Maybe it just needs a sensor or distributor.

I usually take a mechanics stethascope, flashlight and inspection mirror with me to look at a potential car. Code reader for certain year cars. I like to open the radiator and warm it to operating temps and check for bubbles in the radiator (leaking headgasket) and coolant quality, good coolant flow, check for smoke out the exhaust (white - headgasket, blue/black - running rich, rings, valve seals), take off the oil fill cap and see whats under there (evidence of moisture - headgasket, sludge build up - poor maintenance), run engine with oil cap off and see what kind of blow-by is coming out of there, pull the dipstick(s) and inspect fluid quality/level/for moisture, inspect under car for leaks, suspension/drivetrain wear (boots), inspect tires for uneven wear (suspension wear), listen to engine run, test drive and test A/C, lights, let go of steering wheel and see if it pulls to the side, shift through all gears, full throttle operation (they love that), high speed on freeway, any noises shimmies vibrations, find a spot to turn the wheels lock to lock and drive a few circles test the axles for noise, check the pink slip for clean title.

Check the engine number on the block and see if its original (if that matters to you). Check the nuts and bolts for wear (has something been repaired/replaced/worked on/molested or has nothing ever been done/neglect). Open the trunk. I like a clean trunk.

After assessment if anything needs repair I may haggle the price based on that (depending on the price).

Biggest deals to me is does the engine run smooth, tranny shift smooth, car drive straight, body panels/doors line up, paint/pin striping match on all panels (evidence of collision), and making sure the head gasket isn't blown. I will not buy a car with evidence of a bad headgasket.

After a purchase I'll usually open the top timing cover and see what brand of belt is there, if it's not a honda belt (doesn't say honda on it) then it has been changed at least once. If in doubt, depending on the mileage, I will do a timing belt job and change all the fluids/do a major tune up.

I probably missed a few things. Anyone else have good car buying inspection techniques to add?

Former User

To avoid the possibility of pulling irrelevant codes, reset the ECU and then take the car on a test drive. If the CEL turns on, then pull the codes. The latter codes represent actual problems.

NHHONDA

by the way that free vin check works great! and the car looks good on there. the first owner had it for 12.5 years, and the current owner bought it off them a year ago. no accidents reported. the only thing i found odd is there was no events for 2001-2004, but then i did a vin check on a truck i used to own and it also had the same missing events from 2001-2004 so maybe thats just how the system works or something. i ended up getting 2 scan tools from guys at work. one is a simple black & decker one and the other is a more complicated looking CAN OBD2&1 made by innova. if i pull up a code that i dont fully understand ill probably post it up on this thread tomorrow morning and see if i can get a quick response from someone about how much it would cost to fix it. and im no mechanic but ill see if i can put some of those techniques from strategy400 to good use. thanks. wish me luck.

NHHONDA

P0171 system too lean
P0170 fuel trim

Any ideas?

Former User

Did you reset the ECU to see whether the code repeats? There's no sense in discussing a code that does not repeat.

NHHONDA

No but these are the only codes that came up. I just reset them and am going for a ride. I pulled the oil filler cap with the engine running and there's air blowing out, is a little air okay or do you ideally want no air coming out?

Former User

There's really only one code, P0171. Check whether it repeats.

Some blowby is normal. If you are concerned, ask the seller how much oil the engine uses per oil change. As you risk the possibility of not getting truthful information, you could also compression test the cylinders.

NHHONDA

If the code doesn't pop up again should i not be worried about it? What would have caused it to pop up?

Former User

Again, there's nothing to talk about if the code does not repeat.

NHHONDA

I left without buying it. Told him i had to think about it. The biggest issue i actually had with it is the heater vents smell like mouse ****. The car has been sitting for quite some time. Anyone know how hard it is to get rid of that?

Sr420Det

on this code, its hardly ever a cat. Replace primary o2 then secondary then cat.

Former User

This^ is not correct for our Civics. P0420 is almost always a bad cat, but in some cases can be an exhaust leak.

Sr420Det

iv fixed several with primary o2 (guess not civics) but it was off topic anyways, so my apologies.