larudy

Hi so I had posted once before but I am stumped and don't know where else to look to for help to figure this car out so here is the story of my Honda Civic.


Around 4 months ago I was in the market for a new car so I had seen online a 2000 honda civic lx, 95k for 1000$, is was a car from the 'hood covered in black spray paint graphics and chrome stickers.
I checked it out test drove on the highway, seemed good.
So I dickered the guy down and got it for 800$ ( too good to be true I know)
Not even 15 minutes from where I got it the CEL comes on (LOL)

The CEL was for the cat converter,
so I left it alone and not even a week later the car stops shifting in the middle of a busy intersection ( I'm talking full out revving and the car not going anywhere, not shifting at all)
So I figure whatever and get it towed to a tranny shop and got the whole thing fixed for 1800$ with a 2 year warranty.
it had been the torque converter had went out.

So then the mechanic had said "Oy theres some wires to something on top the engine and they aren't hooked up to anything"
So I go do you know what it is "nope I dont have no idea"
So take it to another shop, they still don't know what it is.
So Then I paid almost 500$ TO get the new cat converter/manifold combo fixed(they are attached to eachother whatever)
I go to the junk yard with a picture from my engine to find out what this mysterious sensor/wires that aren't hooked up, turns up its a VTEC solenoid.

WTF???!!!!!

I got a LX, theres no VTEC in an LX?!

SO I go to look at the numbers on the motor.
d16y5 with a swapped out VIN plate (LOL)

Crikey thats not right I got a 4 door lx
Not a frankenweeny HX

fast forward a few weeks CEL Back on showing misfire in 3 out of four cylinders, I buy a new distributer cap plugs and wires, pop them babies on the light goes off for a week, comes back on.
Now we got very low rough idling, misfiring, and dieing out at stop signs.


Go get 2 o2 sensors,
put them in yesterday
NO CEL yet (i drove around quite a bit today so its still early to say)
still very rough idling(very low almost to 0)

Oh and now got a huge hole in the exhaust so bought a cat back,
bought motor mounts due to them basically crumbling when i jacked it up,
assuming whoever did the shete engine swap didn't change them when they swapped considering the o2 sensors looked original and were seized onto the exhaust to where i had to break it off to get it off ( was super black and burnt)

Popping noises when I turn, ordered complete front end.

assuming that 80% of stuff wasnt hooked up right since the vtec was there just not hooked up (still havent messed with it)

Once I got off all the chrome stickers the trunk was rusted through (gonna get one from the junk yard)
The bumper fell off when I was driving last month.
Whoever had it had put some lawn molding as a makeshift body kit (LOL)

Someone hit and ran the side at the movies, so Im missing a side mirror. Waiting on the insurance to get back to me so I can fix this car up,
a little project since the weather is starting to get nicer here in chicago.


So far this Honda has been the worst move I have made in purchasing a vehicle, but thankfully I am somewhat mechanically inclined so as long as its nice outside I fix it myself, may not be that professional in knowing what everything is exactly called but I sure know how to take things apart and put them back together.

I wanna fix this bad bad car up but Im starting to wonder if I should stick to this engine, or complete swap for a new one but then I also have to think the CVT is brand new complete rebuilt.

Any feedback is appreciated,
any ideas to what could be wrong with these symptoms (after reading what I have already replaced)



Rough low idling (<300rpm)
Stalling
Misfiring
Rough High idle at startup
Loss of power in general

chicken lingo

So you bought a problem car KNOWING it was a problem car without knowing anything about cars?
Way to fuckup.

larudy

How would I know it was a problem car? It had no codes and drove fine when I bought it. the problems started AFTER I got it......

larudy

How was I supposed to know I guess I was a bad judge of character and cars if you want to put it that way, I met the guy at a church and drove the car on the highway for 10+ miles even went above 80 mph and nothing besides some normal vibration (for that old a vehicle I figured some suspension issues anyways) The guy was the original owner (or so he said) So did I feel swindled? Yes of course, but there was no way of knowing with ANY car of that age until you start actually driving is as a DD, I could be the car guru of car gurus and check out a car for you and it be in top shape, but still break down on you the next week, its all mechanical nothing is 100% foolproof.

I am just asking for help in any ideas what could be wrong, I gave some backround to my issues and if your comment isn't relevant to what I am asking I suggest you keep to yourself.

I once had a jeep, I took it to get a radiator flush, the mechanic had forgot to hook up one hose right, and my trans blew on the highway, was I supposed to know these things happen? Even after I had left the shop him telling me it was good to go, things happen.

So no, to answer your sarcastic question, I didn't buy a problem car knowing it was a problem car.

chicken lingo

"I had seen online a 2000 honda civic lx, 95k for 1000$, is was a car from the 'hood covered in black spray paint graphics and chrome stickers. "

chicken lingo

You want help? Here's my honest advice.
Scrap the car, get a new one.
You're looking at a shitfuckton of problems that will cost you more than a similar car at a lower price point.

Fatdicklegend

You've literally put twice the amount of money into it than you paid for it. This sounds like a huge pile of **** that you keep throwing money at. Either start searching and learn to turn a wrench or sell it and buy something with a warranty. A 15 year old rusty honda project isn't a good daily.

larudy

did any of you actually read what I posted, I said I can do things myself as long as weather is permitting, I live in Chicago, we don't have 70 degrees every day.

Well since nobody wants to just answer the simple question of FROM WHAT I AM TELLING YOU, WHAT COULD BE THE PROBLEM

plenty of searching, plenty off off the wall answers I just am looking for personal opinons on WHAT COULD BE WRONG.
I have a 2014 car, this is a PROJECT I am working on, if i can fix it to where it is running spot on, EASILY could sell it 3k over here where I am at, money to fix it is not a big issue like I stated previous, I am not sure whether i should work with what i've got or DROP IN A NEW ENGINE ( which you would see if you actually read what I wrote in OP)
Body is GREAT condition, sly the missing mirror, a plastic bumper WHICH I ALREADY REPLACED and a rusty trunk WHICH I CAN REPLACE FOR 35$


PLEASE READ before you reply
Thanks_____

larudy

+ if I am lucky the insurance will total it from the condition I am at currently, so I was quoted from them already after they come look at it for about 2k and I get to keep the car, so really Im not loosing that much money and its a fun learning project since I am used to working on bigger vehicles.

So really people, obviously its not your first pick for a car, probably sounds like I am crazy BUT I am not, and this is fun for me to do in my spare time.

Fatdicklegend

You (poorly) wrote a book about a car that sounds like a pile of **** so sorry if I didn't read every word but I'm pretty sure I got the gist of it. You haven't done any work on it yourself yet other than a rotor cap and spark plugs. You paid someone to rebuild an auto tranny and paid 500 dollars to have the cat and stock header fixed. This isn't something someone with a project car does. I've never seen anyone win any races (other than drag) with an auto tranny. Nothing about your post implies you have any kind of mechanical knowledge or abilities. That's why everyone is suggesting you sell it. You being an ******* to everyone replying isn't going to help things either. Honda's are pretty simple in nature, just start searching/reading threads if this thread isn't helpful.

Your 2000 honda is just like the other millions of honda's that have been torn apart and modified. There are write ups and diagrams, how to's for literally everything you want to do.

Jimi Hondrix

That's not kosher!

Looks like you're the one that got ***...putz.

TomCat39

You never mentioned your ECU.

The LX should have a D16Y7 and the corresponding ECU.

I'm willing to bet the D16Y5 motor was thrown into the car and the Y7 ECU never changed out and would be why the vtec-e wasn't hooked up. And would also exlpain why it runs like ****.

You most likely need to start by getting the Y5 ECU, then doing a bit of wiring and get all the proper components for the Y5 if they are missing, such as EGR etc.

Then you could have yourself a good little lean burn super econo car.

Oh but there is one other big issue with that.... Sounds like you have an automatic.... The y5 ecu even if automatic won't mate with your transmission. The 96-00 auto's are not ecu transferable. You will also need an HX auto transmission.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

OP, you fucked up, and it sounds like you have absolutely no ******* clue what you're doing, or what you're talking about.

92 civic ex 4dr

Clean your iacv and fitv. They get dirty and the fitv comes out of adjustment. Check the faq section there is a write up on how to do it.

4dohs4mohoes

This.


Seriously OP? You come asking for help, but don't use common sense from the beginning? I mean, most of us here can fix cars, not people. Don't get butthurt when people call you out.

It sounds like you have some serious wiring/electrical issues. The car has been hacked up, and put back together. Most shops are parts replacers, not diagnostic shops. There aren't many people out there (in the mechanic industry) that can diag all these problems. Make sure you have the correct ECU and find and nice clean engine harness. Start there. Throwing parts at a car only fixes it if you're lucky.

Nave43

I myself being burnt on a car with the same situation. (everything was fine when i looked at it) best advice is search, solve the problems one at a time. Hard part is knowing when to put the last little money in or give up on the car. No point in scraping it once your 5k deep.

Unless you get a new/different car that all the new parts you bought can be swapped onto, then do that and scrap your old shell, start fresh and not waste your money. All this is irrelevant if your not willing to do the work yourself.

ray517

I'm sorry with how much **** you've gotten, that doesn't help you now but I hope you've learned to take a car to the mechanic before you buy it. Anyway getting to you're question first thing I would check is the vacuum lines to make sure there aren't any leaksand make sure the plug wires are connected in the correct order if that doesn't help make sure you have the correct ecu, the fact that the vtec was left unconnected would suggest that the proper ecu was not swapped in if that is not the case then you should go through and check all of your wiring is correct, this must be done very carefully and thoroughly. Have you gone and gotten the cel code read since your most recent repairs, that is if its still on. Beyond that it could be quite a few things but I would need more info than what you have provided. I hope this helps, if not come back, I have a couple more ideas.

tony_2018

Got a d16y5 engine with an automatic, this isn't going to look good.

TomCat39

Did any HX's come in the automatic flavor? I didn't go look on the oem parts sites to see.

OP you may need to do an automatic to manual swap if you want to stay with the Y5... If not then you should go get yourself another D16Y7 motor to swap in and return the car to stock.

tony_2018

Sour Apple CVT

TomCat39

Roger that. OP you can disregard my last post as you can get an automatic HX transmission even if it's of the worst generations to be in the automatic side of things.

Your first step is most likely a new ECU and for sure a new transmission, and by new I mean new to you.

Good luck.