Okay, this happens to be my first post.... Ever... Consider this a blessed moment. Anyway, I just bought a 97 EX Coupe on 1/01/02 and let me tell you, it's pretty stock (Only an AEM cool air intake). I am wondering about the reliablity of this engine and how it should be taken care of. It only has 41K and I wanna keep it for as long as possible.. I guess all I'm really looking for is examples of how to take care of this 1.6L VTEC... Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Generally speaking, you couldn't buy a more reliable and trouble-free car.

Perform oil changes every 3k miles with good oil (doesn't have to be synthetic, but that helps) and keep ahead on all the interval services detailed in the owners manual (timing belt, plugs, etc) and your motor should last 200k+ street miles - assuming that it has been taken care of for the first 41k, that is.

Also, be sure to let your car idle for 1 minute or more before you drive it, and for at least 30 seconds before you turn it off. Idle oil pressure (and oil temp, for that matter) is one of the most overlooked parts of vehicle care on a daily basis.

Hope that helps,

Jon

 

What Jon said.

As for where to buy stuff, shop around and ask around. Lots of knowledgable folk here at H-T.com. Do you have anything in mind? Competition plans? Or just commuting from A to B?

How to drive? Depress clutch, turn key. Put into 1st gear. Release clutch and apply some gas.

Seriously, on the street, the car handles pretty well as-is. The best upgrades are a rear swaybar and good tires.

The engine doesn't need much - the few horsepower you'll get from headers and a cat-back are hardly worth the effort and expense on a street car.