Ok, folks - so I've been trying to research what fluids to use in my new 97 Civic sedan. I've got stock everything, with the A/T.

Oil, I got a plan for. 'Nuff said - my first online oil argument was on the old VW Type-II list in 1997 or so....

But there are other things my car will eventually be thirsty for. Honda, of course, tells me quite seriously to use nothing but approved Honda anti-freeze, p/s fluid, ATF, brake fluid, etc. etc. etc.

And honestly, I have no problem with doing so, when I think there's actually a reason besides enriching the stealership.

So.... so far, I have discovered good reasons to use Honda ATF and P/S fluid. In the case of ATF, it appears that only the official Honda ATF really works properly (all others eventually cause slipping.) In the case of power steering fluid, you have to use either the Honda or an aftermarket fluid specifically for Hondas....and you use so little, you might as well get the good stuff.

Antifreeze - that one could go either way, which surprised me. Lots of folks say normal Prestone is fine (heck, so did I until I really dug into it), but others say that Honda requires a silicate-free anti-freeze. This appears to be a year difference and has to do with the design of the water pump. Can anyone advise me if by 1997, I need to be using the silicate-free Honda stuff, or I can still get away with standard Prestone?

Brakes - it appears that "brand-X" DOT-3 fluid is OK as long as you don't have ABS (which I don't.)

Oh, and I'm going out on a limb and saying unequivocally that I can use any kind of windshield wiper fluid I want!

Bottom line is that this is just my daily driver, I'm not racing or anything - just basic driving, but I do want the maximum reliability.

I'd appreciate any comments people have - thanks!

 

You've pretty much got it all right. Heres a quick list:

Oil -> its oil, run whatever you want, just make sure its the right grade
ATF -> Honda OEM
MTF -> Honda OEM or GM/Pennzoil Synchromesh
PS -> Honda OEM or another brand specifically formulated for Honda/Acrua
Coolant -> Thats kind of a grey area, but you're probably fine running prestone in a civic up until at least 2000. Don't know about after that
Brake fluid, any old DOT3 fluid should be fine.

 

Works for me.... thanks for the help!

 

I know this thread is about two months old, but I thought I'd put in a word about coolant. The same coolant that you would put in an old domestic car (with an iron block) is bad for aluminum engines. Honda actually put out a bulletin in 1995 about this.

http://handa-accessories.com/coolant.pdf

If you read the article, there are multiple compatibility problems with aluminum engines, but the biggest one is that silicate erodes aluminum, and it eats at the seals in the cooling system.

Honda (and other manufacturers) went to using OAT (organic acid technology) as a corrosion inhibitor. Honda's organic uses sebacate (or sebacic acid) as a corrosion inhibitor. General Motors did something similar with Dex-Cool, but don't ever put that (or the Prestone equivalent) in your car. I found out from a guy at the local Kragen that it forms something like gummy worms that clog up the works in your cooling system.

Now for the part where everyone has differing opinions:
Prestone makes a long-life coolant that's supposed to be compatible with all cooling systems, but I haven't tried it. I wouldn't put it in my car. I'd rather play it safe since I'm a broke college student. Just my opinion.

I put Honda Long Life Antifreeze Type 2 in my 2002 Civic when I replaced the engine (bought car used, engine went out after one month). It's a 50/50 pre-mix, which sort of sucks because it means that you're also paying for water, but on the plus side, it was designed specifically for our vehicles. I think I paid 10 or 15 for a gallon of it at the dealer. It's a little more expensive than Prestone Long Life (in the yellow bottle), but the service interval (at least for my 2002) is 120,000 miles, so the long-run price difference is negligible. Just change the coolant when you change your water pump and timing belt.

Oh by the way, Honda's Type 2 Antifreeze is blue (it used to be green) so people can tell it apart from the plain green stuff. Just a heads-up because it weirded me out when I first opened the jug.

 

well for me since i used to be a mechanic at honda so i get everything OEM honda for free. I have moticed a differance in the MTF with the oem honda theres alot left noise front the tranny. Also i noticed that the blue coolant last alot long then the green (dosnt discolor as fast).So as far as im concerned OE honda for me