first let me say, i am happy to be back on ht. i was a member long ago when i drove my 89 hatch, and was good buddies with a guy that has an itr. anyhow, thanks for having me again.

now on to business. im actually helping my gf buy a car. my advice to her is a civic coupe, sedan, or hatchback, 96+, with less than 150k miles. she has a friend selling an 01 civic ex 180k miles, it needs new front passenger bearing, new springs, has slight oil leak, and slight ps pump leak. he also said it only gets 24 mpg, while not a bad number, that seems low for what the cars estimated mpg is, price is 2700.00. its a good price, however, if the motor is on the verge of death then thats not where she needs to put her money(i do understand that any car at any time can malfunction, im just looking for the best/smartest starting point). tell me your thoughts guys and gals.

thanks in advance.

 

That car sounds like a bit of a headache. $2700 isn't a terrible price, but sadly... 7th Generation Civics aren't worth much.

 

Questions you need to be asking:

-When was timing belt done? (It's about time for the second timing belt/water pump change)
-Any service records?
-What does compression look like? (I don't buy a car until I check compression)
-Where is the oil leaking from? (Anywhere but the headgasket and it's an easy fix.)
-Are there any codes? (check fuel trim also)
-Is it a salvage title?

New air filter, oil change/filter, new spark plugs and it'll be right back at 30+mpg. Don't use FRAM filters.

On another note: I have an '01 EX and I bought brand new springs about 3 years ago and after about a year I notice handling problems and couldn't figure it out. Somebody came up to me and asked if it was lowered and I was like no. But that got me thinking and I measured ride height and it had sank 1" in a year. I am not the only one that has had this happen. Moral of the story: OEM springs are weak. If it's gonna drop 1" in a year you might as well go with good aftermarket that already has the drop.

 

They were when I bought mine

It sounds like the engine is on its way out, even a relatively minor oil leak left unchecked can cause major problems over the long term if the current owner is allowing the engine to run on low oil. Additionally, if he's only getting 24mpg then there are issues deep inside then engine causing it, needing a tune up won't cause a 30-40% drop in fuel economy. Even if you did an oil/filter change, spark plugs, air filter and 02 sensor I bet you'd still be hovering around 30mpg and thats still way off

 

Really? When I'm overdue for an oil change I get about 25mpg but, when I change the oil it goes right back to 30+mpg. I'm not trying to argue the point, I just wanted to point out that old oil can have drastic effects on mpg- not to mention hp.

I guess it really just depends on the severity of the oil leak and if it's topped up or not. My oil seals at the tranny/axles both leak and it only loses 1/4 quart between oil changes.

To the OP: I'm curious now- how severe/where is the leak and what level is the oil at?

 

I totally agree on old oil dramatically harming mileage, but if I wanted to sell a car I wouldn't be saying it gets 25mpg when I haven't changed the oil in 8k miles, I'd say what it gets when maintenance is up to date. Which leads me to believe that the seller isn't getting good mileage ever and that it probably gets a bit worse when late on changes..

 

^^ Good point.

 

You're not alone there. I paid $13,500 for mine, second hand. And, at that point, it was 4 years old.

 

Paid $15,000 for mine almost 3 years ago, now its worth less than half.

 

you guys are good. im loving the input. i told my gf the same things yall are reinforcing. i literally told her "24 mpg is good for most cars, but not for that one, which means its possible the motor is on its last leg."

the friend selling the car says he has regular maintenance done(so his 24mpg is likely based on normal driving).

i will ask about the timing belt, etc.

 

im thinking about buying a compression tester, since they arent much and id like to have one for future used car purchases and to keep up with my jeeps engines health. if i buy one, what should compression be in that civic? also, if compression shows to be ok, is it more likely that the bad mpg is due to improper maintenance, and would yall say its a safer buy?

 

I think he's continually running it low on oil and as a result something internally has worn out and is causing increased friction, in turn resulting in poor mileage. Either that or whoever did the timing belt messed up the timing, but I would think the current owner would have tried to correct that immediately if he had a major drop in mpg.

Like I said before, when someone sells something they pitch it optimistically, so 24mpg is probably what he's getting with everything as up to date as it gets. A very good tune-up could potentially solve the problem, but your taking a definite risk, especially if your not able to do all the work yourself to save some of the expense.

For the compression test, the most important thing is that all cylinders have comparable readings. Regardless, I wouldn't touch it, its sounds like a poorly maintained pile of problems.

 

add another $1000 and get something better and safe to drive. you dont want your girl on the side of the road waiting for help. i would buy it for myself because i know how to repair and take stuff apart, repair, and reassemble, but not someone thats a close loved one.

 

I paid 3200 ....um then I lost 2more cause I didnt change my stripped oil pan...fml lol

 

Just make sure it doesn't have too much rust or accident.

 

what about getting a compression tester, good idea? not meaning just for that car, but a tool to have in the garage from now on.

 

Yes. Very good tool to have. Do not buy a vehicle without testing compression- ever. Bite the bullet and get the kit that comes with every adapter.

 

It's a good idea if you plan on using it.

If it only gets 24 mpg, something might be wrong.

My '01 has 225k miles on it, and it consistently gets 35mpg or better. It just got 35mpg on it's last tank with junk E10 and winter gas. Miles of oil change have had no effect on mileage.

I take it by "needs new front passenger bearing", you mean wheel bearing?

I'd listen to the engine, cold if possible, and listen for bottom end noise and valve train noise.

$2700 is a pretty good price, around me people are asking a lot more then that for some reason. It might just need a good 'Italian tune up' .

 

Even if you use it once in a great while it's still good to have.

I think seafoam or something like that would be better for a civic rather than an "Italian tuneup".

 

Italian tuneup with Seafoam! J/K. I agree with you.

 

I concur with others' concerns about how this car was cared for. For the money, I would go with an older Civic with similar miles and fewer problems. Trade off years for less mechanical problems. 24 mpg is baloney and is not just a sign of engine problems but the poor combustion is likely going to mess up the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors, too.

What is your girlfriend's budget?

Buy the service at www.autocheck.com to see if any car you are looking at is a salvage vehicle. I would not recommend salvage for a friend. Aim for a one-owner car; autocheck.com will tell you this with it seems good reliability. More at http://sites.google.com/site/hondalioness/buyingused

Also for something like this, I would advise against doing business with a friend.

 

I just bought a 2004 Ex with 80k on it for 7k. Now the Kbb on it was around 8500 i think but at 7k i still feel I over paid a tad just because I had cash and was buying from a private seller. The reason I didn't mind that much though was because this was a single owner which was an older female who kept on maintenence done by the dealer. Car was not pristine but decent shape for being as old as it is. Mechanically though the car is mint, knock on wood. When I was buying a car this was exactly what I was look for, someone who was older, single owner and signs of that people kept on regular maintenence and no mods. You can find a car like this in your price range just be patient and look around. my .02.

 

i also have a 01 ex manual w/ 280,000 mi getting 36mpg on mobile 87 octane
i would listen to the engine and take it for a test drive also look for oil burnt onto the dip stick thats a sure sign it was ran low and got hot also check the oil maybe you'll see something in it if the motor is really that bad but imo 2700is to much but every day they become more rare

all an all if you don't trust the person selling it, or something don't seem right don't buy it you can find other hondas out there