I helped my mom purchase a 2004 Civic Value Sedan yesterday. It was owned by an elderly lady and has 51,000 miles on it.My mom bought it for 7K The car is in very good shape, no accidents and rides and drives very tight. We had a mechanic check it out before we purchased it and there are no leaks, tires (almost new condition) had no irregular wear, new rear brake shoes, AC pressure good and works very well. The paint has a few scratches and chips but may buff out most of it. All service records included.

I read through some of the FAQ's and printed out the HT maintenance schedule posted and have a few questions:
I noticed under normal driving conditions there is no recommendations to change the AT fluid. Under severe conditions it's recommended at every 30K miles. What is the appropriate interval and procedure?

Is synthetic engine oil okay to use?

Does this engine have a PCV, IAVC, or other valves that would benefit from replacement or cleaning?

Is it considered a 100K miles before tune up engine?

Common issues with this model year? Any other related info appreciated.

 

Bump

 

you should check your AT fluid. if it is brown, then your transmission need a flush and fluids need to be replaced. synthetic oil is always better than regular. use only 5-w20 or 0-w20. also, it would do you well to run a fuel system cleaner through your fuel system, via the gas tank refill nozzle when you do your oil changes. if you are around 100k miles then i would suggest replacing all the belts, the water pump, timing belt tensioner, and spark plugs. i would also consider running sea foam through your motor to clean it out.

 

Thank you for reply. I read a lot about draining vs. flushing the AT fluid for Civics on other sites. Most say at ever 30,000 mile interval to just drain out and add 3 quarts to avoid any shifting issues. Almost all say not to flush via a machine and replacing the full 6 quarts.
It may have synthetic in it now, but I'll definitely use it for the upcoming change.

 

problems include automatic transmissions and front lower control arm bushings. you don't need to replace belts the timing belt is due at 100,000 or 10 years i believe. synthetic oil is good but not necessary if regular oil is changed when needed i use 5W30 you don't have to only use 0W20-5W20 . the air filter and plugs mite need replacement but only use DENSO or NGK plugs.

in regards to the transmissions the 01-03 were alot worse some only lasted 60,000 miles the 04-05 aren't as bad but not perfect usually 3rd gear starts to slip so keep an eye on that. people say having the trans machine flushed is bad but in these cars its probably a good idea to have it done every couple years being that the main cause of the problem is the internal transmission filter mesh is to fine which clogs and looses pressure causing slipping.

 

do not ever use a trans flushing machine on a honda civic.
only do a drain and refill and only use honda atf fluid. get the fluid from a dealer.

 

I've had to replace ignition coils on mine....ditto on the no trans flush machine on Honda

 

the first thing i did to my 04 was have the trans machine flushed after that 2nd to 3rd shifted perfectly and still does to this day 60,000 miles later ???

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Good to hear the 2004 transmissions are better than the earlier 2000's. I will just do a drain and fill service using Honda ATF. I'll probably try synthetic as it can longer between changes. I'll keep an eye on the lower control arm bushings as well. At this point (51k miles) the treads have worn very evenly.

Do the 2004 civics have more torque over-steer compared to 90's models? I
It also seems a bit bouncy compared to my '98 EX coupe.

What kind of fuel mileage can my mom expect?

 

completely different suspension the early civics had double wishbone yours has macpherson struts shocks. there good for 60,000 miles i believe.if you go extended miles on the oil make sure to get an equally sufficient oil filter i prefer amsoil if you can find them second would be mobile one extended performance those are alot easier to come by.

 

I'll have to go through the prior owner's service recored in the glove box to find out if or when any transmission service has been done. As of now it shifts fine
and I haven't had a chance to view the fluid color. At this point I am just glad that she didn't buy an '01, '02 or '03.

Seems like flushing out as much or all of the old fluid would be optimal, but there is so much advice against it on this and other Honda sites that I have a lot of reservation. Don't mean to sound repetitive, but most suggest drain and fill (approx. 3 quarts). I'll go this way first and if at anytime afterwards if it develops slipping I'll do a total flush and possibly add Lucas no-slip too.

Thank you again for all your advice.

 

you shouldn't use any additives in the trans fluid just honda ATF if it shifts fine then your good just clean off the magnet on the drain plug really good.the honda recommended drain and fill procedure requires you to drain the fluid fill it then drive around for awhile then repeat 3 times to get all the old fluid out of the torque converter which can get very pricy when a quart of honda ATF is almost 10 bucks.

 

as far as i am concerned...... go to the dealership and ask what they do when flushing a transmission. if they say that they use a machine, then take it somewhere that uses a machine that wont charge you a stealership price. keep your receipt. if something bad happens, take it back to them and have them replace your tranny or pay for repairs.

 

Yea, good luck with that!!! They'll deny it and say the tranny must have been bad before it was brought in and their company lawyers will laugh while they eat my local lawyer alive in court. However, my local lawyer won't care because he/she will know that regardless of the outcome they will still get paid. So, I will be out a transmission and money. Moral of the story: Lawyers are o=> s.