New here. New to all of this really. I have done as much searching and reading as possible, but at some point I will need a thread to dump ?'s into.
Any help is appreciated.


I bought a 2000 DX hatch , auto. No ac, no anything really. Two owner perfect shell. D16y7 in it. Stock everything. Running like a champ.

I told the wife I would retrofit an AC in the car. So looking around I decided the best thing would be to buy an entire parts car for the AC parts and anything else I could use.

Enter 1998 HX coupe. D16y5 5-sped with AC. Running. Front right impact.

So now I am researching retrofit. I have saved a few threads on the subject but I have some general questions about the two cars compatability.

The HX has a horizontal climate control and the DX has a Vertical. So I know I will need to replace the vertical to a Vertical with AC, but will the wiring harnesses match?

Will the compressor, condenser, fans and everything bolt up from the HX to the DX?
I am in the car right so even if I just strip it and part it out I will make enough to buy the parts I need.

I know the car needs a Timing belt, and water pump. So while I am there I figured I would have an opportunity to install the AC.

I would also love to find a 6th gen builder/tuner, someone in the East TN area.

 

Install your A/C parts under the hood (and behind the glove compartment) just exactly as you removed them from the HX. It will be a direct swap over. There is no difference in how the climate control works, and definitely no need to change this (you're just making way more work for yourself).

 

To be honest, it would be awesome to swap over the engine from that HX into your vehicle also .... good power + better fuel economy = happy driver. Plus then you'd have a 5spd!

 

I plan on rebuilding the motor before a complete swap. The climate dash for the hx is horizontal, functional , but was broken by the passenger in the wreak so I need to get a bezel. I like the vertical bezel. Should I just stick to a horizontal because the harnesses are different?

 

Keep the one that's already in your DX! You shouldn't be changing the climate change bezel or controls at all. Why would you?

 

The climate control bezel in the dx has no ac button. I have to change it when adding ac. The hx is a horizontal, broken, and the current non ac bezel in the dx is vertical w/o ac.

 

You'll just need the button for A/C from a 99-00, and install that. Mighty easy and shouldn't be too hard to find.

Keep in mine that A/C was a DEALER-installed option on many cars so Honda makes it quite easy to install, obviously, since they want to make things convenient for the dealers/techs doing the work. So, no need to put in a whole new climate control face ... better if you can just pop in an "A/C" button.

Here are the installation instructions for a 99-00. Missing two pages but will get you most of the way: http://web.archive.org/web/200910240.../19789_01.html

Also, consider adding an evap with provision for a cabin filter. DIY here:
https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/%5Bdiy%5D-interior-cabin-air-c-filter-retrofit-5g-92-95-delsol-6g-96-00-civic-2552431/
https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-del-sol-1992-2000-1/how-cabin-air-filter-1998-2000-civic-2112319/

To do this in your case you will want to find an evap from donor 98-00 Civic w/ A/C with the cabin filter slot, or else from a 98-01 Integra will work too.

(EDIT: Whoops, yeah the HX might have the proper evap after all since it's a '98!)

 

so the HX has no cabin filter evap to use?

 

Oh crap, right. Yes, it probably does! But... with the caveat that not all '98 Civics got the cabin filter slot in the evap. But most did, it seems.

(Just edited my earlier post to fix this brain fart I had.. thx)

 

Change on condenser, lines, evaporator and dryer. I'm sure the wiring are there but if anything just reply back. You might need the relays and fuses.

 

thanks deschlong i appreciate the links and info



on a separate note would swapping the y5 for the y7 work if i desired to keep the AT (due to family use, i cant change to 5speed)
or should I just wait until I can do the complete swap motor and tranny

if i could increase mpg, add ac and keep the AT that would be ideal, not sure if the ecu would allow

 

Swapping in the Y5 will be alot of work and will probably require custom fabrication for the transmission mount at least (someone correct me on this). The auto CVT also uses a separate TCM which will need to be addressed.

All of the harnesses from the dash up are also probably different. Definitely different ECU.

It may be easier to repair the body damage on the HX and swap the good parts from the DX over than to do this swap. The HX is a fundamentally different beast from the Y7/Y8's in alot of ways.

The HX auto CVT is also known to be problematic.

 

Unfortunately, you can't half-do the HX swap. As I recall, it's all or nothing. So, no possibility to hook an AT up to it. If you want AT you will have to go with a CVT, which are notoriously flaky. But there's a bunch of parts that are different between an MT vs. CVT HX which makes it a major headache to cobble together all the right parts if you want to convert an MT to CVT, so you don't want to do this either. You'll want to source out an original CVT HX whole car.

Now, don't quote me on this as I am no engine swap expert, but swapping in a complete HX motor and original trans shouldn't be much more difficult than any other D-series swap. Here's someone who did it over on ecomodder.com and he doesn't state any major issues with the swap.

So, your major sticking point is the change to 5spd, which you state is due to "family use". All I can say to this, is that unless your husband/wife/kids are amputees with no left leg, they should all learn to drive MT cars! Your kids, especially, will thank you later!!! No time to learn like the present, and Hondas are super forgiving to learn on.

 

I will wait to do it when it can be a secondary car. The wife can drive a manual , but won't. So I will save it for later. As for now I will just do the ac. Great info tho. I have not seen many y5 builds. I will try and post pics of the car and project as I go along.

 

Too bad. Women get +10 hotness points when they drive stick. I dunno what it is.

You should definitely start up a build thread when it comes time. Either here in this forum (probably best), especially if you have lots of good technical info, or in the Appearance Build Thread forum.

 

+1.

 

The problem with the y5 cvt auto is the passenger mount sits higher than usual and requires some welding to be done, you can see for yourself since you have both civics there. For now the y7 still gets good gas mileage with a 5spd.

 

Nah, OP has an Auto Hatch and a 5spd HX. Passenger mount should be the same (as it is for other 6G Auto vs. 5spd trans).

 

WHOOPS! Got it backwards, either way its a pain in the *** to get it to work with an 4spd auto. Well it works but I'm still figuring out the lockup solenoid issue.