Honda Civic - 2002 - Maintenance Help/Cost??

[surefire99]

I was hoping that someone can help me with something.. I am no car expert so please bear with me and I have read though some threads to get some info.. I have a 2002 Honda Civic with 110K on it... other than oil changes, a new battery and getting the brake's fixed last year have done minimal work to it (yes, i realize thats bad) I live in the Hamilton area so looking for a place around there...

I know I likely need to get a transmission fluid flush - but am conflicted if i should go to the mister lube/jiffy lube/dealership or local garage... and since i am a girl, i always feel i am being taken in terms of cost, plus i have read that some places dont replace the filters, etc.. I am not sure of the cost, i know jiffy lube quoted $129. (yes, i know thats a bit high)

Also, do civic's usually require the water pump/timing belts replaced around this many km's?? I know accord's can wait but I would rather be proactive and get mine fixed now... and is the cost for a civic around $400-500 (again i am hoping since its a common car people will have experience getting it changed)

Also, brake fluid and cooling system flush? How important are those on civic's?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[untaka]

Expect a tune up to run you around $200. This considering spark plugs to be changed, fluids etc. The timing belt etc dunno about that I replaced mine at around 200km on my 94 civic. I'm still running the original water pump

[Amuthini]

http://www.hondaoffife.com/Schedules/2001-2008Civic.pdf

follow this schedule if you can't find your owners manual. but don't take it to the dealership, take it to your own mechanic, and you should be fine.

[googoo]

A lot of this stuff can be done yourself,

Air filter only requires about 7 screws and 5 minutes .... buy the Honda filter, the price is good

Micron air filter, depends on what model you have, but takes about 2 minutes and requires you to empty your glove box and go in behind it, no tools are required.

Brake and tranny fluid change should have been done more than a year ago, go to Honda, the prices for these services are quite competitive.

Your OK for now on your timing belt and water pump, do it around 140 000(Honda says 176 000, but do it a little early)

Replace the plugs now, shouldn't be that $, I'm about the same mileage and am doing mine this week.

B

[sunnybono]

I was hoping that someone can help me with something.. I am no car expert so please bear with me and I have read though some threads to get some info.. I have a 2002 Honda Civic with 110K on it... other than oil changes, a new battery and getting the brake's fixed last year have done minimal work to it (yes, i realize thats bad) I live in the Hamilton area so looking for a place around there...

I know I likely need to get a transmission fluid flush - but am conflicted if i should go to the mister lube/jiffy lube/dealership or local garage... and since i am a girl, i always feel i am being taken in terms of cost, plus i have read that some places dont replace the filters, etc.. I am not sure of the cost, i know jiffy lube quoted $129. (yes, i know thats a bit high)

Also, do civic's usually require the water pump/timing belts replaced around this many km's?? I know accord's can wait but I would rather be proactive and get mine fixed now... and is the cost for a civic around $400-500 (again i am hoping since its a common car people will have experience getting it changed)

Also, brake fluid and cooling system flush? How important are those on civic's?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I just got off the phone with my Honda Mechanic who told me this:

Timing Belt/Water Pump Approx $400 +/-
Tranny Flush: $45 (There is no filter that needs to be changed) Once drained, you only need approx 3-4L of Honda Tranny fluid (don't use anyone elses fluid)
Brake Flush: $40 (original colour of fluid is golden colour. If it starting to look brown usually a sign of moisture getting in and should get flushed)
Coolant Flush: Free (if you are doing the timing belt and waterpump, the mechanic will have to re-fill the coolant anyways)

The prices that I quoted you are parts and labour.

sk

[surefire99]

Thanks for your help, I was quoted at $80 at my mechanic for labour, etc.. for the Tranny flush... i guess that is a bit high (but other spots charges $129!

[googoo]

I'm pretty sure the Tranny fluid and brake were both in the $60 range at Honda.

I'll see if I can find the bills

Brent

[untaka]

Brake fluid is like $4 ...I don't know how come you guys pay so much. $80 for labour is insane! The most I've ever paid for labor is $30.

[ES_Revenge]

Also, brake fluid and cooling system flush? How important are those on civic's?

Thanks in advance for your help!

These services are important on any car...

Coolant flush depends on the coolant your car had from the factory. If it has traditional coolant it should be replaced approximately every 48,000-60,000km or 2-4 years. If your Civic came with an OAT (Organic Acid Technology) long life coolant, it may not even require changing at your current mileage depending on the present coolant condition.

Brake fluid is actually one of the most commonly overlooked services on cars, but it is fairly important for safety. Brake fluid is hygroscopic by nature (it absorbs water) and therefore, over time, it becomes "wet" or saturated. The longer brake fluid is in the system, the more water it absorbs. The more wet the fluid is, the lower the boiling point becomes. Since brakes operate by changing motion into heat, via friction, a lower boiling point is not desireable.

Wet fluid can continue to be used in cars for very long periods and still seem to operate fine; however the reduced boiling point can make for a dangerous situation in a panic stop, or just after a panic stop where your brakes can "fade" meaning you go to brake again normally and find you "have no brakes left" as the fluid has boiled or something else (like pads) have overheated.

For maximum performance and safety, brake fluid should be flushed and replaced every 2-3 years, on any vehicle.

[sunnybono]

Brake fluid is like $4 ...I don't know how come you guys pay so much. $80 for labour is insane! The most I've ever paid for labor is $30.

Yes brake fluid is under $10 (OEM), but inorder to bleed the system from the lines, you just can open the drain plug and let it drip, you physically need for someone to sit in the vehicle to pump the brakes until the fluid in the line comes out clean!!!!!! Yes I agree that $80 is too much for labour, that is why my Honda tech only quoted $40 parts and labour.

sk

[ES_Revenge]

Yes brake fluid is under $10 (OEM), but inorder to bleed the system from the lines, you just can open the drain plug and let it drip, you physically need for someone to sit in the vehicle to pump the brakes until the fluid in the line comes out clean!!!!!!

Yes you would have to do that, but some shops may have a pressure bleeder... They just pop that on the master cylinder in place of the fluid cap, and force the fluid through

[myapple]

I was hoping that someone can help me with something.. I am no car expert so please bear with me and I have read though some threads to get some info.. I have a 2002 Honda Civic with 110K on it... other than oil changes, a new battery and getting the brake's fixed last year have done minimal work to it (yes, i realize thats bad) I live in the Hamilton area so looking for a place around there...

I know I likely need to get a transmission fluid flush - but am conflicted if i should go to the mister lube/jiffy lube/dealership or local garage... and since i am a girl, i always feel i am being taken in terms of cost, plus i have read that some places dont replace the filters, etc.. I am not sure of the cost, i know jiffy lube quoted $129. (yes, i know thats a bit high)

Also, do civic's usually require the water pump/timing belts replaced around this many km's?? I know accord's can wait but I would rather be proactive and get mine fixed now... and is the cost for a civic around $400-500 (again i am hoping since its a common car people will have experience getting it changed)

Also, brake fluid and cooling system flush? How important are those on civic's?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Get the transmission fluid replacement done at honda dealer. Do note that they don't all charge the same prices. This procedure is kinda weird. Some dealers will do a single drain and fill for about $50-60. Some will do a triple drain and fill for around $120-130. Triple drain and fill is actually recommended, but single will be better than nothing if cost is an issue. Make sure you use honda fluid. Do not go to jiffy lube and do not get a damaging "flush". Simple drain and fill is what honda transmission needs.

Waterpump timing belt should be done around 100k, but you can go up to 150k and i'm sure it'll be fine. My 03 civic got a timing belt/waterpump replaced at 140k. When you get these two things done, the coolant will be replaced as well. Make sure you use original honda coolant (cuz it's silicate-free). don't use the cheap no-name stuff...they can damage the aluminum engine.

Yes, replace the brake fluid if it's older than 2 years. Also, replace both your air filters (for engine, located under hood) and cabin/pollen filters (for breathing, located inside the glove compartment) every 20k.

[AzNCrAzYcOoLeR]

That reminds me,

I gota get my things changed, cept my civic has a timing chain. Thank God for timing chains.

What was the other belt called that runs though the alternator? When should I get that changed?

[bobby5]

That reminds me,
I gota get my things changed, cept my civic has a timing chain. Thank God for timing chains.
What was the other belt called that runs though the alternator? When should I get that changed?

Serpentine belt. Replace if you see fraying on the edges, or cracks

Timing chains usually last the life of the car if you change engine oil regularly. It gets noisy later in the years.