Honda Civic Engine Problems

The CVT you’re referring to is actually the car’s transmission rather than its engine. And since the engine is what drives the air-conditioning compressor, it’s the engine’s power and torque that determines whether the car still drives nicely with the air-conditioning switched on, not whether the transmission is a CVT or any other type.

But I think I know what you are referring to. And that is how well the car’s engine and its CVT transmission are matched. Sometimes, a transmission can gobble up a fair bit of horsepower and torque and that can take the edge off performance. Throw the switch on the air-conditioning and there’s even more load on the engine, making it feel even less perky. In that sense, I think the Corolla as the newer design would have a more efficient transmission and that could mean that it feels the load less than the older Honda might and, therefore, holds on to more of its original performance.

But the second thing you mentioned, that your car’s air-con doesn’t really keep up at temperatures over 30 degrees is more likely to be a problem with the air-con itself. You might find that a five-year-old car (such as your Honda is) is ready for the air-conditioning system to be serviced and perhaps even re-gassed, which might just return it to better health. For the record, Toyota’s have always had some of the best-performing air-conditioning systems in the business over the years, and I very much doubt that a 30-degree day would tax the air-con in a new Corolla one iota.

I think what’s happening when you open the fuel cap, Frank, is not a release of pressure, but rather a release of vacuum. As your car uses petrol, the level in the tank gets lower. If the tank can’t `breathe’, allowing air to fill that space in the tank, a vacuum is created. Eventually, the vacuum becomes so powerful that the car’s fuel pump can no longer drag fuel from the tank to the engine and the car stalls.

When you remove the fuel cap, hey presto, the vacuum is released and the fuel pump can do its thing once more. In modern cars, this is often caused by the charcoal canister (a part of the pollution-control equipment) becoming clogged and not allowing air back into the fuel tank. I’ve actually seen cases so bad that the vacuum has actually collapsed the fuel tank under the car (must have been a powerful fuel pump).

Driving around with no fuel cap on is both dangerous and illegal (it renders those pollution controls useless because it allows fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere) so the solution is to find out where the blockage is and replace the relevant parts. Like I said, I’d start with the charcoal canister in the engine bay. It could even be that dust or dirt is blocking one of the rubber hoses that link the pollution gear systems. It might seem like a big problem, but from the symptoms you’ve listed, I think it’ll be an easy fix.

If you have a Civic Type R there are many upgrades possible that will make the car faster thanks to its turbocharged engine. The turbocharger system has far greater potential power output than what Honda delivers stock standard, but you should consult an engineering signatory in your local state before modifying your car to ensure it remains legal to drive on public roads.

The short answer is to warm the engine, jack the car up and put it on secure jack stands, then drain the old oil, replace the oil filter, and refill the engine with the grade and amount of oil specified in your handbook. However, the better way to change the oil is to give the car to a qualified mechanic and have them do it, saving hours of time.

By the time you drive around to purchase oil and a filter from an auto parts store, then drive home, you won't have saved much compared to getting a professional to do it!

All of the cars you name meet your criteria of size, economy, performance and handling.

You could also add the Mazda3 and 6 to the list.

Of all of those I would nominate the Camry as the great all-rounder.

You could use a 0-30W oil, which is readily available.

I doubt that it's related to the automatic gearbox, the engine is running roughly and is sluggish when cold. That points to a problem with the cold enrichment of the engine, and I would be getting it hooked up to a diagnostic analyser and checking things like the sensors that supply information to the car's computer.

You're right, it is a tricky one, one that would be hard to diagnose if you couldn't observe it yourself. That someone else has observed it doesn't really help if it won't do it while you are present. That appears to be what Honda is saying, and I would be asking for a Honda representative to go for a drive with you in the hope it does it while they are present.

A belt sitting in a dealer's warehouse isn't subjected to the stresses and strains of a belt that's in your car, so it wouldn't be unserviceable as you contend. Belts do deteriorate in the rather harsh environment that they are subjected to, be it with kays done or time, so I wouldn't question the need to change the belt when it's advised. Ignore it and you're taking a risk of severely damaging your engine.

Your engine is an all-alloy unit with hardened valve-seat inserts in the cylinder head, so it will survive on a diet of unleaded fuel without a problem. If you're concerned about it, have your valve clearances adjusted to specification, then run the engine on unleaded for six months or so and recheck the clearances. If there's little change, a thousandth of an inch or so, it's fine and you can keep running on unleaded. If the clearances reduce significantly, by three or four thousandths of an inch, then go back to running it on LRP or have the head fitted with new, harder valve seats that are available at most cylinder head specialists.