EP3 Civic Type-R
Discussion
Recently obtained a civic type r as part of a deal for my old car. I love the way it drives but there are a few issues I'd like opinions on before I ship it off to my local inde for a look over.
Firstly I am noticing a slight squeak when accelerating away from the front of the car, I was thinking maybe an exhaust hanger or engine mount?
Secondly, there seems to be a creaking coming from the front of the car when going over bumps, eg speed bumps or up in to my drive at slow speed. I have heard of creaking steering racks, could this be a likely culprit?
Any owners noticed the rear end to be a tad...slidey shall we say in the wet, it doesn't seem as sure footed on the rear as I expected it to be. Or could this be to do with squeeking I'm hearing from the rear of the car.
Other than that can any owners give me rough prices they would tend to pay for brake discs, and servicing.
Just hope its cheaper to run than my R32 golf was.
Thanks.
Firstly I am noticing a slight squeak when accelerating away from the front of the car, I was thinking maybe an exhaust hanger or engine mount?
Secondly, there seems to be a creaking coming from the front of the car when going over bumps, eg speed bumps or up in to my drive at slow speed. I have heard of creaking steering racks, could this be a likely culprit?
Any owners noticed the rear end to be a tad...slidey shall we say in the wet, it doesn't seem as sure footed on the rear as I expected it to be. Or could this be to do with squeeking I'm hearing from the rear of the car.
Other than that can any owners give me rough prices they would tend to pay for brake discs, and servicing.
Just hope its cheaper to run than my R32 golf was.
Thanks.
I would imagine it will be much cheaper to run petrol wise then the R32!
Does it constantly squeak or groan or just at low speed or when on full lock?
Could either be the steering rack or your top mounts or something suspension based.
If it is the rack then it is likely the noises will come from the centre of the car, somewhat inside the dash so to speak and it could also pull strongly to the left/right on roads too. This is the most expensive thing to fix.
Mine makes a god-awful noise on full lock at slow speeds from the right hand side suspension mount which is confirmed as needing a replacement top mount. This is a very common thing to go on the Type-R's and a much cheaper thing to fix. One way to see if this is the cause is to open the bonnet and watch the tops of the suspension mounts whilst someone turns your wheels lock to lock. If you see the nut twisting of moving around then more then likely be shot top mounts. A lot of people wrongly diagnose a worn rack before checking this because the steering racks were a known weak point in the design and it is much cheaper to get your mounts and suspension checked first before approaching Honda and asking for a new rack (and new wallet).
The slidey rear end - how much rubber is left on the rear tyres? Obviously if the rubber is low then it will not grip so well and I find the Civic quite rear-endy sometimes because much of the weight is further forward in the car. Also the Civic are quite particular on what type of rubber you are running on them too. Several owners report that using the OEM Bridgestone rubber is terrible in wet weather due to how they are designed so this might also be a cause.
Final thing would be to get your car properly balance and aligned front and rear as they can be quite sensitive if your wheels are not properly set up. Has the car been lowered at all? If so and the alignments not redone then it will also be a lot more twitchy then usual.
Worth joining the CTR owner forum if you are planning on keeping it, they are a great bunch over there and most of the questions that you will have will have already been covered and in much more detail.
Does it constantly squeak or groan or just at low speed or when on full lock?
Could either be the steering rack or your top mounts or something suspension based.
If it is the rack then it is likely the noises will come from the centre of the car, somewhat inside the dash so to speak and it could also pull strongly to the left/right on roads too. This is the most expensive thing to fix.
Mine makes a god-awful noise on full lock at slow speeds from the right hand side suspension mount which is confirmed as needing a replacement top mount. This is a very common thing to go on the Type-R's and a much cheaper thing to fix. One way to see if this is the cause is to open the bonnet and watch the tops of the suspension mounts whilst someone turns your wheels lock to lock. If you see the nut twisting of moving around then more then likely be shot top mounts. A lot of people wrongly diagnose a worn rack before checking this because the steering racks were a known weak point in the design and it is much cheaper to get your mounts and suspension checked first before approaching Honda and asking for a new rack (and new wallet).
The slidey rear end - how much rubber is left on the rear tyres? Obviously if the rubber is low then it will not grip so well and I find the Civic quite rear-endy sometimes because much of the weight is further forward in the car. Also the Civic are quite particular on what type of rubber you are running on them too. Several owners report that using the OEM Bridgestone rubber is terrible in wet weather due to how they are designed so this might also be a cause.
Final thing would be to get your car properly balance and aligned front and rear as they can be quite sensitive if your wheels are not properly set up. Has the car been lowered at all? If so and the alignments not redone then it will also be a lot more twitchy then usual.
Worth joining the CTR owner forum if you are planning on keeping it, they are a great bunch over there and most of the questions that you will have will have already been covered and in much more detail.
HeavySoul said:
I would imagine it will be much cheaper to run petrol wise then the R32!
Does it constantly squeak or groan or just at low speed or when on full lock?
Could either be the steering rack or your top mounts or something suspension based.
If it is the rack then it is likely the noises will come from the centre of the car, somewhat inside the dash so to speak and it could also pull strongly to the left/right on roads too. This is the most expensive thing to fix.
Mine makes a god-awful noise on full lock at slow speeds from the right hand side suspension mount which is confirmed as needing a replacement top mount. This is a very common thing to go on the Type-R's and a much cheaper thing to fix. One way to see if this is the cause is to open the bonnet and watch the tops of the suspension mounts whilst someone turns your wheels lock to lock. If you see the nut twisting of moving around then more then likely be shot top mounts. A lot of people wrongly diagnose a worn rack before checking this because the steering racks were a known weak point in the design and it is much cheaper to get your mounts and suspension checked first before approaching Honda and asking for a new rack (and new wallet).
The slidey rear end - how much rubber is left on the rear tyres? Obviously if the rubber is low then it will not grip so well and I find the Civic quite rear-endy sometimes because much of the weight is further forward in the car. Also the Civic are quite particular on what type of rubber you are running on them too. Several owners report that using the OEM Bridgestone rubber is terrible in wet weather due to how they are designed so this might also be a cause.
Final thing would be to get your car properly balance and aligned front and rear as they can be quite sensitive if your wheels are not properly set up. Has the car been lowered at all? If so and the alignments not redone then it will also be a lot more twitchy then usual.
Worth joining the CTR owner forum if you are planning on keeping it, they are a great bunch over there and most of the questions that you will have will have already been covered and in much more detail.
Hi thanks for the info, I made a post on the CTR forum a few minutes ago. Does it constantly squeak or groan or just at low speed or when on full lock?
Could either be the steering rack or your top mounts or something suspension based.
If it is the rack then it is likely the noises will come from the centre of the car, somewhat inside the dash so to speak and it could also pull strongly to the left/right on roads too. This is the most expensive thing to fix.
Mine makes a god-awful noise on full lock at slow speeds from the right hand side suspension mount which is confirmed as needing a replacement top mount. This is a very common thing to go on the Type-R's and a much cheaper thing to fix. One way to see if this is the cause is to open the bonnet and watch the tops of the suspension mounts whilst someone turns your wheels lock to lock. If you see the nut twisting of moving around then more then likely be shot top mounts. A lot of people wrongly diagnose a worn rack before checking this because the steering racks were a known weak point in the design and it is much cheaper to get your mounts and suspension checked first before approaching Honda and asking for a new rack (and new wallet).
The slidey rear end - how much rubber is left on the rear tyres? Obviously if the rubber is low then it will not grip so well and I find the Civic quite rear-endy sometimes because much of the weight is further forward in the car. Also the Civic are quite particular on what type of rubber you are running on them too. Several owners report that using the OEM Bridgestone rubber is terrible in wet weather due to how they are designed so this might also be a cause.
Final thing would be to get your car properly balance and aligned front and rear as they can be quite sensitive if your wheels are not properly set up. Has the car been lowered at all? If so and the alignments not redone then it will also be a lot more twitchy then usual.
Worth joining the CTR owner forum if you are planning on keeping it, they are a great bunch over there and most of the questions that you will have will have already been covered and in much more detail.
It only creaks when at low speed, doesnt have to be turning at all just when going over bumps or pulling in to my drive and its not all the time only randomly it appears. It only seems to come from the right hand side of the car though, pretty much sounds like its occuring right behind the steering wheel. The car pulls slightly to the side, but nothing that I would call a major annoyance, just seems like the tracking needs to be done.
The rears have plenty of rubber left, but I have a suspicion that maybe a caliper is a little sticky as sometimes on cornering I am getting a constant squeek from the right rear of the car. The tyres I have are Pzeros. I actually had the backend slip out the other day while taking a roundabout at low speed, there was a panda car behind me at the time as well! I think that was due to dodgy tyre pressures though.
The car is completely standard, with Aircon that needs regassing i'll quickly add!
I think I will keep it a fair while, will be nice to have something that doesnt cost 1k for front discs and pads whilst I am at uni!
Steameh said:
Hi thanks for the info, I made a post on the CTR forum a few minutes ago.
It only creaks when at low speed, doesnt have to be turning at all just when going over bumps or pulling in to my drive and its not all the time only randomly it appears. It only seems to come from the right hand side of the car though, pretty much sounds like its occuring right behind the steering wheel. The car pulls slightly to the side, but nothing that I would call a major annoyance, just seems like the tracking needs to be done.
The rears have plenty of rubber left, but I have a suspicion that maybe a caliper is a little sticky as sometimes on cornering I am getting a constant squeek from the right rear of the car. The tyres I have are Pzeros. I actually had the backend slip out the other day while taking a roundabout at low speed, there was a panda car behind me at the time as well! I think that was due to dodgy tyre pressures though.
The car is completely standard, with Aircon that needs regassing i'll quickly add!
I think I will keep it a fair while, will be nice to have something that doesnt cost 1k for front discs and pads whilst I am at uni!
P Zeros? Nice! They are also quite sensitive to pressures as well so do keep an eye on that. That are quite mobile if you want them to be in the wet but it is catchable most of the time It only creaks when at low speed, doesnt have to be turning at all just when going over bumps or pulling in to my drive and its not all the time only randomly it appears. It only seems to come from the right hand side of the car though, pretty much sounds like its occuring right behind the steering wheel. The car pulls slightly to the side, but nothing that I would call a major annoyance, just seems like the tracking needs to be done.
The rears have plenty of rubber left, but I have a suspicion that maybe a caliper is a little sticky as sometimes on cornering I am getting a constant squeek from the right rear of the car. The tyres I have are Pzeros. I actually had the backend slip out the other day while taking a roundabout at low speed, there was a panda car behind me at the time as well! I think that was due to dodgy tyre pressures though.
The car is completely standard, with Aircon that needs regassing i'll quickly add!
I think I will keep it a fair while, will be nice to have something that doesnt cost 1k for front discs and pads whilst I am at uni!
Odd pressures will also help it to pull on uneven cambers as well so they might be adding to your front end worries.
Honda dealer servicing is actually pretty reasonable if your planning on using them, otherwise there are loads of good indys around that can help.
The Civic forum guys will help you more with diagnosing the rack/mount noises - hope it is the cheaper thing to fix for you.
Mine has hardly cost me a thing at all, only thing I will say is very important is to keep your eye on the oil levels if you are using the VTEC about 6000rpm. The oil really needs to be sitting right at the top of the level on your dipstick as when your pulling high revs it needs all the oil it can get to protect the engine. If the oil sits right on the minimum marker on the dipstick then do not push it too hard until you top it up. You will also find with the correct levels of oil in the engine it pulls much more smoothly once transitioning into VTEC as otherwise the engine gets quite reluctant to push if there is not much in there.
I keep a large bottle of oil in the garage and probably top it up every month or so. The more you use the VTEC high end, the quicker it eats the oil so check you levels depending on how you drive it (I check mine once a week, some people check it before every journey...). The only real thing in the R IS the engine so look after that and it will look after you and it is worth the outlay to keep it protected and running nicely.
Check my profile for some helpful links of where to look for supplies
Steameh said:
Recently obtained a civic type r as part of a deal for my old car. I love the way it drives but there are a few issues I'd like opinions on before I ship it off to my local inde for a look over.
Firstly I am noticing a slight squeak when accelerating away from the front of the car, I was thinking maybe an exhaust hanger or engine mount?
Secondly, there seems to be a creaking coming from the front of the car when going over bumps, eg speed bumps or up in to my drive at slow speed. I have heard of creaking steering racks, could this be a likely culprit?
Any owners noticed the rear end to be a tad...slidey shall we say in the wet, it doesn't seem as sure footed on the rear as I expected it to be. Or could this be to do with squeeking I'm hearing from the rear of the car.
Other than that can any owners give me rough prices they would tend to pay for brake discs, and servicing.
Just hope its cheaper to run than my R32 golf was.
Thanks.
How does the civic compare to the R32. Do you miss 4wd? I'm thinking of a mk5 R32 next after the DC5.Firstly I am noticing a slight squeak when accelerating away from the front of the car, I was thinking maybe an exhaust hanger or engine mount?
Secondly, there seems to be a creaking coming from the front of the car when going over bumps, eg speed bumps or up in to my drive at slow speed. I have heard of creaking steering racks, could this be a likely culprit?
Any owners noticed the rear end to be a tad...slidey shall we say in the wet, it doesn't seem as sure footed on the rear as I expected it to be. Or could this be to do with squeeking I'm hearing from the rear of the car.
Other than that can any owners give me rough prices they would tend to pay for brake discs, and servicing.
Just hope its cheaper to run than my R32 golf was.
Thanks.
JDM teg DC2 and teg DC5 Vs Golf MK5 R32 battle, both tegs seem quicker even if book figures suggest otherwise...unless this is the usual japanesse biased "race"....check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBnq4DyNRq4&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBnq4DyNRq4&fea...
HeavySoul said:
PaulTypeR said:
How does the civic compare to the R32. Do you miss 4wd? I'm thinking of a mk5 R32 next after the DC5.
Heathen! Burn him!
Both DC2 and DC5 have a higher power to weight since the R32 is a bit of a tank, so the hondas may be quicker in a track situation. If i have one it'll a least need some breathing aids and a remap to get the power up and rectify this. But i reckon this could be on the money for me, just wondering if it would be DC5 style hardcore enough. Not be changing for about a year anyway.
PaulTypeR said:
HeavySoul said:
PaulTypeR said:
How does the civic compare to the R32. Do you miss 4wd? I'm thinking of a mk5 R32 next after the DC5.
Heathen! Burn him!
Both DC2 and DC5 have a higher power to weight since the R32 is a bit of a tank, so the hondas may be quicker in a track situation. If i have one it'll a least need some breathing aids and a remap to get the power up and rectify this. But i reckon this could be on the money for me, just wondering if it would be DC5 style hardcore enough. Not be changing for about a year anyway.
I was only joking! I have been looking a Mk5 Golf GTi's myself so not really one to talk.I would love a DC5 or S2000 myself but cannot justify the ridiculous insurance quotes I get for either of them.
I prefer the original shape R32's myself, I imagine they will fit your bill just fine with a few additions on board.
The R32 was great, it was fast, well planted and was a very nice place to be inside. The CTR is a lot more raw and more of a drivers car for sure, but if you chucked the r32 in to the corners it would lap them up.
The other great thing about the r32 was the noise, that VR6 engine was just to die for.
I do miss it, but I dont miss the running costs.
Got the car booked in to my local Honda garage for its 84 month service and a look see for the problems so will keep you guys posted.
The other great thing about the r32 was the noise, that VR6 engine was just to die for.
I do miss it, but I dont miss the running costs.
Got the car booked in to my local Honda garage for its 84 month service and a look see for the problems so will keep you guys posted.
Seems there is a little bit that needs doing according to the honda garage. The front drop links being the major item.
A quick question for anyone who has one, they are asking for £180 for a cat heatsheild because mine is excessivly corroded apparently. Will there be much ill effect in just removing the heatsheild altogether?
A quick question for anyone who has one, they are asking for £180 for a cat heatsheild because mine is excessivly corroded apparently. Will there be much ill effect in just removing the heatsheild altogether?
Edited by Steameh on Tuesday 11th August 14:00
Stu_AMG C36 said:
Hi I too have just picked up a CTR and also found a slight knock when driving slow over bumpy road, it turned out to be the drop link on the near side.
I had both replaced for £120 and the car feels solid now..
I used Farmer Auto Care, dont know if that helps
Yeah? Honda quoted me 280quid for both replaced.I had both replaced for £120 and the car feels solid now..
I used Farmer Auto Care, dont know if that helps
Steameh said:
Seems there is a little bit that needs doing according to the honda garage. The front drop links being the major item.
A quick question for anyone who has one, they are asking for £180 for a cat heatsheild because mine is excessivly corroded apparently. Will there be much ill effect in just removing the heatsheild altogether?
You can remove the cat heatshield no probs. I had a new one fitted recently then found this out afterwards.A quick question for anyone who has one, they are asking for £180 for a cat heatsheild because mine is excessivly corroded apparently. Will there be much ill effect in just removing the heatsheild altogether?
Edited by Steameh on Tuesday 11th August 14:00
Honda told me the cat would have to be restudded. Utter tosh. I took the parts to kwikfit and they did it for 20 quid without even removing the cat.
The parts including new exhaust gaskets and all possible required bolts cost me £104
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