Discussion
I’ve just bought a 2012 Honda Civic EX 1.8L petrol (around 108,000 miles) – inspected and test drove the car, drives like a dream, and didn’t notice anything untoward.
On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a “check system” warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it’s a valve stem seal issue, which I’ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I’d like to avoid future repair bills if it’s a deeper issue. The car’s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it’s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I’m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car – but if it’s going to be more deep rooted, then I’d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a “check system” warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it’s a valve stem seal issue, which I’ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I’d like to avoid future repair bills if it’s a deeper issue. The car’s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it’s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I’m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car – but if it’s going to be more deep rooted, then I’d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
fb_6700 said:
I ve just bought a 2012 Honda Civic EX 1.8L petrol (around 108,000 miles) inspected and test drove the car, drives like a dream, and didn t notice anything untoward.
On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
Difficult to give you any further advice until you've got to the next stage and the car is assessed by a mechanicOn the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
If it's valve stem seals, get them repaired - sounds like the dealer will support that.
If it's rings, reject it.
It needing a full service is on you - you knew that (or should have done due diligence) when you bought it.
Muzzer79 said:
Difficult to give you any further advice until you've got to the next stage and the car is assessed by a mechanic
If it's valve stem seals, get them repaired - sounds like the dealer will support that.
If it's rings, reject it.
It needing a full service is on you - you knew that (or should have done due diligence) when you bought it.
Would sadly agree with the last sentence. If I am looking at a car and it is needing a full service then would want that done before taking the car. If it's valve stem seals, get them repaired - sounds like the dealer will support that.
If it's rings, reject it.
It needing a full service is on you - you knew that (or should have done due diligence) when you bought it.
Yeah it s probably the valve stem seals. They are supposed to be adjusted every 25,000 miles on these R18 engines, but rarely are. At around 100k they ll probably be too tight. But it could also be the pcv or the piston rings. I d probably take it back to the dealer to sort rather than trying to chase the problem yourself, and make sure you get a courtesy car that s more valuable than yours, giving said dealer an incentive to get it fixed.
fb_6700 said:
I ve just bought a 2012 Honda Civic EX 1.8L petrol (around 108,000 miles) inspected and test drove the car, drives like a dream, and didn t notice anything untoward.
On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
It would be useful to plug in a code reader and know what the 'check engine light' was trying to tell you.On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
Smoke due to valve stem seals often happens when you lift your foot off the throttle after revving the engine.
What's happening is oil being sucked into the cylinder or exhaust as the pressure in the cylinder and exhaust drops.
Faulty stem seals will also allow combustion gases into the crankcase, where they will destroy the oil, build up water content etc, if the breather system can't cope. If the breather can't cope, that's likely because it's very dirty due to cold running and long intervals between oil changes, or the rings are knackered. One thing leads to another, once things are imperfect, the oil gets a harder life and degrades quicker so more wear follows.
I can't think of any 'check engine' error which would be compatible with me keeping the car, but I'm open to learning, Hondas are not my area of most experience.
How is the oil level?
Personally, it would come down to what the car cost. I've bought cheap sheds because I needed to get to jobs, and not cared if the don't have a long future ahead. If paying proper money, you don't want a car that's been abused like this, it's likely to fail its next MOT and be either worthless or painful.
I've been in the situation where it would cost me more to take time off and argue with garages than the car cost.
It's going to cost you time and/or money to return the car.
If you return the car, it leaves you with no transport?
You might want to do the minimum, keep it for a year or even a few months while you find something better.
My experience of close acquaintances returning cars would say keep it simple, don't spend money at other garages (although bunging someone you trust £20 to read the codes would be good value IMHO). I'd reject the car outright if I had the option of something else or could live without for a bit.
If you let them attempt to fix it, I'd suggest arranging to pick it up one morning, then giving a good long test drive on some hilly roads, drive it 100 miles and check for oil use!, before returning it to them and politely requiring a refund.
Obviously that takes time and means you have to travel to deal with the dealer.
If your time is sufficiently valuable you could consider getting quotes from Shiply to have it taken back to the dealer.
An inlaw has a Civic of similar age, just over 100k miles, it's only had normal servicing and runs fine and clean with no smoke, smells or oil leaks.
If you're paying over £3k that is what you should expect. IMHO.
fb_6700 said:
I ve just bought a 2012 Honda Civic EX 1.8L petrol (around 108,000 miles) inspected and test drove the car, drives like a dream, and didn t notice anything untoward.
On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
I cannot help on the mechanicals as my skill-base stops at being able to start and drive a motorcar. That said, some posters are advising you to reject the vehicle under CRA(2015) when the advice for rejecting the vehicle maybe unsound at this juncture. On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
1. When did you buy the vehicle and for how long have you had it?
2. How many miles has the vehicle done since purchase and are you still using it?
3. Did you buy the vehicle in your own name or in that of a business, for example?
4. Did you take out any finance on the vehicle?
It is only until we have the foundations of the above we can help you in moving forwards on whether you want to reject (if that’s still possible) or move forwards on a repair.
fb_6700 said:
I ve just bought a 2012 Honda Civic EX 1.8L petrol (around 108,000 miles) inspected and test drove the car, drives like a dream, and didn t notice anything untoward.
On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
If they are happy to take it back to resolve the issue do that. Don’t take the responsibility of repair if you don’t need too. It could grow into a longer more expensive problem. On the 100-mile journey home from the dealership, I noticed some smoke from the exhaust - mainly when pulling in second gear, which I initially thought was condensation, but it persisted. About 40 miles into the journey, a burning oil smell developed, and the engine management light came on with a check system warning. The car drives impeccably, but when I revved it on the driveway, there was clear smoke and a strong burning oil smell.
I am almost certain it s a valve stem seal issue, which I ve read is common on these Civics. The dealer is happy for me to get a local quote before deciding how to proceed and they appear happy to pay for repairs and I also have a 3-month warranty. My concern is that it might be something more serious like piston rings, and I d like to avoid future repair bills if it s a deeper issue. The car s also overdue a full service. I have seen some stories on here of these issues, but never really all the way through to resolution. I am getting it looked at by a mechanic shortly to assess and advise.
Just wondering if anyone has had same/similar experiences and can advise me based on what happened to them? I love the car and basically, if it s a straightforward fix and regular servicing will keep it running well, I m happy to go ahead with the repair and keep the car but if it s going to be more deep rooted, then I d be inclined to return the car.
Any advice is welcome!
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