The 2004 Civic

2509 Views 46 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Nail Grease, Apr 3, 2021

Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · Apr 2, 2021

Welp, I've had the 2004 Civic a while after buying it at auction. Just to have a cheap beater car as a back up, if we should ever happen to be down a vehicle. I swept through the whole engine bay, including power steering rack replacement. Hadn't done much with it since the pandemic, so I decided to give it away to a young relative who just learned to drive (Ok'd by the parents). The only thing that was left to do is get a 4 wheel alignment. It was taken to a dealership for this service. I about died in my chair when the dealership told them they needed to replace the spark plugs, brake fluid and coolant, LOL! It was all done and new!

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xGS

· #2 · Apr 2, 2021

The dealer probably took one look at the green Prestone coolant and figured that the vehicle's maintenance had been totally neglected.

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Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 2, 2021

xGS said:
The dealer probably took one look at the green Prestone coolant and figured that the vehicle's maintenance had been totally neglected.

This vehicle came with green coolant as OEM back in 04. Besides, the Aisin timing belt water pump milage sticker with date is quite visible. Dated last year. smirk

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xGS

· #4 · Apr 2, 2021

Nail Grease said:
This vehicle came with green coolant as OEM back in 04. Besides, the Aisin timing belt water pump milage sticker with date is quite visible. Dated last year. smirk

But was the green OEM coolant made by Prestone?

Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 2, 2021

xGS said:
But was the green OEM coolant made by Prestone?

The Aisin sticker, the Aisin sticker.

xGS

· #6 · Apr 2, 2021

Nail Grease said:
The Aisin sticker, the Aisin sticker.

They can tell by the shade of green that you didn't use genuine Honda coolant.

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aggrex

· #7 · Apr 2, 2021

xGS said:
They can tell by the shade of green that you didn't use genuine Honda coolant.

I tried to buy “Honda” coolant after replacing my radiator and the local Honda parts guy asked one question blue or green? I showed him this pic and he said go Prestone green. That’s an old pic as my radiator support is no longer rusty.

Tire Wheel Automotive tire Motor vehicle Hood

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Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 2, 2021

xGS said:
They can tell by the shade of green that you didn't use genuine Honda coolant.

Just like they checked the brand new spark plugs and my flushed clean brake fluid reservoir?

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plplplpl

· #9 · Apr 2, 2021

Why not flux capacitor fluid while they're at it?

Ya know, it's this sort of thing why posters always have to specify using the past participle adjective "trusted" before the noun "mechanic," lest a reader naturally assume the opposite. SMH

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xGS

· #10 · Apr 2, 2021

Nail Grease said:
Just like they checked the brand new spark plugs and my flushed clean brake fluid reservoir?

The Aisin sticker was the dead giveaway.

Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 2, 2021

xGS said:
The Aisin sticker was the dead giveaway.

More than that, you take a vehicle in for a very specific service, a 4 wheel alignment. No one asked you to touch anything else. The engine runs silky smooth.

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Highspeedbail

· #12 · Apr 2, 2021

I think your issue was taking it to a dealer for a 4 wheel alignment.

They quoted me $110 yesterday for that at my local dealer. I laughed....

Of course that was the recommendation of the 'trusted mechanic' who also recommended a rear differential service.

Why not go to your Sumitomo tire shop and get it done there? Maybe even make sure your nephew or niece can lead the pack???

Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 2, 2021

Highspeedbail said:
I think your issue was taking it to a dealer for a 4 wheel alignment.

They quoted me $110 yesterday for that at my local dealer. I laughed....

Of course that was the recommendation of the 'trusted mechanic' who also recommended a rear differential service.

Why not go to your Sumitomo tire shop and get it done there? Maybe even make sure your nephew or niece can lead the pack???

Our local tire shop has the alignment machine. The ole feller that used to do it isn't there anymore. The machine sits there collecting dust.
The next closest thing was Firestone or the dealership. They chose the dealership.
¯\(° °)/¯

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Hondapark

· #14 · Apr 2, 2021

Nail Grease said:
The only thing that was left to do is get a 4 wheel alignment.

The rear wheels on a 04 civic have adjustments locations?

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Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 2, 2021

Hondapark said:
The rear wheels on a 04 civic have adjustments locations?

No, I installed adjustable control arms.

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Highspeedbail

· #16 · Apr 2, 2021

Nail Grease said:
No, I installed adjustable control arms.

Only way to take those turns and lead the pack...

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Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #17 · Apr 2, 2021

Highspeedbail said:
Only way to take those turns and lead the pack...

Well it's not like it's set up to run at Daytona. It has seen better days. I didn't get to drive it much because of the pandemic. I found 4 alloy Honda Civic rims that came off an EX. (Not pictured)

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The Todd

· #18 · Apr 2, 2021

Nail Grease said:
I about died in my chair when the dealership told them they needed to replace the spark plugs, brake fluid and coolant, LOL! It was all done and new!

Typical BS from MANY shops- too many. Especially if they've never seen you before, or you're female.

Total BS scam crap.

One time I took my Mazda truck (it had a bed on it, not in the bed, a real, little truck LOL) in to have a tail pipe welded on the muffler at a Midas. They did that OK.
They took the wheels off too.
The Mechanic gets a new rag- wipes some brake fuild on it (I didn't see him- I just know the scam) and tells me one of my wheel cylinders was leaking, they can rebuild it, yadda, yadda. I tell them, no, I'll keep an eye on it.
Years later, I traded that truck in on the one I have now- with nothing EVER needing to be done to the brakes!

So many total scam artists in the auto industry! That's why I HATE to take my stuff anywhere. I do, I have one shop that knows I know something, so they don't BS me- usually.

Reactions: 3

Daltongang

· #19 · Apr 2, 2021

Did you remember to replace the turn signal fluid and put genuine Honda air in the tires???

Reactions: 1

Nail Grease

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 2, 2021

The Todd said:
Typical BS from MANY shops- too many. Especially if they've never seen you before, or you're female.

Total BS scam crap.

One time I took my Mazda truck (it had a bed on it, not in the bed, a real, little truck LOL) in to have a tail pipe welded on the muffler at a Midas. They did that OK.
They took the wheels off too.
The Mechanic gets a new rag- wipes some brake fuild on it (I didn't see him- I just know the scam) and tells me one of my wheel cylinders was leaking, they can rebuild it, yadda, yadda. I tell them, no, I'll keep an eye on it.
Years later, I traded that truck in on the one I have now- with nothing EVER needing to be done to the brakes!

So many total scam artists in the auto industry! That's why I HATE to take my stuff anywhere. I do, I have one shop that knows I know something, so they don't BS me- usually.

When I got this Civic, it had some big oil leaks. The valve cover was in bad shape. I found a really good used one at Pull-A-Part. Put new a new gasket and spark plug tube seals along with the infamous head plug cap that will leak oil all over your transmission if you dont replace it periodically. Installed a new cam and front main seal. It dryed up nicely. I sure hope they didn't mess up my work by removing the valve cover, nosing around the engine bay. I've seen shops cram the valve cover on without working the tube seals over tubes causing a leak.

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