ok, i'm a little fuzzy on my understanding of of coilovers and lowering springs. When i bought my civic i was told it was lowered. The springs under there are green and i know that probably doesn't mean anything. How can i tell if they are coilovers or lowering springs? or are they the same thing?

Coilovers are adjustable (you can raise or lower your car), lowering springs stay at one height.

Picture of coilovers

If they are green they are mostlikely Neuspeeds Sports. If I remember right 1" drop.

Do a search in this forum. I've covered the same question recently.

i think its more than a 1" drop, it might be somwhere towards three. Is there any way i could find out?

Pull your wheel off most major brands code brand and serial/model number somewhere on the spring, look carefully at the spring, if no info is found I would say they could be knock-off junk, a picture would help us.

Coilovers would have a threaded shockbody or a sleeve fiited on them with threads.

If you see threads on the shocks they are a coilover breed.