89 civic, need info

Well have to admit I have never drove a honda much less ever thought I would buy one. Not saying they are bad cars or anything but just never thought I would get one. Anyhow I just bought one and not sure about it. When driving it seems to be rough with getting into gear, I am told it is an auto stick thing. Not really sure what that is but I drive it like I was told. Also it has a bad vibratinng thing going on up hill, and when I turn the wheel it seems to hard on getting back to the place it was before. I have been told someone put the wrong trans fluid in it and that is why the trans is acting up, also told the upper ball joint on the pass. side is bad. Like I said I have no clue about these cars and don't really know what to look for to see if something is wrong. I took it to my lil sis and she said it is good but something wrong with the trans and axle on pass side. Any help I can get would be great, as I got this car to drive not to have it sit. I would like to keep it running for a long time and my lil sis wants it when I am ready to sell, so please help and tell me what you think I need to do to keep this thing in good running order. Thank you

Firstly, does the 89 civic have an auto or manual trans?

Second, Im glad you bought a Honda especially a 4th generation (88-91) civic; you wont be dissapointed.

As for your problem, Id say all that shaking and vibrating is because of your axles, the cv joints must have torn a while ago and the joint has become weak. If the joint is indeed torn, you generally have to replace the whole affected axle, which is not too hard or expensive. If you think your ball joints are bad you could check the little rubber boot between the knuckle and the lower control arm and look for cracks. I cant really make out if its your trans cause i dont know if its auto or man... good luck

well honestly sure what te guy said above can be true but its alittle vague soem times. hoenstly look at the car its 17 years old... vibration well come on you jsut need new poly motor mount bushings thats a good start next a full ball joint kit will run you about 250 or 300 and thats a steal so thats another good leg into it. as for a tranny wither its an auto or a manual its a d series and i know oy ucan find thsoe every where.

The trans in auto, but I was told I still have to shift with this. I have never had a car that was auto you had to shift, but my sis said she only heard of doing that if the trans had a problem. I really don't know myself like I said this is my first honda. I am going to be looking at it better when the rain stops here. I had cleaned the car out for the guy I had bought from and he had a new boot in it for the car, so I am going to think that at the least I need a boot. I was talking with him and he said the trans needs flushed cause someone put the wrong fluid in it, now my ? is that since it has run on this fluid for a bit will just a flush be ok for the trans or am i going to need to get a new trans. After I get any and all problems fixed on the car I plan on doing some work to the body as it is not in the best shape, and then I also want to get the inside of the car done too, but that will all come in time. Any how thanks for your help with this car I really need it.

Yeah, there is no auto-stick in that car...its an auto, and it probably does have a problem if you are having to drive it like that, Put it in D and try to drive it, I bet it doesnt shift..

If they said it doesn't have the correct fluid, that is highly likely because all automatic Hondas use Synthetic fluid. Thats why if you go to an oil change place and you will see a tranny flush normally is around $55 while for a honda is around $100. I would go ahead and get that done and see if it helps, if not, go grab a bottle of Lucas Tranny additive, turn the bottle over and go take a nap, stuff is really thick, but it will usually fix most minor problems like that. If that still don't help, start looking into another tranny. I don't know about automatic trannys, but I know we have a shit load 5spds at work and I'm sure they are not that expensive, we aren't even keeping anymore just crushing anymore that we get.

For the CV axle, if he has a boot in the car when you got it, I would go ahead and just replace the whole axle, its just alot easier IMO, plus you get new joints on both ends of the axle for the same amount of work for a new boot and grease on one end.

The Upper ball joint, just check the boot on it, I really haven't looked at the boot design on the 4th gen civics yet, but I know if they are like the older Accords, its probably busted. For some reason Honda went with a design on the boot with a crease in it on those rather than just a smooth round boot, and most of that time the crease on the boot breaks a lot quicker than the smooth ones.

Yeah, Ill attest to replacingthe whole axle, I repaired mine and put it back together with a new boot...Damn thing seized on me at 120mph, replace it, its like $60 for a rebuilt one. Turns out the thing was bad since I got it though, it always bucked when turning really tight in parking lots, now shes smmmoootthh.

Well that is nice to know about the no auto stick thing this car, I thought it was strange but still drove as I told. Now today the drive 2 went out the trans sounded as it dropped. I just bought this car 3 days ago, now I know why he didn't want it. I still have drive 3 and 4, but drive 3 seems to work the best out of all of them.
As for the axle yeah I am going to just have it done with the trans, every time I take a turn it clunks and grinds I would just rather get every thing done to it that needs to be done. I will have to wait on the money though but at least I have my blazer as back up.

Any more advise I can get sure will take as like I said I have never had a honda before and I know nothing about them. Thanks
Carrie

Do you want to stick with the auto? or would you rather have a 5spd? if you want to go ahead and convert I might be able to source up all the parts you need to do the conversion for a decent price. I believe we have a couple 4th gen 5 spds still out in the yard with pedal, master cylinder and lines still on them. I don't know if we have a ECU for one or not, might have one. I haven't done a auto-manual swap on a 4th gen. Done one on a 5th gen and on a 95 240sx, the honda wasn't near as bad as the nissan.

To be honest I would rather it be a stick, I was thinking about changing it but was not sure yet if I could. If you could get that info it would be great, and also how much about it may cost. Like I said though it will be a bit til I have the money for it but it will be my project now, and this way I can learn about hondas in the process. Thanks

The 4g is a cable clutch...no master cylinder= much easier and less hassle swap.

Ok so I get this straight I don't have to shift this car I got? I just don't understand why the got I bought it from said I had to in the first place, I mean he said all hondas are like that even if they are auto trans. Maybe he knows less then I do about hondas. I did check again and I have drive 2 again now, I don't know what is going on the car but I do know that as soon as I can I am going to replace the trans, and I think I am going to go with a stick. Well now I am going to go out and check all the fluid levels here it is not raining today so I better get it done before it starts.

he knew something was wrong with it and wanted to get rid of it sounds like to me

Yeah that is it I just went to a shop here in town and found out everything that is wrong. I need all new ball joints, tie rod ends my brake fluid is leaking along with oil, the trans not giving any problems now that I am driving it different from what the guy said to drive it. I did check the fluid level in trans and it is good but it is smeels burnt, and the oil level is good but I really don't understand that unless he filled to full since it is leaking and not just a small leak. The axle is good the shop said but a boot is torn so I think that since I have to go and have all the work done then I will just replace it to. Well this is a new project for me hope I can get it done I have heard all good things about hondas, but just like every car you have to take core of it and it seems no one has taken care of this one. But any more info I should know please tell me I could use it. Thanks

Ball joints were a pain for me but I was a newbie to suspension when I did it. A ball joint separator or pickle fork will make it go smoothly.

Whole axle replacement is probably easier as stated previously than just the boot replacement (and might be necessary).

The oil leak may be coming from the distributor o-ring. It always seems like a lot and makes a mess all over the tranny. It's a simple fix.

Sorry to hear that you got yourself a can of worms there, man. Hopefully, the car is no lemon and will serve it's purpose once you get the bad stuff taken care of.

Oops I was not thinking when I was writting before the brakes are great it is the power steering that is leaking. For the oil leak it is leaking from the plug and the gasket for the pan needs to be replaced as it is leaking there to. Really not hard to fix I thought til I saw how this car is set up, I am taking to a shop for most of the work so I will have them do the oil pan gasket then too. Yeah I did get a bad car but I can make good and better then when I got it. Just going to take alot of money and time.

Oops, my bad, yea you don't even need a master cylinder...sorry done too many hydraulics, which are a pain. Ill check tomorrow. Anyone wanna double check me on all the parts necessary for the swap?

Tranny
Clutch Pedal
Brake pedal
Cable
Mounts
ECU
Shift Linkage

I'm guessing on the mounts and ECU, but usually you gotta swap them out as well. And does anyone know if this is a direct swap? I know my 5th gen I had a little issues with the linkage and mounts, but nothing I couldn't fix.

Yeah sound like once you get her all ship-shape, shell be a great daily driver and give you alot of enjoyment. As for the transmission, Just drive it in D, thats the way it was meant to be driven, and no hond (with the exception of new models) had an autostick.

I checked with work, you would be better off finding a tranny elsewhere and I could come up with the rest though for a decent price, we just don't have any Si trannies and they want $150 for a dx 5spd which isn't near the same. I would try to find a Si tranny and use it, the just come up with the rest of it.