hi guys this is my first post here, i have a 2000 honda civic EX, and i am not really into turbocharging my civic but would like to keep up the mantainance, My car has almost 73K miles on it.
what would u guy recommend me changing and where can i find affordable and good parts


timing belt kit& water pump
spark plugs
brake rotors and pads
spark plug wires
intake filter


what else would u guys recommend me changing, it is a commuter car and i would love to get more mpg and power from it
Thanks

 

I am still a noob here, but I will tell you what I did with my 97. It just hit 100k, and I wanted to make sure it lived to see 300-400k, so I went ahead and fixed a few things.

Timing Belt and Water Pump - since the water pump is driven by the timing belt why not change it-
All aux belts
NGK-R Spark Plugs and new wires
Oil change
Air filter change
general inspection of suspension and drivetrain components.

This amount of work is normaly defined by Honda to be done anywhere from 100-110K total miles, so I think you can afford to wait a bit if you really want to, but it never hurts to be early. I work here in my town with a killer import mechanic. He told me recently, that after the above listed items I installed, the car was set for another 100k minus a set of brake pads and or tires here and there.

The great thing about the honda engine, is that as long as you don't overheat it, and change the oil regulary, clean the air filter or replace it alltogether, it should be worry free and last for damn near ever. If you go with what you got, you should be set for a while.

You can also drain and replace the tranny fluid, this is always a decent idea, and it can't hurt anything, and the coolant should be replaced when you get your new water pump installed, so thats a plus.

If you are looking to get more mpg, the only thing I can suggest is to stick with the oil that your car asks for, mine is 5w-30, which is a more economic oil and decent for normal driving conditions. I have run 10w-30 also, but I honestly thing I am getting better mpg since I dropped to 5w-30.

You could also try a K&N replacement air filter for your factory air box, or just dish out the funds and get a short-ram or cold-air system. They look great, and boast a HP gain, and having less "suck" on your intakes has to be for the best.

Thats about all I can suggest.Hope it helps some :-)

I almost forgot, I found a place in cali, that I bought my timing belt kit from, they are called DCHhonda on e-bay, look them up they seem to have the best stock honda part prices I have found, at least for my civic. I will try and post their contact info if I can find it.

 

thanks a lot bro, i really appreciate your HELP! thanks once again.
just a last thought, how much of these can be "do it your self" if ur ok with cars?

 

sorry to bother u once again, my left front side is making some grinding noise, do u know what it could be, its not coming from the engine, i dont think its the transmission, it only comes once in a while then goes away.
I thought i need to change the brakes, could tht be it?

 

Well, oil filter and air filters are an easy fix by yourself, and the K&N upgrade, or short-ram / cold intake kits are pretty easy with directions, just match the hoses you remove, and do your best to get that sucker secure to the engine compartment somewhere.

Plugs and wires are a quick change, but do it right, get a cheaper torque wrench and go by the specs in a good engine manual like Haynes or etc. You can get them at any autozone, or on ebay most of the time.

As for the aux belts, they might be easy to do, just find the tensioners and loosen them to get your old ones off and new ones on, Timing is doo-able as well, so people tell me, you just have to precisely mark your gears to make sure you don't time it wrong. To me this was the largest issue, so I took it to my mechanic.

If you don't run into any issues, the kit with all the belts is around 100 bucks minus shipping, and the labor to install it for a local mechanic is only about 150-200 total, so it might be better to let them attack that issue. You could easily go with the other upgrades and hold off for a few more miles on the belts, or take it as it comes, up to you.

 

Stu glad to see you becoming a regular nice info to the guy!

 

Thanks, I do what I can. I love cars, and bikes, so I just say what i know.

About that grinding, I am not really sure without listening to it what it could be. My civic makes strange grinding noises sometimes, almost sounds like the frame flexes or something, when I take off hard. If i figure out what i am hearing I might be able to help you.

 

thanks so much, i will wait for ur reply