new to this forum, found it on google.

to start off, i have a 1998 honda civic lx sedan, 5 speed standard with about 240xxx km on it. my very first car and i learned to drive a standard by myself on it. a few months ago, i noticed a slight clicking sound whenever i would come to a stop and turn left. i was told it was probably my cv axle (passenger side). i didn't really worry much about it as it was the winter and it didn't seem very bad at the time. over the past little while i noticed it is getting really bad and i can tell it is in desperate need of replacing. it has started to cause my driver side cv axle (when i am turning right) to start to click. anyways, i work full time at a minimum wage job so money is a bit tight. i have considered replacing it myself but i don't really know much about it and would rather let someone with more knowledge about it replace it.

a few other problems that have only started recently....

when i am braking my steering wheel shakes, almost vibrates. when i turn left or right sharply my oil light turns on, then goes off when i complete the turn. i still have my studded winter tires on (i know, it's almost june) but i couldn't really afford to get a set of tires for the summer put on yet. i bought this car in october and the car came with a set of falken summer tires but they are pretty much bald, so i feel like it's safer to keep the studded winters on until i can afford to get a new set (next week or so). i'm almost wondering if the steering wheel vibration is because of the studded winters on pavement, or if it is a completely different problem. maybe the brakes? even though there were new rotors and pads put on last summer. what do you think?

i feel like my car is falling apart and i'm not really sure what to do. i would really like to keep it but i feel almost unsafe everytime i drive it, like i'm not sure if the tire will fall off... some days i just want to sell it as is but i would really like to fix whats wrong with it first, and then decide if i want to sell it. i would really like your guys opinions on what to do. i know these cars are unbelievably reliable. (it started every single morning last winter with no block heater. -40 celsius) i know it's a really good car it just needs some tlc... i just want it to be a safe car and to be running the way its suppose to run. give me your guys opinion and thanks for the help!

 

Alright well as for the axles, that is an easy fix with some basic mechanical abilities and tools. You can get a new axle from Autozone with a lifetime warranty for like $50 a side, or on craiglist you can get both sides for like $40 from someone, either way is good, obviously a used set of oem ones is cheaper. I would get those axles done ASAP before one of the cv's breaks on you. As for your shaking wheel, your brakes are most likely warped. Did you get cheap rotors or have your old ones cut? Thin rotors or cheap ones will warp and cause a vibration like that from overheating. Get rid of those winter tires ASAP also, those will get chewed up by the cement so fast, winter tires are very soft so they wear away extremely fast.