Brand new honda civic coupe

[jwells0504]

Hello. So I just bought a brand new Honda civic coupe 2012 model. It's my first car and it took me some time to save the money I needed for my massive down payment. After driving it for nearly a week I noticed a few things that just bug me and I was hoping for someone to help. I guess I'll just get right to it then. So the first issue I have is my fuel economy. The cars specs say it gets 30 on city and 40 on highway and consumer reports said they actually ended up with a little better but the onboard computer says I only get around 24 average. I can't figure out why, I drive economically, I'm not in any stop and go traffic, I just can't figure out why. Second is the gear changing seems like its a little rough whenever I put it from park to drive, feels like I pressed the gas as soon as I did it when I didn't and the car just wants to take off. Third is the feedback I get from the engine whenever I press or let go of the gas peddle, it feels like as soon as I let it go and engine jumps, same thing when I press the gas too. Also the plastic doors vibrate loudly whenever a certain tone of bass is played through the speakers, not played excessively loud just deep base. These issues bother me quite a bit and I was hoping for someone to put my mind to ease. Any help is much appreciated.

[James Matteu]

1. Your engine is designed for performance with a secondary valve profile for economy that only comes into play at highway cruising speeds. You can help out by making sure spark plug, air filter, and oil maintenances are all up to date. In the end, its your foot that will have the largest impact on fuel economy, and it has little to do with traffic: how fast you accelerate and how high the RPMs get play a larger role in fuel economy that anything else.

 

2. This is normal when the motor is cool, there is a Fast Idle Thermo Valve responsible for raising idle speed to prevent stalling and lower tailpipe emissions (the catalytic converter does not work when cold). If this is a persistent condition regardless of engine temp, you may want to reset the ECU to help it adjust to the fuel you're using: you may very well be using a higher octane than the previous owner.

 

3. See #2.

 

4. Check to be sure the panels are secured with all their tabs and screws. A loose panel will vibrate easily. Otherwise, you will have to remove the door panels and install foam backing as support.

[TheReachFreaks]

This thread should help you, http://www.hondachat.com/showthread.php?t=IDBvgx4d8rFOpBe2k

[thaicivic]

And congrats on your Civic purchase. Even though you're having small issues it'll serve you well for a long time.