Diagnosing an assortment of issues with a 92 civic hatchback.

2broke2bimmer

New Member
My girlfriend has a 1992 Honda Civic hatchback with 311,xxx on the clock. I believe it is a DX but I am not certain (I have no familiarity with Hondas). It is the automatic with manual locks, windows and mirrors. I've decided to tackle some of the issues her car has as they are likely more affordable to fix than my bimmer. Her instrument cluster does not illuminate checked fuse 15 and 10a and they looked good. One or two lights on the climate control panel illuminate but that's it. I have not checked the dimmer switch so I'm not certain that's not the culprit. When in reverse there is a shake at idle, is this due to bad engine mounts as I have read or is something else likely the culprit? The car is getting about 25mpg hwy which seems a bit low for a car with a 2300lb CW and a small engine. Only one of her speakers works I suspect that this is so to a shoddy wiring job installing two aftermarket speakers in place of the rear stock ones. I notice it has a D4 and a D3. D3 seems to provide a more eager throttle response and shift map but doesn't settle into overdrive. D4 seems more ecominded. I've only driven it once as I do not fit into it well as I'm 6'6". Just trying to get my bearing on this one thanks for any assistance you can provide.

Additional, what kind of year compatibility do these have, will parts from any 5th gen of similar trim fit this? When I had a firebird almost everything from any third generation fbody would swap on. Except the block which I discovered was a Canadian swap...
 
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Turbo_Freak

BAMF
Registered VIP
5+ Year Member
When is the last time you performed a tune up?
5th gen are from 92-95.
Does it have the original engine?
If the fuses are good, it sounds like the bulbs just might've burned out.
d4 is preferred for normal driving. i would use d3 while going up hills and needed that extra higher RPM.
 


2broke2bimmer

New Member
Turbo_Freak said:
When is the last time you performed a tune up?
5th gen are from 92-95.
Does it have the original engine?
If the fuses are good, it sounds like the bulbs just might've burned out.
d4 is preferred for normal driving. i would use d3 while going up hills and needed that extra higher RPM.
Click to expand...
She bought from some kid for a grand about 6 months ago. We haven't performed a tune up since then so it's probably due for it. The major selling point for this car is that other than the cheepo speakers this car has not been riced out in anyway. Recognizing that I'm on a tuner forum I want to quickly clarify that I recognize a difference between tuners and ricers. Ricers buy pos aftermarket parts because it's "dope af Brah" I believe it is the original motor but I'm not certain. All the bulbs went out at once so I wasn't certain that it was bulbs but I'll check that.
 

2broke2bimmer

New Member
Yeah it's something that should have been done. The car is not here right now but I will check the motor as soon as it is. Are there things to look for during a tune up on these, e.g. Things that are finicky or tend to go bad? I know my car is very sensitive to which brand of parts you use, my previous vehicles were far less sensitive, are Hondas? Can I just pick up parts at Napa or autozone?
 

lethal6

Your Mom's Moderator
Staff member
Registered VIP
Registered OG
5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
Tune up for the d-series: Plugs (only factory NGK), wires (same no aftermarket crap), distributor cap, rotor, fuel filter, oil filter, pcv valve, I would adjust the valves with it having that high of mileage, and air filter to start. Inspect the whole car for major wear. I would also completely flush the brake fluid and the cooling system.

Parts for ignition, sensors, and major stuff should always stick to OEM. Hondas are notorious for running like crap with aftermarket sensors and ignition parts.

Dash lights sound like a dimmer switch to me. These do crazy s**t when the switches are going out. Can find them online at Honda wholesale parts sites for pretty cheap and still OEM.
 

DooDooBrownHatch

New Member
You can jump the pins in the connector of the dimmer switch with a paper clip, all that does is delete the dimming and it sets the bulb brightness to full lighting. I did in my hatch for now, as I haven't located a working switch yet. Hope this helps!
 
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