"The Mothership" - 1998 Civic - Maintenance Log

[Bergi85]

Bergi85,

I'm confident that I'd somehow screw up buying projectors, especially since I'm looking at the low end of the spectrum. Plus, I've read enough posts from mymmeryloss to take his advice without a fuss.

And your car looks like a hell of a lot of fun

Thanks! It is, I love taking it up to the slopes. It isn't super hard to do....I think I still have all of the pictures I took. I did a write up for a friend, just never got around to posting it. But I understand. Your build looks great!

 

[XpL0d3r]

Bergi85,

I'm confident that I'd somehow screw up buying projectors, especially since I'm looking at the low end of the spectrum. Plus, I've read enough posts from mymmeryloss to take his advice without a fuss.

And your car looks like a hell of a lot of fun

If you want to spend a couple hundred, I'd recommend doing a retrofit. Ask [MENTION=28267]JohnS.[/MENTION] on here for details as he did it with his coupe and it came out great!

 

[ctag]

I'll look into it, thanks XpL0d3r!

 

[JohnS.]

If you want to spend a couple hundred, I'd recommend doing a retrofit. Ask [MENTION=28267]JohnS.[/MENTION] on here for details as he did it with his coupe and it came out great!

This mention system is awesome. Got an e-mail about it lol.

Here's a How To that I wrote regarding my retrofit: http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showthread.php?t=206263

It's very simple. They're plug and play projectors and for being aftermarket AND plug and play, they have amazing output.

 

[GooseS2000]

loving the build keep up the good work.

 

[ctag]

Thanks for the link, JohnS. That's a great writeup.

If I go with retrofits, I'd have to buy a new pair incandescent headlights and then retrofit them; I'm not sure it'd be worthwhile.

Thanks GooseS200

 

[JohnS.]

Thanks for the link, JohnS. That's a great writeup.

If I go with retrofits, I'd have to buy a new pair incandescent headlights and then retrofit them; I'm not sure it'd be worthwhile.

Thanks GooseS200

Why not retrofit the projectors into your current headlights?

 

[ctag]

Why not retrofit the projectors into your current headlights?

Because its been melted through an oven grate, and is wired into the front of the car with a clothes hanger

Even if there is an option to replace the outer shell, and retrofit the existing reflectors, I'd want to replace them, since they're scuffed and damaged.

 

[Bergi85]

This mention system is awesome. Got an e-mail about it lol.

Here's a How To that I wrote regarding my retrofit: http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showthread.php?t=206263

It's very simple. They're plug and play projectors and for being aftermarket AND plug and play, they have amazing output.

I have John S to thank for my retrofit as well! I followed his instructions and everything came out top notch!

 

[ctag]

Tomorrow I'm driving up to TN for a computer conference. It'll be the longest trip I've ever taken with the Mothership, and I'm bringing passengers.

In preparation, I reinstalled the entire back seat, and am now cleaning the dinky air filter.

According to Spectre's not-so-well-designed website, my filter should take 35mL of oil once dry.

I also purchased a Bosch 3312 oil filter and 10w30 Quaker State High Mileage engine oil. I intend to change the oil shortly after returning (it's been between three and six months I believe).

I've got a shopping list together for the end of the semester, if there's any money at all left:
- New headlight housings
- OBD-II USB adapter
- OEM Crankcase oil
- New rear tires (accompanied by a short daydream of what life without having to pump up my tires every week would be like)

I'm not having much luck searching for Type-R headlights, even on eBay (which I'm not a fan of). I do see a lot of JDM housings though, and they don't look half bad to me. Thoughts?

Also:

I REALLY enjoyed seeing you clean and maintain pieces of the car most people do not. But then you ruined the headlights by painting the housings, tails, hubs, and put on that cheap intake.

Not to say I'm about to yield to an outside opinion... But I guess OEM/regular headlights are on the table as well?


Welp, Nashville or bust!

 

[Bergi85]

Good luck with the drive!

 

[conor97hx]

Looks good, inspiring for those who are procrastinating on maintenance things, like me

I've done basic tune up stuff but i'd really like to make my HX stand out again. Broke college students ftw

 

[ctag]

Phreaknic 18 Conference

Broke college students ftw

Haha, the broke college students club is in good company IMO, still better than party-hard college student who ignores his car I found your HX thread, that's a swell ride

Thanks, Bergi85. The trip and conference went well!

All told my (broken) odometer read 419 'units' round trip. Double checking with a maps tells me that the entire trip should be around 240 miles, or 400km... So, my European odometer works correctly with the junk data bring fed to it by the fried ECU? Schweet

Gas cost $23.74. Used algebraically with the possibly correct odo. reading returns $0.057 per km, which is easier to read as 50.5 km per gallon of gas, which may be better understood as 31.4 mpg. Not too shabby, considering 2-3 people and luggage?

I got home too late to change the oil today, and now the weather is getting cold, so I may procrastinate until spring

I was pretty excited to bring my new dslr with me, but ended up with only one worthwhile picture of the friends I attended the conference with,

Oh! And I bought the first part for my super secret awesome car project! It'll be shipping soon, and then I'll get to wiring it in for testing!

 

[conor97hx]

Haha, the broke college students club is in good company IMO, still better than party-hard college student who ignores his car I found your HX thread, that's a swell ride

Thanks, Bergi85. The trip and conference went well!

All told my (broken) odometer read 419 'units' round trip. Double checking with a maps tells me that the entire trip should be around 240 miles, or 400km... So, my European odometer works correctly with the junk data bring fed to it by the fried ECU? Schweet

Gas cost $23.74. Used algebraically with the possibly correct odo. reading returns $0.057 per km, which is easier to read as 50.5 km per gallon of gas, which may be better understood as 31.4 mpg. Not too shabby, considering 2-3 people and luggage?

I got home too late to change the oil today, and now the weather is getting cold, so I may procrastinate until spring

I was pretty excited to bring my new dslr with me, but ended up with only one worthwhile picture of the friends I attended the conference with,

Oh! And I bought the first part for my super secret awesome car project! It'll be shipping soon, and then I'll get to wiring it in for testing!

Sure is, and haha I'm kinda half and half, but at least I find plenty of time for the car. Working in the cold is beer than being burned alive though

 

[ctag]

Sure is, and haha I'm kinda half and half, but at least I find plenty of time for the car. Working in the cold is beer than being burned alive though

Totally wish I could party, so I've got to account for it by writing that off as frivolous

I may disagree with you over the weather somewhat, even though I live in AL. Last winter both of my headlights went out within a week of each other, and having to reach the harness and replace the bulbs in freezing, dark weather after class was a nightmare. At least on a hot day it would be over in a few minutes, rather than fumbling around that damn wire clip with frozen fingers for an hour.

... Not sure where all of the hatred for that event's been lurking, it just randomly surfaced. Sorry to rant I'll do my best to get to the oil, schedule permitting.

 

[conor97hx]

Totally wish I could party, so I've got to account for it by writing that off as frivolous



I may disagree with you over the weather somewhat, even though I live in AL. Last winter both of my headlights went out within a week of each other, and having to reach the harness and replace the bulbs in freezing, dark weather after class was a nightmare. At least on a hot day it would be over in a few minutes, rather than fumbling around that damn wire clip with frozen fingers for an hour.



... Not sure where all of the hatred for that event's been lurking, it just randomly surfaced. Sorry to rant I'll do my best to get to the oil, schedule permitting.

Yeah, I just try to not focus too much on one thing. It's important to have fun even with all that homework haha. And yeah, my oil is way overdue to.

 

[ctag]

Got around to changing the oil and filter yesterday. 3.5qt

Once I was happy that no oil was leaking, I got back on the interstate headed home and hit higher rpms than usual. Everything purred and responded well pretty satisfying feeling right there, therapy of maintenance gone well.

The super secret part I ordered is shipping from EU, so it'll be a while longer than I expected.

 

[ctag]

I got a Christmas/Birthday present from my parents today. Fresh rear tires installed, no more pumping them up every weekend

While we were there, had the alignment done as well. I think I'm on year 2 of a 3-year alignment package.

Tire model: Sumi HTR A/S P01
Included: "Complete Tire Protection", Balancing for life of tire, Flat repairs for life of tire.

Battery tested at 12.97V, with some rating of 423CCA out of an optimal 550CCA.

Alignment shows 0.1 degree camber on front tires, ~1.3 degree on rear.
0.1 degree total toe on front, 0.24 degree toe on rear.

I've moved home, likely for the remainder of my time as a student, so I drive every day now. I'm still unwilling to pay the 'police bribe' to park on campus. It works, but I have an awkward schedule of driving to work and then walking to school, I certainly miss my walking-distance housing

The super secret part arrived it's a UART adapter for OBD-II, so I can now wire my laptop into the car and coax some information out of it. I'm having a hell of a time keeping up with the memorization bulls*** for college classes, but I'll try to find some time to work on my car computer too!

Merry Christmas guys,

 

[mymmeryloss]

Merry Christmas. Always enjoy reading your posts. So descriptive and well written.

Post some pics when u get a chance.

 

[ctag]

Back to school, and I just turned 21! Now I can pursue actual ownership of my car

The Mothership's been holding up to the "frigid" Alabama winter pretty well, with the exception of the cabin interior.

This all was going on partly during my last post, but I left it out because I thought it would be fixed in time for a short post around now.

I went to visit family for a few days over winter break, and left my car at home. It rained for a solid week. Even with the drainage holes in the boot of the car, water collected heavily in the fabric and seat cushions When I arrived home, the car was mouldy.

I quickly threw together a de-humidifier and it kept the problem from getting worse, then I bought some seam sealer from 3M online and waited for it to arrive.

A few days later I fixed the leak around the edge of the trunk.

But wait! There's something else... Something that I think high school ctag failed to share on this thread. Or at least I can't find the post in which this next bit is mentioned.

Under the carpet in my car.... Is home carpet padding

That's right. During that summer when I had a lot of time to play with my new car, I got the idea in my head to try insulating road noise... With a large flat sponge that's never meant to leave a climate controlled abode.

I even stuffed the leftover material under the interior plastics.

Of course, now I have to tear all of that carpet padding out and throw it away. As soon as I pulled up the carpet, there was water everywhere.

Standing water under the rear seats:

Drying and cleaning everything:

After the leak was fixed and everything dried and put back together, it rained for another solid week. I learned that there's some other leak than the one I fixed, as the interior is excessively humid again I have no idea how the water is getting in this time.

Alas, the conclusion will have to wait. Almost every day for the past month has been either below freezing, which makes the water removal difficult, or its actively been raining. Tune in next time for another exciting episodic episode...