Honda Car Forum

Just bought a 2004 honda civic LX automatic transmission.

When the car is cold, and you first accelerate from a stop, the car
accellerates for a second, loses power and hesitates for about a second and
then accellerates normally. The rpm's stay constant during this loss in
power, but it basically feels like i let go of the gas for a second. after
about a minute, the engine starts to get warm and the problem goes away. I
took the car to Alberta Honda, in Edmonton, Alberta, twise, and they say
that there is nothing wrong with the car, it just needs to be broken in more
as it only has 554 km on it.

I have now taken it to another Honda dealer, YellowHead Honda, and they told
me that perhaps one of the computer chips has not adjusted (programed
itself) to my driving. The mechaninic there suggested that i drive the car
until the engine is warm, and then turn off all accecceriess and lights, and
let the car idle in park for 30min. He said that this should allow the
computer chip to program itself. Now, I am not mechanically inclned at all,
but i don't really see how this makes any sense. Does anyone here have any
thoughts???? I find this problem to be very annoying and honda is not being
of any help.... so far i am dissapointed in the car and the service honda
has given me and i don't know what i can do about this problem.

Well, i did what yellowhead honda told me and let the car idle for 30min in
park... no effect, in fact, when i was driving tonight i was in an
intersection waiting to make a left hand turn.... the light turned yellow
and all looked to be clear so i hit the gas, and sure enough after a second
of accelleration the car lost all power and sat there in the middle of the
intersection for what felt like a lifetime. After a couple of cars beeped
at me the car started to move again... So, now i am convinced that my car
is a death trap.... but according to honda i just "need to break it in a
little longer" well, i guess i should also pray to gad that i don't die in
the meantime when my car decides to hesitate at the wrong time.... i would
really appreciate any ideas anyone might have.... i am at the point where i
want to ask honda to exchange the car or refund my money.

Hi Ron,

I have a 2003 Civic LX and got the same problem.........at first, they said
the gear range switch is not working properly and replaced the part for me.
But i still experience the same problem.
So i think this is a common problem for Civic then.

Jacky
"Ron" <Homer@Simpson.com> wrote in message
news:CThJb.131282$ss5.101894@clgrps13...
> Just bought a 2004 honda civic LX automatic transmission.
>
> When the car is cold, and you first accelerate from a stop, the car
> accellerates for a second, loses power and hesitates for about a second
and
> then accellerates normally. The rpm's stay constant during this loss in
> power, but it basically feels like i let go of the gas for a second.
after
> about a minute, the engine starts to get warm and the problem goes away.
I
> took the car to Alberta Honda, in Edmonton, Alberta, twise, and they say
> that there is nothing wrong with the car, it just needs to be broken in
more
> as it only has 554 km on it.
>
> I have now taken it to another Honda dealer, YellowHead Honda, and they
told
> me that perhaps one of the computer chips has not adjusted (programed
> itself) to my driving. The mechaninic there suggested that i drive the
car
> until the engine is warm, and then turn off all accecceriess and lights,
and
> let the car idle in park for 30min. He said that this should allow the
> computer chip to program itself. Now, I am not mechanically inclned at
all,
> but i don't really see how this makes any sense. Does anyone here have
any
> thoughts???? I find this problem to be very annoying and honda is not
being
> of any help.... so far i am dissapointed in the car and the service honda
> has given me and i don't know what i can do about this problem.
>
>

Ron wrote:
> Well, i did what yellowhead honda told me and let the car idle for
> 30min in park... no effect, in fact, when i was driving tonight i was
> in an intersection waiting to make a left hand turn.... the light
> turned yellow and all looked to be clear so i hit the gas, and sure
> enough after a second of accelleration the car lost all power and sat
> there in the middle of the intersection for what felt like a
> lifetime. After a couple of cars beeped at me the car started to
> move again... So, now i am convinced that my car is a death trap....
> but according to honda i just "need to break it in a little longer"
> well, i guess i should also pray to gad that i don't die in the
> meantime when my car decides to hesitate at the wrong time.... i
> would really appreciate any ideas anyone might have.... i am at the
> point where i want to ask honda to exchange the car or refund my
> money.

I believe you have answered your own question. I would be ready to bring in
an attorney or some advocacy group if your request for return or exchange
falls on deaf ears and if your dealer is like most I am sure it will on
first call.
What you have their is a vehicle that cannot be trusted.
It is all hogwash that it requires more break in to prevent the stall outs,
they are betting you will just go away.

Your local Better Business Bureau can probably direct you to a "lemon"
mediation / arbitration service. A friend bought a new S10 a few years
ago and had a lot of trouble with the car. He went to an arbitration
service, and the dealer ended up having to buy back the car. He posted
the whole story at http://www.km6xu.com/rnd_stf/s10woes/

Artfulcodger wrote:
>
> Ron wrote:
> > Well, i did what yellowhead honda told me and let the car idle for
> > 30min in park... no effect, in fact, when i was driving tonight i was
> > in an intersection waiting to make a left hand turn.... the light
> > turned yellow and all looked to be clear so i hit the gas, and sure
> > enough after a second of accelleration the car lost all power and sat
> > there in the middle of the intersection for what felt like a
> > lifetime. After a couple of cars beeped at me the car started to
> > move again... So, now i am convinced that my car is a death trap....
> > but according to honda i just "need to break it in a little longer"
> > well, i guess i should also pray to gad that i don't die in the
> > meantime when my car decides to hesitate at the wrong time.... i
> > would really appreciate any ideas anyone might have.... i am at the
> > point where i want to ask honda to exchange the car or refund my
> > money.
>
> I believe you have answered your own question. I would be ready to bring in
> an attorney or some advocacy group if your request for return or exchange
> falls on deaf ears and if your dealer is like most I am sure it will on
> first call.
> What you have their is a vehicle that cannot be trusted.
> It is all hogwash that it requires more break in to prevent the stall outs,
> they are betting you will just go away.

Artfulcodger wrote:
>
> Ron wrote:
> > Well, i did what yellowhead honda told me and let the car idle for
> > 30min in park... no effect, in fact, when i was driving tonight i was
> > in an intersection waiting to make a left hand turn.... the light
> > turned yellow and all looked to be clear so i hit the gas, and sure
> > enough after a second of accelleration the car lost all power and sat
> > there in the middle of the intersection for what felt like a
> > lifetime. After a couple of cars beeped at me the car started to
> > move again... So, now i am convinced that my car is a death trap....
> > but according to honda i just "need to break it in a little longer"
> > well, i guess i should also pray to gad that i don't die in the
> > meantime when my car decides to hesitate at the wrong time.... i
> > would really appreciate any ideas anyone might have.... i am at the
> > point where i want to ask honda to exchange the car or refund my
> > money.
>
> I believe you have answered your own question. I would be ready to bring in
> an attorney or some advocacy group if your request for return or exchange
> falls on deaf ears and if your dealer is like most I am sure it will on
> first call.
> What you have their is a vehicle that cannot be trusted.
> It is all hogwash that it requires more break in to prevent the stall outs,
> they are betting you will just go away.



I'll betcha that their demos don't hesitate...



--
JT

Just tooling through cyberspace in my ancient G4

Just curious, how many km does your civic have. Has the problem gotten any
worse or better over time? What city do you live in.... i am in edmonton
alberta, Canada and right now it is well below freezing, i am wondering if
this problem will still be there in the summer when it is hot out.

Anyway, thank you very much

"Jacky Lau" <jackylau76@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:A3rJb.18190$Vl6.3438743@news20.bellglobal.com ...
> Hi Ron,
>
> I have a 2003 Civic LX and got the same problem.........at first, they
said
> the gear range switch is not working properly and replaced the part for
me.
> But i still experience the same problem.
> So i think this is a common problem for Civic then.
>
> Jacky
> "Ron" <Homer@Simpson.com> wrote in message
> news:CThJb.131282$ss5.101894@clgrps13...
> > Just bought a 2004 honda civic LX automatic transmission.
> >
> > When the car is cold, and you first accelerate from a stop, the car
> > accellerates for a second, loses power and hesitates for about a second
> and
> > then accellerates normally. The rpm's stay constant during this loss in
> > power, but it basically feels like i let go of the gas for a second.
> after
> > about a minute, the engine starts to get warm and the problem goes away.
> I
> > took the car to Alberta Honda, in Edmonton, Alberta, twise, and they say
> > that there is nothing wrong with the car, it just needs to be broken in
> more
> > as it only has 554 km on it.
> >
> > I have now taken it to another Honda dealer, YellowHead Honda, and they
> told
> > me that perhaps one of the computer chips has not adjusted (programed
> > itself) to my driving. The mechaninic there suggested that i drive the
> car
> > until the engine is warm, and then turn off all accecceriess and lights,
> and
> > let the car idle in park for 30min. He said that this should allow the
> > computer chip to program itself. Now, I am not mechanically inclned at
> all,
> > but i don't really see how this makes any sense. Does anyone here have
> any
> > thoughts???? I find this problem to be very annoying and honda is not
> being
> > of any help.... so far i am dissapointed in the car and the service
honda
> > has given me and i don't know what i can do about this problem.
> >
> >
>
>

Obviously this situation with the car is BS! The car should run the same at
10k miles as it does as 5 miles. No hesitations or stalls.

Consult the attorney general for your state. They will probably have a
website relaying the details concerning the lemon law.

Generally you cannot just claim a problem without having extensive paperwork
showing all your trips to the dealer. The lemon law usually requires you to
take your car to the dealer X amount of times in a year or that it has been
at the dealre for X amount of times or so for the same type of safety
problem. You get credit towards the lemon law requirement for however many
days your car sits overnight at the dealer also.

Hear in Washington I believe the vehicle has to have been at the dealer at
least 3 times and 30 days total in a year's period of time.

Make sure you document EVERYTHING!

CaptainKrunch


"Ron" <Homer@Simpson.com> wrote in message
news:tJqJb.60867$6b2.5457@edtnps84...
> Well, i did what yellowhead honda told me and let the car idle for 30min
in
> park... no effect, in fact, when i was driving tonight i was in an
> intersection waiting to make a left hand turn.... the light turned yellow
> and all looked to be clear so i hit the gas, and sure enough after a
second
> of accelleration the car lost all power and sat there in the middle of the
> intersection for what felt like a lifetime. After a couple of cars beeped
> at me the car started to move again... So, now i am convinced that my car
> is a death trap.... but according to honda i just "need to break it in a
> little longer" well, i guess i should also pray to gad that i don't die
in
> the meantime when my car decides to hesitate at the wrong time.... i would
> really appreciate any ideas anyone might have.... i am at the point where
i
> want to ask honda to exchange the car or refund my money.
>
>

hi james,
4000 km for my civic now.......i got the car in august and got the problem
right away. I am in Toronto

jack
"James" <homer@jamco.com> wrote in message
news0DJb.146836$ss5.86258@clgrps13...
> Just curious, how many km does your civic have. Has the problem gotten
any
> worse or better over time? What city do you live in.... i am in edmonton
> alberta, Canada and right now it is well below freezing, i am wondering if
> this problem will still be there in the summer when it is hot out.
>
> Anyway, thank you very much
>
> "Jacky Lau" <jackylau76@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:A3rJb.18190$Vl6.3438743@news20.bellglobal.com ...
> > Hi Ron,
> >
> > I have a 2003 Civic LX and got the same problem.........at first, they
> said
> > the gear range switch is not working properly and replaced the part for
> me.
> > But i still experience the same problem.
> > So i think this is a common problem for Civic then.
> >
> > Jacky
> > "Ron" <Homer@Simpson.com> wrote in message
> > news:CThJb.131282$ss5.101894@clgrps13...
> > > Just bought a 2004 honda civic LX automatic transmission.
> > >
> > > When the car is cold, and you first accelerate from a stop, the car
> > > accellerates for a second, loses power and hesitates for about a
second
> > and
> > > then accellerates normally. The rpm's stay constant during this loss
in
> > > power, but it basically feels like i let go of the gas for a second.
> > after
> > > about a minute, the engine starts to get warm and the problem goes
away.
> > I
> > > took the car to Alberta Honda, in Edmonton, Alberta, twise, and they
say
> > > that there is nothing wrong with the car, it just needs to be broken
in
> > more
> > > as it only has 554 km on it.
> > >
> > > I have now taken it to another Honda dealer, YellowHead Honda, and
they
> > told
> > > me that perhaps one of the computer chips has not adjusted (programed
> > > itself) to my driving. The mechaninic there suggested that i drive
the
> > car
> > > until the engine is warm, and then turn off all accecceriess and
lights,
> > and
> > > let the car idle in park for 30min. He said that this should allow
the
> > > computer chip to program itself. Now, I am not mechanically inclned
at
> > all,
> > > but i don't really see how this makes any sense. Does anyone here
have
> > any
> > > thoughts???? I find this problem to be very annoying and honda is not
> > being
> > > of any help.... so far i am dissapointed in the car and the service
> honda
> > > has given me and i don't know what i can do about this problem.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Jacky Lau wrote:

> hi james,
> 4000 km for my civic now.......i got the car in august and got the problem
> right away. I am in Toronto
>
[snip]

Which dealership did you buy it from? My family bought 3 Honda from
Pickering Honda, and they always fixed any problems right away. Come to
think of it, the only problem we ever had was with our old 99 Odyssey
(bought brand new), when the gearbox got stuck in 1st and 2nd.

Cosmin