Honda Car Forum

how often do you adjust the valve clearance of a 1998 honda civic vtec model?

Traditionally it was every 15k miles,but now Honda says only adjust if excessively loud when engine is warm.Hondas are famous for noisy valves on cold start-up,if so,it's no reason for concern.

I would have thought that they had hydraulic lifters and would almost never need to be adjusted.

The owner's manual for the 1998 civic calls for the inspection and adjustment of the valves every 30,000 miles. The 30,000 mile interval is the 'major service' interval on that car where all of the normal 'tune-up' items are done with the replacement of the spark plugs, filters, fluids and safety inspections.the vehicle does have mechanically adjustable valves and they have to be adjusted twice to get them right; one adjustment is done with the engine up to normal operating temperature then the engine has to be cooled down and the valves rechecked 'cold'. the valve adjustment is the most critical adjustment on that car in terms of performance and fuel economy.hope that answers your question

As part of every major tune-up or service interval, the valve clearance should be checked and adjusted if necessary. Honda recommends that the valve clearance be checked at 15,000 mile (24,000 km) intervals. Valve lash must always be adjusted with the engine cold. The head temperature must be below 100°F (38°C). Generally, this means allowing the engine to cool for at least three hours after driving. Overnight cold is best. If the valve adjustment is being done as part of a routine maintenance or mileage service regimen, do this work first, before the engine is warmed up to check timing or idle































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