1997 Honda Civic Logo
Anonymous Posted on Aug 23, 2013

I have a 1997 Honda Civic with about 158,000 miles on it. I get it serviced regularly - oil changes, etc. this morning driving in my malfunction indicator light came on. I am concerned about what this might mean. I just had the car serviced about 2 1/2 weeks ago...

  • Anonymous Aug 23, 2013

    Thank you all, these suggestions are very helpful to me. This morning was the first time this light has come on so I am going to go through the steps suggested to me. You all have been very helpful. Much appreciated.

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1 Answer

Larry Chandler

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  • Honda Master 1,149 Answers
  • Posted on Oct 29, 2013
Larry Chandler
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Joined: Oct 20, 2009
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Hi:
There are hundreds of reasons a MIL will illuminate,and the only way to find out what caused it is to have the code downloaded off of the computer. Usually auto parts stores, such as Auto zone, will do this for free. Then you can figure out what caused the code, and work towards fixing the problem!

5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 25 Answers
  • Posted on Jun 20, 2008

SOURCE: 2003 Honda Accord Check Engine / Maintenaice Requeried

If you brought your car to Honda for service, they probably forgot to reset the maintenance reminder. If you took it to another shop, they probably did not know how to reset it. Anyway, the reset procedure is:

Put your key in the ignition
Turn the key to the II position for a couple of seconds
Then turn the key to the off position
Now push and hold in the odometer reset button
While still holding the odometer reset button, turn the key back to the II position
Hold for I think 10 seconds or so and your maintenance reminder light should reset it self.

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ricky horwood

  • 128 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 28, 2008

SOURCE: The "D"[drive] light flashing whilst driving 2003 CRV

your transmission may be low in fluid
s should have been checked when you went in for a service
have it checked by a different mechanic
a lot of mechanics forget or just dont check the level in it
you may be bale to check it your self
look in the servicing you car part in your owners manual
there is a dip stick in your motor bay just like checking your oil
however
most cars have to be checked with in the first 5 seconds of the car running
just check what it says in the owners manual about "maintenance" and follow what it says
let me know if this helps
ricko

Anonymous

  • 36 Answers
  • Posted on Mar 11, 2009

SOURCE: code PO131

Code PO131 is O2 sensor circuit low voltage , bank 1, sensor 1. That sensor I would say is the one in the exhaust manifold. I would check voltage to the sensor from the computer. If the voltage is not 5 volts, then it could be a computer problem or a wiring problem. I have seen factory wiring and connectors give a voltage problem. Check for a damaged or burnt, pinched wire. You need to know for sure that the voltage is correct to the sensor. Intermittent problems are hard to trace , but patience and knowledge helps.

Anonymous

  • 1486 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 11, 2009

SOURCE: Check Engine light came on in my 03 Civic

The light wont come on unless there is a problem.Get the problem sorted then have the coeds cleaed.Then your light will work as it should.

Anonymous

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Sep 10, 2009

SOURCE: Honda-crv 2008, When to change the oil.

Honda say thats not true and to wait until the car tells you when to change it. I have a 2008 CRV and you should and can wait till the oil say 15%! We took ours in after a long road trip for our first oil change. We had over 5K and the oil said 65%. The guy said that we did not need to bring it in. We still had change it while it was their but the car goes around 8-9 K on a oil change. A little wrench will come on and the oil life % will come on when it reach15% and will come on every time you start the car till you get it changed.

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How often should I change the oil on a honda civic vp 2005 that I put only 6000 miles a year.

Its still best that you at least change your oil once a year, every 3000 miles is recommended. If you have a car with that low mileage you still want to make it last a long time. Whats $70-$100 bucks a year to have peace of mind. Even if your not driving it the oil still should be changed regularly.
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My car has 140,000 kms hw often do i need an oil changeits a 1997 honda civic

To keep it simple: Your car should have used synthetic oil originally:

If you are using Regular Motor Oil - I found through many years of doing oil changes & auto repairs that 3000 miles is the MAX you should drive before changing. After that it tends to lose it's protective qualities & you can actually feel the difference (once you've removed a few thousand dipsticks) in the viscosity.

Synthetic Lubricant- Higher Quality Products will make your car last longer & I can suggest no better improvement to anyones vehicle than to use Synthetic Oil. Change at 6000-7500 miles depending on type driving. City, Idling a lot, hard driving = 6000 & Cruising/highway regular speeds=7500.

Always make sure your air filter is clean & a new Oil filter is installed each time as this will keep the new oil clean longer which provides better lubrication & performance. Some car Mfgs say to skip oil filter change & do every other but I like the results I have rec'd with changing it each time. It also helps to keep the new oil cleaner by not mixing in the dirty oil that is in the filter & associated piping.

If your car is running well, stick with the 5W30 that was recommended as Honda engines are extremely close tolerance. If it has used regular motor oil & is a little noisy, during the warmer weather you could step up to a 10w40 or even better a 15W50 in the summer, preferably Synthetic. Better fuel economy, acceleration & less wear & tear.

Finally: 140K should earn you a badge. That's just a well broken in Honda if it's been well maintained and you should expect much more service from it. I hope that this helps. Good luck!
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Oil filter in civic 97

If you go to a reputable motor factor,
you can only be sold the correct filter for the civic.
As there are soo many variables in engine type, it's almost impossible to tell, oil volume, or which type filter.
However, I will say, be sure that you don't mix semi-synthetic oil, and mineral oil.
Oil changes should be undertaken every 30,000 miles, (unless under extra work load, (in which case, slightly more regularly))

Otherwise, 10/40 or 15/40 grade oil, is perfectly fine.
The trick to not overfilling the oil, is simply just to take your time, clean the dip stick and retry, until you have the correct reading.

Please don't forget to rate:)

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