Bought a blue hatchback to replace my blue hatchback

It has an eco button. It seems to dull the throttle response, make the cruise control a little more relaxed, and alter some of the climate control operation.

 

Yes, I usually use Eco mode. I feel like it's a little easier to shift smoothly, and the cruise control acts smoother too.

I don't think so. The dulled throttle mapping in Eco mode probably helps to keep the turbo offline for drivers with heavy feet.

 

Just got back from a long road trip, I got a few photos of the Civic in various locations.

 

You drove a few miles there! Wow.

 

One more photo, with a tent that some of you may remember from a previous adventure http://www.cleanmpg.com/community/index.php?threads/39079/page-2#post-306881. I also used the Eureka sleeping bag that I received from that 2011 trip. It got cold overnight camping at higher elevations, but I was really happy with that sleeping bag's ability to keep me warm.

 

There are some backcountry and logging roads that I know that I won't be able to make it down. Some of them are for trucks only, so I need to keep in mind and know when I should go a different way, both for the sake of ground clearance and for avoiding tire punctures. My bigger clearance problem is probably in winter where I might plow the road a little with the front splitter, but that's not very common either.

 

Hi Mike:

That Milky Way shot with your CIvic upfront was so cool!!!

How many miles now and how is she holding up beyond the mesh grille mod?

Wayne

 

I'm around 42k miles now. Unfortunately, the car has not met the quality expectations that I had for a Honda. Nothing major has happened that would make it undrivable, but there have been lots of little issues. My clunky suspension issue has finally been addressed by the Honda Tech line. They had my dealer test drive two other Civic hatchbacks and they both made the same noise, so the conclusion was that the sound is normal and that nothing more can be done at this point. This was after six dealer visits and after replacing most of my front driver side suspension twice. Neither my dealer nor I are happy with this conclusion, but Honda Tech Line is the authority so options seem limited right now.

 

I'm getting a new transmission. The gear whine sound has become louder recently, so I took the car to the dealer. They investigated and replaced my wheel bearings and transmission output shaft bearing, but that didn't cure it. So the next step now is a full transmission replacement.

 

The whine is consistent through gears 2-6, and rises in pitch as the vehicle speed increases. For those reasons, I thought the output shaft bearing was a reasonable diagnosis. I'm guessing that the whine also happens in 1st gear, but the vehicle speed is so low that it might blend in with road noise frequencies.

 

Hi Mike:

I am so sorry to hear about all the issues and now a tranny replacement. And it s a manual too. Who ever has trouble with manuals and especially at 42k miles? And in a Honda no less!

Keep us up to date on this as I am curious what they will find inside. If they tell you anything?

Wayne