I think it's time to intro myself + is my car a lemon or am i paranoid

[94dc2tegz]

Hey all,
I know it's a bit late but I think it's time i introduced myself and what i drive onto this place which i frequent so much lately.
Anyways, i'm a uni student who just recently got a 94 dc2 VtiR and in need of much advice! So lend a helping hand whenever u can and it'll be much appreciated :)
At the moment it's only lowered and i'm trying to find some rear lights as i personally don't like the altezza look that it came with.

Future mods plan at the moment:
Xforce headers (subject to change)
Xforce 2.25" cat back with twin loop muffler (s12 i think it's called the oval one)
and probably a filter of some kind but it'll b SRI as i live in Melb and my car will probably drown on every other day with a CAI.

With this all aside, there ARE a few probs though which make me wonder....
After getting the car I basically threw it into Ultra Tune's hands and had it all fixed up (they found a few leaks and fixed it and the usualy this and that)
Now there's another leak?! Something to do with the head gaskate? may have remembered wrong, anyways he said it'll cost a grand to fix if anything but it's not immediate??? (could be a sales trick to lull me in to a false sense of security??? haha).

Main point i'm getting at is "is my car a lemon????" is it worth fixing in the future??? when the time comes (mind u it's only leaking a teaspoon a month atm) or should i sell sell sell and find a better one? Car back ground is that everyone's been saying that it's a well kept car for what it is so i'm just assuming this is normal for a 13 odd year old car?

So if anyone is interested in giving their opinon (postive) feel free. Ask if any more info is needed.
:wave:

[shadou]

uhhh get it diagnosed with another mech first before you jump at throwing a grand into a head gasket change. I wouldn't trust one mechs (esp ultra tune) diagnosis unless they can prove it.
Question is why didn't you do a compression/leak test before buying the vehicle? and how much did you pay?

[aaronng]

Don't go to ultratune. Go to a proper mechanic. Which state are you located in?

[d15z1SUX]

sometimes mechanics seem to like to blame things on the head gasket for some reason.

[shadou]

cos it earns them a lot. What a headgasket is like under $80? and it takes at least a good days worth of labour to get the head off, cleaned, ect.

[aaronng]

cos it earns them a lot. What a headgasket is like under $80? and it takes at least a good days worth of labour to get the head off, cleaned, ect.

If it is a whole day's worth of labour, then it is not a low cost repair. I reckon mechs make more money out of simpler, small jobs that they can do in shorter time.

[94dc2tegz]

Hey guys, thanx for ur fast replies.
How much? Well, at the time I had RACV look at it and it and the only problem at the time was leaking coolant which I had fixed. That was the only real concern. And due for a service. But that's pretty much it. Anyways, UT was the only place I knew at the time since i'm a first time buyer that had a rep. I'm in Melb so if there's any better place please do share!

Anyways, new radiator, belts, oil yada yada blew up to just over a K and I thought man.. wtf i am so getting ripped... but I paid it thinking a major fix up cuz i just got the car would b OK. And now another leak poped up. It's been a week now though since i've spotted the leak and it probably leaked cuz I happed to swap cars with a mate on a certain day a week ago and we ripped our cars up and down some place. Since then i've been reasonably driving and there's no noticeable leak anymore...? Duno if that really makes any difference.

Back to how much, I paid about 10K for it or there abouts, yea u might say it's not the best price but at the time it was the cleanest I found. It also comes with 17" mags and a full sound sys (not that it adds much to the value at all) just to keep in mind.

[Joeyboy]

mate, sorry to hear about your experience with UT, but i can tell u now that ur not the only one. i had problems with them as well, i put my car in for one thing, and suddenly my radiator top was suddenly cracked and had to replace that? of course they also had to flush the coolant, blah blah blah.

my advice: take it to about 3 other mechs and see what they say. if u can find a Honda mech around your area, even better (like for example in brisbane, there is this mech that specialises in Honda cars as the guys used to work in Honda but put up their own business and are charging at least 50% cheaper than Honda. not sure around melb. but ask around this forum and even look it up in yellowpages.com.au.

[94dc2tegz]

Well, looks like I don't have a leak?
No idea, went back for a check up and there hasn't been a leak since. It was probably oil left over from last time i think thats wot he said.

Well now money can be focused onto mods. So here's my question... would a K&N drop in filter do much for my car or get a CAI/SRI setup? Not too sure which is best. (least efford/money required)

[Joeyboy]

i would go CAI. SRI would just suck hot air (unless if u got heatshield). But IMO i dont really see a point in changing ur stock filter with a pod, unless if u like the sound that it makes.

another option is changing ur stock filter to k&n panel filter and keep it in the filter box.

[DCB18]

take your car to a honda service center if you are still worried about it.
i have never trusted places like ultra tune. a friend of mine had an engine blow up on him because of a mistake that ultra tune made while servicing the car.

you might pay more for honda to look at it, but i think its worth it.
creates peace of mind anyway to know your car is in good hands.

how many kms has your car done? after a while little leaks can surface around the front of the engine. i have had one leak sealed already...

dont worry about it too much, when i first got my car i needed a new clutch, new radiator, new passenger seat, a cd player (cause there was no radio or cd in the car when i got it) and I just fixed up the brake and clutch master cylinder. i have just clicked over the 180k mark tho... its just the fun of old cars mate, but we still love them in the end.

my advice, go to honda.

[94dc2tegz]

OK! The phantom leak is BACK!
Damn little thing. Decided to have a look today after a couple of test runs around the block where I really push it where I'd use VTEC for extended periods of time( well more than usual?)
So I guess i'm pushing the car. Usual everyday driving i don't go much further that 4K rmp, but i average 6K rmp b4 shifts today (just painting a picture here)
Yes I know, if u thrash ur car of course it's guna break sooner but then are these cars ment to take this kind of treatment like a normal jog in the park?
Anyways, the leak is just above the engine number area if that means anything to anyone. Is this a serious problem?
And throwing it out there, how much is engine rebuild and is it worth it?

[shadou]

engine rebuilds aren't cheap you're looking anywhere from $1000+
Take a picture and post it on here hard to imagine what you are talking about.
And isn't the redline on vti-r's like 8200 or something round that? babying your car way too much man 4k shift lol

[Muzz]

Yes definatly get pics, try and locate exactly where its leaking from.

If you used the air con during these periods, it could just be little bit of water which is normal.

[94dc2tegz]

Here's the pic. It may not be very good as I shrunk it alot.
Anyways, this probably happens once a week or maybe every two weeks I'm imo. Probably due to driving habit. UT dude said that I was losing abt 1 teaspoon a month and nothing too serious to worry about until it gets worse.
Anyways Question:
When I'm leaking oil. is there any danger? or can i just keep adding oil every so often. Obviously oil sitting around in ur engine isn't a good thing. But paying so much money to fix this lil thing. Is it worth it?

PS Thanx 4 everyone's input so far.

[shadou]

depends on the leak, if it's like pouring down then yeah fix it lol, but just a small one then I wouldn't really bother, unless it was something easily fixed like a rocker cover gasket or something like that.

[EG30]

I can see someone has smacked more than the nec amt of silastic onto the oil seal ( it's bright blue ). The person prob tried to stop the leak there, where a tiny amt of silkaflex would have done the job.

[94dc2tegz]

well, after time, thought and just plain eventual apathy i've come to terms with my lil leaky friend. I've some how managed to convince myself that "heeey.. it could be worse. Other ppl have dripping oil leaks, non starting engines and what not.. ur's just a lil oozing worry"
I guess i'll just save enough money and throw in some cam's while i get an engine rebuild? but thats just the ambitious side of me talking. I have no bloody clue about cams lol.

I guess i'll just drive it into the ground and when it dies i'll just walk and say "oh well, shit happens" haha

[shadou]

or you could spend some money to get a Honda dealership to identify the leak then report it to you, just a thought

[Shraka]

My advice would be to take it to Honda. They charge through he nose, but at least you know it'll be fixed right.

[JDM_VTIR]

apparently it's a common problem with most DCs. it's definitely not gona cost you over 1k thats for sure! a family friend of mine who's a mechanic quoted me $300~ to get it repaired. it's not gona affect the car much but it'll be good to get it fixed up. keep an eye on your oil levels. cheers.

[94dc2tegz]

apparently it's a common problem with most DCs. it's definitely not gona cost you over 1k thats for sure! a family friend of mine who's a mechanic quoted me $300~ to get it repaired. it's not gona affect the car much but it'll be good to get it fixed up. keep an eye on your oil levels. cheers.

finally someone who brings me great news!
Hey mate, u live in melb s/e. Where do u goto fix ur car like who's ur mechanic? I'm still looking for a mechanic in melb.

[[JDM DC2]]

It seems exactly like the same problem as my car.. occasionally I check and I see oil on the front of the gearbox near where the serial number is. My car is at the mechanics at the moment getting fixed. For me a trusted mechanic said that it is one of 2 o-rings.. either the distributor o-ring or an o-ring where the v-tec solenoid is. so I am getting both of them fixed and an oil return hose replaced for $100. If I was you, I would try and find a decent mechanic who has dealt with a few hondas before.. which area of Melbourne are you from? I took my car to a place in Eltham..

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c133/Peakn_VT-S/IMGP3725.jpg

This is where mine was leaking from and then oil was trickling down over the front of the gearbox but it must only be when you use too much vtec because when I would drive normally I would not see any oil there at all. Makes sense to me.. your vtec has a hole in it?

Anyways, hope this helps

[94dc2tegz]

vtec has a hole in it?
wat does that mean?
does this effect performance?

[shadou]

hm wasn't this a coolant leak? if it's an oil leak from the solenoid you'll need to take it out and give it a good clean, replace the filter/o-rings (recommended) and just whack some gasket sealant on.

[[JDM DC2]]

Yeh sorry I was jus joking about your vtec having a hole in it.. kinda :) But yeh as shadou said either take out vtec solenoid and replaec the o-rings or just take it to a decent mechanic and get them to replace the vtec solenoid o-rings and the distributor o-ring.. As I said it only cost me $100 for parts and labour to get this done on my car and I havn't seen a drop of oil leaking since.

[94dc2tegz]

lol... well great i feel like an idiot now.
well back to the age old question. where do i find a good honda mechanic whos not "Honda" and will charge me an arm and a leg. Ironically i think taking my car to Honda in the first place would've worked out cheaper. Bloody ultra tune telling me $1000 to fix it.. omg... what I believed him and it still leaked?! not to mention all the random crap they claimed that I needed b4. Well we all learn from our mistakes.

[FastFwd]

Man i know how you feel...after i did my engine conversion i had all these little types of problems which made me sick...and i bought the engine with only 30,000kms on it.

Ultra tune can afford to put high price tags on there work because the have a large share of the market...and your normal Joe Smith doesnt have time to be running around finding a 2nd or 3rd quote. But if you cost it up, a normal qualified mechanic costs around $40 per hour...it will take him say 7 hours MAX to change a head gasket...it wont take that long but just saying. thats $280 just labour + $80 head gasket....$360.

even if the machanic charges $50 per hour... thats only another $70 so hahaha $1000 as if.

[shadou]

what a grand to do a headgasket? the hell you getting your quotes from? I said easy $1000 to rebuild an engine, you got the rebuild kit easy $300+ depending what make + additional parts if required, then you got labor on pulling engine out, putting it back it, ect.

[94dc2tegz]

sweet, got my bushes fixed today! awesome yay woo!
uncool - they guy left my car in gear and wen i fired her up i hit the wall =(
no major damage but a bit of a bubble under the paint where the number plate screw is. may need to invest into a new bumper one day =(=(=( how disappointing.

[[JDM DC2]]

which bushes did you get done and how much was labour to get them installed? also.. where did you get them done. Thanks

[94dc2tegz]

well, i was going to get both done, but the guy at Pedders said the other was looked cracked but wen he wiped the dust off it was fine so he only did the right one which made a rattling noise.
I got some poly urethane bush (apparently it's stronger than stock and cheaper) + fitting +wheel alignment = about $494 (thats just for the one bush)
originally it was ment to b about 650 for both.

hope this helps.

[angel]

For a peace of mind, while you're hunting down a decent mechanic, take it to a Honda dealer Shop, get them to check the engine, and decide from there on. you can ring the nearest dealer shop near you. It doesnt hurt to ask them as they know better. I had same situation when i bought my civic few years back, Got the honda boys checked and fix my engine, then i got my self a good Honda specialist. Im sure you'll find one in melbourne, but for that peace of mind, take it to a honda dealer shop.

[FastFwd]

[JDM DC2]
__________________
Do you have VTEC?

I most certainly do!!!

[94dc2tegz]

OK! I think I solved all my problems? I hope.
Turns out I was over filled (oil) cuz the place i went to (oh how they still give me trouble even though I haven't been back) overfilled my engine which could explain why I was leaking? Cuz the extra oil was blowing my seals. It also explains y the car felt sluggish wen it got warming during the day.

Although the oil change in itself did present many troubles... ie.. it took 9 hours LOL
This was mainly because I didn't have the right tools and most of teh day was spent driving back and fourth collecting stuff (some of the wrong stuff)
Annoying thing about the lowered car was the need for two hydrolic jacks to get the car high enough to work under.
Once the car was looking mighty 4wd styles and slightly floating off the ground (this was probably 7hours later mind you) the biggest and major problem was getting that damn oil filter off. Some douche bag must've tightened it with a oil filter wrench or had super human strength because for the life of me i could not get that damn thing off. The limited clearance and totally cramped space didn't help either cuz the hook style oil filter wrench didn't or couldn't even get around the can because there was something getting in the way. The circular one which probably would've been the best was the wrong size...omfg...just too small. Anyways, called another mate who happened to have that claw like one and finally with much effort it came off!
This was the bulk of the time and once that baby was off everything else went smoothly.

Although this took way longer than it should've and probably cost me more than it would if i went to a mechanic it was a learning experience and since I hand tightened it that problem will never arise again. Also most of the cost went to tools so it was an investment. Although I'm still on a look out for a jack that can get low enough and high enough without having to use two.

Speaking of which... that mega jack I borrowed..haha... my mate's dad is a mechanic. Anyways, his dad wasn't home so we went to get the jack. We thought we couldn't get the handle off and it wouldn't fit into a car so I ended up dragging that mofo all the way home (bout 30min walk it was). Sounded like a elephant skateboarding around the neighborhood i tell ya. And the next day I get a msg from my mate. "My dad laughed his ass off wen he heard u dragged it home cuz there's a latch somewhere to release the handle"
OMG! At least I didn't have to drag it back to his house (few).

In conclusion: I am a awesomely noob to this car stuff.

[shadou]

tops it's a great feeling knowing how to fix your own car isn't it? start small

[94dc2tegz]

Yea, It's allll good... cept my bumper...:unlove:
Cleaned my car today, waxed it all up nicely. Paint is flaking off the bumper in the stress points where it absorbed the minor impact.
SSssso.. if anyone has a spare front bumper thats black be suuure to let me know!:D