04 civic hesitation PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!

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

 

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/

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

[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

 

I bought the car from Alberta Honda in Edmonton, Alberta. I have found the
service at this dealership to be terrible.... they were all very nice and
friendly at first... but after they had my money and i had the car, well
they don't seem interested in even giving me a minute of there time. I am
writing a letter of complaint over this... plus some other concerns i had
with my purchase experience to Honda Canada. So, hopefully i will get some
feedback from them. It will be interesting to see if they are aware of this
accelleration (hesitation) problem, as it seems i am not the only one
experincing it with my civic. Have you taken any further action in regards
to your car hesitating when the engine is cold.... or are you just living
with it? I'm going to wait and see if Honda Canada has any insight on the
issue and if they can come up with a possible solution i will consider
taking it to another Honda dealer in the city, but i will not ever be
returning to Alberta Honda. Anyhow... thanks for your feedback.... if i
ever find out what is causing this hesitation problem with the car i will be
sure to put up a post on it to let you know.

Ron (james)

 

I bought it in Formula Honda.........Honda's always have problems with their
gear box...

Jacky

 

I have to disagree with that statement. I had only one Honda that gave me
any grief in the transmission department, an '94 Accord that wanted to shift
at odd times (under load) into lower gears. The other ten Accords that I
have owned, have never shown or exhibited any transmission problems.

Knock on wood <g>.

 

Me aliment and don't take no for an answer. Talk to them in person and try
to be sure other customers can hear you. If they won't fix your car still,
have lawyer call them. If they're stupid enough not to listen, sue them.
It's relatively cheap compared to the car. Alternatively, get someone to
open the door and pull the car in the show room and leave it there, locked,
with a note on the inside of the window that says in big letters DEFECTIVE
CIVIC, DEALER WILL NOT HELP. Maybe they will be interested in talking at
that point. There are dirtbag dealers of every brand. They won't listen
until they have to and the BBB is a bunch of pansies. If they won't listen
to you being serious and aliment about your problem then they sure as hell
won't listen to the BBB.

 

I meant adamant, stupid spell checker

 

Hi there,

I bought an 04 LX auto coupe about 3 weeks ago. Today I noticed the exact same problem (momentary loss of power just after you start accelerating). It happened while I was reversing and then again several times while I was driving. After a few minutes, when the car had warmed up a bit, it stopped happening. The weather was not cold at all, I am in Southern California. I am going to take the car to the dealer right away, because as Ron wrote, this is a potentially serious problem. Especially in LA where the left turns are notorious. If anyone finds a solution to this problem, please post it here...

thanks,

Stephen

 

Hello Stephen,

To date, I still have the same problem with my car... I have written a
letter of complaint to honda Canada and have just recently heard back from
them. They tell me that they have never heard of such a problem... but
advised me to return to the dealership i purchased the car from.... where
they would check something called the "grade logic chip". Well I took the
car in today... and the result, they were able to duplicate the problem (so
at least they can see the hesitation) but unable to find any source to the
problem. They said that physically there is nothing wrong with the car....
and that perhaps i just need to break it in longer (right now it has 1,200km
on it)... the same answer i was given when i first went in. Very
frustrating to say the least. Could you do me a HUGE favour.... if you ever
get your's fixed, could you email me and let me know what the cause of the
problem was and how they corrected it. My email is RCT1077 AT YAHOO.COM

If you like, you can give me your email, and if i ever get this thing
figured out i will be sure to let you know too. Maybe between the tow of us
we can figure it out!!!

Thanks a lot

Ron

same problem (momentary loss of power just after you start accelerating). It
happened while I was reversing and then again several times while I was
driving. After a few minutes, when the car had warmed up a bit, it stopped
happening. The weather was not cold at all, I am in Southern California. I
am going to take the car to the dealer right away, because as Ron wrote,
this is a potentially serious problem. Especially in LA where the left turns
are notorious. If anyone finds a solution to this problem, please post it
here...

 

Sure, I will let you know if I find out what the problem is. It is possible the dealers might actually be right about breaking in the engine, this kind of thing might just iron itself out over time. I don't know, I have not owned a Honda before. My e-mail is useful654 at yahoo.com. Please let me know if you have any news.

 

=================

Yeay, but if a guy wants a car that hesitates every time he steps on the
gas with oncoming traffic, why not just buy an old Ford Comet? They'll
get you killed for a couple hundred buck$. :-(

'Curly'

===================

 

Last time i brought my 03 Civic LX to dealership for the same
problem.......they replaced the 'gear range switch' and the technician
mentioned abt the grade logic chips as well. I think there's a problem abt
this chip then.

Jacky
possible the dealers might actually be right about breaking in the engine,
this kind of thing might just iron itself out over time. I don't know, I
have not owned a Honda before. My e-mail is useful654 at yahoo.com. Please
let me know if you have any news.