Buying a used Honda Civic EX 96

The car has 109 k automatic, moon roof, 50 % on the tires, a few minor
parking lot dings, paint is acceptable, no body damage.

At what mileage should the timing belt be changed.

How can you tell if the a/c is operating if the weather is cold.

What color is the ATF fluid if its in good condition.

Besides the obvious things lights, window operation, heater, cruise control,
cv boots, what else should I look at or, expect to replace upon buying.

Dealer wants $6995, I want it for $5500.

Thanks
Tom

 

Timing belt change on '96s is 90k miles.

 

to check the a/c, let the windows steam up then start the car (engine shoudl
be cold), turn on the a/c and it should clear the windows very shortly,
before you can even get hot air out of the vents. Transmission fluid should
be red, and smell to make sure it doesn't smell burnt. And replace the
timing belt, if your not told it was done

 

Before you buy the car you should look up it's history at
www.Carfax.com You will need it's Vin number (Number on the dash).
It's worth the $25 if you are buying the car from a dealer or a
stranger.

You can also look up a used car's value at:
http://www.edmunds.com/
You get the price in your zip code area

After you buy the car it would be a good idea to look at the timing
belt. On my son's '92 Accord, I was able to see a few inches of the
belt by taking off the cam cover.

 

You asked an interesting question regarding testing the a/c if the weather
is cold. I suggest that you take the car for a drive and turn the heater
on high. Keep the windows up. Once the car gets really hot inside--turn
off the heater and turn on the air conditioner and see how long it takes
the car to get cold. If the time is longer than 25 minutes the a/c is not
working properly. The air condioner in my 99 Honda Accord cools down the
car even on really hot days in about 20 minutes. If someone can come up
with a better test--please post it.

 

You are making a mistake if you think A/C is for hot weather only.

Here is a quote from my '01 Accord's owner's manual:
To heat and Dehumidify with Air Conditioning.
Air Conitioning as it cools, removes moisture from the air. When used
in combination with the heater, it makes the interior warm and dry.

The right heater button on my Accord is for windshield defrost and it
also turns on the A/C......it works better than heat alone.


Look for a puddle of water under the car if there is a lot of moisture
in the air and A/C is working.