I recently purchased a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid (noticed from a few threads that they are referred to as HCH I) with just over 81,xxx on the clock. This car was formerly a city fleet vehicle and the interior was quite dirty, but I paid a song (I think) for the car. Got her for $2800.

I did a 15 mile drive home and came up with a list of major to minor issues that need to be addressed, and with a little TLC it should be quite a decent ride.

The largest concern I have is the AC compressor. It is grinding and the clutch seems to be trying to spin even when the AC is off, and doesn't not engage properly when on. I suspect a bad clutch and therefor quite noisy engine operation.

Question is how to go about fixing this, replace the clutch assembly while on the car or replace the entire compressor? Anyone with any experience?

(I should add that I am quite handy with a wrench and am more then comfortable with work, just trying to find the best way about this)

As far as I can tell this is the worst issue that the car has, it seems maintenance was kept up, oil changes, new intake filters, relatively decent tires but they are mismatched - coopers up front and bridgestone in the backs.

One other issue is that the 'dinger' that beeps away when you forget the key in the ignition or the headlights in the on position does not go off. It is silent and therefore difficult to remember (from experience with many other cars) to shut the lights etc.

Another annoying this is the lack of auto headlights... Just saying

Also, I only got one set of keys (key + remote) and from experience should really have a minimum of two sets, is there a key with the remote as a single unit - like I have seen on other Hondas?

So, based on all that, what do you guys think I should look out for/check/change before really putting some mileage on her?

 

Hey there, It does seem like you got the car for a pretty good deal. I have an '03 that I bought new in '02... it has about the same miles as yours. I haven't had any problems with the AC compressor (other than a faulty relay that was draining the battery), so I don't have any advice there. Regarding the key, none of the ones that came with my car had a remote on the key (i.e., separate remote fob). What type of tranny do you have? If it's a CVT (automatic), you'll probably be experiencing the dreaded "Judder" at some point (it's a jerking/shuddering as you start from a standstill). It's pretty easily addressed through a "burnishing" method, but the fluid is a little expensive (you can search for burnishing to find how to do it). There have been recalls on at least one of the O2 (or CO2? I can't recall) sensors. The biggest thing - I'm sure you've heard this - is the probability of the IMA battery failing. You might want to start putting some $ away for this inevitability. Be warned though, that there have been a lot of false indications of battery failure. Definitely double check any codes indicating a failure.

 

Looks pretty good. I have an '06, so I'm shooting from the hip. I would agree that it sounds like bad clutch and/or clutch bearing. I would pull the belt and spin by hand to assess.

Honestly, I have no idea if it can be done on-car, but it's worth a try if it's even accessible. Things are tight in these cars.

Given the age and the fact that it's probably been driven mostly in stop-and-go, your hybrid battery is probably at reduced capacity. Keep an eye on your battery meter. Watch for recalibrations (recals).

If you start getting recals somewhat frequently, or it feels like you don't get any electric boost, visit:

http://99mpg.com/ProjectCars/mimapackwhack/

and build your own grid charger at the "Grid charger/Balancer 1" entry. I used this information to build my own charger and discharger, and my 132K mi HCH-II pack feels like it's back from the dead.

 

About that 'judder', I have the automatic and am getting it when accelerating from a standstill and depending on how hard I lean into it initially it gets worse, but on soft acceleration it sometimes would not even happen.

About the AC compressor, I found and visually it seems to be very similar (if not exactly the same) as our compressors. So in theory it should be also similar. I will report back on how it went for me.

This grid charger seems like a smart thing to get into, but I don't know how comfortable I am with building one on my own. Is this the only way to come about one? How can you tell if you are getting a 'recal'?

 

I have a 2005 Civic Hybrid, and I have had a few simular problems. I live on a sparsely populated island, and had the car since new. It has had a few problems, and right now has a major one. I have about 110000 miles on it. I have almost never used the air conditioner, so I have had no problems. We have the best weather on the planet, and it is never to hot or cold. Here in Hawaii, the gas is running about $4.40, it has come down from $5.60. We had the battery changed on warrenty at about 88k miles. The CVT also had a clutch replaced also under warrenty at the same time. The clutch would 'jutter' when you start out. More so if your were pushing it. The new version of the clutch fixed the problem. It has no touque converter, and the clutch is what replaces it. It is a wet clutch, and requires transmission removel to fix. The car is lower to the ground, and this is a problem. I have gotten up to 54mpg. I can get 50 quite easy if i am careful. My wife gets only 46mpg. A week ago my wife was driving home, and through a section of road where sometimes rocks get on the highway, she hit a rock. It went under the car, and smashed the oil filter, and hit the oil pan. The hole in the pan was big enough to put my hand in. She then proceeded to drive home which was over 6 miles away. Monday we are putting the car on the barge to Honolulu to get the engine replaced. Insurance is covering it. Unlike other Hondas, the car has a cast oil pan instead of a steel one. I found that they had a hard time finding an engine. One of the reasons that I can get good milage is when I come home from town, It is an 18 mlie drive with a max speed limit of 45mph. There is no stops, and no traffic. Road condition is excellent. I had the car in Colorado for the first 2 years of it's life, cold weather, and air conditioning ruin the milage.