Technical Topics specific to the 4 dr. Sedan body - NOT where you post pics/build specs of your car.
By Banacek
#6909289 Mods: Sorry if this is not in the right place, please move if you like.

Okay, I'm an expat living in Thailand where I almost exclusively use my old Honda Cub motor scooter for my transportation needs.

But, I am looking for an older Honda sedan to go into town once a month, and to the beach (about half a klick from my house) everyday with my mutt, Jing. Something that I don't care if she shakes saltwater and sand everywhere! (Sorry if that is blasphemy, I know Honda's reliability, and that is what is important to me).

Anyway, I just found a 1992 Civic, with only 135,000 kilometers.

Interior shows normal wear and discoloration for a 30 year-old car, but looks pretty good. Seats have no damage, headliner looks almost new, dash is a bit faded but otherwise in good shape. Body is solid.

Price is 38,000 baht, or $1200 US.

Two issues that I need advice on, please:

1) I warmed up the engine for three minutes and, with my foot on the brake, slipped it into reverse (automatic) and also drive....this made the steering wheel noticeably shudder. Grabbing onto to it did nothing to mitigate the shudder, but returning it to park stopped it. What would cause this?

2) Hood (bonnet) raised, engine warm, slight ticking but I was unable to narrow down location it emanated from. Valves? Tappets?

This is the perfect car for me and Jing, unless the fixes are expensive. Any insight and advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.
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By teal_dx
#6909290 Hi, that sounds like a great price! The ticking is mostly likely the valves needing an adjustment, which can be done pretty easily:
http://civic-eg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6340

The steering wheel shudder concerns me though. It sounds like there may be some major deterioration of bushings and/or engine/transmission mounts to allow enough play for that to happen. That means that there is some play happening somewhere between transmission/axles, which connect to the front knuckles, which connect to the tie rods, which connect to the steering rack. It could be bad engine/transmission mounts, bad tie rods, bad steering rack, bad rack bushings, or any combination of those.
Was the steering tight or sloppy when you test drove the car? That would indicate worn tie rods.
Did the engine seem to rock much when shifting into drive or reverse? That would indicate worn engine/trans mounts.
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By EconoBox
#6909302 Sounds like a good deal to me no matter what the engine concern is. Atleast in the US most of the parts to fix just about anything on these are cheap and readily available.

I'd take a guess at the shudder being engine mounts.

You can always put one foot hard on the brake and lightly tap the throttle with the car in drive or reverse and have someone else watch the engine to see if it rocks excessively. Motor mounts would be my first guess without seeing the car in person. There are other less common issues like the torque converter but mounts on a car that age would likely be the issue.