'96 Civic CX throttle body question
07-09-2004, 04:20 PM
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'96 Civic CX throttle body question
I'm posting here after a moderator on the Civic thread suggested that the specialists here may be able to offer some advice.
I have a '96 Civic 3 door 5 speed manual transmission, with 139,000 kilometres (app. 87,000 miles) on it. The car has been absolutely fantastic to me - in the 6 years I have owned it, I only had to replace one part - an oxygen sensor. I have taken really good care of the engine, with all scheduled service and oil changes every 5000km.
Yesterday, the engine warning light came on and I went immediately to a dealer (not my dealer - I bought the car privately). They told me that the diagnostic indicated a problem with the 'throttle body' and that the fix was going to be worth CAD$1700 , labour and taxes in. They said that they turned the warning light off and that I should drive the car as usual, and if it came back on, to bring it in and expect that the throttle body will need replacing. The car is apparently running normally. Now...this car has been so good to me and of course nothing lasts forever. I am just wondering - I found a schematic of the 'throttle body' assembly and it seems to be composed of some 17 different parts. Is there any chance that this repair, if necessary, can involve less than the entire throttle body package? I am trying to figure out if it is worth it to do this repair or not (after all, how much is a new engine??). I have taken the car to Honda for everything but oil changes, etc., and a friend of mine is telling me that I should really consider finding a good private Honda mechanic because they can often do identical work for less money.
Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated. As you can tell, I'm not much of a mechanic, but I do understand how my engine works. Thanks, Nick.
I have a '96 Civic 3 door 5 speed manual transmission, with 139,000 kilometres (app. 87,000 miles) on it. The car has been absolutely fantastic to me - in the 6 years I have owned it, I only had to replace one part - an oxygen sensor. I have taken really good care of the engine, with all scheduled service and oil changes every 5000km.
Yesterday, the engine warning light came on and I went immediately to a dealer (not my dealer - I bought the car privately). They told me that the diagnostic indicated a problem with the 'throttle body' and that the fix was going to be worth CAD$1700 , labour and taxes in. They said that they turned the warning light off and that I should drive the car as usual, and if it came back on, to bring it in and expect that the throttle body will need replacing. The car is apparently running normally. Now...this car has been so good to me and of course nothing lasts forever. I am just wondering - I found a schematic of the 'throttle body' assembly and it seems to be composed of some 17 different parts. Is there any chance that this repair, if necessary, can involve less than the entire throttle body package? I am trying to figure out if it is worth it to do this repair or not (after all, how much is a new engine??). I have taken the car to Honda for everything but oil changes, etc., and a friend of mine is telling me that I should really consider finding a good private Honda mechanic because they can often do identical work for less money.
Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated. As you can tell, I'm not much of a mechanic, but I do understand how my engine works. Thanks, Nick.
07-09-2004, 04:45 PM
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If the check engine light hasn't come back yet, ignore it.
Throttle bodies for CX's are the next best thing to a paperweight. You can probably get a perfect condition used one for under $50 if need be.
Throttle bodies for CX's are the next best thing to a paperweight. You can probably get a perfect condition used one for under $50 if need be.
07-10-2004, 12:02 AM
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thanx Kai
ok Kai - thanks for the response. I will be starting the car again tomorrow and driving it a bit, so I will hope for no engine check light. Good to know that the part isn't necessarily so expensive as the dealer suggested. I presume I should use OEM only. Thanks again, Nik
07-10-2004, 01:02 AM
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The OEM manufaturer is the only one you can buy. You have to understand that for things like a throttle body, the dealer is going to want 15x more then the used part is worth, esp. in a CX (abolute lowest) model. One the used market, parts for that car are worth next to nothing, which works out very well for guys like you in the end.