Installed New CD Player, Sony CDX-GT310

mileage = 75337mi

Circuit City runs quite a scam online. A lot of the car stereos come with free installation. The catch is that you have to buy $64 worth of installation equipment for the store to install it. Therefore installation really isn't free. I got tricked and was forced to pay the $64 since I had already bought the equipment and needed it installed quickly. Here's what it cost:
Sony CDX-GT310 $107.99
Installation Parts $64
Shop Fee $4.99
Total Including Tax $185
I probably could have got a CD player with a USB port from Crutchfield and installed it myself.

To install the AEM short ram intake the negative battery terminal should be disconnected. I believe the reason is to reset the ECU after installing the short ram intake. The problem with disconnecting the battery is that the stock in-dash CD player for a 99 Civic EX requires a anti-theft radio code. Since the car was bought used, I didn't have the radio code. After calling the dealership the only way to get the radio code is to get the serial number from the bottom of the in-dash CD player. Getting to this serial number is not that easy since the whole console needs to be removed. After debating the issue, I decided to just get a new CD player so that I can play MP3 CDs and add an auxiliary connection to plug in an external MP3 player. That's when I ran into the Circuit City scam. Just be aware that the final cost is going to be a bit more than what the online receipt shows, if you have the store install it.

I do have a PDF file that shows how to install the stereo, so if you need it, send me a note.

The photo of the stock head unit is on the left and the new Sony is on the right.

Gas Pedal Resistance and Sticking Has Been Fixed

Mileage = 75100 mi

Thanks to some folks on HCF (HondaCivicForum), I was able to fix the problem with the gas pedal sticking and providing resistance when you first step on it. Applying the fix was pretty easy and only required 10 minutes and a wrench. The problem turned out to be the throttle cable getting too loose. When I tried to measure the deflection it seemed to be about a 1/2 inch, which is within specifications, but I decided it still needed some tightening. Here is what the throttle cable looks like under the hood.

I believe the throttle cable responds to the gas pedal and opens the butterfly valve inside the throttle body, controlling the amount of air going into the engine, which regulates the throttle. Apparently too much slack in the throttle cable will cause the gas pedal to have a lack of control when first stepping on it. The first thing to do is to loosen the locknut enough so that you can take the throttle cable out of the bracket and access the adjusting nut.

Next, the adjusting nut needs to move to the left by a couple of threads so that the throttle cable becomes tighter. I didn't actually measure how tight the cable was after I made the adjustment, but I made it so that I could notice a difference in the tension. Hopefully I'm still within the 3/8 to 1/4 inch that the specs call for. Once the adjustment is made, put the cable back in the bracket and tighten up the locknut. At this point, you might want to check the tension on the cable and re-adjust, if necessary. After making this tweak, the gas pedal resistance and stickiness was gone. The feel and control of the gas pedal was back to normal.

Gas Pedal Resistance and Sticking Has Been Fixed

Thanks to some folks on HCF (HondaCivicForum), I was able to fix the problem with the gas pedal sticking and providing resistance when you first step on it. Applying the fix was pretty easy and only required 10 minutes and a wrench. The problem turned out to be the throttle cable getting too loose. When I tried to measure the deflection it seemed to be about a 1/2 inch, which is within specifications, but I decided it still needed some tightening. Here is what the throttle cable looks like under the hood.


I believe the throttle cable responds to the gas pedal and opens the butterfly valve inside the throttle body, controlling the amount of air going into the engine, which regulates the throttle. Apparently too much slack in the throttle cable will cause the gas pedal to have a lack of control when first stepping on it. The first thing to do is to loosen the locknut enough so that you can take the throttle cable out of the bracket and access the adjusting nut.

Next, the adjusting nut needs to move to the left by a couple of threads so that the throttle cable becomes tighter. I didn't actually measure how tight the cable was after I made the adjustment, but I made it so that I could notice a difference in the tension. Hopefully I'm still within the 3/8 to 1/4 inch that the specs call for. Once the adjustment is made, put the cable back in the bracket and tighten up the locknut. At this point, you might want to check the tension on the cable and re-adjust, if necessary. After making this tweak, the gas pedal resistance and stickiness was gone. The feel and control of the gas pedal was back to normal.

SeaFoam Part 2

74920 miles

Well, I finally got the car to pour out white smoke using the rest of the can of Seafoam. I had previously sucked up about an ounce of Seafoam using the vacuum hose that connects to the fuel pressure regulator (FPR) and that didn't seem to do too much. This time, I emptied the rest of the bottle of Seafoam, which was about a quarter of a pint. I killed the engine at least twice because I was rushing to suck up the fluid, so I would advise to take your time. When everything was sucked into the vacuum hose, the car had white smoke pouring out of the exhaust for just a couple of minutes.

So far while driving, the car seems a little bit smoother and the resistance or stickiness on the gas pedal seems to be improved.

I just ordered my AEM short ram intake, so when I get it, my goal will also be to do a throttle body cleaning.

Finally Got Some SeaFoam Through the FPR Hose

A week or so ago, I got some SeaFoam Motor Treatment because my gas pedal has been sticking a bit and causing resistance when you first step on it. The result is jack-rabbit starts and very poor acceleration control after stopping. I was reading that maybe the problem might be build-up on the butterfly valve in the throttle body. Then I read some forums (both HondaCivicForum.com and CivicForums.com) that talked about SeaFoam. So instead of taking things apart to get in the throttle body, I figured I would try to use SeaFoam to clean things out. As instructed, I took a 1/3 of a pint and put it in the crankcase where you usually put engine oil in and then I put 1/3 of a pint of SeaFoam and put it in the gas tank. Later that day, I filled up the gas tank because I think that's what you're supposed to do after using SeaFoam and then a week later I had my normal oil service. Most of the posts I have seen recommend using SeaFoam right before an oil change so that the gunk is loosened up and then later drained when you get an oil service. Right after putting SeaFoam in, the sticking gas pedal got noticeably smoother, but it was still there. However, the last 1/3 of the bottle is supposed to be sucked up by one of the vacuum hoses that go into the intake manifold.








Last week, I had two unsuccessful attempts to disconnect the hose going from the fuel pressure regulator (fpr) to the intake manifold, because I was afraid of breaking the hose or not being able to get it back on. After making a post on HCF, a helpful response told me not to worry about breaking the hose since replacing it is cheap and you can get a silicone hose replacement to make it easier. So today I made a third try to disconnect the hose on the FPR. A screwdriver wasn't much help, but I did use some pliers to squeeze the hose, where there is no metal piece inside, and loosen it up a little bit. After pulling with a LOT of force, the hose finally came loose.

The car was already warm from running errands, so I re-started her to get the intake running and the suction in the hose going. Since I have heard that you should use a little bit of SeaFoam at a time when using a vacuum tube, I only poured out about an ounce or two into a plastic water bottle with most of the top cut-off. I guess if too much SeaFoam is used bigger chunks of gunk can break off and get stuck in the engine somewhere. Following the recommendations I've read, I kept the hose on the surface of the liquid in the cut-up water bottle and sucked it up a little bit at a time. During this time the idle was getting a little nutty and the engine started shaking badly. Apparently if you give the car more gas this helps the problem, but I didn't have anyone helping me so I just ignored the shaking. After all the liquid was sucked up, I turned off the engine and waited for about 10 minutes. I re-connected the hose and went for a drive. Surprisingly the Civic didn't smoke at all, but I wasn't really revving the engine much. I was expecting it from the burning of the carbon build-up. Either there isn't much carbon build-up or the amount of SeaFoam was too minute to make a difference. I'll have to try to repeat the procedure with the rest of the bottle and see how that goes. My first impression of driving around was that the throttle was a little bit smoother but not that much. Maybe I'll have to dump more in until I get more results. If the gas pedal resistance doesn't go away, I'll have to try spraying some silicone lubricant on the gas pedal inside the car, since that is easy to do. Then I might have to try out the throttle body cleaning that I've been avoiding.

Power Steering Fluid and Antifreeze Really Low

Since I already had the hood opened while cleaning the engine bay this morning, I decided to check the fluids despite getting a 14 point inspection included with my oil service on Saturday. On the service checklist, the power steering fluid and radiator coolant were listed as being OK, but the levels were really low. Don't trust oil service inspections to catch problems. I had some really old Prestone antifreeze that I mixed 50/50 with water many years ago, but I decided to use it anyways. Hopefully this doesn't cause my Civic any problems. After topping off the coolant, I consulted HondaCivicForum.com. From the posts, I read it sounded like Acura and Honda have specially formulated power steering fluids to work with their systems, so I decided to call the dealer. Both Honda dealers close by had their parts and service departments closed, so I called the closest Acura dealer and they were open. Including tax, a 12 fluid ounce (fl oz) bottle of Acura Power Steering Fluid came out to be $4.24. After filling the power steering fluid and the coolant to their max levels, I didn't notice any difference in driving but at least I feel better about taking care of the car.


Here is a photo of the Honda Power Steering Fluid (12 fl oz) P/N 08206-9002A, AdvanceAutoParts Heavy Duty Engine Degreaser (19.2 oz = 1lbs 3.2 oz) P/N AAP1 and SeaFoam Motor Treatment (1 pint = 16 fl oz) (~$5.50) with a cut-out bottom of a water bottle on top of the cap.

Started Cleaning the Engine Bay

Yesterday there was a lot of rain, so I didn't get to work on the car. This morning I got started with AdvanceAutoParts Heavy Duty Engine Degreaser (P/N AAP1). It was the cheapest stuff available going for under $2. I didn't use a lot of the stuff because I didn't want to get it on anything electrical. Instead, I sprayed a little bit on the crankcase and the bigger metal pieces. Mostly I sprayed the degreaser on paper towels and then wiped it all over. I waited for about 15 minutes (maybe more) like the directions said and then I used a spray bottle of water to wash it off a bit. However, I didn't run the engine idle for any period of time according to the instructions. I'm not sure why it's necessary and I just hope nothing catches fire or corrodes. Here is a photo of the engine bay now. I realize it actually looks dirtier in this photo, but it is on its way to becoming cleaner. In almost 75k miles, I'm not sure if its ever been cleaned. Things are a mess with black stuff, sand and dirt everywhere. The underside of the hood was really back, so I did a quick once-over with some Meguiar's Quick Detailer. The engine bay is still dirty, but it's getting better including the painted chassis parts.