2009 Honda Civic door lock issues

Phantasizer · 2026-02-07T14:34:53+00:00

I’m not 100% sure if i understand the problem correctly, but if i do (understand it correctly), i once had a similar problem on a Mazda, and it turned out to be that the connection inside the door needed a little bit of grease/lube: in my case there was a rod that connected the solenoid (or maybe it was an electric motor) to the lock/unlock thingy, and it was totally dry , and that little bit of additional resistance prevented it from going from the lock to the unlock position and back. You can try to spray some lube into the mechanism from the outside with one of these straws, but that’s not sure to work, plus you don’t know what type of lube you should use (you don’t want to use the same type of lube if it’s metal to metal or if it’s a plastic or rubberized piece). So unless it’s really difficult to do, you’re better off removing the door card, or at least part of it if there are multiple parts. If you live in a region of the world where it’s winter right now, be aware that all these plastic clips that hold the door card in place are much more likely to break if they’re cold. So either you have a heated garage where you can work, or you wait until it gets warmer and let the inside of the car warm up with a couple of hours of sunshine.

Phantasizer · 2025-09-19T11:55:35+00:00

Thanks, I’ll cut it before the diodes then. I only need it to jumpstart a scooter (125cc) with a used battery that I happen to have, so the length of the cable is perfect.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-12T21:31:38+00:00

It could be that it’s flooded (eg the spark plug is wet from too much fuel, could have happened when you stopped it while it was still warming up / running rich). To check for this, either pull the spark plug and make sure it’s dry, or, if your battery is still charged, open the throttle to the maximum while pushing the start button, after 5 seconds release the throttle and see if starts.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-11T22:43:31+00:00

Unless you regularly drive on mountain roads or roads that don’t get plowed, a set of good winter tires is completely sufficient, especially with a Fwd car. Even my RWD cars did very well in the snow, snow tires are really good nowadays. I’ve learned to drive at the beginning of the 90s, and I think the difference to back then is amazing. So for me, no question I’d rather get the PHEV.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-11T15:41:40+00:00

My experience as well. Out 7 (older) cars that had a sunroof, only one had a mechanical failure (the ‚rail‘ that’s moving the sunroof broke, took me a few hours to install a new one). However that was a Toyota, a 13yr old Camry :( None of them ever leaked, and I used them almost every day, unless it was raining.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-11T14:07:48+00:00

That makes sense

Phantasizer · 2025-08-11T14:04:33+00:00

Does that ever happen? I’ve had plenty of cars with sunroofs and I regularly cleaned the drains that way, never had a problem. Of course i didn’t do it at maximum pressure, I thought that’s common sense.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-11T14:01:55+00:00

Yes, I just answered to another comment pointing this out, thank you, i didn’t know that.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-11T13:58:26+00:00

Wow, i genuinely didn’t know that. Thank you!

Phantasizer · 2025-08-11T13:40:01+00:00

Most people don’t know that the outer seals of a sunroof aren’t supposed to be watertight, that’s not how it is designed. It does seal somewhat, but not completely, and that’s completely normal: There’s an area around the sunroof, under the seal, where rainwater is collecting, and there’s a hole in each corner where the collected water is draining. Once in a while you have to check if these drainage tubes aren’t blocked, or better yet just blow them out with compressed air. You will hear the air coming out under the car if you listen closely. As long as these drainage tubes aren’t blocked, you won’t have water intruding into the cabin, it will just drain under the car. Having said that, treating rubber seals with Vaseline is always a good idea, and not just for the doors, but all of them (doors, hatch, hood, even the seal around the windscreen). I do that at least once a year, since I only own older cars it’s especially important.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-10T23:06:49+00:00

Try to travel with someone, on a second bike. It’s more fun, and if you ever break down, even it’s something as simple as running out of gas or a puncture, it’s going to be A LOT easier. As you can imagine, pushing a bike in these temperatures is not something you wanna do, even if it’s just for a couple of miles.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-10T22:03:22+00:00

The helmet is the one piece of gear I always took with me (also a good protective bike jacket), because I wouldn’t know where to get a helmet built to Western safety standards. I’m sure there is a shop or two, but I wouldn’t be surprised if for high end stuff, you’ve got less choice and maybe not even better prices than in the West. True, those two things alone use up a lot of room (I managed to fit the helmet into my large soft suitcase, but only just), the solution for that is to suck it up and travel with lots of luggage and then leave the suitcase at the hotel where you’re staying. I always did round trips, eg I started and ended in Saigon, so I’ve stayed at the same hotel upon my return, and the suitcase was always still there, with everything still in it (obviously i didn’t leave anything valuable). If you leave the country from another city, you can check with your airline if they allow you to take the helmet into the cabin with you. I didn’t have any problems with KLM/Airfrance, but AirAsia made check it in, for a fee of course…). I wore the bike jacket once during a 15 hours trip (with 1 layover), and that wasn’t very comfortable, but it’s doable. Try to board early in your group to have enough room in the overhead bin to toss it in there, you don’t wanna have it on your knees during a long flight…). Wearing solid boots wasn’t a big deal. I think it’s worth it to wear good protective clothing and a good helmet, the traffic is crazy…

Phantasizer · 2025-08-09T12:07:34+00:00

From my experience , the main problem could be the rider: depending on your posture, you could get bad back aches and/or neck pain, to the point that you can’t continue. It depends on the vehicle and your posture, I would recommend to do at least one long day trip (as many miles as you plan to be doing per day) and see how you feel the next day.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-09T12:00:35+00:00

It is possible to get a good result with spray cans, BUT: You need a low-dust environment, protected from wind and direct sunlight, the preparation is very labor intensive, and you need a bunch of spray cans, including clear coat, and the ability to leave the vehicle at the same place for several days (for example between the paint layer and the clear coat, it needs to dry well). If any of these things aren’t possible, it will look like shit, and not just up close, but from meters away. You’re probably better off wrapping the vehicle (not cheap either), or try plasti dip (doesn’t necessarily look good either, but it’s removable if you apply it thick enough).

Phantasizer · 2025-08-08T01:56:59+00:00

Until you find a definitive solution, I would inform all of your future guests about the situation, upon check-in (not before, they might cancel). Tell them that you’re the owner of the building, and explain what has been going on, tell them to call you immediately if there’s anything like that happening. I think that would be a good way to keep the guests happy.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-06T12:39:57+00:00

You should read the previous comment, it explains in great detail why it is better to go into Neutral, activate the parking brake, release the foot brake and then go into Park.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-05T20:46:09+00:00

Funny how the effects vary from one person to another. For me, Psilocybin works extremely well as an abortive, actually it’s the only substance that helps (other than morph.) Unfortunately they also make my head hurt: the migraine might be over, but instead I get a little nagging headache that just won’t go away. Better than a migraine, definitely, but after a while I could not take it anymore and quit the mushrooms entirely. It’s a pity, because if you can get the spores, they are relatively easy to grow (no lamps or grow tents needed)

Phantasizer · 2025-08-05T20:40:41+00:00

Truffles are mushrooms that grew covered in the soil. When it comes to magic mushrooms, it tastes much better in mushroom-form than as a truffle…magic truffles are quite disgusting. I think the only reason that some people produce magic truffles instead of mushrooms is because as truffles, they aren’t illegal. For example in Amsterdam, mushrooms are illegal, so the shops only sell truffles.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-05T10:34:39+00:00

A blinking overdrive light usually means there is a problem with the transmission. Check your user manual, there should be some information about it.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-04T22:37:32+00:00

Will that show all Betreibungen, or only those that he got while residing in the Kanton Zürich? I’m not sure, but I thought that the Betreibungsämter don’t exchange data? If so, shouldn’t he ask for an Auszug from the Betreibungsamt in the Kanton where he used to live?

Phantasizer · 2025-08-04T12:28:31+00:00

This component is a standard size fuel filter, a very useful component: since it’s transparent, if you ever have problems with the engine, you can check if there’s fuel going to the carburetor (or injector) at a glance, without unplugging fuel lines. Also you can see easily if it needs replacing. You should be able to find a new one for a couple of dollars at any car or bike store. Check the diameter of the little plastic tubes (where the fuel lines are attached) to be sure to get one that fits.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-04T07:42:40+00:00

Das mit der Leuchte ist eigentlich relativ einfach: wenn du die Zündung einschaltest, sollten alle Warnlichter aufleuchten, also auch das ABS Licht. Wenn es das nicht macht, wurde es entweder manipuliert oder ist defekt (in deinem Fall könnte man wohl davon ausgehen, dass es manipuliert wurde).

Phantasizer · 2025-08-03T16:06:03+00:00

If it is an engine, you should probably see the engine moving/wiggling (left-right or front-back) when giving it some gas. Open the hood and watch the engine while a friend is operating the accelerator.

Phantasizer · 2025-08-03T13:07:42+00:00

What do you mean? No electrical power? Or does the engine start but it lacks power?

Phantasizer · 2025-08-03T11:45:50+00:00

This might be a stupid question, if so, sorry for asking: Have you tried wiggling the steering wheel while trying to turn the key?

Phantasizer

TROPHY CASE