I love my Honda Civic Hybrid car and felt the need for a genera forum thread.
Do you have any questions or comments for the group?

 

Sure, good idea.
There are a rediculously large number of Civics around here, but I haven't seen any hybrid Civics. What's the difference between the two -- interior, etc?

 

The fanciest Civic below the Hybrid is the EX.

According to http://www.hondacars.com ,
the HCH has these features/items as standard, which is either not available or accessories on the EX:

*Higher torque of 116 lb-ft
*Lean burn ignition system
*IMA system
*Electric assist rack & pinion steering
*A better turning diameter of 34.8 feet
*Low resistance rolling tires
*CVT Smooth transmission
*Heat rejecting glass (Not just tinted)
*Roof mount antenna
*Automatic climate control
*Blue lit instrument panel with auto stop indicator
*2 Independent digital trip meters
*Instant MPG meter
*2 digital average MPG meters
*ABS
*Electronic brake distribution system (EBD)
*Side impact air bags

The exterior has a different front/rear spoiler, has underside panels for less wind resistance, and a low profile "wing" I guess you'd call it.

It seems that Honda really wanted to show off it's first Hybrid "normal" car (Vs the "strange" Insight) and really tricked it out. I hope you'll see one soon, but you may not notice one except for the HYBRID GASOLINE ELECTRIC label on the rear Right of the car.
Whenever you see a Civic the easiest way to spot a Hybrid is the roof mounted antenna. All others it is integrated into the rear window glass.

Steve & family

 

I'm getting better at identifying the HCH. I saw one coming home from work last night. I didn't notice it come up behind me, but I saw the antenna in the middle as it drove by.

 

Check out these two very unfinished animations if you can.
Set your player to aut-repeat for both.

Rolling down the road 470KB
http://CVT 1.35MB

Lots of work to do but thought I'd post what I've been up to between a busy schedule.
Steve

 

Hasn't the HX had lean burn and CVT for years??

 

Not bad! On the first one the first 3 quarters or so don't seem to animate properly. I see like 5 frames a second instead of 40 or so.

Looks good, though!

 

wow, looks great steve

 

Hi everyone. My Blue HCH is coming and will be here in early July. I've been doing alot of lurking in various forums and love the amount of information for hybrid newbies out there. I have some questions, in no particular order, regarding the Civic Hybrid. First, in the winter how do the original tires (Dunlops?) handle in the snow. Also are they Low Rolling Resistance? Second, doesn't Nokian make some LRR tires for the HCH, something with a really long name? Third, I thought I noticed that Honda recommends 30 psi on the original equipment tires. But the max. cold psi is 44. Why such a difference? Fouth, Honda recommends 0w20 oil for the HCH and the dealer had it for approx. $4 a quart. I've found Mobil1 0w20 for close to $5 a quart. Does Mobil make the Honda oil? Would it do any harm to run 5w20? Several name brand oil companies make this weight. What is the difference between 0w and 5w? Something to do with lowest temperature allowed I think. Last, for now anyway, how effective is the cabin microfilter? Also where is it located? How long does it last, and is it easy to change? Sorry for the long post and scattershot questions. This is my first post in any forum. Thanks for any information you can give me.

 

Hi HCHfromCT:

___I cannot comment on the Dunlop’s in the winter because I don’t own a HCH with them but I might be able to add some intelligence to the rest of your questions?

___For LRR, the only document on the web I have had the opportunity to see was passed on by M. Alexander (HCH owner) from the Yahoo Honda-Hybrid board. You can view it at the following:

http://www.greenseal.org/recommendations/C...eResistance.pdf

___I highly doubt Honda or Toyota developed their Hybrid’s to achieve maximum fuel economy and then would clad them with a non-LRR tire that would harm their overall designs fuel economy. Aren’t the Dunlop’s spec’d for 50 #’s max pressures? Even at 44 #’s max cold, they are a lot lower rolling resistance then they would be at 30 #’s guaranteed.

___One of the Nokian’s is listed in the LRR document so I hope that helped? I belive there are others as well. A quick search in the Insightcentral.net forums for tires will give you a good list to choose from hopefully?

___I don’t know about Honda’s 0W-20 but when I checked what they charged for it, I was flabbergasted. They wanted like $40.00 for an oil change using whatever 0W-20 oil Honda stocks. Mobil1 0W-20 Tri-Syn from your local Walmart should be in the $3.80 - $4.40 range per qt. What I do recommend that you consider is asking your local dealer what they charge if you purchase your own oil and filter? My local Honda dealer charges < $10.00 with my own so 2.5 Qt’s of Mobil1 0W-20 Tri-Syn and a Walmart purchased SuperTech filter is what my little beauty receives.

___The 0 vs. 5 is for starting only as that is when it is cold. With that however, Mobil1 0W-20’s kinematic viscosity at 0 and 100 degrees C is probably the lowest (on both ends of the scale) in the entire industry at that or any other weight(s) available. With that, you have the superior properties of a true PAO Base4 Synthetic with the fuel saving kinematic viscosity that Mobil1 Tri-Syn provides. I wouldn’t trust Honda oil unless it was guaranteed to be relabeled Mobil1 Tri-Syn and it was either equal or even less pricy.

___Your HEPA cabin filter questions are located in your HCH manual. I am sure there is a location pictorial and the recommended service intervals for it to be removed/replaced.

___Good Luck and I look forward to hearing from you here on a regular basis …

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net