We get dozens of emails a day asking questions about our late model Honda’s. Some questions are more common than others and every once in a while we like to do a brief blog or video to help spread some knowledge to the Honda community.

10th gen Civics are now getting 4-5 years old. This means they are starting to fall into the hands of 2nd and 3rd owners. Many of these 2nd and 3rd owners do not know the maintenance, modification, or driving history of their “new” car. Without this knowledge, it is hard to know the possible wear and tear it has seen over the years. So in today’s blog, we are going to share the 5 ways to increase the reliability of your 2016+ turbocharged Honda. The simplicity might surprise you.

1) Let your car warm-up to operating temperature before you go hard

You don’t walk into the gym and immediately max out on the bench press. No, you get in there, do some stretches, start with lower weight and then build up to your max reps. Well, the same principle applies to your car. Before you start banging gears and racing every Mustang down to the mini-mart you need to let the car get to operating temperature.

 All the fluids and components in your car have a temperature at which they optimally operate. Oil and transmission fluids, for example, have a set temperature window where they provide the best lubrication. Start jamming too early while these fluids are cold, and we will be giving up free power. This could also cause an increase of metal on metal wear for certain parts in your engine. This happens because cold thick fluids have not had the opportunity to find the tight spots where you need the most protection. 

So on a cold day or early morning give yourself 1-2 minutes to allow the car to warm up. For your first couple of miles just drive normally. Make sure to wait for peak operating temp before you start turning up the boost. The optimal operating temperature for CivicX is right around ~170 degF or 77 degC.

2) Let your car cool-down before turning it off (avoid hot shutdowns)

Back to my gym analogy above, after your crazy workout, it’s recommended that a cooldown is best for your body. Well, the same applies to your car. If you just spent the last hour beating on your Honda, the last thing you want to do is shut it off without giving ample time to cool down. 

The fluids in your car are very hot and need some time to circulate to cool down. This is especially true in turbocharged cars as they see temperatures much higher than that of a normally aspirated car. If you turn the car off without proper cool down you can create hot spots on key engine components and introduce wear faster. In a turbo car, a hot shut down can let the oil coke in the center housing and rotating assembly and basically causes oil to get cooked and become sooty. Overheating breaks down the oil and can lead to accelerated wear. 

Just like letting your car warm up, give it a few minutes of easy driving or let it idle for 60-120 seconds to bring the temps down before killing the power. Doing so will let the hot fluids circulate and give them the opportunity to expel some heat.

3) Buy quality OEM and Aftermarket parts

Like the first two this might seem like common sense, but you would be surprised at how often this is overlooked. We can certainly understand about minding a budget or looking for a great deal, but don’t let that get in your way of doing the job right. OEM Honda parts are some of the best-developed parts you can find. Honda engineers spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to ensure reliability. It’s unlikely you will find much better at your local NAPA or AutoZone. We always recommend OEM replacement parts for service and maintenance.

When it comes to your Honda aftermarket performance parts the same rules apply. You want to get parts that have been tested, proven, and are coming from a reputable company in the industry. If a company is not able to provide you answers to simple questions like the diameter of a particular part or provide dyno data then the chances are they don’t know either. The time lost and the frustration gained from replacing a performance part again is never a good feeling and one we can all avoid. Like the old saying goes “Buy nice or buy twice.”

4) Follow a maintenance schedule

Do you know that little booklet in the glove box of your car? Well believe it or not it holds some pretty useful information including what to service on your car and when to do it. I know what you are thinking. I don’t need a Honda manual to tell me how to work on my car but in reality, you kind of do. Unless you are an OEM Honda engineer or fully dedicated Honda performance parts designer and shop like ourselves, it is always a good idea to take some advice from those who know best. Following the service guidelines in your owner’s manual is honestly the #1 way to ensure your car runs a long and healthy life, regardless if it’s stock or lightly modded. 

Now as we start to push the power on these cars there are some exceptions in regards to particular areas like engine oil and such as outlined here but in all cases, if you are unsure on when to change or service; the owner's manual is always the best place to start.

5) Get a tune for YOUR car

One of the nice features of our 10th gens is how the car’s electronics can adapt to certain bolt-on modifications with relative ease. We can install something like a cold air intake or intercooler and see good results with little to no effort. That being said if we want the most out of a performance part we need to tune accordingly. While base maps are a great place to start and can work really well for some, it should never be a permanent substitute for a custom tune. No matter how good a base tune is; only one person is going to drive your car and that’s you. A custom tune is always the best bet for long term reliability because a tuner can create a map that is suited for you and not the other way around. If you want your Honda to stick around, the perfect fuel and ignition timing based on your location’s conditions and your build is a necessity.

If everything you just read above sounds a lot like common sense and basic knowledge, well that is because it is. You would be surprised how in 2020 the best way to make your car last is by following the same logic others have suggested for dozens of years. Proper care and maintenance go a very long way in making a good life for every type of car. So if you want your Honda to last, then do yourself a solid and just take care of it.

Thanks for tuning in
-Vincent