Hondas are renowned for their reliability worldwide. Proper care, including regular maintenance and responsible driving, ensures that a Honda can endure hundreds of thousands of miles. This Civic's engine reached approximately 250,000 miles before replacement, maintaining a remarkably clean interior. The I Do Cars YouTube channel disassembled this 1.7-liter D17 naturally aspirated inline-four from a 2003 Honda Civic to examine the impact of such mileage on the engine's components.
Although the engine required some maintenance—notably, the timing belt needed replacement—many parts, such as the heads and pistons, appeared to be in good condition. However, extended use inevitably leads to some wear. Despite regular oil changes, there was vertical wear on the cylinder walls and significant wear on the main and connecting rod bearings. The host, Eric, discovered debris in the oil pickup tube and, oddly, in the water pump impeller. Further investigation revealed the original cause for the engine's removal: a faulty head gasket.
Eric explained that these engines can operate for extensive periods with a failing head gasket, which likely occurred with this one. It likely functioned adequately, aside from consuming coolant, as indicated by the generally healthy internals. While the owner could have opted to resurface the head and replace the head gasket, considering the high mileage, replacing the entire engine was likely the wiser decision.
