[ausev] Question about my Honda Civic Hatchback

[Lisa Korf]

Mark and Jack,

Thanks for your comments. 

Mark, I tried what you suggested in neutral and could
not replicate the sound.

I can occasionally start from a stop in 2nd or third
(if I do it very very gradually) without the clunk
occurring.  

It would be great to have some folks out to see it and
maybe help diagnose this issue.  Next Sunday afternoon
is a possibility.  I'll be home in the afternoon from
about 1pm on.  Please let me know you are coming and
I'll send more details.  If enough are interested,
I'll order some pizza :).  

Lisa

--- Mark Farver <mfarver at mindbent.org> wrote:

> Lisa Korf wrote:
> > My Honda Civic hatchback just arrived after being
> > jostled around in transport from Utah.  After
> putting
> > the batteries back in place (they were jostled
> quite a
> > bit), I took it for a spin.  I noticed a few
> things
> > that I'd like to ask about.
> >
> > First, when I am moving forward from a stop, in
> 2nd
> > gear so far, there is a "clunking" sound before
> > forward motion begins.  
> Many conversions, especially those using Curtis
> controllers, have the 
> accelerator pedal wired to the main contactor.  The
> contactor closes as 
> the pedal is first pushed down and turns off when
> the pedal is 
> released.  This is an additional safety feature, but
> one that has fallen 
> out of favor with the newer generation of
> controllers.  You can test 
> this by placing the car in Neutral and very lightly
> and  quickly 
> depressing the accelerator pedal.  (Don't do it hard
> or for very long, 
> or you'll spin the motor fast enough to cause
> damage.)  If you hear two 
> clunks it is probably the contactor.  If you find
> the noise annoying, 
> someone in the group can help you bypass it.  If you
> are in Austin 
> someone in the group would probably be available to
> swing by and look 
> the car over.  Just post a time when you would be
> free, and your 
> approximate location in town.
> 
> 
> > it happens.  Could it be the motor?  It seems to
> > happen when I accelerate from a state in which the
> > series motor is at 0 rpm.  I am not flooring it,
> I'm
> > stepping on the accelerator gradually.
> >
> >   
> It may also be the CV joints.  This will be less of
> a click sound, and 
> more of a clunk noise.   When the joints get worn
> and loose, they make a 
> noise when the slack is taken up just after the
> motor starts running.  
> This is more expensive to fix, but less likely to be
> the case.
> 
> > Second, this car is clutchless, and I'm trying to
> > figure out how to shift it.  Upshifting seems
> fine,
> > but how do I downshift without grinding my gears? 
> Do
> > I only downshift if I am at a stop?
> >   
> Yes.
> 
> Mark
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> 



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