damper

I have an 02 civic with 30K miles. Brought it to dealer for an oil change
and they replaced a leaking "damper" which they said is the same as a shock.
Is it unusual for a "damper" to leak at that mileage?

 

from what ive heard the past couple years? no- not unusual.

 

The next time it blows, it's probably not going to be covered under warranty.
I'd start putting away for some quality performance replacement (e.g. Tokico,
Koni).

Pars

 

In late model Civics, no it's not unusual and there are service bulletins
on this. They just replaced one? I'd question the safety of having
dampers which are not evenly worn across sides of any vehicle.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Is it standard to replace both at the same time? I'll ask about that.

me??

 

"Standard" can be difficult to pin down but for me 30K miles is sufficient
mileage, especially on the MacPherson Struts in the front to warrant doing
both sides. Check carefully for any alignment anomalies like steering
wander and pulling to one side under braking and/or acceleration.

AFAICT Honda's official line is that the chronic problem they had with
struts/dampers on the first year of that model had been cured in the 2002s
but it's possible there could have been some spillover into early 2002s.
AFAIK there was an upgraded part involved - you'd want to be sure you have
the same grade part on both sides.

If they balk, bring up the safety issue of unmatched dampers/shocks and
maybe even contact Honda Customer Service. If all else fails, be sure to
keep your eye on the other side for leakage or any other sign of trouble.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??