- Oddly enough, one of the more common electrical complaints about this Civic relate to the strange things that can happen when applying the brakes. When pressing the center pedal, owners have experienced everything from engine shut-down, radios that change stations or shut off, to power door locks that go suddenly schizophrenic.
- The only theory advanced so far to explain this behavior is that the engine's computer (which is integrated to the chassis controller) develops internal short circuits over time. The sudden electrical strain of actuating high-voltage brake lights sends the electronics into panic mode, at which time the system begins redistributing power in whatever way it needs to operate the high-priority brake circuit.
- Some owners have discovered an odd quirk in the Civic's HVAC controls. Some cars will exhibit the tendency to heat the blower motor control switch to the point that the plastic begins smoking. Though this is usually due to a bad ground connection on the chassis side, another possible cause is a seized-up blower motor. Seized motors may still operate under high current, but will resist turning so much they back-feed electricity to the un-fused switch, causing it to heat and sometimes smoke.
- Though seemingly unrelated, the Civic's power door locks and engine control module share a common circuit in the computer. This is the reason why some owners have experienced engine failure upon engagement of the power door locks, either when they lock or release. The simple solution is to pull the power door-lock fuse, and bid that particular function adieu.
- Almost all of the Civic's electrical issues can be laid at the feet of a malfunctioning computer. Replacing the stock computer with a new unit will solve most of them, assuming the car doesn't have a wiring short, which will cause the new computer to fail in a similar manner as the original.
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