Honda Accord (1998-2002) Maintenance and Repair

ereef

My wife recently drove home with the oil light on, you can imagine my delight. Took the car into the dealer which happens to be a 1998 Accord Coupe EX-V6. Told me the engine is destroyed and it would be a total waste to try and fix the oil pump.

Does anyone know a reputable mechanic in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Florida area? I am in the market for a new engine and a mechanic to do the engine swap. I would like to take it to a mechanic that specializes in Hondas if possible.

Thank you in advance for the help!

electricdesign

Now that IS quite a twist. I never heard or thought of that, using the oil for heat. It just seems that the coolant would heat up faster since it circulates in the head around the combustion chambers, especially since the purpose of the coolant is to soak up the heat and move it out of the engine.

imidazol97

The oil goes into the rods, valve train, and combustion chamber. I don't know how they use the oil for heat, but I was told it was heat quick compared to heating up 12 quarts of water that runs through a radiator. My friend had one installed on his personal car as a test for the company that was studying the idea of oil for heat.

dwpttrsn

I have a 2001 Accord EX 4-cylinder with automatic trans. Just went to the dealer today to check for recalls, and they told me I had been given a transmission warranty extension to 100k miles.
Hope this helps.

bcoleman1

I also own a 2000 Accord, EX. My clock light was the same as yours. I pryed or popped out my clock an found a small what I call a mustard seed sized bulb that twist lock into the clock base. I went to the Honda house and got a replacement. No problem now. Like the other reply says tape the end of the screwdriver or what ever you use. Pointed items are not good though. I know how frustrating it is at night not being able to see the clock. The bulb cost at Honda bout 4 something. Kinda high. So you may try a local Auto supply house first to see if its cheaper.

cee1jay

I've been trolling the message boards looking for other Honda owners who have the same issue with paint. I have a 1998 Accord with 51K miles on it. I checked the 1day auto paint type shops and they are quoting from 600 - 1500 to paint cars. I want to keep my car at least 2 years, am trying to figure out if I'm better off buying a new car. What do you guys think? Thanks. Any tips on selecting a company to repaint my car?

nls

I got the timing belt, water pump and balance shaft belt replaced by my mechanic. When he called a Honda dealer to get the balance shaft belt, and gave them the VIN number, he was told that the car is not supposed to have a balance shaft belt. Did Honda change the design during the 98 model year, with some cars having the balance shaft belt and others not? The car has a 2.3L VTEC engine, and was supposedly built in Feb 98.

mrbill1957

I just looked at the views of the engine at www.collegehillshonda.com, and it does show a balance shaft belt. I also looked up a 97 (to see if an older one had one)and it did.

Sorry I can't help you with this one, I only changed a belt on a pre-balance shaft engine.

Mrbill

bigwilliesjeep

Engine oil does more then just lubricate the engine. It is used for three major jobs in the engine, 1. lubricating, 2. cooling, and 3. sealing. Most of the time when we think of oil people automatically assume it is just used for lubricating, but infact plays a major role in cooling and sealing the engine. But the oil will def. heat up faster then the coolant due to that fact that it is inside the engine and closer to the combustion. But that oil heat is a pretty cool idea and probably help extend oil change intervals and also cool the engine a little more due to the fact that it will be sucking some of the heat from the engine oil.

nls

The mechanic also said that he was told that the 97's definitely had a balance shaft belt, but the later ones (99's?) don't. Not sure whether the early 98's used the 97 design and the later 98's changed. Other than the dealer, is there a Honda contact who can clarify, given the VIN?

nls

When I try to look up the parts on the web for a 98 Accord EX, there are three engine choices. Two of them are for the 2.3L engine (2254 cc L4 MFI), with the first one showing up as F23A1 and the second one as F23A4. Any idea what the difference is between these two engines, and how I would go about finding which one corresponds to mine?

vanbuyer2

I have a 2002 Accord SE that had the tranny replaced at 13K and at 51K (in September). Now when I drive the car and put it in reverse the is sort of a vibration through the car that was not there before. Also, there is a lot of whine when I drive at low speed. And finally, I was coming to the end of a street with a small incline the other day and slowed down to almost a complete stop... when I stepped on the gas the tranny thunked downt to first. What the hell is wrong now? The Honda dealer I bought it new at in 2002 has done all the new tranny work. :lemon:

poorgirl

I have a 98 honda accord and my driver side door automatic lock button broke off. Can I fix this problem myself or do I have to take it to the dealer?

mrbill1957

I don't know for sure, but you may try looking around on the engine itself. I have seen other manufacturers stamp the # or put some sort of sticker on the engine stating the model.

I would also think the dealer would decode the VIN # for you.

Mrbill

user777

i wonder if the transmission and the torque convertor are seperate entities. perhaps your problem lies in the torque convertor, or perhaps a bad Engine Control/Transmission Control module.

rcc8179

One of the 2 is likely the regular emissions engine (likely A1) and the other is for California (probably A4).

nls

I believe that you are correct, but there is only one engine listed for the 3.0L. So I wonder whether that engine didn't need any special modifications to meet California emissions?

bigwilliesjeep

My honda has a check engine light on, the code is "cadilytic efficiency below threshold" I had that same code at 100,000 and came to be the oxygen sensor pre-cat. I replaced the sensor and the light went out and didnt have a problem untill now. I now have 150,000 and its on again, i have a feeling that the cat is shot due to the mileage on the vehicle and because i recently put a new oxygen sensor in. But it i still possible that the oxygen sensor is bad. I havnt had anytime to diagnose it but what im wonderin is has anyone had a problem like this and what was the solution? Im hoping it would save me the aggrivation of diagnosing it.....

bigwilliesjeep

Sorry I forgot to mention. The code i believe is a P0420 or a P0240 its one of them but i no it says "cadilytic efficiency below threshold"

bigwilliesjeep

Maaco does a pretty good job if your just spraying it the same color, but if you want to change the color i would not go to them. But what you could do is wet sand the whole thing and then buff it out. I had a girlfriend of mine vehicle done once it was maroon and it turned out pretty good, Not alot of over spray, but you could tell cause the paint in the door jam was slightly light then the fresh outside paint due to fading

sonyk

Hi guys, can somebody help me???

I`m honda lover, i got a used 2001 honda accord EX 4 door sedan last month and buy the complete security systems for this car model, but my car has missing some connector on vehicle harness in both side fuse box and it dosen`t work without its 2-pin connectos, acording with the installation instruccion are label with blue tape.

my quetions is the honda accord EX 2001 has more than one tipe of vehicle harness???

could somebody send me informations about that???

regards :confuse: :confuse: :confuse:

barbskee

I bought my 2001 Honda Accord from a dealership about 1.5 years ago. I just had to have the transmission replaced. They covered the cost, telling me that there had been a recall about 2plus years ago. The salesperson at Honda didn't mention a thing about the recall at the time I purchased it. I was, however, encouraged to buy an additional maintainance warranty for $1000, which I did. I feel angry about this and wonder if the dealership should know about this. What do you think?
Barbskee

Mr_Shiftright

Well if you mean was the salesman obligated to tell you about a recall? I would say no, because actually only a small percentage of cars under recall are in fact defective. I think without the extended warranty you might have been left high and dry on a five year old car, so all in all I think you came out as good as you could have given the circumstances.

imidazol97

I would expect a used car to have had a check run to see if all TSBs and recalls had been performed on the car. I have several places I could buy a next car that is not new.

I would especially expect that if I bought from a Honda dealership.

The extended warranty is to protect you from things that haven't yet gone wrong or been found. The trans was a known problem and the dealership missed it. No matter how sweet they talk, I would always be concerned now about their truthfulness. I could hear my own dealership saying that "We missed that."

I'd let them know. They treated you right afterwards, but they should have treated you right before delivery of the car or before negotiating.

Mr_Shiftright

Well what could they do, I mean, really? Honda is not going to pay the dealer to replace a transmission that hasn't gone bad yet---no way. If the salesmen tells the buyer that the car is under recall, he may lose the sale for no good reason (and get fired) because so few transmissions fail relative to the total number of cars (what could it be, 1%?)

As for TSBs, the dealer is under no obligation to perform those (as you probably know)--he can ignore them as there is no legal obligation from government or factory. They are FYIs for the dealer to help him serve customers who need a solution to a problem that the TSB covers.

You know, those extended warranties are of course insurance policies, which are in turn essentially "bets".

The poster was betting something bad would happen to his 2001 Honda and the backer of the insurance policy was betting it wouldn't (playing the odds, like the house in Las Vegas).

So IMHO, the poster "won" the bet, a 3-1 roll of the dice at $1,000.

jackson7

I have a 99 Honda Accord V-6 automatic, with 100,000+ miles. On my way to work today the ABS light came on and after about 6 miles the car shuddered and then the light went off. I thought everything was okay at that point, then about a mile from work everything shut down with no warning all panel lights everything , I started over to the outside lane and after coasting about 300 feet everything restarted on its own. Since my wife normally drives this car I am really worried this could happen again, any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance, Bob

xrwill

8 months ago the rear suspension on my 99 accord sedan started making a very hollow thumping noise over bumps. Figuring that the problem was obviously bad struts, I replaced them with Monroe sensetracs. Unfortuantly this only dulled the noise. Because there was a 'no questions asked' exchange policy on the struts, I figured I may as well try another new set. I replaced the struts (Monroe sensetracs) and put on new stabilizer links (Honda parts) but the problem is still there and starting to drive me crazy. My local mechanic can see no problems and I am trying to avoid the cost of going to a Honda dealer. Anyone have any ideas?? Its a dull thunking noise that is only noticible when going slow (less that 20 mph). Thanks for any assistence.

zzz

I recently bought a 2001 accord EX from a private party (54k miles). When I test drove it, it felt ok. Now that I've had a few weeks, I've noticed the following:
a) The car seems needs some extra push to get going, especially in low gears. I have to push the gas pedal harder than most cars I've driven. Since this is my first Accord, i don't know if this is normal. Note that this problem is only obvious in lower gears. Once on the highway, it's pretty responsive. I've also noticed that if I stop at a stop sign or red light, the gear seems to downshift quickly back to 'zero gear' -- that is, the car seems to have no power/desire to move forward and i need to push the gas pedal hard to get it going. I know that Honda has a recall on the transmission, but I don't know if my issues fits the description for the recall.
b) The car doesn't start right away when I turns the ignition for first time in the morning. I can hear a few more cranks before it starts. I assume that this isn't a big deal. But I've haven't had this problem in other cars I've had. Does this mean that the spark plug has worn out or I have a starter problem? Note that this only happens the first time you start the car in the morning.
c) The light for the clock went off, so I can't see the clock at night. How much does it take to fix it?

thanks.

jacko2

I have a 99 Accord se 2 litre with 67K (triptronic) and have twice experienced the same problem in the last two months. I also notice that occassionally when the car has stopped at a light and the engine is in drive the rev counter displays very low rpm almost to the point of cut-out. When I went to the garage the problem was no longer they just cleaned the idle valve and throttle but unfortunately it has not helped the situation.
If you have any more info it would be much appreciated too.
Thanx.

bigwilliesjeep

I work at a gm dealer and before we can finish the used car inspection we need to perform a VISS check on the car. This means that the vehicle has no open (not performed) recall. If the car has open recalls we are to fix them under the bulletins pay record. A TSB is not a recall. It stands for Technical Service Bulletin, and is thier to aid technicians in finding a common BUT not recalled problem. If the car has a TSB about a transmission problem that is just a common problem not a recall. So i personally feel that if the car was sold to you with recalls that were open from a dealer, bring it back they will fix the recall for free.

rdunham1

Auto tries to start but sputters and does not run. Can a bad oxygen sensor prevent the starting. I'm thinking this or a plugged fuel filter. Auto has 6000o miles on it!

All sugestions would be appreciated!!

doinwi

I have a 99 Accord EX. I have a howling noise in my right rear wheel bearing. Also, clock light is out. I've seen the earlier posts about replacing the light bulb. I'll give that a try. I've been to AllData and see there are service bulletins related to both items. Has anyone had a similar problem with the wheel bearing? Have the dealers done any goodwill replacements?

cee1jay

Thanks for your reply bigwilliesjeep.

beeper509

My 98 honda accord leaks on to the driver side carpet soaking it after heavy rain. What are some solutions

xkiddx13

problems with my drivers seat, its power, but when i brake or am stoped at a light and take off it feels like its moving a bit and i here a clicking noise.. any ideas

dais

1998 accord lx, what else do i need to buy for the timing belt job besides
the timing belt and water pump - can someone make a list for me? Thanks

tranti

Hi! I thought only my car to have the problem. Whenever I brake, the seat moves. I took it to the dealer that I bought the accord ( 2002 EX coupe).They ordered and replaced something. The seat is much better; but the problem is not completely solved. I took my car to the dealer again, they checked it and they said it was nothing wrong. I never got that problem with any cars I have. I don't know what is wrong there.

dais

mine, 98 LX had front ball bearings replaced not too long ago. They said it was normal wear. I think it is poor craftsmanship. It costed me about $500 to replace both front ball bearings, mostly labor.

Mr_Shiftright

For an eight year old car I think normal wear is an acceptable reason...they should have lasted a bit more but I'm assuming you have maybe 80K miles so it's possible to be normal wear.

jersey55

By right side I assume you mean driver side. You need to replace the bulb not the whole headlight. Pop the hood and look at the back of the headlight cluster. You should see the back of the headlight wire connector. Simply twist the connector and pull out the connector with the bulb attached. Once out twist the bulb out of the connector and replace. It's a good idea to replace both bulbs at once.
No need to take off bumper.

jersey55

My 98 Accord LX with 48,000 miles will on occasion have a starting problem only on cold mornings normally below freezing. The car cranks(new battery) but won't turn over.
After waiting about 30 seconds and fully depressing the gas pedal the car starts right up. I would assume it's either an electrical or fuel problem but my guess is fuel.
Any comments or thoughts are appreciated.

rcmuskula

Hi,

I explained the problems that I have with my car in a previous post here. I am posting this as separate post as
my description of the problem went long in that post.

I own 1999 Honda Accord.
My AC regulator is not working.
I mean the AC Knob is not working and the air is blowing
out of vents continuously due to this.

Could someone suggest what could be the problem and how much it costs me to repair this.

I appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Ravi

rcmuskula

Hi,

I explained the problems that I have with my car in a previous post here. I am posting this as separate post as
my description of the problem went long in that post.

I own 1999 Honda Accord.
My AC regulator is not working.
I mean the AC Knob is not working and the air is blowing
out of vents continuously due to this.

Could someone suggest what could be the problem and how much it costs me to repair this.

I appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Ravi

nls

I got the balance shaft belt also replaced at the same time. The recommendation is also to check the tensioners and see if they need replacement. There was also some mention of valve seals or valve gasket, but I am not an expert.

xkiddx13

SAME HERE, well its good to know that it is not just my car that others have similer issues. cause other then that i love my car.

tylerwm94

Are you sure the AC Knob isn't the only thing broken? Both knobs of my AC have broken in the past year (I have a '98). If you can pull the knobs off, check to see if the plastic part that connected to the metal turning knob has cracked. If so, you just need a replacement knob which is like $8 at a dealer. If not, I have no idea.

vlup2us65

Just a note to express my GENUINE GRATITUDE for this website and discussion thread! The transmission on my 2000 Honda Accord -- which I have serviced faithfully -- just went out at just over 78k miles. I thought I must have done something to cause it, and I was extremely hesitant to contact my local Honda dealership because my warranties are expired, and Honda's service is exorbitantly pricey! I was anxious, confused, and in a panic!

Fortunately I found this website, followed this thread, and found invaluable information regarding my transmission problem! I took my Accord to the Honda dealership yesterday with confidence, and it is being fixed by Honda at no expense to me!

Interestingly, the Honda service representative DIDN’T mention the transmission warranty extension until I brought it up! Even then he was rather vague and evasive. But as long as I don't have to pay for the repair, I'm happy!

Without this website, I wouldn't have known about the transmission problems or the extended transmission warranty, and I likely would have been stuck paying for the transmission repair myself! Thanks so much!

lggkerry

Hello,
I am a first time member and need a little help with my 1999 Coupe. The car has been with my family since it was purchase back in May 1999 (meaning only one owner). The car currently have 93,010 miles, and it gets its regular oil change and maintenance on the schedule due date or mileage requirement.

:sick: The Problem :confuse: :

Since the mid - end of last year (2005) I have been having problems with the car shutting off on me and then taking a few minutes before it starts up back again. First, the problem was extremely intermittent - meaning the car would shut off and once it started again it wouldn't shut off until 2-3 weeks later, sometimes a month or two would pass. Then all of a sudden it started doing it a little more frequent.

Since the beginning of this year (2006) it started shutting off on me every other day in the first week of January (on 1/3/06, 1/5/06, 1/7/06), usually when it shuts off it is when I have come to a complete stop at a light or a stop sign. But, then, on 1/14/06 at 6:53pm I was actually driving on a local street and the car just gradually slowed down until it stopped right in the middle of the street, I waited a few minutes and the car started and was fine. On 1/22/06 it shuts off on me 4 times, it shut off again on 1/24/06, 1/26/06 four times. On 1/31/06, 2/1/06 four times, 2/4/06 two times and today 2/5/06 three times.

Today, like some of the days, the car would shut off and then when I wait a few minutes (usually 2 minutes) it would start and then on other days I could wait five minutes and more and it wouldn't start, the car wouldn't turn over.

Furthermore, I notice that when I try to start the car once it shuts off and it doesn't start, the key light will flash.

Things I've done:

I have visited the dealership (same dealership the car was purchase from almost seven years ago) numerous times regarding this problem and they can't locate the problem; they have done numerous diagnose testing and nothing register on the test, nor does the computer stores any codes indicating a problem. They almost always cannot have the car duplicate the problem; on one visit did the car duplicate the problem, but it immediately started and they couldn't duplicate it again.

I know that it is not my starter because I had the starter changed 4 months ago, the mounts changed almost 2 months ago, and the alternator was changed 1.5 - 2 years ago. I have had a transmission flush, tune-up, the whole works for the car, but can't find the problem.

The problem is extremely frustrating to me and it is making the car unreliable in my opinion. No one can tell me what is the cause of the problem or why it is occurring. I can only get people spectate on what they might think is the problem, nothing for sure. I taught the dealer would know, but they can't find it.

:mad: Weird Facts About the Car :

What is so weird is that the car wouldn't shut off when it is at the dealer, they have kept it overnight once and had one of the technician drive it home and it never acts up. Also, I tend to notice that the car would jump excessive when moving down gears (like it would do if the mounts are bad - but for me worst than when my actual mounts were bad) and then later after driving off it shuts off. But, on a regular when it is having one of its normal days, there isn't any jumping when moving down gear. It just happens usually happens when it will shut off within 10 mins of starting and diving, or when it re-starts from shutting off and is going to shut off again. The car have never (not that which I can recall) shuts off after starting from a cold start. Sometimes I smell gas after the car shuts off and it re-starts again (this has happened three times so far) which is also weird to me!

Also, since recently starting on 1/22/06 when it shuts off and I go to restart it won't start, and when it does start, it immediately shuts off again, & I have to wait a few more minutes before it will start & I'm able to drive off. This happen on 1/22/06, 1/26/06, 2/1/06, 2/4/06, & today (2/5/06).

Is there anyone out there who has or is having the same problem has me and if you had this problem what is the cause and how can I fix the problem for good!! :confuse:

Can someone please tell me what is wrong with the STUPID POSSESS car, Please!! :sick:

I will appreciate any suggestions. Thanks :-)

P.S. The car ignition switch had a recall and the dealer changed it in September 2004.

timo1

I have a 99 accord ex with the same code coming up p0420. "catalytic efficiency below threshold". I tried a product called "seafoam" the parts store said it would clean out the internal engine and exhaust system. I don't think it worked as the light came back after I tried it and reset the codes. Then I gave the car a Major tune up with new spark plugs,wires,cap,rotor. reset codes. light came back on in 1 day. Now I have installed a new O2 sensor on manifold(pre O2 sensor). reset codes. Light came back on in 1day again. The Haynes book says that it could be a plugged or clogged catylitic converter. Does anyone know how I can diagnose this prob without buying new parts and spending money until I have basically put in a new exhaust system?

user777

i was thinking ignition switch myself. sometimes a replacement can be bad. but then, i don't know enough about automotive electricals. more speculation here:

the "wierd" thing about the car not being able to shut off... this suggests some relay problem (providing the ignition switch is good...wouldn't be the first time a replacement part had an issue of it's own).

hmmm, maybe a fuel pump relay which is sticking? sometimes, oxidation on relay contacts which occurs when there is localized arcing do to repetitive cycles can actually cause a relay's contacts to "stick" and stay closed, even though the coil to the relay is de-energized.

look and see if the relay/fuse layout in your manual shows the location of a fuel relay. if so, you might want to try swapping it with an identical part (auto store), or if exact same part is used in another ckt that you aren't using, swap with that one.

if that isn't helpful, i would repost your problem in the forum: Electrical Gremlins that are driving you crazy"