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Honda Accord (2008-2012) Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    I've never had any check-engine lights to come on as well. If filling the tank to my capacity were so dangerous/risky as you claim, then why hasn't the car manufacturers or the government or others fixed all gas tanks so that they can hold only a certain amount and never ever be filled the its fullest capacity?

    The gas pump will click off before the filler neck is full to the rim. That should be enough of a hint not to over-fill the tank. Maybe they could invent a hand, that would come out of the gas pump, slap you across the head, and say "Stop pumping". There is only so much the government/car manufacturers can do to save people from themselves. :confuse:
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Here in central Alabama, we rarely see temps below 20 degrees. ;)
  • packer3packer3 Member Posts: 277
    But what is the clunking noise
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    Well, good luck on your decision to wait until the government publishes an official "do not overfill your gas tank" warning before you change your mind.

    Mrbill
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    As I stated previously, IF your warning were so accurate, then do tell me why the service manager of not just 1 dealership but several other dealerships as well and many mechanics as well as hundreds of friends, relatives, coworkers, clients, other gov't employees, etc. tell me it is ok to fill to the rim because they've been doing it for years too and have never had problems caused by it. I think you're just full of hot air.

    What good is it then to install an 18.5 gallon tank and not use it all to its capacity?
  • cstilescstiles Member Posts: 465
    Please, let's move on. You're all beating a dead horse. This is a non-issue. On to other topics, please.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    What good is it then to install an 18.5 gallon tank and not use it all to its capacity?

    Didn't you say you were able to put over 20 gallons in? Wouldn't that be OVER FILLING? I don't think any of us care how much gas to try to force into your tank. Maybe you would like to add a separate (reserve) tank, so you can fill that one to the rim too. We don't want to argue with you anymore. Do whatever you feel is right. :sick:
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    Two things - just got done putting 720 miles on my '08 Sedan - V6 w/VCM. 24MPG - gas light came on - filled it within about 5 miles - 16.5 gallons, plus the 13.5 before = 30, 720/30 = 24 MPG - 230 Interstate and the balance 50/50 city and highway. No complaints.- car is running well and, knock on wood, without some of the other problems others here are encountering or have.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    That's about what I would get in the same situation (03 V6 auto). Considering it's a bigger, heavier car, with a larger engine, I'd say VCM is working for you.
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    Yeah, I would agree - it is much smoother than it had been and I do not have a light foot - when accelerating from toll booths or in some cases when needed,extra passing power, I do get on it and use all 268 Horses. I am pleased and suspect a pure Hwy run would be at least in the high 20's. We'll see next weekend - going from NYC to Syracuse in Upstate NY - Problem is I go through the Poconos and some other hilly/mountainous terrain which will hurt mileage. It just is not Iowa up there, nor the flatness of the Appalachian plains of NC, SC and GA.
  • weigchenweigchen Member Posts: 3
    It's just like when you sometimes park on an uphill or downhill, and when put your shifter to drive, it makes a loud clunk sound. But mine is much louder and I can feel the car shake when it does it.

    But I've noticed that when I start it up and I put the shifter to "reverse" first, then to "neutral", then to "drive", with a slight pause between each shift, then it won't clunk at all. It only clunks very loud and violently when I shift straight from "park" to "drive" quickly.
  • packer3packer3 Member Posts: 277
    Let us know what happens when you bring it back from the dealer
  • dlongoddlongod Member Posts: 5
    I just picked my brand spanking new Accord up 5 days ago and noticed the headlights dim and kick back on every several minutes as the air conditioner kicks on. It is very annoying and I felt as though other drivers think I am flashing my lights at them. I noticed others with the 4 cyl also having this problem in another Accord forum. Is anybody else experiencing this problem? I am definitely going to contact the dealership tomorrow.
  • dlongoddlongod Member Posts: 5
    Here is a link to another forum where others are experiencing the same headlight problem:

    http://www.hondacarforum.com/h....html

    If you are experiencing the same problem, report it to the NHTSA:

    http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    This is apparently a VERY common problem among 4 cylinder owners. There must be a simple solution that Honda simply wants to ignore. Disappointing to see them respond - or fail to respond - to their owners that way.
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    Show me factual evidence that supports your conclusions of so-called overfill. If I were overfilling the gas tank per your claims, then why hasn't any gasoline ever been found in the filler cap or down the outside of the filler neck or anywhere else on the car other than the correct place...inside the tank itself?

    Show me factual evidence that says the first time a pump clicks off is the total amount of gasoline that should be pumped into the tank. I've been all through my owners manual as well as other owners manuals, gov't publications on car safety, insurance adjusters manuals, etc., and not one of them ever says anything about what you're claiming is to be the truth. If car manufacturers did not want someone to fill the tank completely to the rim without seeping out, then why do the car manufacturers put on a gas tank cap that is vented by design? I've gone through insurance schools in reference to not only selling car, boat, vehicle, etc. insurance but these schools also get into the nitty-gritty of parts and the problems they cause and the problems caused by the occupants, owners, drivers, etc., and not once is there any mention of tank overfill causing problems. Why is that? If your claims were so true, then I'd like to believe that insurance companies would insert brief statements into each and every policy saying they would not pay a claim due to tank overfill. I've also been through state driving schools and gov't schools too for federal drivers licenses while in the military and not one time has there ever been a mention of your claims. I wonder why that is too!

    So....where is this factual evidence that supposedly supports your claims? Or is it all fictitious?
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Show me factual evidence that says the first time a pump clicks off is the total amount of gasoline that should be pumped into the tank.

    I'd be happy to do so, unless the EPA isn't "factual" enough for ya. Below is some enlightening reading.

    You need extra room in your gas tank to allow the gasoline to expand. If you top off your tank, the extra gas may evaporate into your vehicle’s vapor collection system. That system may become fouled and will not work properly causing your vehicle to run poorly and have high gas emissions.

    Topping off your gas tank may foul the station's vapor recovery system. Adding more gas after the nozzle has automatically shut off can cause the station's vapor recovery system to operate improperly. This contributes to the air pollution problem and may cause the gas pump to fail to work for the next person.

    Topping off the gas tank can result in your paying for gasoline that is fed back into the station's tanks because your gas tank is full. The gas nozzle automatically clicks off when your gas tank is full. In areas of ozone nonattainment, gas station pumps are equipped with vapor recovery systems that feed back gas vapors into their tanks to prevent vapors from escaping into the air and contributing to air pollution. Any additional gas you try to pump into your tank may be drawn into the vapor line and fed back into the station’s storage tanks.     -www.epa.gov

    For someone who has so sarcastically mocked everyone trying to HELP you, I hope you'll take this to heart.
  • packer3packer3 Member Posts: 277
    Expandad gas in your car is recovered by the vapor recovery system, the only place the gas goes if you over fill is on the ground. I cant believe a stated tank size of 18 gallons can take 20 gallons unless something has changed in the automotive world that I dont know about. Gas nozzles shut off because of the pressure feed back to cut back on vapors.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    But with more fuel, and less room to expand, the vapors will be more dense, and it'll be more likely overwhelm the vapor recovery system, causing malfucntion.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Is thegraduate's quote from the EPA good enough? Or do you need a letter from the Surgeon General? :P
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    Like the old saying goes "you can lead a horse to water......"

    Mrbill
  • carzzzcarzzz Member Posts: 282
    I have an 07 V6 SE auto. It does exactly the same thing from time to time. I think it is a Honda flaw or something. I only notice this once since i adopt to my innovative "Honda cranking method":
    1) Press the foot-brake
    2) Turn the key to "ON" position
    3) Wait until the "D"/Drive light is off on the dash, then shift it into neutral/"N"
    4) crank-start the car
    5) Shift in "D" and "R" and then release Footbrake & Handbrake and off you go. :P
  • packer3packer3 Member Posts: 277
    Got it
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    The key word is "may" cause these problems. If these problems were so prevalent, then do tell me and others that fill to the rim why we have not had any problems associated with your so-called findings. Please also tell us why there are no warnings posted especially at gas stations, in car dealerships, in cars owners manuals, etc., if your statements are supposed to be true.

    The fact is, I've now got about 6800 miles on my 08 accord v6 and the performance has gotten alot better with increased mileage and I still do and always will fill my tank to the rim as I've always done so ever since I started driving at age 12 back in 1965 on the farm. In fact, gas mileage has increased too from 20.2 to 21.8 and I sense that it will get higher as the car ages and gets more mileage.

    This is what I love to much about our country...we can both agree to disagree without causing any wars. Have a good day there...good buddy!
  • grandlakegargrandlakegar Member Posts: 14
    From page 262 of the 08 Accord owners manual. "Stop filling the tank after the nozzle automatically clicks off. Do not try to "top off" the tank. etc."
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    My $.02 here but I believe your mileage is better than you think. For the reasons others have posted here your "fillings" are inconsistent with the stated size of the tank and our collective experiences. The only plausible explanation is the vapor exxpansion issue and - essentially - you are overfilling with gas that you will never access - either going back into the station's system or into your overflow.

    Try this and humor us. When you go into the station, do as the manual states. Then go drive the car and at your next fill up, do the same thing. That should give you a more accurate indicator of your mileage than with your overfilling experiences to date. I am getting about 24 overall, and about 28-29 on the highway. Will know better this weekend when we take a trip and I fill up before entering, and refill upon exiting, the interstate. Pure highway mileage from NYC to Syracuse NY - about 250 miles. We'll see!
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    You've been filling to the rim since 1970 and you are talking about replacing freon??
    Get with it man - it is 2008 - I am 60 years old, but times have changed! First, the old cars you COULD fill to the rim - they had no emission controls built into the fuel supply like evaporation canisters, etc. I did the same - then the cars changed and so did I. They also used leaded gas! So you still use that?

    FREON? UH, try R134, which, IMHO, doe NOT cool as effectivley as freon did. But new cars must use R134 under the Federal Clean Air Act.

    If he takes the car to the dealer they will put a thermometer at the vents and check the temperature of the air exiting them with the AC on - if within "normal" range, out of luck. I have noticed with our 2008 Accord V6 Sedan w/o Navi that when the AC is on it cycles like in a house and it blows colder at times than others. Again - operating within normal limits. Just have to accept it or get another car.
  • dwashcodwashco Member Posts: 4
    I did have the car in yesterday for my own sanity. I do have a air temp guage right in the center stack vent and left it in there for them to see. The dealer said there is nothing wrong with theR134 levels or air temp. Basically said all was OK. BTW - the air is blowing at (depending on ambient temp it has varied) about ~44-50 with air on MAX (or Lo Auto setting) I am fine with this from the dealer but wanted more than anything this documented on record. Guess I'll get use to it overtime. I have not driven the car much yet to detemined whether I have the lights dimming issue. I'll pull up to a large wall or building etc.. to try and evaluate this I suppose.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    From page 262 of the 08 Accord owners manual. "Stop filling the tank after the nozzle automatically clicks off. Do not try to "top off" the tank. etc."

    I don't think it gets any more clear than this. Also, since it says this in the manual, you can bet money that if there's evidence of an overfill, and problems are caused, the dealer will not cover damage under warranty.

    Thank you grandlakegar.

    From my 2006 Accord owner's manual, page 156:

    4. Stop filling the tank after the fuel nozzle automatically clicks off. Do not try to "top off" the tank. Leave some room for the fuel to expand with temperature changes.

    So there it is; at least two generations of Accords that specifically state NOT to top off. That, combined with the report of a government agency is more than enough for me not to try and squeeze more in to my tank, when the benefit of longer driving distance is miniscule.
  • packer3packer3 Member Posts: 277
    In a way I was getting pissed off at the gas station attendents that when the nozzle clicked off they would round it off to a penny or two. I worked in a service station a few years back and we would fill up the trunk if we could. I really need to read more into the Honda manual, I've taken things for granted based on my previous leased GM cars.
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    I too have had light dimming issues with previous cars when the A/C cycled on and off - I just cannot remember which ones! Could have been other Hondas - and I have had 4 and 6 cylinder models. Could have been a Dodge Intrepid, Pontiac V8 or BMW too. My doctor tells me my poor memory is due to my having had VSD open heart surgery and been on heart lung bypass - apparently it is a little known medical fact that the brain does not like artificial support and there IS some loss of memory functionality with any heart lung interference - bypass, open heart, etc surgery. I love using that one on my wife when I forget things!

    Anyway, our '08 is the V6 sedan and I do not notice any dimming whatsoever with it. Unless you are going to use your car as a refrigerator, 44 degrees would seem a pretty coool temp! :P Did they tell you what the normal "range" was?
  • bug4bug4 Member Posts: 370
    So, I'm sitting at an intersection yesterday. I decide to "gun it" to get across the intersection before having to wait for another 8-10 cars. I'm at a dead stop and slam the accelerator to the floor . . . .. NOTHING!!! About 2 seconds later the engine starts to build and the car finally shoots off the line. I didn't have two seconds to waste and just about caused a collision!

    After dropping by the house, changing my shorts and ironing out the pucker marks in the seat, I performed the same routine a couple of times - this time without the on-coming traffic. Sure enough, my car has a BIG hesitation when I slam the pedal down. Its not that it bogs or sputters or fails, it just that the engine appears to need about 1.5 seconds to "hit it."

    Has ANYONE had this problem? I'll bet not or we would have heard about it before. Looks like its time to go to the dealer and find out if I've got a problem. :sick:
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    In a way I was getting pissed off at the gas station attendents that when the nozzle clicked off they would round it off to a penny or two.

    I don't think it would hurt to round it off to the nearest dollar (or .50). With the price of gas now, that's not going to be much (a couple of drops). Personally, I don't pay with cash (use a debit card) so I don't care if it's not an even dollar amount.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    These days, the pump moves so fast on the price side of things its nearly impossible to round off. You'll end up about .03 over; I tried rounding off when filling up my lawn mower gas tank. I paid $7.52; haha.
  • monkeygwdmonkeygwd Member Posts: 19
    The loud clunk is the parking pawl releasing. I suspect you do not use the parking brake, thus the transmission would be under stress from the car rolling back/forward from the hill. I avoid this in mine by applying the parking brake always. This reduces stress on the parking pawl mechanism. If you notice, after putting your car in park, and releasing your foot from the brake, the car will roll backwards slightly (or forwards if down hill), this is what is causing the loud clunk.
  • carzzzcarzzz Member Posts: 282
    really? parking pawl? I use handbrake and the clunking still exists when i start the car. On numerous occasion, the car rolls forward by a foot when i put it in "N" and crank it on flat ground. So, i think the Honda did not fully debug the transmission/e-throttle/ignition. Btw, my car hesitate (e-throttle lag) & shows aburptive downshift from 2-1 when during a rolling stop. A few owners also notice this. What can i do? change my driving habit...lol... avoid rolling stop.
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    I actually did try it "your" way a few times and the mileage was worse than "my" way. Plus, I wasn't able to travel jnearly as far as I previously did by filling it to the rim. Since you brought that up, have you tried it "my" way?

    Everyone has put in their 2 cents worth and I thank you for all your efforts. But due to my history of filling a tank to the rim for the past 43 years and never seeing any problems associated with it, I will continue to fill it to the rim. Perhaps I've been lucky and perhaps all of my friends and family have been lucky too but to my knowledge, none of us have ever had any engine problems with any of the cars we've filled to the rim except the usual stuff such as brake replacement, oil & oil filter replacement, tires, etc that come from engine wear.

    FYI, I had a business meeting this week and decided to travel by car instead of plane and drove my 08 accord. I filled the tank to the rim as usual, set the cruise at 80mph when traffic permitted, and got 28mpg which allowed me to drive 560 miles before my low-fuel light lit up. Had I filled my tank "your" way, my miles driven on 1 tank would have been alot lower. Hmmm...15 gallons x 28mpg = 420 miles doing it "your" way.

    Thanks but no thanks! I'll continue to fill my tank as I see fit. I've owned over 11 different cars and put roughly 86,000 miles on each of them and remember several that had over 120,000 miles on them before being traded and never had any problems other than normal wear-n-tear. That is alot of fuel-ups to the rim. Based on "your" findings and "your" beliefs in reference to this matter, I should have had lots and lots and lots of problems but never did which leads me to believe that "your" beliefs and fndings are nothing more than a bunch of the normal double-talk or misinformation that is so prevalent in the world.
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    Given those numbers it's tempting to start filling to the rim with just one problem. On more than one occasion I've had fill ups that took forever due to pumps running incredibly slow. When inquiring of the attendant what the problem was I've been informed that people using the pump before me had filled beyond the shut-off point and the pumps now have a vapor return line that is blocked which will cause slow dispensing of fuel. I'm not the type of person that would seek some type of personal gain at the expense of others, even if all I'm doing is making the next customer take 6 minutes to fill-up instead of 3, so tempting as it may be I'll take my place in line with the rest of the lemmings and and consider my tank full when the auto shut off kicks in.
    Particularly now, as time at the pump is more painful then ever.
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    Don't blame the slow pump on just me. It also has to do with the number of other customers that are trying to fill their tanks as well and also has alot to do with the pumping capacity of the pumps themselves.

    What used to take me 4-5 minutes to fill my tank to the rim now takes me about 15 minutes to fill it.
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    So let me get this straight - you drove 560 miles AFTER having put 20 gallons in the car and that is how you get 28MPG?? Sir, I am sorry - but if that is the case you do not know how to compute gas mileage.

    You fill up, drive 560 miles, fill up again and THEN divide your mileage by how many gallons it takes to fill your car. That is how many you used to go the 560 miles That gives you your MPG for that distance traveled.

    As for your other comments, since you brought that up, "have you tried it 'my' way"?

    No, and I will not since the manual says not to.

    As for your repeatedly using the word "your" in reply to me, I never said any of the things you ascribe to me. NEVER did I say any of the following -

    "Based on "your" findings and "your" beliefs in reference to this matter, I should have had lots and lots and lots of problems but never did which leads me to believe that "your" beliefs and fndings are nothing more than a bunch of the normal double-talk or misinformation that is so prevalent in the world."

    So, I suggest you, sir, get YOUR facts straight when replying to someone. As for misinformation - well, I am a car aficionado and a very sensitive driver. I listen to my cars and know when something is not right, and I heed the manufacturers' claims and warnings - who better to know their car? They say do not top it off - I don't top it off. They say the redline is 6200 RPM? If not shut off by a fuel cutoff, would I say it is OK to rev it to 7000? No.

    That is essentially what you are doing - you are disregarding the manufacturer's own manual when you "top it off". All I have to say is - good luck with that. With all the sensors and computer monitors on cars these days, if you do have a problem, I suspect Honda will know you did what you did by a computer read out of some kind and will not honor any warranty.

    I am afraid it is you who is misinformed.
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    Godzzzz...where do you people come from? A sensitive driver? What a laugh!! Got any more jokes to tell me?
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    With a 1,000 miles or so separating our locales, I'm not holding you personally responsible, so I won't be billing you for my wasted time. A 15 minute fill time indicates to me that you just might be filling right behind another fill-it-to-the-brim kind of guy, so there just might be some karma at work here.
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    Oh boy ...we have another one. :sick: No need to waste any more time responding to this guy.
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    Billing me for your wasted time? lol

    Perhaps I should bill you then and we'll see who comes out on top. My current billing rate starts at $75 per home system plus parts and $150/hour plus parts for businesses.
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    so....why did you respond then? Sounds like you don't listen to yourself. lol
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Time to agree to disagree and move on - please.
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    I forgot bug4 - 6 or 4 cylinder?
  • rkirchoffrkirchoff Member Posts: 65
    Anyone other than me put the pedal-to-the-metal and hold it down till the car reaches its top speed? The speedometer has shown 141mph for about a mile and not able to go any faster. I do realize this speed may not be real or accurate but it is what the speedometer showed in my car at the time.

    Valentine1 is my only choice of radar detection protection. Tried all the others and this is the only 1 that has truly worked wonders for me although it is a bit expensive at $399 found here: http://www.valentine1.com/
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    ---------- is my only choice of radar detection protection. Tried all the others and this is the only 1 that has truly worked wonders for me although it is a bit expensive at $399 found here: http://www.----------.com/

    I think there is probably a radar detector forum somewhere. Not sure what this has to do with the 2008 Accord Maintenance and Repair forum. I blanked out the details because frankly, all I'd be reproducing a spam-type advertisement.

    As far as the other goes, I know Car and Driver tested the 4-cylinder Accord (2007 model) to run 130mph, and it is supposedly limited to that. Where do you take your Accord to the track?
  • ljgbjgljgbjg Member Posts: 374
    "Where do you take your Accord to the track?"

    If he is worried about using Valentine 1 he is on public roads. And in that regard, for the sake of conversation, I had my 2004 S2000 up to 152 once - right at redline.
    Scary. But you are right - none of this has anything to do with repair and maintenance.
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