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Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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Comments

  • fritz1224fritz1224 Member Posts: 398
    My honda dealer wants almost $400 for their version of a 30k service. And their version is no where what the owner manual recommends. they want to replace tranny and brake fluids and coolant. None of which owners manual calls for. Also want to replace spark plugs which don't need replacing for 100k miles.
    The 30k service recommended includes a lot of inspection of components, and only an oil change, no plugs or other fluid replacements. Oh, A/cmicro filter replacement too.(Dealer didn't include this in theirs)
  • hbund216hbund216 Member Posts: 162
    The service writers at my dealership (and some others) are paid on commission. The more service they sell the better they get paid. Despite that, my dealership does not recommend any service other than the one required by the manufacturer. So there is some incentive for them to take extra better care of your car.
  • teddwoodteddwood Member Posts: 16
    This morning, I found the coolant level in my new accord is below min. So, I took the car to the dealership during lunch. He put some coolant in the reserve tank. Later on I found out the coolant he put in is not the type II(50-50 mix). It was the 100% pure coolant. Would this cause any damage? Thanks!
  • hbund216hbund216 Member Posts: 162
    I've done that too. As long as it was not excessive it should not cause any damage. What would cause damage is if it was the wrong coolant type. The next time it falls below min add pure water.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    On a 98 Accord? Wow!
  • zoomzoom79zoomzoom79 Member Posts: 272
    That's nothing isellhondas. We just bought a 1998 Accord LX-V6 with 170,000 miles on it. Car looks and runs like it has 30,000 miles.

    However, the well-maintained award goes to a 1992 Honda Accord EX Coupe we bought with 250,000 miles. Car is immaculate and looks like it has 200,000 miles less than it does. No signs of seat wear at all. I'm beginning to think the 90-93 Accords were the best generation yet.
  • sam775sam775 Member Posts: 22
    I was taught that if you add too much coolant, it could damage your water pump. Can someone shed some light on this?
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Having too high a percentage of coolant will decrease the heat transfer ability of the coolant. Check on the coolant instructions on the back of the bottle. Changing coolant is essential because old coolant gets either acid or base and can dissolve gaskets and cause big problems. Also you should use coolant with no silicone-info is in car manual I believe.

    If you change your own coolant, dispose of it properly, it is a deadly poison and if pets drink a small amount of it, they will die a horrible death.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Are you serious?? Holy Smokes!

    170K on a 98! What kind of a deal did you get on that one?

    I see high mile Hondas pretty often. It's funny...even after 200,000 miles, they usually run well, don't rattle and the interiors hold up.

    I once took in a 88 civic with 357,000 miles. The body was rough but it ran just fine. It was on it's second clutch too!
  • zoomzoom79zoomzoom79 Member Posts: 272
    When I said "we" I meant the dealer I work for.

    We bought the car for $6500. It's green over tan with good tires and the interior only has one minor imperfection. There are a few rock chips on the hood (but what do you expect). All in all it looks ALOT better than some 2000-2001 Accords with 150,000 less miles. If I were in the market for a cheap, newer V6 Accord I would seriously consider that one.

    The 93 I talked about with 250,000 is amazing. The car could pass for new almost. I've noticed that the interior in the 90-93 Accords (as with almost any other Accord) hold up remarkably well. Like I always say ... when a car can look and drive just as good at 10 years old as it did at 1 ... that's quality. Quality is not 30,000 miles of almost perfect reliability with just a few warranty repairs as some people would like you to believe.
  • reebokreebok Member Posts: 2
    I have a 98 accord v6 ex coupe. I beginning to notice a problem every time I park downhill. When I go to start my car, it starts and seconds later stalls. The only way to get the car started is to start the car, accelerate the gas and drive. I currently have about 50k miles on the car. The problem has happened the 3 times I've parked on a steep downhill (uphill is fine). The first time was when the car had 10k miles. Tune-ups are all done at the honda dealership. I'm thinking about just changing the fuel filters to see if that might work, but anyone else have a similar problem?
  • ibuycarsibuycars Member Posts: 3
    A friend just failed his state emission tests because the NOx number was too high. The car is a '88 Accord LX. The car passed the HC and CO% tests, but failed the NOx test.

    Is there any hope to get the problem fixed or the car is just too old to fix? Any ideas? Thanks!
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    reebok
    If the down hill park is steep and the fuel level is below a half of a tank at the time it does this then that is probably all that is wrong. If the hill is not that steep then it would be more like a quarter of a tank or less. The gas flows away from the pick up for the pump and can not deliver enough solid fuel to keep it running. Give it a look and see if it could be a possibility..

    ibuycars
    NOx is usally a sign of a problem with the EGR system. Can also be a sign of blow by(oil)or a bad PCV. Start with a system check of the EGR and if all seems to be fine with that then you may have piston rings on their way out or if your lucky a pcv.. Good luck
  • ibuycarsibuycars Member Posts: 3
    Re: NOx

    Thanks for the info. Does the EGR system repair expensive? How much to expect in the worse case?
    (I am trying to see if it is worthwile to have it fixed. I looked at the car this morning; it runs fine otherwise.)
    Thanks again.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    It depends on whats bad but I guess the most expensive of all would be if the intake manifold was clogged not allowing the EGR gasses to get back into the cylynders. As for actual dollars I do not know how much that would be. Best guess would be like $500.00 but have the system checked it may be something simple or cheaper.
  • duperduper Member Posts: 127
    I have a '01 LX purchased Oct/00 now with 13,900 miles. Everything about the car was good until this morning. My wife was driving on the freeway and as she exiting, the brakes quitted working. It went all the way in as she stepped on it and pumping didn't do anything. She said it felt so soft with no resistence. Fortunately, the exit ramp is an incline so the car already slowed down alot. She was forced to swing a hard right and ran a red light and jumped a curb into a parking lot to make the car stop. No one was injuried.
    In panic, she turned off the car, and after a few minutes, restarted it and everything worked fine. The front right wheel now has a big bend and a alignment is needed as the steering wheel is about 30deg off to the left when going straight. It also starts to shake at around 60mph or so. I couldn't find anything with the brakes after test-drove it on freeway and hard-braked it while on city streets.

    I already scheduled an appointment with the dealer next Tuesday for a check up. I was thinking of something has to do with the master brakes cylinder. Since the car is just one month and 1000 miles over the 1yr/12k miles warranty, would the 3yr/36k one cover the brakes if any is found broken?

    Has anyone experience this with their car? Any suggestions of what I should mention to the dealer or any TSB that I can show to them about the Accord brakes? I'm so concern now that I'll have her drive my Pathfinder until I can assure everything is fine with the Accord.

    Thanks for your help.

    ....
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    About the only thing that could cause such a problem would be air in the system or a bad brake master cylynder. The 3/36 waranty should cover this unless they can prove you did something to cause the problem such as modifying the brake system with aftermarket parts. The other non covered item is usally the brake pads as they are a wear item.Good luck
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    1. Don't drive your car 60 MPH when you know a wheel is bent! Of course it'll shake!

    2. Show your wife how to use the emergency brake.

    And, yeah, it sounds like a bad master cylinder although it ought to be acting up all of the time...strange!
  • venanzikvenanzik Member Posts: 72
    i have a 92 accord and it seem that in the last 6-8 months or so that the fan has been coming on more frequently than i can ever remember after i turn the car off. My driving style hasnt changed and outside temperature varied from 90 on hot summer to 40's currently, but it still seems to come on whenever i turn off the engine. the temperature gauge inside never goes above half way and i do understand that the fan is suppose to come on but like i said it comes on with much greater frequency than i can ever remember. is there the possibility that something is wrong ie thermostat, cooling system?...what can i do to check for problem or solve it? thanks for the time
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    there is a thermoswitch that controls the fans after shut down. If the coolant is full then maybe this thermoswitch is bad..Good luck
  • tigerjon1tigerjon1 Member Posts: 26
    Duper, I'm here to tell you Honda cannot get brakes right, especially on the accord. I own a 99 EX sedan and started experiencing brake problems at 30,000k beginning w/shuddering when braking from speeds over 50 mph. At 50,000k they started squeking and after having the brake pads replaced and the rotors turned they still make noise. My father has owened an 88', 91, and a 95'. Every damn one gave him the same problems. I had an 88' CRX that did about the same thing and we recently sold my wife's 97' civic that shuddered when braking. It's amazing Honda can build a pretty darn good car but their brakes suck!
    If anyone reading this is from the Kansas City, MO area and is considering purchasing or leasing from Stadium Honda, think twice. At about 37,000k (just out of warranty) my illumination light for my clock went out. I took it to Stadium thinking they would take care of it for me since my family had bought several cars from them. Wrong. The genius service mgr. tells me I need to have the entire clock replaced which will be about $225. I decide to take it to Frank Ancona Honda in Olathe, KS (kudos to these guys). The service guy says it's simply the light bulb, gives me the bulb, and puts in for me at no charge. Please don't go to Stadium Honda. Give Ancona Honda a shot.
  • rrmcdonaldrrmcdonald Member Posts: 29
    tigerjon1, interesting to see your post.

    I was just searching for other posts on brake issues. I have a '96 Accord with 95k miles; the brakes started squeaking about 5k miles ago and just recently started shuddering when braking from above 40 mph down to about 20 mph. I had new rotors/pads put on (even had the tires rotated and balanced) and it still shudders and squeaks when braking. The mechanic doesn't know what it is, speculating that maybe a bearing is bad.... anybody have any suggestions before I open the checkbood for a fishing expedition as to the cause/cure?
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Have put over 500K on a series of accords and every case of braking shuddering I have had was caused by using an impact wrench to tighten lug nuts. They will warp the brake rotors even if you use torque sticks. Now have only 124K on my 97 accord and not the first problem with shudders because nobody gets close to it with a impact wrench. Had the shudders so bad with a 80 accord that it was dangerous to brake hard over 60.

    If you have braking shudders now-jack the car up and try retorquing the lug nuts to 80 foot pounds with a good quality click type torque wrench. My 80 accord's shakes improved dramatically after I did this. Also if you do have to replace the rotor on any pre 98 accords-it is a pricey proposition as they are pressed into the wheel bearing and a real pita to do. Wheel bearings going south will not make the wheels shudder and are easy to diagnose-just jack up the front end and take the wheels in 3/9 and 6/12 (clock) positions and attempt to move. A little play in 3/9 is okay and probably due to a little slack in the steering.

    Yeah honda may have rotors that are much too prone to bending when subjected to jamokes with impact wrenches but this is an easily preventable problem. I take my own torque wrench to Tires Plus when replacing tires.
  • duperduper Member Posts: 127
    Thanks all for your responses.

    Took the car in the dealer this morning. The technician took it for a test drove and couldn't find anything with the brakes. After the car was up on the airjacks, he popped up the tires and the rear brakes covers looking for leaks. There was none. He also opened the master cynlinder to see if there's any trace of brake fluid leaking through the seals. It was clean. The fluid level on the reservoir looks normal.
    After about 20 minutes of looking, he could not find anything wrong. Tighten everything up and went for another test drove, everything worked normal. Conclusion: could not find any problems.

    I had it realigned all wheels afterward and rotated the bented wheel to the back; that eliminated the shaking at 60+ mph. The dealer quote $80-$100 for the steel rim. I found one at a junk yard for $40. My cousin's friend is selling his '00 EX alloy rims with tires (30% left) for $350, I'm thinking of getting those to replace the LX steel rims.

    I guess I have to wait and see if the problems resurface or will it develope shuddering when braking.

    Thanks all,

    ....
  • lleroilleroi Member Posts: 112
    A friend has an 89 Accord LX.lots of miles.Anyway he replaced the seals on the transmission side of the cv axles.He was loosing trans fluid.When he pulled the old seals out he found metal particles.He replaced the seals and hoped for the best.Well,the next day he began hearing "noises"from the transmission.He took the axle off the driver's side and found it was leaking and the seal was tore up.He looked up into the transmission and saw that some bearing were missing from the other side of the seal.
    I went over and looked at it.He was told these bearings could not be replaced ,without pulling the transmission and rebuilding it.I looked into the area where these bearings were.Some were laying on the floor and were scored badly.These bearings seem to be what the axle turns on.They are located behind the seal where the axle goes in the transmission.
    I looked closely and at first it seemed this bearing was,indeed,inside the transmission.It did not make sense to me that a bearing failure here would require a tear down of the transmission.I wiped the area off and saw a retainer clip that looked like it might be holding the bearing.If so it looked like it could be replace from the outside fairly easily.The light was not good so I could not tell for sure.
    My question is-is this bearing removeable from the outside of the transmission and if so.what is this part called?.
  • drajkumadrajkuma Member Posts: 8
    Recently purchased an Accord EX-V6. The interior noise levels are okay, but being the freak that I am I want to reduce them to whisper quiet (or even quieter) as well as get great acoustics. What can I do to achieve the best noise reduction, without voiding any warranties? Is there any Honda/Honda-approved installations/accessories that will do this? Any tips, recommendations, gotchas will be appreciated.

    Thanks
    Dan
  • duperduper Member Posts: 127
    You can start with the tires. I don't know about the V6, but the 4-bangers come with Michelin MVX4(sp?) Engery Plus and they are very noisy.
    Has anyone that changed the tires to a different brands that could comment on the noise?

    ....
  • venanzikvenanzik Member Posts: 72
    I once read an article about quieting down a grand cherokee. what they did was use these noise reducing matts called 'dynamat' i think Crutchfield.com should have them, (they may have used another simular brand), and place them under the carpets and in the doors etc.
  • pblevinepblevine Member Posts: 858
    I haven't yet changed my tires, and yes, the stock Michelin MVX4 + on my '98 EX V6 Coupe DO make a lot of noise. And they also roll over during high speed turns (and screech too). I've been reading a bit about replacement tires for the near future. Thus far, the best I've heard about are the Dunlop Sport A2 SP series which is new, not so expensive, great performers, and quient. Or so they say. My only question is that they are "H" rated tires vs the present "V" rated tires. Thus I've got a question: How much of a difference will the V to H switch make? ie: Safety, performance driving, and normal daily commuting.
  • duperduper Member Posts: 127
    I think rating is just for speed. H rated tires can safely go up to 130MPH and V rated tires are rated up to 149MPH.


    Don't know about the Dunlop A2 SP tires, but tirerack.com has some good price on them.

    tirerack.com


    I'm not sure if Bridgestone is still having the 30-days exchange deal where you can take the tires back and exchange for a new set if you don't like them, within 30 days. That could be something to check out.


    A friend has a set of Bridgestone Potenza (don't know which series)on his Audi A4 and they are pretty quiet.


    Please share your comments on which tires you choose. Thanks


    ....

  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    the brgs are on the inside and do require the trans to come apart for replacement. They very rarely go bad unless the transmission has a problem and in that case would need to come apart anyhow.
  • hcar2hcar2 Member Posts: 5
    Just came back from a local Honda dealer in west county of St. Louis after having got ripped off $71.24 to reset the "Maintenance Reqd" light in my Honda 2001 Accord.

    I wish I knew the simple secret of resetting the "maintenance reqd" flag by reading the owner manual to avoid this type RIP OFF by a Honda dealer. It appears this feature was introduced since 1998 Honda Accord models. The maintenance reqd light comes on every 7,500 miles. There is a procedure listed in Owner manual under "Guages" on how to reset this "irritating" indicator.

    Please don't get ripped by another Honda dealer for resetting this indicator at a price of $71.24.
    The time involved in setting up an appointment, driving to the dealer, dropping off vehicle and getting ripped off isn't a very pleasant situation for anyone!
  • silvercoupesilvercoupe Member Posts: 326
    You sure they didn't do the 7.5k maintenance? Read the manual and don't get ripped again. That is why they included one with the car.
  • tigerjon1tigerjon1 Member Posts: 26
    bburton1, I get most of my service at a local mechanic and try to stay away from Honda Service. My mechanic did tell me that it is wise no to over torque Honda rims and wheels. I just hope he knew that before working on our accord. This guy has been great so far. Apparently he found I had 1 warped rotor when he replaced my rear brakes so we thought the problem was solved. When I returned to have the front pads replaced the rears had begun squeaking again. After several attempts to fix the problem with new (Bendix pads and not factory Honda pads) and replacing the one rotor for no charge (claims it cost around $51) he finally put on factory Honda pads. Problem solved, for now.
    Todays lesson boys and girls: No matter where you have your brake pads replaced, make sure factory pads are used. The Honda pads and aftermarket pads don't even resemble eachother
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    My '90 Honda has a strange problem. When I start the car sometimes it starts right up, and sometimes when I turn the key the engine does not turn over at all. If I turn the key a few more times it always eventually starts.

    I have eliminated the following items.

    Battery - Even when it is in the teens the car turns over well, and when the car does start it turns over well and catches instantly.

    Ignition switch - I tested this by holding the key down, and engaging and releasing the clutch. The car finally catches after a few pumps of the clutch. I am not jiggling the ignition at all.

    Clutch swith - Held down clutch and turned ignition.

    Tune up parts - the car always fires instantly when it does turn over.

    Starter - this is the puzzling one. Given all of the above items being OK I figured it was the starter and had it rebuilt. The solenoid plunger wasn't seating properly (positive terminal was worn). This fixed the problem for about a week (although this is hard to say because sometimes it goes a week with no problems - but it was doing it all the time just before it was "fixed")

    Other information.

    There is always a single click from the engine bay every time I try to start the car so it seems like the starter is always getting its orders. It seems like the problem does not happen when the engine is hot - maybe condensation or freezing is a problem, or maybe just the odds as I rarely do hot starts.

    Does anybody have any ideas?
    Could it just be that the starter wasn't rebuilt correctly (the work was done at an automotive electric speciality shop and they used original nippendenso parts)?

    Thanks
  • bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Went from the loud, no wet/snow traction, squall on every corner OE energy tires to X-One's and what a difference. Admittedly the X-One's are not that much quieter but they are a vastly safer tire. Read the ratings on the tirerack web site.

    An associate bought some expensive "performance" tires for his LOL Avalon-they were the loudest tires other than knobbies I have ever heard. So there are a range of accoustic properties exhibited by tires. Yeah I also wish Honda's were quieter.
  • camryv6camryv6 Member Posts: 42
    When i bought this car several months ago. The timeing belt was making a loud winning sound. And i asked the person when i was buying the car if they just replaced the timming belt and they said yes and they also changed the waterpump. The timming belt always make that noise even if the enginne is warm or hot. Could that winning sound be caused because they tightened the belt to tight? And can i fix it my self?
    THANKS FOR ANY HELP
  • calmmorncalmmorn Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 1992 Accord LX with 90K miles.

    Aside from adjusting to driving an older car and the "normal" Honda problems like hesitation, the car is running fine. Hondas really are great cars.

    There are just a couple of (relatively minor) things that are concerning me. #1 is that the D4 setting on the gear shift display on the dashboard (mine is an automatic) has been blinking. Even when I put the car in reverse or D3, the D4 light keeps blinking.

    #2 is that the gear shift is really tight. It's particularly hard to get to get it back to Park. I have to use a little muscle!

    Does anyone know why these things are happening?

    I thought I took it for a good test drive, but obviously, I missed a couple of things. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
  • tcpip1tcpip1 Member Posts: 121
    The dealer should give you an invoice that lists the costs of parts (if any) and labor they charged you. Check it out and see what's there.

    If it lists
    "Reset Maintenance Reqd light" labor $71.24, then it's a rip-off that you should complain to the service manager.
  • mwcarlsomwcarlso Member Posts: 85
    For your first problem, I think you might need a new speed sensor, which is mounted near the transmission. It sends a signal to the speedometer and measures how fast the car is going. If your speedometer still works then your problem might only be intermittent. Have a mechanic check the codes in the ECU and if a code of 17 (I believe) comes up then that is your problem. Any mechanic who has knowledge of Hondas should be able to fix it as it seems to be a common problem with higher mileage 1990 Accords. I don't know how much it will cost to fix though. Now for your second problem: I have a 93 Honda Accord EX and had the same problem a couple years ago. The problem was the shifter cable was binding when shifting from park to reverse or vice versa. The fix was to replace the cable at around $250 at my local honda dealer. Again this seems like a common problem with older Accords as the dealer had many of the cables in stock. I have around 143,000 miles on mine and it is still going strong. Hondas will run forever as long as you do the regular maintenance. Also make sure the timing belt has been changed to avoid costly engine repairs if it breaks. Good luck.
  • elgritonelgriton Member Posts: 67
    You need to replace your Main Relay. It's a $40-65 fix and can be a DIY job with a little body contortion to get under the dash. You can order the part online via hparts.com.
  • pblevinepblevine Member Posts: 858
    I too had that problem. About a week after being serviced at a local Honda dealer, my little maintenance light came on. When I called the dealership, their response was a simple "woops", but then they told me to simply follow the procedure found in the manual. All you have to do is hold down the dashboard button used to reset the tripmeter which is right below the speedometer. Hold it down while turning the engine off, and again hold it down while turning the engine on. Total charge was $0.00. Works for me.
  • phild_masonphild_mason Member Posts: 99
    I too reset mine for $0.00. I change my own oil and figured out the procedure from the manual.

    It is based simply on mileage. It starts flashing at x miles and stays on after z.

    Be patient though. It sometimes is a little finicky and may take a time or two to get it to shut off.
  • reebokreebok Member Posts: 2
    Could it be that you are turning the key too fast? I notice that everytime I turn the key too fast to start the car, my car doesn't start. But if I turn the key normally my car starts everytime. Good luck.
  • mm04mm04 Member Posts: 16
    No visable signs of any leak on a 92 Accord. I have to add coolant to the radiator about every two weeks.

    Any ideas? Thanks
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    If you do not see any leaks on the ground then you may have a seeping radiator as it will get burned off as it leaks or a bad head gasket. Have a presure test done on the system and see if that leads you to the problem.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    The single click heard but no start sure does sound as if the dtarter is getting stuck on a dead spot and then being bumped off the spot by the repeated one time clicks till it starts..
  • rjc8rjc8 Member Posts: 16
    I purchased the AC Filter for my 2000 Accord from Trevor and downloaded what installation instructions they had on their site. However there are no instructions regarding the glove box removal that cover removing the dashboard center lower cover and passenger's dashboard lower cover. Can anyone advise how to do this? I left emails at handa-accessories and can't seem to get a response from them. Would appreciate any help that can be offered. Details are supposed to be on pages 20-84 and 20-85 of the Repair Manual which of course I don't have.
  • delfinadelfina Member Posts: 1
    I just bought this car yesterday and the light popped on. Took it for a drive on the highway but the light is still on. I was told it had something to do with the fuel cap needing to be tightened. I did this before the drive but how long does it took to shut the light off. I f that is the problem. It has 63,000 miles.
  • auburn63auburn63 Member Posts: 1,162
    rjc8
    The cover under the radio by the center console has 2 screws and 2 clips that hold it in, it comes off first. Then the screw in the upper left hand corner of the lower right dash comes out as well as the screws on the right side behind the right side fuse box cover.Then pop the clips that hold the lower cover in and remove it as well as the screws for the glove box that are now visable.There is also screws in the center and 2 in the corners(hidden under covers) on the inside of the glove box. Now remove the glove box. Now remove the strap for the filter and slide them out. I don't believe I forgot anything but if I did sorry but I think you should be able to do it. Good luck

    delfina
    If it is the maintanance light push and hold the trip button with the key off, while holding the trip in still turn the key to the on position and keep holding for about 15 sec. The light will go off and all will be reset for 7500 miles..If it is the check engine light then it could be anything..
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