Older Honda Accords

accordlx90

Not sure if this helps but I have a problem with removing the key from my 90 Accord LX.
My problem started the end of last winter and again this winter here in Upstate NY.
What I noticed is when I put the car in Park...if the "red" light around the "P" doesn't light up I can't remove the key if I turn the car off. I either wait a few seconds or I jiggle the shifter until it lights up and then I can remove the key. It works every time.
I suspect the switch/relay in the shift lever console? Maybe a mechanical expert can explain it?
It's only when the weather is cold, fine during warm weather.
I haven't bothered to fix it as I plan on buying an '03 AccordEX-V6 or Acura TSX in the spring.
Hope this helps.

madmax2k1

I bought recently an 03 V6 Accord EX. When driving over bumps or gravel I can hear a rattle coming from the CD holder in the center console, the rattle goes away when I open the CD holder swivel door. Does anyone else has this problem? Was your Honda dealer able to fix it?

martylaw

I have a 2003 coupe with the auto dimming mirror. It is a dealer installed accessory. It's pretty neat, since it also includes an electronic compass that works very nicely. As to the knobs on the console, I have gotten used to them, and they are actually pretty handy, especially when wearing gloves. And they are well made and nicely detailed. As for the sedan styling, I think that the profile is one of the best features, especially the C-pillar. Styling is subjective, of course, but I think it is fine. The tailights are not my favorite part of the car, but they are not too bad in the darker colors.

jbobchin

I had the same problem two years ago in my 90 Accord LX.
It was something called a Neutral Safety Switch which was $53.32 + labor.

bodble2

I think all Accords, with the possible exception of the '94 - '97 iteration, have aged very well. And I expect the '03 to do likewise.

I agree with you about the spoiler, but the trunk lip version IMO looks good because it visually lengthen the rear deck section of the car.

kente2

How pronounced is the understeer from having the v6 motor up front and additional weight. I assume the excessive understeer only shows up when on windy roads?

ickes_mobile

I'd have to disagree on this one too. I think the dash design is excellent and the knobs look fine. More importantly, they have a tactile feel that is above any car in its class or even some above it.

03accordman

Martylaw, I too own an 03 Accord and I too love the interior, especialy the big knobs. On the mirror, how much did you pay for the autodimming mirror with compass? And does it include an outside temp gauge? I was quoted $400 by the dealer for the same, and $225 for just the outside temp gauge. I thought these prices were to high and wanted to do some research before buying (prices included isntallation). Please let me know what price you got it for.

mike2741

Anyone having problems with the passenger door closing? I know of two different accords that have to be slammed hard to shut...

bburton1

First Honda was a 80 accord-did all the maintenance myself-kept putting off gettting a set of crush washers after doing first oil change-finally got around to it-bought 10 from the local dealer-then decided to see how long I could use the original without having oil loss problems. Since then I have put over 400K on various accords-have maintained/changed oil 3 others for at least another 150K and guess what-insignificant loss of oil from any of them and the most of the 10 original crush washers I bought are still in the tool box-found other uses for them-so if you don't have a crush washer-don't sweat it-just don't over tighten the drain bolt-manual sez 33 foot# for the bolt and 16 for the oil filter. Got a free oil/filter change because of an extended emissions control warranty-the tech really knew his stuff and he used a dab of clear RTV as a sealant on the drain plug-he said never a leak with that stuff-he also used some on the valve cover to hold the gasket on the ends.

Have several 6 gallon plastic gas cans I pour the used oil into-are a lot of garages that use motor oil for heat-find one and around the first of the year they are happy to see you coming with more heating oil.

dudleyr

http://www.handa-accessories.com/accelect03.html

Scroll down to see the outside temp gauge for $91.20

libn314

I had this problem with my CD console door on a 2003 Accord LX sedan and took it in today to have it looked at (along with an annoying headliner buzz). The dealership said that there is a note online that Honda has redesigned the CD console assembly, and the unit is now on order.

bowke28

i work at one of the largest dealers in the midwest, and we have 2 exv6 sedans. (plenty of coupes) we sold almost 150 cars between christmas and new years, and for 3 days, we had 0 (zero) exv6 sedans to start the year. when i go into a dealer locator, we can find whatever we want, but most dealers in the IN, IL, KY, OH, TN, MI areas will not part with them, so we, along with our customers, are SOL, and subject to a 1-4 week wait on their selected model. other parts of the country may be in better shape, i dont know, but around here, $1000 under MSRP is about as good as it gets until we replenish our inventory.

a point about looks...people are saying that the accord's rear looks like a buick. when the camry was redesigned last year, i thought the tail lights were taken straight off a ford taurus. for those of you who have not seen it, take a closer look. the same wrap around style as the taurus, and the same indented look on the back.

s852

I think the looks "problem" is overrated, but better looking cars do exist.
Passats, Madza6s and Altimas are available for the taking.
Please go buy one of those if you are bothered by the Accords styling, so the remaining Accord buyers will get a better price due to reduced demand.
Maybe the Accord's styling will be tweaked for 2006, but there is little more they can do other than change the bumpers, grill and tail lights.

rhard49

I just bought an EXL 4 when you look at honda's web site or there manual it states the EXL is a ULEV engine and that the LEV is in the DX yet the Window sticker on my EXL says its a LEV engine whats the Diff?

newcar31

"the tech really knew his stuff and he used a dab of clear RTV as a sealant on the drain plug-he said never a leak with that stuff"

You shouldn't need RTV for the drain plug--ever. Was it leaking from the drain plug? Wonder why?

asdxere

A salesman told me that the 2003 Accord 4-cyl now has a timing chain ( no belt ) this year. Can any owners or mechanics out there confirm that ?

bowke28

accord 4 cyl. models have a timing chain, along with the crv and element.

ulev and sulev are ratings required in california, so you'll probably only see that in a california car.

martylaw

The auto-dimming mirror does not include the outside temperature gauge. That is a stand-alone accessory. I paid $600 for the autodimming mirror and the fog lights; I don't recall the breakdown, but i think the mirror was under $300.

rhard49

I picked up my EXL 4 today and am pretty unimpressed this thing idles like crap! Is this pretty common and does it get any better? My 2002 sonata may not have the resale but is silky smooth.

bartalk2

Isn't that standard on the EX V6?

mbnut1

Test drove one tonight and that was the most glaring flaw in the car. Otherwise a very nice package. I'm wondering whether one with a manual transmision idles any smoother. Loved the engine otherwise. Tremendous improvement over the previous 4 cylinder above idle.

gee35coupe

I have an EX-L 5 speed coupe. I have never driven an automatic 03 so I can't offer any comparisons.

atlantabenny

Have had my EX-L 4cyl/auto for almost 2 months, with mileage at 1300 miles.

With enough people in this forum (including me) commenting on the car's rough idle, it's safe to say that this is normal for the car.

Having a Toyota Solara to constantly compare the 03 Accord with, the Solara (also a 4cyl/auto) is smooth and dead quiet at idle or speed.

What makes me tolerate the Accord's roughness is that it comes alive once I step on the gas, while the Solara/Camry seems to resist moving.

If I recall, the Altima 4 may have been smoother when I test drove it, but the interior was an unacceptable penalty.

My guess is that Honda may fine tune the 04-up models but not to Camry levels. They can, but being the man-and-machine company that they are, they won't.

rhard49

Standard on EX-L and EX V6

canadatwo

Test drove a LX-G sedan (I-4, auto) on the weekend.

Very impressed with handling, acceleration, ride, comfort etc. etc.
Honda has a winner here.
It will cause dealers problems though.

I was looking at buying a used 98-01 EX-V6 Accord.
The half decent ones go for $22-$28k. A new LX-G is $26k. The new LX-G seems just as quick to me even with the I-4. The 5-speed auto is sweet compared to the old 4-speed. The new Accord is better in almost every other way. I don't really care for leather, sunroof or alloys so the LX-G is a no-brainer.

Also, the 2003 DX Accord at $24K is a screaming buy over a 2003 $20.5K LX Civic. The LX Civic should be $18-19K tops.

All above in $CDN.

way to go Honda!!

bodble2

But the Civic (sedan) is still very competitively priced compared to the Corolla, Protege, golf, or even to the "lesser lights" such as Mitsubishi Lancer and Focus, although I suspect the Focus will offer much bigger discounts.

cds12

Whats the "G" in LX-G?

victorsam

I noticed on my new 03 Accord EX V6 that the Emissions Control Indicator has been on past "3 driving" trips despite the fact that I did close the gas tank cap tightly. The manual simply said to tighten this cap and it should disappear after aforementioned 3 trips but it hasn't.

Has anyone else had this problem?

1997montez34

With 1600 miles on it my '03 LX (I-4/Auto) has smoothed out considerably at idle. I finally had to "get on it" last night to merge onto a busy highway. Man oh man! The engine really pulls when you floor it...like it has this extra power only for when the gas pedal is all the way down. Pretty impressive.

With the exception of the idle this is quite possibly the most refined powertrain I ever drove. The 5-sp auto is incredibly smooth.

canadatwo

I am considering the LX-G sedan (I-4/auto)

MSRP + Freight + PDI = $26,850

I hear dealer cost is 24000
Does that include PDI or does the dealer pay Honda $24850 for the car?

The dealer is willing to move $500 off MSRP
That leaves $1500 to the dealer.
How to people in the US pay invoice + $300???
What can we expect up here?

I know he needs to make money but I don't want to pay more than others are.

www.cars4u.com is only showing $550 off MSRP
They charge $150 doc fee to boot.

thanks in advance . . .

bribaby

I have the I4 standard. For about the first 1,000 miles I didn't notice it, I do now though. I think it's a power drain of some kind, maybe the radiator fan because the headlights go dim and then it gets rough. Mine isn't rough all the time at idle maybe 50%. I've tried turning off all electrical acc. but that doesn't seem to help.

deyounk

What kinf of deals should I expect on an EX-V6? Should I be able to get any money off of the options (foglights, wood trim, auto dimming mirror) as well?

wnncanada

I bought a 03 Accord LX-G 4 door sedan auto for cdn $1300 less than the MSRP plus I got the fog lights at dealer cost.It took some very tough negotiations to get this price.Most dealers wouldn't go beyond cdn $500 off. I have done 5000km since Oct 02. The car is running fine except for the rough idle. The only problem I had so far is the poor spraying of the windshield washer fluid. It took visits to the dealer to correct the problem. The hose from the tank was twisted somewhere along the line.

bowke28

what is an "lx-g"?

confuseddesi

A quick qn. Can Heated mirrors be added as an option in the Accord Ex-l 2003?

 Thx

tblazer503

All I4 Accords with a 5MT(manual) are LEV.
The I4 Accords with the 5AT(auto) are ULEV.
enjoy=)

pj23

A quick look at the Honda Canada web site shows the LX-G to be the same as the LX in the United States, unless my quick scan of the specs missed something. No insight as to why the "G" is there though.

alpha01

Is your Solara the 157hp 2.4L or the anemic 136hp 2.2?
We have an 02 Camry 4 and I have driven the 03 Accord 4 on a couple of occasions- off the line, the cars feel similarly strong, but to me, the Accord felt like it had more pep in passing situations above, say, 55MPH. I would hardly say the current Camry/Solara resist moving.
Despite its styling, the new Accord is an awesome car.
~alpha

atlantabenny

The anemic one...

Torque of this car is 150 ft.lbs/4400rpm versus 03 Accord 4 cyl's 160/4500. Weights are 3120lbs Solara vs 3166 Accord.

Numbers suggest there shouldn't be a significant difference but the Accord feels more responsive.

It might have to do with gas pedal calibration - gas pedal travel of Hondas seem very short and thus responsive while it's the opposite for the Solara.

alpha01

I think the numbers actually say a lot-- 136hp/150lb ft is clearly going to be slower than a car with comparable weight and an extra 24hp and 11blb ft torque (its 161lb ft in the Accrd, to nitpick). There's also something to be said for gearing of the transmissions.

In anycase, driving the new 4cyl. in the Solara makes it an entirely different car- and much more of a direct competitor to the Accord. (Accord is still better though)
~alpha

rascallove

Are they still selling new 2002 accord coupe? Or they only have used ones?

bowke28

almost all 2002 accords are gone...i think only very small dealers might have 1 left here and there.

aming

What dealership did you buy from? And what is the "dealer cost" for the fogs?

Any info on Invoice/dealer price for the EX V6 in Canada?

heisnstein

The pictures on the Honda website indicate that black EXV6's get chrome in the grille, while the others do not. I find the front of the Accord way too Civic like, and find the chrome grill a redeeming feature. Does anyone know whether the grill chrome could be made available for Accords other than the black EXV6?

thanks.

atlantabenny

You're probably right about the tranny gearing and the HP/Torque impact on performance.

I'll probably hold on to the Solara, which has really been pampered, and sell it within the family circle when the 04 Solara comes out. By then, it'll be interesting to cross-shop the new Solara against the Accord coupe.

mikek37

The pictures on the website are deceiving. The appearance of Chrome is due to the reflection of light and camera angle. atleast that is what I think. After visitng the dealership, the black EX V6 has the same black matter finished grill as the others. I would much rather prefer the chrome, maybe one day there wil be a chance to add it on.

aming

Got a quote for EX V6 (ontario only) for $37,068.70 that is $1337.00 off the final price tag.

Call Darrin Belick at 1-877-6CARS4U (1-877-622-7748) Great guy to deal with.

rhard49

I had a hard time pinning the difference down as Honda dealers are somewhat evasive or unknowledgable on command but they are.
Engine (Obvious)
Traction Control V6
Power passenger seat V6
Six spoke Wheel on V6 / 5 Spoke Chrome on I4
Gas lifts for the Hood on V6
No Matting on trunk lid on 4

And the EXL 4 Auto Vibrates like a tank.

The last two ticked me off.

talon95

The EX-L 4 also doesn't have Homelink and side curtain airbags.

About the rough idle... I'm curious as to why Consumer Reports, who just ranked the Accord EX 4 as the top family car, didn't say anything. Did they have the exception?

Not that I don't believe all the people posting, but with comfort and refinement being such a high priority to them, you'd think they'd note such a problem.