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Get LIVE feedback on your maintenance or repair problems. Join our guest experts alcan, 0patience, and mr_shiftright as they tackle your fix-it questions!
Now the 2003+ Accord does auto-lock about 15 (??) seconds after you hit the unlock button and don't open any door. It can be annoying sometimes (like when I shop, I'll unlock the doors, open the trunk, load groceries in trunk, go to the door expecting it unlocked), but it doesn't have the risk of locking your keys in the car.
Nice feature that Accord lacks.
I personally like the doors to lock automatically when I shift from park to drive.
If I am understanding you correctly though mcgirl the doors lock when you get out and are walking away from the car whether you push lock or not. This seems like it would be a great way to lock your keys in the car.
Interesting how different systems work.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My wife has a 2004 Honda Civic. It now has about 5,000 miles on the clock. It also gets oil and filter changes every 3,000 miles.
REMEMBER: ----A clean engine is a "Happy Engine"! ----Oil and filters are cheap! ---Engines are expensive!
I'm changing the oil in my Accord and Civic between 8500 and 10,000 miles just like they ask.
That's very possible. You live in a warm climate and drive the car a long enough distance/time on a majority of its trips to let the engine purge condensates from the oil.
If I recall you're in the Greater Atlanta area. Fairly moderate through the winter, compared to ugly Ohio cold where the engines are collecting waste products and the oil's not getting hot and evaporating some of those contaminants.
If my descriptions are right, you're the ideal candidate for extended not severe change mileage. You probably get it changed when 7500 rolls around. You don't run over. Others might think running up to 8500 or 9000 is okay until they get time.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You are right though. It has been a while since I have kept a car that long. But I have done it before. My 03 Civic SI just turned 20K though. 2nd oil change at 18K. No problems.
My mom's 93 Accord has 150k though. Runs like a top with minimal maintenance. And her 87 Camry ran to 263K before everyhing else on it starting breaking. Still runs though. Just not safe to drive. She refuses to sell it to a junk yard.
Unfortunately, she's planning on trading in the Camry when she get ahead on payments. Though the reason I beleive is dealer issues, because the car itself seems fine. She is the standard "get a car to get places" type of person, and bought a Toyota to minimize problems. Unfortunately, as I and other people have said before, a bad dealer and service station can sour any car for a person.
Now I have a comment about tires, at 1 year and 30,000 miles, my tires seem to look and grip as well as new. I'm not sure about any change in noise, but they've always been noisy. It looks like they will last past 40,000 miles before I have to look for new tires. The are the standard Michelins MXV4 Plus OEM tires, and I have no complaints about them at all. I am a pretty lead-footed driver, but I tend to avoid wheel spins and skids. I also maintain about 3-4 PSI above the recommended pressure because I like the extra "feel of the road" I get from that. How long are they lasting for some of you people before needing the change them?
I guess I'll be looking for summer touring tires if I replace them. I do alot of driving on highways, and I live in South Louisiana so I have almost no need to snow performance...
His car has about 68,000 miles on it and the original tires are still good. He drives conservatively and rotates tires as suggested for long tire life......Richard
I'm still open to suggestions of new tires though.
mcgirl0730: That will happen in any car, really. You're probably adding between 300 to 600 pounds to the car's weight when you add 3 more people. That will affect the acceleration of any vehicle pretty significantly, unless it has a 300+ HP engine..
You're probably not going to get a big difference in the Accord in this matter. I know my I4 Accord gives alot of pickup and go with me by myself, but is pretty sluggish with 4-5 people in it. I could have gone with the V6 if I did drive a full load of passengers around, but usually, I'm just driving myself.
You really should take this to the Accord vs. Camry discussion if you want to talk about this further.
<edited because I was incorrect about the Camry's V6 stats>
Thanks!
I do want to thank all the regulars and experts on this board who helped me in making my decision.
Since we're expecting our first child next year, we needed a vehicle that would make it easier for travelling around with a baby and I'm not ready for a Minivan, I'm also buying a house soon so our budget was tight and I had to go for the DX and being that it's an 05, I think I did ok with the negotiating. The DX we get here in Canada is fairly loaded compared to the American model so I won't complain although there are a few items that would of been nice to have but I can live without.
The likes of the car: I find the interior top notch (even in DX form), roomy and comfortable. The DX now comes with side and curtain airbags this year so that’s a plus. Equipped with the manual tranny, I have to admit that I do love that 4 cylinder engine, it never seems to miss a beat, it's great on gas and the 5 speed is soooo sweet!! Typical Honda!! Handling, although not Mazda6ish, is predictable and sporty. A new set of rubber (which I’m planning on getting next spring) will improve that even more. Also, for the 05 model line, Honda is finally including 3 years of Roadside Assistance, kinda late to the game but they were one of the few manufacturers not offering this.
The dislikes: Wish it had 60/40 rear seat split instead of full fold down, the styling of the rear end has been revised on the 05s but I’m still not a big fan of it. Those steel rims and hubcaps!!! Fugly!! will get some nice alloys down the road, figure I’ll keep these for now since winter is coming.
One thing that does scare me, from reading this board on a daily basis, is the number of complaints people have about transmissions, rattles, brakes etc.... I just hope that I won't have any of these issues on mine!!
Can't wait for next week.....
Marketing also says you get class leading gas mileage, class leading safety, class leading space, and class leading performance. Why pick and choose what you are going to believe. If you don't believe the basic fundamentals of the owners manual, why purchase that car?
I am looking for new tires and open to all ideas. I am in Florida-no snow but lots of rain. Wet traction is a priority.
The tire shop I use (12+ years) is pushing Cooper SLE Touring tires but I can't find any reviews of them.
Also considering:
Michelin Hydroedge
Kumho Ecsta HP4716
Goodrich Traction TA
Goodyear Assurance
Bridgestone Turanza LSH
Ideas, comments appreciated.
Personally, OEM Michelins that have equipped our Hondas have performed extremely well based on our driving style and conditions (no hard cornering/braking, 75 mph average highway speed, Georgia's flash rains, etc.) but their cost/benefit is just isn't there as replacements. Experience has me avoiding Continental (noisy & weak sidewall) and Kauffman Tire's Mastercraft (overnight flatspotting).
I'd suggest doing a thorough tirerack research and having Costco/Sam's install for $50 to optimize your purchase, but if you need to take one of your store's offerings, it'd be the Kumho.
With all due respect to you and your statement, I'd have to put in a dissenting word about a dealer's intent in promoting frequent oil change.
First, it increases customer traffic for upsell opportunities. Second, you get on their mailing list for future solicitation. Third, it causes unsuspecting consumers to buy other maintenance and repair services before they're due (let alone outright "oops" and fraudulent repairs).
Certainly dealers deserve to make money, but to believe they want us to do 3k mile oil changes because "they care" is unfortunately unrealistic.
If I were to advise a friend about car maintenance, I'd say - be knowledgable about factory recommendations and - if desired - temper with a "comfort factor," which is probably midpoint from factory and dealer.
Let's agree that oil changes are necessary and the schedule upon which they need to be done is a decision we all need to make for ourselves. And let's remember that there are entire discussions devoted to oil changes and other necessary maintenance issues on the very aptly named Maintenance and Repair board where really in-depth examination of oil-change theories would be far more appropriate than in this discussion.
And let's not continue to go over and over and over the same oily (slippery!) ground here.
Anyone who is new here can find lots of previous posts on this subject by using the "Search This Discussion" feature on the page bar. There really isn't any reason to keep reposting the same material over and over.
Thanks.