I am due for my 30K miles service on my Accord V6 sedan (04). I know what you're thinking -- so many miles, so fast! Well, yes.
Anyway, how much should I expect to pay for the service if done at the dealer? I am worried that the dealers try to take advantage of us on these things. How much did you pay? Do the dealers try to "recommend" services above and beyond what the owners manual suggests? Should I make a stink if my dealer insists on services not mentioned in the manual? Much appreciated.
Don't be concerned. Get what the manual says from the dealer. You'll have a chance to get the complete look-over before your 3/36 runs out. They can offer all they want. They can't make you get services you don't want. If you see what you need from the manual first, their arguments lose steam. Ask why you need a service that the manual does not recommend. You might learn something and they might gain a repeat customer or at least stop "yanking your chain". My experience has been that they do add some services as they put the 30k service into a package deal. I've never had a problem getting them to break the package down and show me what these things would cost separately. You really do have some power and they know that there is competition for your money.
Thanks for the specs. Is there any way that CHANGES vs 2005 could be highlighted and preferably COMMENTED ON, so we may learn something, WE the larger audience. Thanks.
I would only do the following items: oil change tranny flush (I wanted to have it flushed at 15K, but my dealer recommended at 30K) air filter replacement rotate tire if necessary
The 2006 Accord HP numbers, as shown in the 2006 brochures, are accurate. This is because the 2006 models were re-tested, and the new numbers reflect the new ratings. As gee35coupe stated, the reason they still went up in HP is because Honda tweaked the engines for '06. So 2 changes are occurring together, the increase in HP by the engine mods, which is then measured accurately under the new rules. Had they tested it their old way, the 4 cyl may have been touted as around 170 HP rather than 164. It is the MY 2005 and earlier cars that have HP ratings open to interpretation. :confuse:
I can see it now, class action lawsuits against Toyota and Honda for false advertising, deceptive practices, (pain and suffering ), etc... But if one test drove a car before purchase and was satisfied with the HP output during the drive, then they should still be satisfied with their same car today. If the output wasn't satisfying enough for them, they probably bought a different car.
I have an '03 EX-L with almost 55K miles and 2 1/2 years old. I have to admit that I stopped treating it like a "new car" a long time ago. I gave it a good wash and wax for the first time in a while today (almost a year?) and noted many areas of paint where there are paint chips. Most of these are on the hood but there is also one on the roof which has a little rust spot around it. Much worse than you would expect for a car this old. It's really a shame that Honda had to cut quality so much to keep up with the competition on pricing.
all car manufacturers are following this new rating. Nissan didn't follow the new ratings, the only car Nissan has under the new SAE rating is the 2006 FX 45. I doubt we will see class action lawsuits against Toyota and Honda for false advertising.
I have the auto-dim mirror with compass and it functions very well. I had a simlar mirror in another car an liked it so I got the Honda auto-dim mirror.
Actually most paint today is pretty fragile. They are water borne and the layer of paint on your vehicle is about the thickness of 3 sheets of newsprint.
Would you mind letting me know what new colors will be available on the 2006 Accords? I am possibly in the market for a 2006 Acccord. I would really appreciate the information. Thank you!
Your local Honda dealer should have the '06 brochure. And a salesman told me the cars will be in in about two weeks. So it's getting close. I'll give you the new colors, but with the names they give, it's hard to tell just what they are:
alabaster silver metallic (sort of dirty silver)
royal blue pearl (very dark blue)
sapphire blue pearl-EX only (bright blue--and looks a lot like a blue from last year with a different name)
carbon bronze pearl--EX only (dark greyish green, although hard to tell from the brochure)
When using either AUTO or dual control, the AC on the driver's side was working great when I first purchased the car, but since about 10,000 mi, the driver's side vents have been blowing just air (passenger side is still working great). If I turn temp to heat and then back to AC, whether using AUTO or dual control, the passenger side vents instantly blow cold AC, but the driver's side continues to blow hot air. If I then turn the AC off then back on again and use dual control and turn the driver's side AC all the way to LO, the driver's side vents eventually blow cooler (not cold AC) air after about 45 minutes, but that's only because the temp in the car eventually cools down with the AC working on the passenger side. First time to dealer, they said nothing wrong. Second time they had it 3 days and said dual AC system is complicated & the only thing they found was a leaking "o" ring they replaced and recharged refrigerant. Has anyone else had this problem and know what causes it? I want to go back to the dealer again to correct this and get my AC back to the way it was before the warrantee runs out. :confuse:
Due to the Edmunds.com Membership Agreement, I cannot post a link to another forum where this is mentioned. However, I can say that the dual-zone climate control in the Accord is the same system as on certain model Acuras. According to people who have had this problem (on '04 TSXes, BTW), technicians at their Acura dealers ran a dye through their A/C systems and found a leak in the compressor and replaced it. Another person had a puncture in the condenser, supposedly caused by road debris.
Did they run a dye / coloring through yours the first time? Even if they did, there may have been another leak they missed. Make them run the dye through again even if they did it before. Most of those posts indicated that the problem happened under warranty. Maybe Honda's A/C supplier shipped them a bad batch of compressors at one point. Since it is a shared / common part, the problem has appeared in both Acuras and Accords.
My '05 is in for service the 2nd time since buying it not 4 weeks ago. The airbag light came on and stayed on. Dealer service manager explained that it could be interference from a cell phone. Dealer acknowledged that driver's airbag would not function in my car when light was on. Shame on Honda if they've designed a car that you can't have a cell phone in w/o disabling the biggest safety feature of the vehicle. If what the dealer service manager told me is true, Honda needs to recall these cars and FIX them...not just reset the computer only to have it happen time and time again.
All of the above info was given to me by the service manager of a large Honda dealer in the DFW area.
Can someone please tell me/describe exactly what ambient console lighting means/is??? It is listen on the Interior Features section of the Accord website under Specs
There is a small light in the ceiling by the interior lights, before the rear view mirror. It turns on with the headlights, and illuminates the console.
My advice is to keep using your cell phone. If the airbag light comes on again, go back to the dealer. If this keeps happening, then ask them for a new car. If they refuse, then use the Lemon Law and sue them to get a new car.
We have had our 05 Accord sine March. We have used the cell phone many times, but the air bag warning light has not come on. I doubt this problem affects a lot of cars, so there is no reason for a recall.
I just want a safe car. That's what I thought I was buying. Hopefully it is a confined problem not affecting every Accord. I have notified the NHTSA just the same.
Interestingly, using cell phones in the car, buses etc. is forbidden in many countries, especially in Europe. If I remember correct, the most important issue for such a ban is that cell phones interfere with the car's ABS system (besides interfering with driver's attention). I do not remember if it is also claimed to interfere with airbag system as well. It is based on some facts that strong electromagnetic fields emitted and received by cell phones interfere with other electronic equipment. The interference may cause a problem. Like jamming the navigation system of air planes. This is why they strictly ban usage of cell phones in airplanes.
I do not know if your problem is somehow related to your cell phone. One way to check it is turning off your cell phone while driving your car. Do that for a while and see if airbag light comes or not. If not, then start to drive your car with your cell phone turned on. If the light comes, it is the cell phone for sure.
Again, particularly in Europe all drivers are required to drive with their cell phones turned off! yes, it is like that. I don't know why nobody inlcuding car manufacturers and government do not care about this issue in US. Somebody is wrong, but who? BTW maybe a car's airbag light does not come on but who knows if the airbags will be deployed if the driver talks on the cell phone while getting involved in an accident.
For those that give their valet key to the service dept or a valet driver, there is more then one lock you need to check.
I have the EX-L model, which has the rear seat pull down armrest with the flip-down access door to the trunk. You may want to check the lock on the door to make sure it is locked!!. My car came with it unlocked!!. Although the valet key will not work in all 4 locks for the trunk, if that access door is unlocked, you can simply reach thru it, pull the latch and fold down the rear seat back giving access to everything in the trunk.
I cant believe they didnt make the back seat release latch in the trunk unreachable from the back seat.
Some owners of 2003 and early 2004 Accord 4 cylinder models complained of vibration during idle when stopped at a light, for example(air con on,D drive,stepping on brake). Has this been solved completely for 2005 models?
automatic (purchased September 2003) and I had no vibration at idle. I would test drive the car extensively to make sure the vibration level at idle is acceptable to you.
The vibration is normal with the AC engaged. The added load on the engine is the source of this. It does not affect the vehicle mechanically or performance wise and should be acceptable since you should not be sitting in gear with your foot on the brake for extended periods of time.
The trunk-release in the trunk being accessible from the passenger compartment is actually a requirement.
There is no "unlocked while closed" state for the rear seats or the pass-through. It is either latched or un-latched and this state can only be changed with the key, and will only remain changed for the period of time that the key is in the and mechanism is turned. If you were able to pull your back seats forward without the key then it is because your back seats were not in their full back position and were not latched into place.
The trunk-release in the trunk being accessible from the passenger compartment is actually a requirement.
I have never heard of a requirement for the release be accessable from the passenger compartment. The only requirement I know if is to be able to open the trunk from the inside of the trunk(for someone that was locked in the trunk). If that was true, then wouldn't it be a requirement for ALL cars to have a rear seat that does fold down??
There is no "unlocked while closed" state for the rear seats or the pass-through.
I rechecked my 04 Accord and mine WILL stay unlocked while closed after the key is removed. The lock does not spring return to the locked position. What year is your Accord? Maybe they made a change to it??
As I stated in my first posting, you can (at least my car can) open without a key (if it was left in the unlock position) and reach into the trunk through the small fold down pass through. OK you can't fit much through there, but if you reach in, you can pull the (non required) latch and fold down the rear seat to get access to larger items. If they would have moved the latch farther from the access door, or blocked it so it's only accessable when you reach in from the trunk I would not have any complaints.
Although the headrests suit me fine in my 04 EX-l, my friend would buy an 05 (06?) today if it wasn't for their forward tilt. The rest of the seat felt fine to her, its just the headrests that gave her problems. She thought the LX/DX models didn't have as great of a forward tilt to them, but she wants an EX-L. When you look at the seats from the side, it is suprising how much they do tilt forward. I guess she must have a straighter spine then most people.
That was something my 83 Camry delt with by having headrests with adjustable tilt.
Has anyone found the same problem, and a solution for it? Turning them around just reversed the problem, she needs something in between. I guess there is always the chance ordering a headrest for a LX/DX, but she would be getting cloth ones instead.
Just for clarification, they are not meant to be "headrests". In fact they are an integral part of the car's suite of safety features. They should be referred-to as "head restraints". They are meant to reduce whiplash in a crash. For the driver, resting and driving don't mix.
All your friend has to do, is tilt her seatback an inch or two rearward if she wants more space behind her head. However, the less head travel in an accident, the better and safer she will be.
Like some others here, I want to hook my iPod up to the stereo in my 2005 Accord Hybrid (with Nav). I see there is a button labeled "AUX", so I assume I can get a cable out of the back. But will this invalidate the warranty on the stereo? Thanks R
Hi, hope i'm posting in the right sub-forum. Well as of tonight, I am not a Mazda driver anymore... It was so hard to decide to pick between the 2 best mid-size cars out there! I've been reading the owner reviews and noticed that some mentioned blind spots, are they that bad? Now its making me concerned; its also my fault for not checking Everything during the test drive! My other questions (please don't laugh but I always wanted to know about this) is why do the say not to drive over 65 mph during the first 1500 (?) miles During the break-in period? Last question is, that I found online sites that sell OEM accessiroes for much lower than the dealership. I have no clue on how to install so where could I go to have them done? Perhaps my dealership? Thanks in advance!
Congratulations. You'll love your great new Accord. Every car on the road has had blind spots, since the early 1900's when the first closed-top vehicles were manufactured. Your Protege had them too. It's just a matter of the driver adjusting to how best to work around them. I.e., properly adjusting mirrors, properly positioning seats, turning your head for a brief moment before changing lanes, etc.
You should drive moderately, varying your speeds and avoiding maximum acelleration, for the first 600 miles with a new engine. This allows your engine's metallic parts to wear-in properly so that your engine will last for the life of the car if you follow the maintenance schedules in your Owner's Manual.
Any capable mechanic or friend should be able to install most aftermarket parts for you. If you go here, you will find installation instructions for many of the accessories that may interest you:
If one repeats baseless info enough times people will start to believe it. It has never been shown that any cell phone inteferes with any system in a car nor airplane. The reason to ban them on the plane initially was due to extra precaution and they are being kept being banned due to customer demand - people don't want to hear everyone around chatting away.
In Europe cell phone use in planes has been loosened - you can use one right after touch down (whereas before it used to be after parking at the gate). No where in Europe is there a requirement to turn off the cell phone in a car - only on its use during driving.
The 4 cylinder's AC drain is not noticeable while the car is at speed (torque/HP will overcome the load) but will cause a little idle shake, especially with the steering wheel at an angle (all drive belts are loaded).
In the V6, a very slight steering wheel tingle and the low noise of the radiator/condenser fan will tell you the AC is on but essentially the Accord V6 is Toyota-quiet here.
In case you're wondering, we have the two 03s to be able to tell.
The more serious downside of the 4 cyl. is its weak acceleration from about 15 mph when, say, creeping from a side street / ramp to merge into fast-moving traffic - the pick up is agonizingly slow. Better to stop completely to engage 1st.
Given the small fuel economy penalty, I'd go with the V6. The 2006 LX-V6 is a especially good deal; it's an EX without the leather and the dual-zone HVAC but has the alloys, moonroof, etc.
I think you have cross posted, becuase I seem to have read this before in the problems forum. However, In reviewing the manual (2005 Accord Coupe) in detail today, the manual states that a properly installed cell phone will not interfer with the SRS systems. Your dealer does not know the answer to you problem and is giving you a confusing, incorrect answer. If possible go to anohter dealer's service department.
Thanks Benny and EzShift, appreciate the feedback.
I agree the fuel savings isnt much of a factor since it would only be about $200 per year for most drivers.
The lower cost of the 4 was definitly its appeal, but may spring for the 6 after doing all this research.
The belt vs. chain thing doesn't concern me, it's more the 1,200 difference between the selling price of the cars. Plus belts are usually quieter, so it's worth the $700 after 100k. All about trade offs I suppose.
Did you know that the FCC is consdiering letting cell phones operate all the time on airplanes. A study recently released publically aknoledges that there is no interference cause on the palne controls by cell phones. If you think about it, how could there be there are on completely separate frequesncy spectrums.
The probloem with allowing cell phones on the palnes is how to handle cell zone handoffs. The current cell pone technology minimally works travelling in a car at highway speed, let alone an airplane travelling over 500 mph.
I personally don't think cell phones should be used by the driver of cars. Cell phones do cause a problem by distracting the cell phone user. This is probably the real reason for the ban in Eupre and other countries, not electrical and telecommunications interference.
Does your Accord 4 cyl. have a manual transmission? You mention stopping to engage 1st at low speed as a way to ultimately move faster.
I think my '04 Accord EX-L 4 with A/T has plenty of power for quick moves across intersections or to merge onto freeways. The 5 speed automatic makes excellent use of the 4's power IMO.
My advice is for buyers to drive both 4 and V6 cars because the 4 should be more than adequate for most drivers under typical driving conditions........Richard
Comments
Anyway, how much should I expect to pay for the service if done at the dealer? I am worried that the dealers try to take advantage of us on these things. How much did you pay? Do the dealers try to "recommend" services above and beyond what the owners manual suggests? Should I make a stink if my dealer insists on services not mentioned in the manual? Much appreciated.
My experience has been that they do add some services as they put the 30k service into a package deal. I've never had a problem getting them to break the package down and show me what these things would cost separately. You really do have some power and they know that there is competition for your money.
oil change
tranny flush (I wanted to have it flushed at 15K, but my dealer recommended at 30K)
air filter replacement
rotate tire if necessary
I can see it now, class action lawsuits against Toyota and Honda for false advertising, deceptive practices, (pain and suffering
1) LED tail lights
2) available 6-speed manual tranny (as on the coupe)
3) 17" wheels (and wider turning circle, unfortunately)
4) vehicle stability (a major advance)
5) a few new colors
6) slight increase in power
7) power train warranty increased from 3/36 to 5/60.
alabaster silver metallic (sort of dirty silver)
royal blue pearl (very dark blue)
sapphire blue pearl-EX only (bright blue--and looks a lot like a blue from last year with a different name)
carbon bronze pearl--EX only (dark greyish green, although hard to tell from the brochure)
premium white pearl--Hybrid only (light silver)
Did they run a dye / coloring through yours the first time? Even if they did, there may have been another leak they missed. Make them run the dye through again even if they did it before. Most of those posts indicated that the problem happened under warranty. Maybe Honda's A/C supplier shipped them a bad batch of compressors at one point. Since it is a shared / common part, the problem has appeared in both Acuras and Accords.
All of the above info was given to me by the service manager of a large Honda dealer in the DFW area.
In Accords its amber, in Acura it's blue.
Mrbill
We have had our 05 Accord sine March. We have used the cell phone many times, but the air bag warning light has not come on. I doubt this problem affects a lot of cars, so there is no reason for a recall.
It looks amber.
Good for you!!
I do not know if your problem is somehow related to your cell phone. One way to check it is turning off your cell phone while driving your car. Do that for a while and see if airbag light comes or not. If not, then start to drive your car with your cell phone turned on. If the light comes, it is the cell phone for sure.
Again, particularly in Europe all drivers are required to drive with their cell phones turned off! yes, it is like that. I don't know why nobody inlcuding car manufacturers and government do not care about this issue in US. Somebody is wrong, but who? BTW maybe a car's airbag light does not come on but who knows if the airbags will be deployed if the driver talks on the cell phone while getting involved in an accident.
Drive safely.
I have the EX-L model, which has the rear seat pull down armrest with the flip-down access door to the trunk. You may want to check the lock on the door to make sure it is locked!!. My car came with it unlocked!!. Although the valet key will not work in all 4 locks for the trunk, if that access door is unlocked, you can simply reach thru it, pull the latch and fold down the rear seat back giving access to everything in the trunk.
I cant believe they didnt make the back seat release latch in the trunk unreachable from the back seat.
Mrbill
That's why they put a lock on the pass-through.
Some owners of 2003 and early 2004 Accord 4 cylinder models complained of vibration during idle when stopped at a light, for example(air con on,D drive,stepping on brake). Has this been solved completely for 2005 models?
Thanks
The trunk-release in the trunk being accessible from the passenger compartment is actually a requirement.
There is no "unlocked while closed" state for the rear seats or the pass-through. It is either latched or un-latched and this state can only be changed with the key, and will only remain changed for the period of time that the key is in the and mechanism is turned. If you were able to pull your back seats forward without the key then it is because your back seats were not in their full back position and were not latched into place.
I have never heard of a requirement for the release be accessable from the passenger compartment. The only requirement I know if is to be able to open the trunk from the inside of the trunk(for someone that was locked in the trunk). If that was true, then wouldn't it be a requirement for ALL cars to have a rear seat that does fold down??
There is no "unlocked while closed" state for the rear seats or the pass-through.
I rechecked my 04 Accord and mine WILL stay unlocked while closed after the key is removed. The lock does not spring return to the locked position. What year is your Accord? Maybe they made a change to it??
As I stated in my first posting, you can (at least my car can) open without a key (if it was left in the unlock position) and reach into the trunk through the small fold down pass through. OK you can't fit much through there, but if you reach in, you can pull the (non required) latch and fold down the rear seat to get access to larger items. If they would have moved the latch farther from the access door, or blocked it so it's only accessable when you reach in from the trunk I would not have any complaints.
Mrbill
That was something my 83 Camry delt with by having headrests with adjustable tilt.
Has anyone found the same problem, and a solution for it? Turning them around just reversed the problem, she needs something in between. I guess there is always the chance ordering a headrest for a LX/DX, but she would be getting cloth ones instead.
Mrbill
Just for clarification, they are not meant to be "headrests". In fact they are an integral part of the car's suite of safety features. They should be referred-to as "head restraints". They are meant to reduce whiplash in a crash. For the driver, resting and driving don't mix.
All your friend has to do, is tilt her seatback an inch or two rearward if she wants more space behind her head. However, the less head travel in an accident, the better and safer she will be.
Thanks
R
Congratulations. You'll love your great new Accord. Every car on the road has had blind spots, since the early 1900's when the first closed-top vehicles were manufactured. Your Protege had them too. It's just a matter of the driver adjusting to how best to work around them. I.e., properly adjusting mirrors, properly positioning seats, turning your head for a brief moment before changing lanes, etc.
You should drive moderately, varying your speeds and avoiding maximum acelleration, for the first 600 miles with a new engine. This allows your engine's metallic parts to wear-in properly so that your engine will last for the life of the car if you follow the maintenance schedules in your Owner's Manual.
Any capable mechanic or friend should be able to install most aftermarket parts for you. If you go here, you will find installation instructions for many of the accessories that may interest you:
http://www.handa-accessories.com/accord03.html
In Europe cell phone use in planes has been loosened - you can use one right after touch down (whereas before it used to be after parking at the gate). No where in Europe is there a requirement to turn off the cell phone in a car - only on its use during driving.
..my V-6 coupe (6M) is getting about 27.5 (70/30 fwy/city), with the I-4, again IMHO, about 20% better fuel numbers can reasonably be expected.
..either way, you can't go wrong: it's your call, your priorities, your choice........
...but that 240 horse VTEC V-6 thru 6M has better numbers all around than my Gen III turbocharged Supra..........
all the best in your search for the truth................. ez
In the V6, a very slight steering wheel tingle and the low noise of the radiator/condenser fan will tell you the AC is on but essentially the Accord V6 is Toyota-quiet here.
In case you're wondering, we have the two 03s to be able to tell.
The more serious downside of the 4 cyl. is its weak acceleration from about 15 mph when, say, creeping from a side street / ramp to merge into fast-moving traffic - the pick up is agonizingly slow. Better to stop completely to engage 1st.
Given the small fuel economy penalty, I'd go with the V6. The 2006 LX-V6 is a especially good deal; it's an EX without the leather and the dual-zone HVAC but has the alloys, moonroof, etc.
MidCow
I agree the fuel savings isnt much of a factor since it would only be about $200 per year for most drivers.
The lower cost of the 4 was definitly its appeal, but may spring for the 6 after doing all this research.
The belt vs. chain thing doesn't concern me, it's more the 1,200 difference between the selling price of the cars. Plus belts are usually quieter, so it's worth the $700 after 100k. All about trade offs I suppose.
Did you know that the FCC is consdiering letting cell phones operate all the time on airplanes. A study recently released publically aknoledges that there is no interference cause on the palne controls by cell phones. If you think about it, how could there be there are on completely separate frequesncy spectrums.
The probloem with allowing cell phones on the palnes is how to handle cell zone handoffs. The current cell pone technology minimally works travelling in a car at highway speed, let alone an airplane travelling over 500 mph.
I personally don't think cell phones should be used by the driver of cars. Cell phones do cause a problem by distracting the cell phone user. This is probably the real reason for the ban in Eupre and other countries, not electrical and telecommunications interference.
Motor On,
MidCow
I think my '04 Accord EX-L 4 with A/T has plenty of power for quick moves across intersections or to merge onto freeways. The 5 speed automatic makes excellent use of the 4's power IMO.
My advice is for buyers to drive both 4 and V6 cars because the 4 should be more than adequate for most drivers under typical driving conditions........Richard