Older Honda Accords

jaxs1

I might buy an ex-rental Impala for the right price if the rental agencies didn't cheap out so much. You probably won't find an ex-rental equipped with the optional ABS and that's ridiculous.
At least ABS is standard on the Accord.

qbrozen

Additionally, this fellow also told me that if a laptop computer which is turned on is placed on the passenger seat, the air bags will be deactivated and you will have to go to the dealer to have the air bag computer reset.

completely ridiculous. (as if any part of this story isn't)

He wrote letters to Acura/Honda for some sort of settlement and never received a response.

oh yeah. that's the first thing everyone does when they get horribly injured due to a faulty product ... right? who would call a lawyer? that's just silly. and when you get out of the hospital and haven't heard from the manufacturer, just make a sign and hold it up. SURE! That's the way its done!

Was this gentleman slurring his speech by any chance?

thegraduate

dudleyr

Just beat me.

thegraduate

These forums are like odometers. It's amazing how fast you rack up 10,000 posts (or miles in your car). I guess you can catch the 30,000!

mrdisco33

"You cite Honda's "smaller" engine as a con, and the Impala's "big V6" as a pro. You realize that the "smaller" engine in the Accord is faster than either engine (3.5l OR 3.9l) in the Impala?"

that's why I had it in quotes. I was just thinking out loud without meaning it to sound like a bash against the honda. yes you're right the smaller, lighter accord is pretty nimble in comparison. the gm engines have been noted for not producing more HP given their larger displacement.

how does the 4cylinder fair on highway use? is it fairly quiet or buzzy and straining on lane changes, particularly with the AC on?

jaxs1

You should go for a test drive and decide.
I have driven an Accord rental and it did not strain to change lanes with the AC on.

You should also make a bigger note of the firm ride and decide if you can live with freeway hop rather than worry about any lack of power.

thegraduate

Actually, I've never heard a Honda over 2 liters be "buzzy." My 2.4L Accord is smooth and quiet on the interstate, with more noise actually coming from the tires. The only time you hear the engine is on downshifts, and then, it is smoother than the last Ford V6 I drove, and never buzzy. Some have compared it to a sewing machine.

My big suggestion to you is to drive one. I've got over 18,000 miles on mine, with probably 13,000 of that being on the interstate. It is quite easy to be going 85 MPH and think you are going less than 75 MPH. The engine had no trouble keeping up with a 265 hp Maxima through Georgia's hills on I-20 at 80 MPH, and that's with A/C (it was July) and 4 people in the car. It also returned around 33 MPG for that trip. A great balance in my book.

The Short version: Never buzzy and is smooth as silk when revving, not the loudest OR quietest engine, plenty of power if you aren't afraid to inflict a downshift with your right foot, and the best mileage/size/power compromise that I could possibly find.

tallman1

I continue to be amazed at how quiet the engine is on my 06 4 cyl. I have the 5 spd manual and have forgotten to shift into 5th gear (okay, I can be absent-minded) on the freeway and not noticed. The tire noise can be loud, but not the engine.

And I find that it has plenty of high-end acceleration when I need it on the freeway.

mrdisco33

"It's one of the best looking "rentals" on the lot then. I don't think they look all that bad to be honest. Better than the new Sebring/Avenger, and IMO, the Camry."

i do like the look of the impala. in the right colour and options it looks all right. the interior isn't bad, but i wish the wheel was a little thicker, and the center stack had a smoother flow down into the transmission selector. what gets me is that i'm 31, single and i'm looking at a car which around here is driven by renters and middle-aged men with families the only reason why i keep looking at it is the lower price, financing, insurance costs and the feature set.

"You probably won't find an ex-rental equipped with the optional ABS and that's ridiculous. At least ABS is standard on the Accord."

Interesting I never knew that. I was only looking at the LTZ model which has ABS+Traction standard.

mrdisco33

"You should go for a test drive and decide.
I have driven an Accord rental and it did not strain to change lanes with the AC on.

You should also make a bigger note of the firm ride and decide if you can live with freeway hop rather than worry about any lack of power."

i agree about the test drives, however i found the sales staff at most dealerships only take you on a spin around the block and not on an extended drive on the highways which is why i was asking for owner comments.

thegraduate

i do like the look of the impala. in the right colour and options it looks all right. the interior isn't bad, but i wish the wheel was a little thicker, and the center stack had a smoother flow down into the transmission selector. what gets me is that i'm 31, single and i'm looking at a car which around here is driven by renters and middle-aged men with families the only reason why i keep looking at it is the lower price, financing, insurance costs and the feature set.

Oh boy, believe me I understand. I'm 19, and would never consider an Impala because, while it looks like a classy suit, its classy like my grandfather is. I like my granddad, and his look suits him perfectly, but the "large sedan" market is not something that suits me as a young man (really, how many 20-30 year olds do you know with a Buick, Grand Marquis, or Avalon?

While "image" was WAY down my list of wants on a car (I'm 19 and picked a 4-door, 4-cylinder family car), it did at least narrow the field moderately to about 8 cars when shopping.

dudleyr

The engine is very smooth on the highway. I too have forgotton to shift up - esp when the car was new. Once I forgot to shift up in 4th and was cruising along at 65 not noticing a thing different until I happened to look at the tach and it did not look right. I looked down at the shifter and sure enough it was at the bottom (4th) instead of the top (5th).

Not long after that it happened again. I was cruising along and double checked that the gear shift was at the top (it was) so I plodded along. Shoftly after than I had to slow down for a truck in front of me and took my foot off of the gas. The car slowed down way too fast, so I looked closer and realized I was in 3rd.

It takes a very smooth engine to pull that off. My Integra was the opposite - I was always looking to shift one more time once I got into 5th - but there was not another gear.

That trip was unusual since the car was pretty new (not used to how quiet it was), I was talking with a passenger and was watching my Nav more than the dash (speed is on the Nav so not much need to even look at the dash). It was also on slower roads (65 mph) and not the Interstate. I also shift by sound and not the tach (though I do glance at it occasionally, and when I am getting near the redline which is very rare) and the quietness took a little getting used to.

tamu2002

I've done worse. A few weeks ago I was doing 80 mph in 4th and didn't notice it! What happened was I slowed down and down shifted when hitting a heavy traffic spot and forgot to shift back up when the traffic cleared.

u8everything

My neighbor (who doesn't talk to anyone) bought what appears to be a NEW Accord sedan. I think it's an 07' model but not sure. The word LIMITED appears on the back of the trunk. Was this style offered in the past or is this an 07' style?

jaxs1

No. The dealer probably glued on a badge or someone is confused about what kind if car it is.

elroy5

This is just a guess, but you may be looking at a Hyundai Sonata (they made the rear look similar to the 03 Accord). There is no Accord limited.

holew

Actually the sign guy did contact a lawyer but he told me that Florida law does not allow for a sizable award based on pain and suffering. Besides the lawyer would want about 40% of the award which according to the lawyer might be $30,000 tops. So the sign guy is trying to get a $30,000 settlement w/o having to share it was a lawyer. That is why he wrote Honda and is protesting their dealerships.

tallman1

Well, if he does't get more accurate info, he's hurting his case.

u8everything

It's a 2007 Hyundai Azera Limited. Looks pretty good too.

elroy5

I was close (same company). I guess the Azera could be confused with an Accord too. I haven't really looked at the rear closely.

brofox1974

transmission down shifts to 2nd gear after shifting through all gears properly. What is the problem? I have purchase a remanufactured TCU. The problem still exists. The same problem existed before I purchases a reman TCU. I need help before spending anymore money.

robo_geek

there are two shift control valves, A and B
The shift logic is, as I recall (this could be wrong)

Valve A B
1st on on
2nd off on
3rd on off
4th off off

So in order to hit second gear, one of the shift control solenoids is getting a signal to close, or it is faulty and is closing by itself. Rig up two test lamps using about 15 feet of wire, and solder some straight pins to use as probes (push pins thru rubber boot of connector at tranny)

if you really are getting +12v at shift control valve, when it should be in top gear, then TCU is faulty

OR

You've got a short in your wiring harness between the wiring for lockup control solenoid valves A/B and shift control solenoid A/B.. When the TCU calls for lockup, your're sending voltage to one of the shift control valves unintentionally.

holew

I have to ask, why do you like postings like this one?

I have the feeling that you think that it is untrue. I can tell you it is completely true. In fact this guy and his ORANGE BAD AIR BAGS sign moved on 1 May 2007 to the Acura dealer on US Route 41 just south of Fort Myers Florida.

I only posted this message to see if anyone else had or knew about HONDA/ACURA having a problem with their air bags not deploying properly. I believe that about 3 to 5 years ago HONDA did have a recall on air bags. Can anyone verify his? Also does anyone know about Honda/Acura having a problem with air bags?

pat

Here's one report: http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/01/honda_recalls_8.html.

tamu2002

My 06 Accord makes an ABS-like noise even with gentle braking during turns. Does anybody know if this is a known problem? I don't think it's the ABS activating, but the noise sounds like it and the pedal does seem to vibrate a little. And this only happens when turning.

dtownfb

Why don't I like posts like this???? You are a third party reporting an incident. I'm sure the gentleman told you exactly what he wanted you to know. I'm sure you did not bother to go in and talk to the service manager of the Acura dealership to get their side of the story. Do I think this is untrue? No, but I don't think we have the full story.

If his air bag did not deploy and he suffered serious injury, his insurance company and lawyer should be all over Honda/Acura despite what Florida law states is his "right". He and his lawyer should have the car analyzed to see why air bag inexplicably did not deploy. While the recall is nice to know, the important part is the fact that the dealership failed to fix a vital safety device three times and the failure of this important safety device almost killed him. In other words, why his particular car did not perform like it should after the dealer claimed they fixed it. And he will need a lawyer to fight his battle. Even if the lawyer gets 40%, isn't worth is to uncover this potentially dangerous situation.

00accordowner

Hi all,

On my 2000 Accord, the glass portion of the driver's side exterior mirror fell out of its housing. It appears as it is just glued on. What type of glue should I use to re-adhere it? My wife suggested superglue, but I have a feeling it requires something different. Your thoughts? Opinions?

Thanks in advance!

mrbill1957

If it was me, I would use a 2 part epoxy adhesive. Superglue isn't thick enough to fill in gaps, and I would think the 2 surfaces have alot of old glue on them.

Mrbill

00accordowner

You're right. There is a ton of excess dried glue on both surfaces. It definitely looks much thicker than superglue.

hbund216

I second the use of epoxy. It is strong stuff. If it drips and is not cleaned off it's there for good.

tamu2002

I posted the following a coupel of posts back. Does any of you experience this too with your Accord? Thanks.

"My 06 Accord makes an ABS-like noise even with gentle braking during turns. Does anybody know if this is a known problem? I don't think it's the ABS activating, but the noise sounds like it and the pedal does seem to vibrate a little. And this only happens when turning. "

kiawah

Sounds like it is the ABS, take it back to the dealer to fix under warranty.

Each of the wheels has a sensor on it to determine the speed they are turning. ABS monitors those signals, and when it determines (by less pulses on the signal) that one wheel is turning less than the other, it believes the tire is skidding and releases brake pressure on it.

You could have a sensor bad on a wheel, or the wire to the sensor, which when you turn the wheel causes the wire to go bad.

Get it to the dealer...warranty fix.

bolivar

I've never seen an ABS do this 'with gentle braking during turns'.

I have had ABS kick in on 'somewhat agressive braking during turns', or 'during gentle braking on bumpy pavement, sand, gravel, water, snow, etc (anything that would let one or more tires slip) during turns.

If it truly is activating under gentle braking in turns, something may be wrong.

Does the ABS light activate? On many cars, when the ABS does activate, it turns the light on.

tamu2002

Thanks guys for the response. I've made an appointment to take the car in next week. No, no light comes on when it happens.

tamu2002

Well, just wasted some time at a dealership. Of course the manager couldn't reproduce the noise and wouldn't acknowledge it when I reproduced it. And don't they always try to make you look like a fool? I'm gonna sit on it for a while. Maybe a tad more sensitive ABS is not a big deal.

deewof

Wish it weren't so, but wasting time at the dealer is a little like death, taxes, and ants at a picnic - kinda hard to avoid. If it's any consolation, my '03 6cyl. Accord developed a brake noise at about 40K mi & I tried in vain to identify the cause & fix it, then just decided to live w/ the minor irritant. The brakes continued to perform flawlessly despite the noise until I traded it in w/ 66K. Now I wish I had it back instead of my '06 Accord w/a downshifting problem which is my current reason for wasting time at the dealer. As for looking " like a fool ", I would much prefer that over the rotten mpg I'm getting due to compulsive downshifting.

tamu2002

Nicely said. Was your brake noise ABS related you think? I think I'll just live with my over sensitive ABS (or whatever else it is), or maybe take it in before warranty expires. Your downshifting sounds like something that must be addressed. Have you tried another dealer? Hope you'll get that resolved soon.

ckirk3

In reviewing the Camry (07) and Accord (07), 4 cyl. models, I notice that Toyota offers VSC as an option however, Honda offers the option on their V-6 model only. I wonder about Honda's reasoning for not offering VSC as an option on their 4 cyl. models? Could it be they are attempting to save money, are simply behind with their product, or do not consider VSC to make that much difference? Any thoughts from other readers?

elroy5

I wonder about Honda's reasoning for not offering VSC as an option on their 4 cyl. models?

It's all about cost. To Honda, and the people who buy the 4cyl models.

vancetish

hi, i have a 05 accord coupe, Just got my plates today and i cant figure out how to get to the back of the bolts (the area inside the trunk) to secure the plate with nuts. My old 95 accord was a snap,. anyone know something/ somewhere i should look for.

i tried to go behind the liner inside the trunk door as well, but it doesnt offer any way to get to the mounting holes.

also, looks like the mounting holes arent just holes. they have teeth to make this more complicated.

I dont want to just screw it in and have it get stolen... btw the front plates are not secure at all!!! dumb california law! car dealership put holes in the front bumper to mount it.

thegraduate

First off, this would be better posted in the maintenance and repair forum for 2003-current Accords, you'll get more help there...

I don't fully understand the problem though. On my 2006 Accord, I just unscrewed the screws, pulled off the plate, and screwed the new one on.

elroy5

With the correct size bolts, it should just screw right in, in the rear (no need for nuts) :surprise: . On the front there should have been a plastic thing for mounting the lisence plate :confuse: ( there should not be holes in the face of the bumper). The dealer should have one on the car, if the state requires a front plate :mad: . I have one sitting in the shed, you are welcome to it. (Louisiana does not require front plates). Look at other Accords in your area, and you will see some with the plastic thing on the front, I'm sure.

vancetish

Thats how i have the back plate mounted at the moment. but this method (w/ only the provide bolts) leaves a chance that the plate could be stolen as you can unscrew it pretty easily.

I know what the dealer shuld have done... and there is a plastic housing piece with a giant screw in the middle that goes straight through the bumber! and the two side screws hit the bumper just enough to create two additional holes.

-ahh no use crying about it now.

qbrozen

plates typically are easy to steal. Reason being 99.9999% of the population have no reason to steal them. Your odds of getting struck by lightning might be slightly higher.

kiawah

If you are concerned about somebody stealing your plates, and you can't get to the backside to put a bolt on it....why don't you either:

- substitute a bolt, and grind the flukes off of the head so that it is round, and you have to put it in with a pair of visegrips. Someone looking to quickly steal a plate will be carrying a big flatbladed screwdriver, not a pair of visegrips.

- or on the typical large flatheaded screw, grind the 'backout' side of the metal on the head away. Your screwdriver will be able to drive the screw in, but it will be very difficult to back the screw out (as there isn't anything for the screwdriver to grip). Note that this creates a problem for you as well when you want to take the plate off.

Seems overkill, but if you are that worried about it, two options for ya.

dudleyr

Or just get a hex head bolt at a hardware store.

Why would somebody bother to steal your plate if they need a special tool to get it when all the others only need a screwdriver?

elroy5

When thieves steal plates, they usually take one from an old abandoned car , that will not be reported stolen. If they are going to steal a plate that will likely be reported stolen, they may as well steal the whole car.

vancetish

good to know. thanks again guys

hd28

I have a 2003 Accord with the V6 and want to know about its towing abilities. We like to camp and with 2 children need some extra room for gear beyond what a roof rack can provide. Anybody have any experience with this?