Older Honda Accords

blufz1

I tow a 650 lb bass boat w/ no problem. Suggest you change and/or top up your oil,coolant,and atf. 65 mph is comfortable for me. Make sure you tires are properly inflated.

robr2

I have a 2003 Accord with the V6 and want to know about its towing abilities.

Open up that big book titled "Owners Manual". It'll answer all your questions.

hd28

Uh, thanks robr2, but I wanted to hear from people that have actually towed something to hear how it went. Thanks blufz1 for your advice.

dudleyr

If it is in the owners manual it should go well. The towing limits in the U.S. are much lower than in Europe for the same cars. Getting up near those numbers may be a strain, but the U.S. numbers are quite conservative.

robr2

Uh, thanks robr2, but I wanted to hear from people that have actually towed something to hear how it went.

I wasn't trying to be a jerk but when you ask about capabilities, the manual tells you all you need to know.

wm2v

Just got a 2007 Accord EX V6 Navi.
Put a few tanks of gas in it and and the low fuel indicator doesn't come on unless there is less than .5 gallons left.
The manual says it should be on at 2.72 gallons.
Am I being picky? What have others experienced?
Also what's the deal with having to squeeze the last 3 gallons or so in at a snails pace?

elroy5

When you fill it up, how many gallons does it take? The tank is supposed to be 17.1 (US gal) on an Accord (current generation). Most Accord's low fuel indicators come on when the tank has about 3.5 gallons left (about 13.5 gals burned).

wm2v

Thanks for the reply.
I squeeze in every last drop. It's usually about 16.3 to 16.6 gals. and yes the capacity is stated at 17.09 gals.
I have yet to bring it in for the first service so I'll ask if the sensor can be replaced or recalibrated.

bristol2

You should not keep pumping teh gas after the first automatic cut-off.
You may be messing up the sensors by doing that. The manual (and the gas pump) both have warnings against topping off.

Unless your tank is absolutely dry (you would have to push the car to the gas station) then getting 16.3 to 16.6 gallons in the tank indicates that you still had about a gallon in the tank.

thegraduate

2 things to remember

1.) DON'T fill up much more past the first click, only do it if you suspect it cut off WAY too early. Bristol stated why - it will mess up your emissions system.

2.) DON'T try and run your car too close to empty. If you DO run out, you may damage your fuel pump since it is cooled by the fuel running through it. Also, any sediment that settles to the bottom of your tank will be sucked up into the fuel pump if you run it to empty.

The best idea is to fill up when the light comes on or thereabouts, if not before.

wm2v

I would be happy to stop filling at the first click but that would leave about 3 gallons short of filling.
Again why put a 17 gallon tank in the car if you can only fill it to 14 gallons. My original problem is that the light does not come on until there is less than .5 gallons left. I'm sure we all have tested our cars to see how many miles we get on a tank and try to guage when we have a safe amount of gas left before searching for a fill up.
I had virtually the same thing happen when I had a '04 Acura TSX. however the low fuel light came on at about one gallon left.

jaxs1

I have never heard the pumps clicking off when there is still 3 gallons of available space in the tank.
I usually fill my tank well before it is dangerously close to running dry, but once I did and the gas pump clicked off at more than the listed fuel capacity of the tank.
Some people just want to see gas spilling out before they are satisfied that the tank is 100% full.

bristol2

Maybe this is happening:
the low-fuel light comes on, you fill up, you get about 13-14 gallons in there, you wonder why it is not filling up to 17.

When the low fuel light goes on, you still have up to 90 miles (3 gallons at 30mpg) to go. It makes sense that you never 'fill' the tank because you are never empty.

chief64

hi all just would like to know how can you tell when your fuel pump is starting to go bad can some one help me???

tallman1

You may want to ask this over in a Pontiac thread.

I haven't had a fuel pump go out in a long time (on Accords, we change the fuel pump when we change the timing belt) but the engine starts cutting out while driving. It gradually gets worse until you don't go anymore.

Reminds me of a college story... trying to return home riding in a friend's car. Fun adventure. :sick:

pat

Here's a good place for you to ask: Pontiac Grand Am Maintenance & Repair.

Welcome to CarSpace!

wm2v

Maybe if I start at the very beginning this will be clearer.
When I picked up the car it supposedly came with a full tank. I drove the car until the low fuel light came on figuring it would have about 2.7 gallons left as per the manual. When filling for the first time the first click came on just shy of 14 gallons. I think to my self not bad
16.7 gallons for a 17 gallon tank. Being anal I squeeze a little more in to round up the sale to an even dollar.
At this point I want to see really how much more goes in before it's to the top. I know I know it's going to mess up the emissions etc. but what the heck.. When I'm all done 3 more gallons go in but painfully slow. This happens at every fill up. Now it might be true that filling all the way up has some effect on emissions etc. but I'm not a engineer and suspect that in a effort to keep you from spilling gas when topping off the fuel filling system is designed to stop way short to ensure no spills. It remains very annoying that the pump continually clicks off at 14 gallons for a 17 gallon tank but thats just me?

blufz1

Drive it 60 miles after the low fuel light comes on. I guarantee you,you can get 16 into it.

tamu2002

My lastest milieage dropped from the usual 32 mpg to 28 mpg. The entire tank was driven after we moved to a place closer to work. I now commute ~7 miles compared to 16 miles previously. Three reasons that might contribute to this huge drop: 1). bad gas-not likely because it's a busy Chevron station; 2). change in gas formula from winter to summer--not likely, got the gas on May 22; 3). shorter commute. What do you all think?

z71sub

I've got a 1998 Accord EX and I would like to buy a 2007 Accord, but won't have the financial means until this upcoming Spring. Will the 2007 Accord still be available at dealers then? Or will I have to get a 2008 Model?

jaxs1

Mileage varies based on how you drive. Driving conditions are different in different places. You cannot track mileage driving in two different places. Drive the same route the same way to track your mileage.

thegraduate

You'll probably be able to find a few leftovers, but your selection will be very limited, and you may have to "settle" for a trim level and color.

blufz1

Shorter commute. I seem to get better mileage w/ Shell vs. Chevron.

tamu2002

I should've mentioned that both commute routes are mainly highway driving.

I too believe Shell gives better mileage than Chevon based on our experiences. We use Shell 95% of the time.

robr2

When I'm all done 3 more gallons go in but painfully slow. This happens at every fill up. Now it might be true that filling all the way up has some effect on emissions etc. but I'm not a engineer and suspect that in a effort to keep you from spilling gas when topping off the fuel filling system is designed to stop way short to ensure no spills.

Basically you are filling the filler neck and probably the evaporator canister that captures fumes from your fuel tank. Both of those are designed to function as part of the emissions system and prevent fuel and fumes to enter into the atmospher. In your quest to buy 16 gallons of fuel you are probably going to damage the system and possibly emit fuel vapor into the environment.

wm2v

Basically you are filling the filler neck and probably the evaporator canister that captures fumes from your fuel.

So then you are saying that the filler neck holds 3 gallons?
All I'm trying to do is have a reasonable fill up. If the manual says it's a 17 gallon tank and you really should only put in 14 gallons then say so...

stickguy

Well, it holds 17.1 gallons. But, unless you drive it til the car dies, and then drop the tank and draing the stuff in the bottom, how exactly do you expect to add that much at a fill up?

Some people must really hate stopping for gas, considering the lengths they will go to to use as much as possible (and cram in every ounce) before stopping!

thegraduate

Some people must really hate stopping for gas, considering the lengths they will go to to use as much as possible (and cram in every ounce) before stopping!

I know it. When I fill up my car, I usually put in less than 12 gallons (my light isn't on, the gauge still shows a little less than 1/4).

I want to have some in reserve should I have to make an emergency trip to the hospital, a last minute run somewhere when I'm running late, etc... And, I plan enough time into my day to stop and buy gas for 3-5 minutes, so stopping isn't a problem.

I'm 19 (a prudent 19 year old probably, but still, I've been driving for 4 years) and have seen the low-fuel light in my car less than a dozen times. There's just no sense in running my car so freakin' low.

blufz1

If you are pullin' your little bass boat to Lake Fork,and the big fish are biting, it's not always humanly possible to just stop and get gas when the light comes on!

thegraduate

Unless the last gas station was more than 3 or 4 gallons from the lake, I'd have filled up prior to the trip.

When in doubt, I fill up before hand. I remember sitting in traffic for 6 hours on Labor Day coming home from the beach. At that time, my folks had a Chrysler Sebring Convertible (it was a horrible car, but that's a different story). We had more than enough gas to idle as long as we wanted to because we don't usually go below a quarter of a tank, especially knowing we're about to get on an interstate highway. Incidentally, it was very hot, but we cycled between running the A/C with the top up, and turning the car off with the top down.

Always have enough to run your heat or A/C for a long period of time and to idle for miles, and you'll never get nervous watching that light and gauge.

That's how I feel about things. It is worth it to stop a day early to buy gas and keep my tank at always more than 1/4 full, then to try and squeeze one more day's worth of driving into that tank.

blufz1

I am just kidding! I agree with your quarter tank theory. If I fill up in Dallas it's got ethanol in it. If I fill up on the way back,in the country,it's cheaper 'cause there is no ethanol.

thegraduate

Well, I'm sure a lot of people agree with the quarter tank theory, but I understand how quickly the ole gas needle can drop. It doesn't take long in stop and go traffic!

imidazol97

> to buy gas and keep my tank at always more than 1/4 full,

I start thinking about gas when it gets to 1/2. If I'm aiming to a particular station group where pricing is usually cheaper along an interstate route, I'll run further down to 1/4. But most trips I make I can do the whole thing on the 3/4 tank, so I don't see that often.

mrbill1957

I've seen reference years ago on fuel tanks, and I'm assuming it still applies to the Accord.

The 17 gallon tank on the Accord could actually be a tank that can hold 3-4 gallons more. The article stated that tanks are designed to have an air space in them even after the tank is filled up. That air space is needed for fuel expansion and for the vapor recovery system to function correctly. The filler necks are designed to trigger the "off" or "stop" on the fuel nozzles at the gas station while still maintaining the air space. That is the point that you should stop trying to add more gas. The filler necks going into the tank don't just stop when they reach the tank, but continue to go into the tank a few inches. That creates the air gap by forcing the gas back up the filler nozzle once the level of the gas in the tank hits the extended tube. When you repeatedly restart the nozzle, it forces a little more gas into the tank, rising the level above the bottom of the filler tube, and taking away more of the air gap in the tank.

Gas coming out of tanks in the ground is typically alot cooler then the ambient air during a hot day, so that gas needs room to expand. As you know, liquid cannot be compressed as air can, so when it expands, it can build up a serious amount of pressure. I would not continue pushing more gas into the tank once you round off the price to the nearest dollar. Who knows what sort of damage that could cause.

Mrbill

imidazol97

>when it expands, it can build up a serious amount of pressure

That's exactly what it does, although only a small volume relative to the total volume. However there's no pressure built up (beyond a minimum) because it goes through the tubes that normally carry the hydrocarbon vapors (gas fumes) and take the fumes to a charcoal canister where the gas vapors are caught and the air goes on out to the atmosphere. Then when the car is started the computer runs a vacuum through that canister drawing the gasoline vapors into the intake manifold to be burned along with the normal intake fuel/air mixture.

Getting gasoline into the charcoal canister can mean an expensive replacement.

dudleyr

Couple of Accord questions.

Is there supposed to be a timer on the rear defogger? Mine stays on for an hour or more.

Does the trunk need to be lifted up most of the way before it will stay up? Mine falls back down if I don't lift it nearly all the way up - not too cool.

Is there a way to run the front defog without the A/C - through some trickery. Big rainstorm today and I hate running the A/C when it is in the mid 50's and warm air will do the trick just fine.

wardco

In answer to your questions: (1) no (2) yes (3) no. Hope this helps.

dudleyr

Thanks - not the answers I wanted but I guess it is good to know nothing is wrong.

stickguy

You sure about that one? If you change it to windsheild/vents, and push the AC off button, will it turn off the AC? I know that the defrost button automatically turns on the AC, but the AC button normally turns off the AC, even in auto mode.

The trunk seems normal to me (as in that is how all my other cars were). Not sure why you want it half open though!

I forgot your other question now...

tallman1

I've done the vent/defrost thing. I have the navi so my controls are on that unit but I'm sure the non-navi works too.... although I do have the climate control.... that may be a factor.

Set A/C off, press the icon that shows air going to the windshield, then adjust the temp. It doesn't work nearly as well as Defrost but it goes get some air to the windshield.

dudleyr

I don't need the trunk to stay half open, just need it to stay up when I lift it up. It only stays up when it is lifted nearly all the way. Kind of a pain when you have things in your hands. Some trunks (with struts and with goosenecks) will just open all the way when you push the button, instead of just popping up an inch or two.

When I push the defog button the A/C comes on, but the A/C button does not light. Do I then push the unlit A/C button to turn off the A/C? I will give it a try.

I know defog works better with the A/C, but I just like to have the option for the colder days to use the heat to defog, kind of a waste to run the compressor and have the heat turned up.

bolivar

The AC de-humidifies the air and will defog a car much, much better than just running the air.

Haven't you been in a car in cool weather when AC nor heat is needed, with windows rolled up, humid weather, and especially if 4 people are in the car with their breaths adding moisture inside - the inside of all the windows all over will start to fog up. The only way to quickly get rid of the fog is to run the AC, either in regular AC or in defog mode.....

wm2v

The 17 gallon tank on the Accord could actually be a tank that can hold 3-4 gallons more. The article stated that tanks are designed to have an air space in them even after the tank is filled up. That air space is needed for fuel expansion and for the vapor recovery system to function correctly. The filler necks are designed to trigger the "off" or "stop" on the fuel nozzles at the gas station while still maintaining the air space.

The above makes sense to me. This however brings me back to my original observation/query. If the stated capacity of the tank is 17 gallons then the combination of whats left in the tank and and what you put in when the first click occurs should be close to the rated capacity. This is absolutely not the case. So again why tell us we have 17 gallons if the system is designed to set the first click at 14 gallons? :confuse:

dudleyr

"The AC de-humidifies the air and will defog a car much, much better than just running the air"

As I stated earlier this is certainly true, but when I have to drive a few hundred milies in cold rainy weather I am not in a hurry to defog, and don't need to run the A/C the whole time.

I tried different combinations of pushing the A/C button, but the compressor still runs. I tried to have the a/c on then hit defog then turn the a/c off. That did not work. I tried to have the a/c off then hit defog, then hit the a/c button (which turns on the a/c light) then hit it again to turn the light off, and that did not work.

dudleyr

"If the stated capacity of the tank is 17 gallons then the combination of whats left in the tank and and what you put in when the first click occurs should be close to the rated capacity. This is absolutely not the case."

It actually is the case. When the fuel light comes on the tank is not nearly empty. There are close to 4 gallons still in the tank. When the needle lines up exactly with the red empty line you have used 15 gallons and there are still aboutg 2 gallons left. You could use those 2 gallons if you had to, but why push it. BTW all cars are about the same here - there are very conservative about telling you when you are getting low on fuel.

tallman1

As I said before, I have the EX-L with navi so my experience might be different. I can choose the controls on the navi screen that allow me to set the fan level and which vents to use. I can also set the temp.

This is like using the old "Vent" control that most cars had. Isn't there something similar in the other Accord trimlines? Can you choose to have air come out of the defrost vents without pressing the defrost button? Then you can adjust the level of heat.

As for those gas struts in the trunk... they were great at first but mine always wore out fairly quickly and then the trunk was a pain to lift up because of the extra resistance. I was too cheap to refill or replace them.

imidazol97

I've read this forum since 03. I recall this question came up before and I thought someone had a combination of buttons or actions that turned the forced AC compressor operation off when in defrost and made it elective using the compressor button. Does anyone recall this or find it when searching?

bristol2

Can't you just begin the defrost with the automatic response from the climate control and then turn off the AC button?

dudleyr

I don't have the nav, or automatic climate control, so the only way to chose defog is to push the defog button and that automatically engages the A/C (above freezing that is). The A/C comes on (you can hear/feel the compressor engage and the air gets colder) but the light on the A/C button does not come on. The A/C is running, but the light is off, so if I push the A/C button the light comes on (and the A/C stays on). If I push the button again to turn the A/C off, it still stays on as long as I have defog selected.

I know some other cars have a set sequence of buttons to disable A/C in defog (temporarily). Hopefully I can find one for the Accord. Won't be too big a deal soon as it will be hot enough I want the A/C on all the time, but for the cooler months it is a nice option to have.

I will look through old posts to see if there is a way to do this. I kinda like to control airflow just like I like to control the gears.

dudleyr

Thanks for letting me know about the older post. I found it (below). I do realize defog works better with the A/C, I just want the choice and control.

1) With vehicle on, push the airflow button for "top vent".
2) Shut car off.
3) Turn temp knob to the coldest setting
4) Turn fan off
5) How down both "Air Recirculation" button and "AC" button. With both buttons depressed, turn key to "ON" position. (don't need to actually start the car) Keep holding the buttons down for at least 7 seconds.
6) The AC and Air Recirculation lights will light up and flash at different points during the 7 second hold-down.
7) When the air recirculation light stops flashing, release the two buttons.

Now you have full control over the AC. When you hit the Defog button, the AC light will now illuminate. You can now shut it off if you so desire and get Defog air without AC!