Honda Accord Quality Control Issues

lugwrench

Does anyone have the Honda directive on the emissions warranty that is good to a 150K?

test007

Hello,

I am using the following cleaning products and I am very happy with them.

I am using Meguiar's products car wash and wax. There are so many products made by Meguiar's, but if you goto their website there is a short video that explains what you should use which product first.

As for leather I would recommend Lexol leather product. It's good.

You can get them at Walmart and Targets.

paulo3

I recommend Zaino Brothers products which may be found at:

http://www.zainobros.com/

isellhondas

PLEASE !!! Don't start a Zaino discussion here!!

It'll never end!

jeepvan

Hi,
My 97 Accord Ex Sedan 4 cylinder has 74K miles on it. I did not take any extended warrenty offered by Honda at that time. When I called Honda directly, lastweek, they say my car is not under any Honda warrenty.
No it is not 4WD. I think it is front wheel drive only.
regards,
Bill

jeepvan

Hi Burton,
I did fuel injection service, since the first guy mentioned, it is better to do it, there were lots of dirt inside(???). I remember doing it 2 years back once. Thought, I will do it again, to make my engine run better.
regards,
Bill

bburton1

Looked over my warranty work statement from my dealer to repair emissions control system under warranty and can not find any warranty reference number. But I know my 97 i4 accord is still under warranty with 148K on the clock.

Jeepvan-call another dealer-u have lots of time to get a new cap, rotor, plugs, plug wires and oil change free of charge. Will try to find the numbers. I know they are on another invoice done by another dealer earlier this year.

By the way-still is not running right-think it is the heated O2 sensor-will try to get them to replace that later this week.

dc_sports_rule

I have tried various products over the years including Meguiars, Pinnacle, and various others that were rated quiet highly. My recommendation is Finish First which is the best product I have ever put on a car:

http://www.finishfirstpolish.com

srockr

What's advantage to doing first oil change earlier than the 10,000 miles that Honda recommends for regular (not severe driving?)
Honda Dealership insists doing first & all other oil changes at 3,000 miles.

How many of you have changed oil first in your Honda at 3,000 miles and how many waited until later (& at how many miles)?

cdavidc

In the owners manual is not to change the oil the first time until the max number of miles or months is reached for your driving type [normal/severe]. Something to do with break in. This was for the 2003 Accord.

irish24

There's always been a difference between what the dealer or service guys rec and what the manufacturer rec. I struggled with this and got my first oil change on our 02 accord at 4,000 miles. The book said 7500 but every service person I spoke with, Honda included, said they would not wait that long. For me it was a balance between peace of mind and waiting as long as I felt comfortable w the first oil.
I would have felt a lot better and I think the same is true for many others, if Honda really wanted to keep the first oil in there, to insist that their service guys rec that too. Since that is not the case, I went ahead and changed it.

according2me

at 3800 miles. I compromised because I wanted to do it at 1000. Now at 85K with no oil consumption or leaking.

test007

I made a quick call to a local honda dealership and asked what my 1st oil should be. Nicely said "at 7500 miles." I ask them if that's too long and good for the car. He's reply was it's not my word, it's Honda's. So I have decided that I am not going to do it at 7500, but at 4500. Yea..I have about 800 miles to go. Happy oil change.

pj23

I don't understand - the service rep tells you to do it at 7,500 because that is Honda's recommendation (and that is wrong- Honda's recommendation is 10,000 for an '03 Accord), and you decide to go with 4,500 against the manufacturer's recommendation?

Seems like you've got an honest dealer service department. Many recommend shorter intervals because it means more money in their pockets. Why mess with what they tell you?

tntitan

Is the Honda recommendation for the first oil change @10K or @5K for severe conditions? I personally think that more than 90% of the cars on the road should be using the severe maintenance schedule due to stop and go driving, constant idling, extreme temperatures, dust, etc.

Also, there is no set # of miles that is right for everyone. It depends on each individual vehicle and your own personal driving habits and conditions. It could be more or less than 5K depending on all of these factors as well as the type oil and filter you use.

It is much better to err on the side of caution. Never heard anyone having trouble from changing oil too frequently.

according2me

Honda would do if people started having sludged engines because they used regular SL oils from quicklube places or DIY oil changes at the 10k intervals that are in their car manual. Then you'd start to get clarification of what "normal" usage is and a fight with the dealer/manufacturer who "clearly" stated to go half that distance I'll bet.

Why don't they just come out, as many high end car manufacturers do, and say to use synth oil and be done with it. Yes it would raise the cost of maintaining their cars, but the consumer would be better protected. Don't be ambiguous about this; in addition to regular/severe also state dino/synth mileages.

I'll confess to using synth mostly, but I use dino also when the budget gets tight. I just shorten the duration greatly.

Most people on this board are somewhat knowledgeable about car maintenance, but what about those who know little about their cars upkeep and follow what's in the glovebox bible. I believe the 10k intervals, using a good SL dino product, is a farce and a disservice to owners of all Honda vehicles.

I like my chances of reaching 300k with shorter intervals.

anonymousposts

Intervals for normal driving conditions were 7500. No reports of sludging Hondas then. An increase to 10,000 miles is really not that much of a jump from 7500. Also, most quick-lube places use name brand oil which is as rule is the most advanced oil available at the time. Saying that you will get lower-quality by going to a quick lube place is like saying you are going to get low-quality oil from a parts store or Wal-mart. In addition, most quick lube places advertise the brand of oil that they use and recently Quaker State came out with a warranty program if your car is less than 4 years old with less than 36000 miles. As long as you use their oil, whether you do it yourself or have it done elsewhere, they will give you a limited warranty on the engine. Sludge happened to Toyota because the design of the engine required more frequent oil changes than they suggested. I don't see that happening to Toyota or any other manufacturer in the near future.

gee35coupe

specifically states to use "normal" condition unless you REGULARLY drive in severe circumstances. I seriously doubt 90% of cars are driving REGULARLY in severe conditions.

pj23

When I had my '01 Civic, this discussion was going on in the Civic area as well. Some have said that Honda is recommending 10,000 mile oil change interval for normal driving, or 5,000 for severe, to lower its cost of ownership figures. Maybe so. I was not sitting in on the meeting at Honda when this was decided, so I don't really know the reason. But I think it stands to reason that when Honda, a very engineering-oriented company who builds more engines than anyone else, tells me I should change my oil at 10,000 miles, that I can follow that recommendation and be reasonably comfortable that my car's engine will remain in good working order for years to come. Honda has built its reputation in this country on producing a superior automobile that will stand the tests of time and use. Why on earth would they jeopardize that reputation to lower their cost of ownership numbers by what might amount to the cost of a 2-3 (if that) oil changes per year?

From my personal viewpoint, I buy a Honda because I am confident of the quality and durability of the product, not because it is going to be $100 per year cheaper to maintain than another car. I would speculate that most Honda owners and buyers would feel similarly.

ickes_mobile

If the conditions you drive warrant 10,000 mile oil changes, then follow the manual. Engine quality and oil quality have improved such that oil changes at intervals less than 5,000 miles even under severe duty only helps JiffyLube's stock price...

inkie

You forgot to mention that Quaker State wants you to change oil at 4000 miles or 4 months in order to maintain the limited warranty. This makes good sense. I personally, being a chemist am doubtful about 10,000 miles oil changes unless you accumulate that amount of milage in a 4 month period.Most of the engines do not use any oil so your not even adding fresh oil during that 10,000 mile interval. I do know that people that lease change oil infrequently because they get rid of the car in 3 years and let the next guy have the headaches.

tntitan

Maybe 90% of cars driven in severe conditions is high and maybe it is not.

My Honda manual says severe is any of the following:
1. Short trips under 5 miles or under 10 miles when under freezing temperatures.
2. Driving when temperatures are over 90 degrees.
3. Continuous idling or stop and go driving.
4. Dusty, muddy or roads that have been deiced.

Most parts of the country experience high temperatures in the summer or drive short distances in cold weather. A large part of America drives in the city and experiences stop and go driving. It would be fairly easy to imaging almost everyone meeting one or more of these qualifiers at least during some parts of the year.

The only way to really know is too either err on the side of caution or do oil analysis. For the cost involved with maintaining a vehicle I believe it to be foolish to not consider the severe maintenance schedule the norm instead of the exception. Just my opinion and not necessarily the right one and certainly not the only one.

pj23

I think what the manual says is "most" driving is under those conditions, not "any" driving.

It is easy to imagine that for part of the time, a given person may meet the severe conditions definition and for the other part, that person may meet the normal conditions definition. Given my own circumstances, I live in the Northeast and drive on de-iced roads from December-March. I will probably put close to 10,000 miles on the car during that time. So I can see getting an oil change at that time. But the rest of the year, I don't regularly or most of the time, drive in 90+ degree weather, on dusty roads, in stop-and-go traffic, or less than 10 miles per trip. So I would follow the normal maintenance schedule.

gee35coupe

BOOM!!!!!!! TNT..Get it. I kill me.

aming

I've read on other forums that the 5w-20 oil isn't as good as the 5w-30. That it breaks down a lot quicker. they mentioned that test have been done to confirm this...don't know which tests and where but if anyone sees or hears anything...let us know.

gee35coupe

And taking the mileage hit. I don't feel right putting water in my engine. Anybody seen this 5/20 stuff? It's THIN.

atlantabenny

my take on this is that honda will not risk paying for lubrication-related engine damage by recommending 5w20 for all cars sold nationwide (considering they can require 5w30 for hotter climates and 5w20 for the colder regions).

the new engines might have closer tolerances and/or engine seal characteristics that demand the grade 20 oil, i'm not sure, but higher viscosity oil can compromise fuel economy, integrity of engine parts and ultimately, the engine's longevity itself.

engine wear takes place over a long period of time; using non-spec lubricants may not show ill effects soon, but they can - later.

imo, synthetic 5w20 is a solid way to go, especially with the long-drain intervals honda recommends for the new accords. for good measure, i'd change 20% sooner than the applicable schedule and put in a new oil filter each time.

a last thought is that, as most already know, most of the engine wear occurs at initial start-up, where you need the lower-viscosity oil to flow quickly and freely to the overhead valves, cams and other cylinder head parts.

aming

I agree...if you can find the Synth. Seen any synt 5w20 around? I can't find any in my city.

atlantabenny

haven't checked, actually. i'll be making a trip to pepboys (do you have them in canada?) soon and will post finding.

aming

I don't think so but we do have other specialty shops and I haven't seen it yet...might just have to wait...

according2me

Most of the 5w20 manufactured now is in the 8.5 to 9 viscosity range at 100deg C. The Mobil 1 5w30 is manufactured to be at 9.7 at 100deg C.(very low in the 30w range)

20w SAE range is 5.6 --> 9.29 @100deg C

30w SAE range is 9.3 --> 12.49 @100deg C

A little info is a dangerous thing. LOL

maxhonda99

I do oil changes every 5,000 miles with a HOnda filter and Mobil 1 Synethic oil. that should be good enough to keep the engine humming for a long time.

according2me

M1 synth @6-8K mile intervals. I've only changed fluids and front pads during the 85K so far. Oh yes, almost forgot, the front tires were changed to Bridgestone Turanza LS @81K.

The car is running and shifting as smoothly now as when new.

I just passed my second year of ownership and looking at the glove box bible I need to address purging the brake fluid. Has anyone out there done this at a dealer/independent shop yet? What do they charge for this service? This is one job I don't want to tackle anymore on the driveway.

bkcave

bkcave

honda has gone to a 10,000 mile oil change on the 4cyl accord this is mainy due to the fact that everyone looks at cost or repair/service i think this is going to be a big problem in the long run just look at toyota and the pcv valve
service in the v6 is still 3750/7500 server or normal i've been with honda for 15 years and i strongly believe honda is the car it is because of the customer taking better care of the car then anyone else

fritz1224

I had the brake fluid changed on my 2k Lx v6 at the dealer. It was $60 plus brake fluid. All total a little under $70. Probably can go somewhere else and get it cheaper, but I didn't risk it since it has ABS and if the Honda techs screw it up maybe a little better chance at some recourse.
How do you like the Turanza LS tires? I got them for my accord and they have done well. Got about 2k on them so far and no visible tread wear issues. Pretty quite compared to the Potenza 950's I tried first. I got the V rated ones so as to not void the Bridgestone Platinum Pact warranty.

according2me

Thanks for the heads-up on the brake fluid.

On the Turanzas, I've put about 4K on them and am pleased so far. They definitely have better wet traction and cruise quieter on concrete and broken roads than the Michelins. I do think the Michelin MXV4+s got 1-2 mpg better though while cruising the interstate. What do you think. I hope to get 60K from these, I guess the Michelins spoiled me in that regard

mike1qaz

fritz1224

I haven't had them on a strictly all hiway trip yet, but I think I'm getting about the same mileage as the original Turanza's that came on the car, 20 mpg mostly city. With the original tires I was getting around 30 (once 32) all hiway. Hope this is the case with these.
As far as tread life, the V's are rated 40k, the H's are 50k. If you get 60k you've done good.

mikegold_1966

I put X-Ones on my Accord and noticed a dramatic improvement over the OEM Michelin tires. The X-Ones without a doubt are the best tires I have ever experienced on any car that I have owned. Plus, it has the best tread wear warranty in the business.

isellhondas

On the X-ones. Too bad they don't make them in the size for my V-6 coupe! No 16"'s .

maxhonda99

fritz1224,

What Turanza tires did you get? in what size? and what tires did they replace? I need something to replace the 205/60-VR 16 MXV4 tires that came on my Accord coupe V6, but am getting conflicting reports on the tires I have it narrowed down to:
Yoko Avid H4
Dunlop SP Sport A2
Bridgestone Turanza LSH or LSV

fritz1224

I got the LS V's in 205/65 15 for my v6 accord. In order for the Bridgestone warranty to apply you have to use the same speed rating and size as the original tires. In your case, being a v6, you had V rated tires originally and should replace them with like rating. Now, you will probably be told by many of the tire dealers that it doesn't matter, but ask to see the Bridgestone Platinum Pact pamphlet that outlines their warranty and it will be there in black and white. I think this would supercede any verbal terms the dealers try to dish out.
Naturally being V rated they are more expensive than H or T rated ones, and there probably are other manufacturers that don't have this requirement, but if you do go with the Bridgestones be aware of this.
These tires replaced the OEM Turanza EL 42's.

maxhonda99

THanks fritz, I don't really care about the warranty too much. Basically looking to replace my crappy MXV4 V-rated tires with something better in terms of wet handling and ride quality. In my size, I have very few choices, so the tire you have is one of my choices.

How would you compare them to your OEM tires that you replaced them with?

fritz1224

They are much better than the OEMs. Much better traction in rain and dry, quieter and great on the hiway. Why you wouldn't be concerned with the warranty baffles me. Are you just planning on selling it soon. A certain portion of the cost of the tire goes toward providing the warranty. If you don't have an inforce warranty you basically wasted some of your money on the tire purchase. Bridgestone's is a 3 year free replacement and 3-5 yrs prorated. Might as well keep it valid, you're paying for it. Or don't go with the Turanza's and get a tire that doesn't have as strict requirements or as good a warranty.

spleck

If you haven't been there, tirerack.com has warranty and traction ratings for many brands. Might be a good place to gather some information.

I'm still confused about this warranty issue. Why does the warranty on the tire you're replacing matter? If I'm buying new tires wouldn't I just get the warranty that the come with?

Just out of curiousity, how many people have made a warranty claim other than major failure?

maxhonda99

fritz, I'm not concerned about the warranty, because rarely does anything go wrong with the tires that would necessitate using the warranty.

I've been thru lots of sets of tires between different cars in the house, and the warranties on any tire have never been used.

paulo3

How come Honda America doesn't offer daytime running lights on the Honda Accord for US residents? I know the daytime running lights are on Accords in Canada so why not the US?

Most insurance companies in the US offer a discount for daytime running lights on cars.

dpound

I think they are a legislated requirement in Canada. No such law in the US though

gee35coupe

Just leave the switch in the on position. They are on all the time. I mean if you REALLY want DRL's.

bburton1

Years ago one of the stellar Indianapolis newspapers had a campaign on for DRL's-while a student at Purdue-we had a joke-you could always tell a Hooosier cause they had this light bulb sticking out of their forehead. Somebody did some half baked research and said it reduced accidents-then some smart person said-why pay to install those things-just turn on your headlights and the DRL campaign died-unfortunately those rags are still around.