Honda Accord Accessories

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Comments

  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    That is too bad, but sales folks lie all the time. You go into the dealership and they don't have what you want, so they sell you what they have.

    You were smart to come here and ask, but you SHOULD have come in when you were told this so folks could have let you know before you purchased the wrong car.

    How about just calling some other Honda dealerships and ask them before you purchased the wrong car? I bet they would have set you straight and may have had the right car on the lot.

    They don't "owe" you anything and you DID sign to buy the car you have - so you got what you paid for. You now have a used car and you want to trade it in for a new one, so it is going to cost you a good bit of money.

    I would get over it and buy a TomTom Go or Garmin C series or 2610/2620 GPS for $500-800 and then be a LOT smarter in your next car deal. But if you are dead set on the Honda NAV, then sell your car and buy one or shop other dealers for a trade for one. But with a used car (and new ones going so cheap right now) it is really going to cost you.

    You know how to tell when most car sales persons are lying? Their lips are moving.

    Dennis
  • hook1019hook1019 Member Posts: 2
    I know this is not the forum for my questions. But I can't figure out how to start a new one.
    I have a 1996 Dodge Intrepid which I recently replaced the factory radio with a new one but left the factory speakers, as is. However a friend of mine who just purchased a new Nissan Z350 is replace the factory bose system with a whole new fancy set up. He has afford to give me the bose speakers to go with my new Radio. I am not looking for a rattle the windows, piss off the neighbors sound system, Just an upgrade. But the man at the local audio store told me bose speakers only work with a bose radio. Is this true or is he trying to make a sale.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    ask yourself if you can do without the technology. you seem to have done well so far for 2550 miles ;)

    if it were me - and i can get lost fairly easily - $5900 just isn't a compelling price-point for the technology, specially when you compare it to aftermarket.

    while i get lost - but i also seem to get where i need to go.

    this is technology which unless you are travelling unknown roads all the time, will probably not be used often. only you know this for sure. for the times you do drive unknown roads, buy one of those floating compasses with the suction cup, and use mapquest before you get in the car. remember routes N/S are generally odd numbered, and routes E/W are even numbered, and like all rules, sometimes they are broken. ;)

    i suggest you move on and save the $$$.

    maybe the salesman told you what he knew to be the truth at the time you asked him/her.

    enjoy your ride.
  • hondagirl4hondagirl4 Member Posts: 6
    Thank you Dennis and Samuel for your input. I am planning a trip across the country, and that's why I wanted the Sat. Nav. Honda's looks the best to me, and I had a Honda before and wanted to stick with the same brand otherwise I would have bought some other kind that had Sat Nav.

    Does anyone know about or have experience with Delorme Blue Logger GPS receiver for a laptop? It's described at
    Delorme Blue Logger.
    Thanks again, this has been very helpful, kind of.
    Dorothy :cry:
  • hondagirl4hondagirl4 Member Posts: 6
    Oops, that would be http://www.delorme.com/bluelogger
    still :cry: ">link title
  • akl88akl88 Member Posts: 26
    ...the EP-R5 17" alloy wheel, in other words, the Silver Star Wheels (it's the wheel honda gives out that has 5 spokes and it has a grey/dark/steel/silver hue to it. It is also found on the Acura TSX as an accessory) I'm getting a Honda Accord EX V-6 Coupe at the end of May. Anyways, in your own opinion, which exterior color will suit these wheels best? (IMO I choose Graphite Pearl)

    BTW I test-drove a Honda Accord EX V-6 at John Eagle Honda in Houston and it was great experience. Love the acceleration, and the handling and brakes and the Accord I was driving had the Silver Star wheels; it makes it very nice. VERY luxurious IMO.

    Here is a picture of the wheels if you don't know what I'm talking about:

    http://automobiles.honda.com/models/exterior_accessories.asp?ModelName=Accord+Coupe
  • atlantabennyatlantabenny Member Posts: 735
    Those rims are a perfect match for the graphite pearl imo; with a lighter exterior, the rims would virtually disappear because the eyes gravitate to lighter colors. I also happen to know (there's a set stored in the basement) that they're low-weight and therefore good for handling and suspension longevity.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    hondagirl:

    I concur that it would not be cost effective to spend $5,900 to trade your vehicle for one equipped with the original equipment Honda Navigation system (It is a great fully-integrated voice controlled system though). Typically, it would have cost you $1,800 to $2,000 more than you paid to have a factory equipped Accord with Navigation. That means that your dealer is asking $3,000 to swap cars. You can expect that if you trade your car to a dealer you will get about $2,000 less than if you sell it to a private party. That seems to put you about $1,000 apart.

    I recommend that you consider selling your car privately and purchase a new one equipped the way that you like it.

    If you are considering aftermarket Navigation systems, even though the price of the DeLorme Blue Logger system seems attractive, it would require you to have a VERY DISTRACTING laptop computer open on the seat next to you while you are driving. I believe that the DeLorme system has NO voice directions. That is a major deficit.

    You should check the Magellen and Garmin units that sit on your dashboard, they provide voice directions so that you keep your eyes safely on the road. Units of that type cost upwards of $1,000. Now we are back to whether that amount of money, added to a private party sale of your vehice, at the below-invoice pricing that Accords are selling at today, might make the earlier choice a better one.

    I don't mean to confuse you, but to provide choices to consider. Good luck, whichever option you choose.
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    You must be thinking of retail GPS prices. You can get Garmin 2620 GPS - which is pre-loaded with app the US maps on a 2gb micro-drive for $777 delivered.

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001MHL0Y/motorcyctoure-20

    You can get the Garmin Street Pilot 2610 for $620 or a refurbished one for $550. Same design as the 2620 - touch screen, remote, talking directions, etc - but the 2610 comes with a 128mb CD card. You can get a larger card to load up more maps.

    You can get the newer Garmin C320 for less than < $600 from online discount places. It also comes pre-load with all the US maps so no PC is needed.

    With all the deep discounts on Accords now, someone would have to DEEPLY discount a used one to compete against the dealers with cheap financing, trade ins, and cheap leases. That would put the price way away from what the dealer is offering.

    I still don't understand why someone would shop one dealer and trust what one dealer told them. Shop and around and ask before deciding on something - like to give up the NAV system that was wanted. If you just call around a car with NAV could have been found and all this grief could have been avoided.

    Dennis
  • highrollerhighroller Member Posts: 351
    My brother's 1996 Nissan Maxima had a stock bose system w/ factory speakers also. Just a couple days ago, the radio failed. when we took the car to the nissan dealership to have this checked out, the service tech guy told us that they usually fail... this alarmed me because that means that many nissan cars with stock bose system fails. so now our radio system is gone and we have to buy another system. I do not know about the bose speakers not working with other deck but i hope they do because this would tell me that bose system are not very good.

    Best Regards
    highroller
  • msobwmsobw Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 2005 accord sedan. I paid $200 cash for the "standard" kit which includes appx. 12" up on the hood and body work, and the rearview mirrors. This is sufficient. Paying to get the plastic bumper and the headlights done is a waste of money. I found a factory certified installer in my area at the 3M website. Dont get talked into spending more than 200 to 300 hundred.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    again, if it were me, i'd consider the goal to take anything but the quickest route across the country. why be guided by high technology? read ahead, and use a paper map. that way you'll have something to remember your trip - and something to bring into the diners besides a handbag. ;)

    but seriously - i'd forget about the voice nav.

    if you want to be impressed by voice technology - get a good speech recognition program for your laptop and dictate your experiences.

    better yet, nix the software and use an old fashion journal. stick receipts, place mats, match book covers in it which you collect along the way.

    heck, sell the accord and get a motorcycle. ;)
  • hondagirl4hondagirl4 Member Posts: 6
    Sam, you're a guy after my own heart (except for the motorcycle thing). I'll be on a genealogy trip, following in the footsteps of my ancestors. But I still like technological challenges and experiences. I was thinking that a GPS-guided system as a co-pilot for company and voice directions through cities would be a good thing, as Martha would say. And I do have Dragon Naturally Speaking 7. Great idea to take and use it. That I hadn't thought of!
    Dorothy
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    dwynne:

    Here are some screen display dimensions for the navigation units being discussed:

    Honda Accord - 6.25" Wide X 3.5" High, 7" Diagonal
    Garmin 2620 - 3.3" Wide X 1.7" High, 3.75" Diagonal
    Garmin 2610 - 3.3" Wide X 1.7" High, 3.75" Diagonal
    Garmin C320 - 2.8" Wide X 2.1" High, 3.5" Diagonal

    I know which one would be easiest to read while travelling down the Interstate. I also know which one performs hands-free in response to my spoken voice commands. Sometimes we get what we pay for.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    the motorcycle can be a honda ;)

    ok - if you're travelling in the footsteps of your ancestors, there's always the horse and wagon.

    let the journal be your company. seriously - if you want the most from the experience, it's going to be a challenge but it may very well be worth forgoing the technology.

    enjoy the experience.
  • hook1019hook1019 Member Posts: 2
    Since I don't if they will work I thought I may replace the trunk speakers first then test them before removing door panels. I will post again if it works. it may take a while as I do not yet have the speakers yet.
    If any else has more input please say so.
    Thank You
  • cstilescstiles Member Posts: 465
    I believe Bose speakers have individual amplifiers built into each speaker, so they are unique in that sense.
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    I was not discussing if it is better to get the NAV option when buying a new car. Then the price VS a Garmin is a bit closer. You are right, the Honda NAV screen is larger and does respond to voice commands. Of course, once you program in the destination the GPS "talks" to you anyway so watching it is not as big an issue.

    In this case, however it is $550-800 for a Garmin VS $5,000-7,000 for selling her now used non-NAV car and buying a NAV equipped one.

    In this case it makes a lot more sense to get an aftermarket GPS than to sell a new car and lose thousands on the deal.

    Of course, calling around and finding the NAV equipped car before settling for the non-NAV car would have been a much wiser move :D

    I can't believe you missed the whole point of MY post and went and looked up all those screen sizes, just to try to prove YOUR (way off base) point...

    Dennis
  • hondagirl4hondagirl4 Member Posts: 6
    Okay, you guys. Be nice. Barry was just trying to be helpful. I appreciate all the input I have received. I spoke with my attorney and he advised me to try to talk to the sales manager first, then go to the owner of the company. I don't want to have to bring in the Department of Consumer Affairs and my attorney because of their dishonest employee (who has been fired already, BTW). I couldn't hurt. Maybe they will negotiate. I'll let you know how it turns out and what my decision will be. Wish me luck. :D
  • testdogtestdog Member Posts: 1
    Ok, two cents (or $2.50 w/ inflation):
    - Trading in your new car and taking the devaluation hit (after just taking the deval hit on your 1st Accord) is not good value, especially when there are plenty of good aftermarket choices for nav. If you must have new accord, I'd take my business to a different dealership. Then, I'd drive the brand new accord to the 1st dealer and tell them they lost your loyal Honda business for good. Then, I'd write to the Honda Area Representative and tell them why you're so pissed off and your going to give Toyota serious consideration in all future car/truck purchases.
    - Don't buy a laptop nav solution. laptops are too big/bulky to work in a car, and seriously annoying if there's a passenger in the seat next to you.
    - controls are very difficult when in a car (keyboard & touchpad)
    - screen is almost impossible to see during the day.
    - any mounting products will be expensive
    - laptop will be a pain to hide everytime you get out of the car (to prevent theft)
    - Do consider:
    - PDA (personal digital assistant, i.e. iPAQ (HP), Palm, & even one by Garmin) based nav solution
    - Dedicated nav device (similar to PDA based, but does only nav)
    - Aftermarket, in-dash nav (mounts in the radio (DIN) slot)
    - The above three choices (& there are many in each category) are almost as good as the factory nav, but a whole lot cheaper (a little more later on why these are not better than factory solutions). There are some that are much worse also.
    - The important message here is that you don't have to get Honda factory nav to have an excellent nav solution in your car
    - Some feature overview for these aftermarket nav soutions
    - many use maps from Navteq (used be "Navtech") the same people that supply maps to all the major car makers for their factory nav solution. (this is probably one of the most important factors).
    - Features incld: voice prompts, dynamic re-routing, Points of Interests (retaurant, hotel, gas, etc), moving map display, ability to buy map updates, enter destination from the PDA contact list, record your travel route, 3-D map view, ability to change the voice for the voice promt, route preference by freeway, local roads & option for toll roads, automatic color schemes for daytime & night time (so the screen isn't blindingly bright at night). zoom and pan the map, ETA, distance to destination, elapsed time, etc.. (list goes on)
    - PDA's use a touch screen and the better/newer versions have big buttons so you can use your finger to tap the information in.
    - My opinion on essentials: Navteq map, dynamic re-routing, clear voice promts, fast routing engine, easy to use interface.
    - PDA solution almost always force you to "cut up" the map on a PC and transfer it to the PDA (some dedicated units do as well). This is because the map of the whole USA is HUGE and there isn't enough storage (memory) on the PDA to store it all, so they make you cut out a few States or regions and transfer to PDA. The maps are huge because there is so much infomration for routing (one-way or not, speed, turn limitations , no left/right turns), road class, also Points of Interest data base). I heard that the whole USA map is about 1-1/2 gigabytes. usually factory nav and in-dash nav units store the map on a DVD disc moutend somewhere.
    - As I mentioned earlier, factory nav is better than almost any aftermarket nav. Why? Because no matter how good these PDA/dedicated/other nav solutions are, they almost always rely on one sensor, the GPS. A few high end aftermarket solutions (in-dash units) use multiple sensors like the factory nav does. These other sensors are speed sensor, steering sensor and most importantly a gyro. This is important because GPS requires a view of the sky to know it's location. Enter a tunnel or drive around in downtwon new york or san francisco and your GPS signal is lost or very weak/sporadic. The additional sensors help the nav system guess where your going even with a temporary loss of GPS signal. Keep in mind no amount of addional sensor will help if you loose GPS signal for an extended period.
    - I've tried many nav solutions and i'm currently using a PDA variety and I'm very happy. It also suits my particular needs (which may not match other's needs). I travel and when I do I grab my nav & GPS and fly to my destination. WHen I arrive & rent a car, I plug in the cigarette power and i'm ready to drive. I"ve tried the Hertz "neverlost" gps nav and it sux [non-permissible content removed] man. I"ve also tried the laptop nav and all the above mentioned issues were learned the hard way.
  • tubaman20tubaman20 Member Posts: 1
    Was that HID deal through hidexpress.com? I'm looking at an upgrade through them myself.
  • workoholicworkoholic Member Posts: 6
    Does anyone know if the OEM EP-R5 17" rims fit on the i4 coupes? From the official Honda website, when I click "build & price" and pick an i4 in any trim the EP-R5 isn't an option from the accessories panel. The obvious answer is probably because the i4 is too underpowered to run 17's, however I'd like to know for sure. Is anyone running on 17" in their i4's? Any issues?

    Thanks!

    http://automobiles.honda.com/images/2005/accord_coupe/customize/ACCOR05437_mid.jpg
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    Good post.

    Some other points - you can get a Garmin 2650 or 2660 "professionally installed" and it does "Dead reckoning" using a cable that attaches to the speedometer cable or electronics and the back up lights. These are the same GPS units as the 2610 and 2620 with this added feature. The price of these installed would (indeed) approach the price of an OEM system, however.

    Another thing to note, having a non-OEM GPS means you can use it in any car. I have 3 cars, 2 motorcycles, and truck and I can use my Garmin 276c or GPS V in any or them. My wife can use her GPS in either of her cars, or out daughter can borrow it. Depending on the GPS model some can be used hand held for hikes or geocahcing - or even on a boat.

    If you only have one car and you want a GPS, most OEM systems are integrated really nice and would be an (expensive) best choice.

    Dennis
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    Are the V-6 Accords also 4 lug wheels or are they 5 lug?

    I know the V-6 LX and I4 LX use different size steel wheels (1" larger diameter on the V-6) and I assumed this would be to clear the larger brakes on the V-6 car. Unless the lugs are different, I don't know why it would not fit.

    Aftermarket wheels are probably a cheaper choice, in any case.

    Dennis
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    dorothy - sigh - it's clear you're not going to get over this by thinking differently about what you want and really need.

    you seem to be on a mission to hold someone accountable for the current outcome.

    i don't want to kill the experience for you - sway you one way or another - but i thought you might want to consider that at this point you're dealing with a known quantity (the operation / quality of the build of the vehicle which you're currently driving)... say you are put into another car after putting up additional funds and going through the hassle to "win". my hope is there are no issues with the replacement vehicle - and also - that you don't set up a situation with the dealership that makes future service a pain (i don't know the market you are in and your choices for who services the car under warrenty).

    i supposed you've taken both issues into consideration at this point.

    good luck.
  • workoholicworkoholic Member Posts: 6
    Hi Dwynne,

    I'm trying to stay within range of the oem specs as much as possible so that I can avoid any premature wear and tear. Both the i4 and v6 models use 5-lugs but my concerns stem from the www.hondacars.com website, which won't display any 16" or above alloy wheel as an option for any i4.

    What are some of the disadvantages / trade-off's of going with a lower profile tire? (If I do go with it I'm considering the Avon Tech M500 215/50-R17.)

    Would you reccomend any good aftermarket alloys (in terms of specs and aesthetics)

    Thanks ! :)
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    To keep the speedo and odo right, you have to do +1 (or +2 or +3) with the new wheels and tires. The means adding and inch or two or three to the diameter of the wheel and tire while getting a lower profile tire - when done properly the new tires circumference will be about the same as OEM - so no speedo or odo error.

    I would go to the TireRack.com web page and use their "wheel machine" to try various tires and wheels onto your Accord and see what you think about them. They have all ranges of prices and styles - and can sell you the wheels with new tires pre-mounted on them (mounting and balancing for free with the package).

    All of the wheels they sell should be OEM offset - you are wise not to go for something too wide or too offset. Some may think it looks cool (I don't) but it is heck on your car's suspension.

    Lower profile tires look better :D They also (having a lower profile) provide better and more stable cornering due to less sidewall flex. If you go with a wider tire then you get a larger contact patch which equals more dry road grip. You have to be sure not to go too wide - since you don't want the tires rubbing and either swing of the steering or hitting the fenders if the suspension bottoms out.

    The downside is that all but the most expensive wheels will be a lot heavier than OEM steel wheels (or even alloys). Larger un-sprung weight detracts from handling even as the lower profile improves it. Also the ride will be a lot more firm - that is good thing at a race track but can be a bad thing on pot hole filled roads. With so little rubber between the road and the rim you can hit a curb or pop hole and easily bend a rim.

    Wider tires also tend to hydroplane worse as well as being worse in the snow.

    So there is lot to think about when deciding to get new and different size rims and tires.

    The Avon MTech gets good reviews and tests on the TireRack site, but I have never used them. Another to look at are tires from the Kumho line - a lot of performance for a little money. I have used their tires on several different cars with good results. TireRack sells these as well. If you never drive in snow, a "summer tread" tire will out perform most all season tires in both the wet and dry and would be your first choice. After that is a trade off of grip VS wear. They make tires that will last you 70k miles or more, but they are pretty darn hard so braking distance will go up and cornering down. Something nice and soft may wear out quick (the OEM rears on my S2000 lasted 12k miles or so) but provive short, safe stops and ultimate grip. Soft tires tend to cost more too :D

    Dennis
  • lastwraithlastwraith Member Posts: 350
    The person who replied is right, BOSE systems almost always have individual amps built in to the system...and they generally fail before anything else. Do yourself a favor and instead of replacing or repairing the BOSE amp (for which there are plenty of places online ready to take your money) go get a decent system amp and have it run all four speakers for you. If you get an aftermarket 4 channel amp you will save yourself money and get more power in the process. Even if you don't want to sound-blast your neighbors, more power means more dynamic overhead, which means better sound. Besides the fact that you won't have to worry about a little crappy BOSE amp petering out later.

    If you try installing the speakers with no amplification you may end up screwing up your deck. BOSE speakers are 3 ohm instead of 4 ohm I believe which will cause them to try and pull more power from your headunit. I would really recommend either forgetting about the BOSE speakers altogether or getting a 4 ch amp for everything. There are many sites online with people complaining about Nissan BOSE installations....doesn't seem like there is much of a reason to put that in your car.

    good luck
  • cstilescstiles Member Posts: 465
    I have 17 inch silver-painted Kazera KZ-R alloy wheels on my 6spd Accord, with Firestone Firehawk SZ50 summer times. I use the stock wheels and OEM Michelin Pilots in the winter. The wheels are $129 each on Tire Rack. Great grip and decent ride with these tires. You can check them out on the virtual upgrade garage on their website. Lots of nice choices and different prices to choose from.
  • garandmangarandman Member Posts: 524
    I like the Garmin 2610 - I bought them for our entire sales staff . You can take it into your house or office and program in all the waypoints there. The detal map information is stored on a memory card - I have the entire East Coast on a 512KB card. And you can use it in any vehicle.

    The display is smaller than the factory systems. The factory systems have bigger screens: but the Garmin can be located much closer to your line of sight.

    For $6-700 it's a no-brainer.
  • highrollerhighroller Member Posts: 351
    Yes, i agree.. the gentleman at the nissan dealership told me that its better to get a whole new setup for less than the cost of getting a new bose factory system installed by nissan ($1,300 !?) With that much money put into your car for a sound system, it'd be better to go to cartoys or any audio electronic stores. For me, i personally would go for the brand names ones like alpine (which i have on my honda accord as of right now). This all depends on how many watts/power your speakers,headunit, and speakers can push.
  • kingrkingr Member Posts: 62
    New owner of a 2005 Accord Sedan LX 4cyl. Not sure I really like the black side skirts(Rocker Panels) below the doors. Does anyone know if the fit is the same if I tried to replace the black skirts with the EX color matched side skirts. Also I have mud flaps, would they still fit with the new side skirts.
    Thanks
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    The EX skirts are probably come black are are painted to match. Look at getting your current ones painted.
  • mcstylinmcstylin Member Posts: 5
    whatsup..got any pics of what those wheels you got look like? thats a great deal.
  • mcstylinmcstylin Member Posts: 5
    5) Any hints on upgrade in speakers... do I really need to upgrade deck, I would hate to lose the deck because it is housed nicely and I can't imagine any "deck kit" being to obtain and nice smooth look as original stock. So what do you guys recommend if I plan to keep the deck

    Im sure you've since worked on this but in case you havent, maybe check out Crutchfield.com. I ordered a replacement dash piece that makes the climate controls still look good with the aftermarket receivers..bout $150..I think installing premium sound equip is the way to go, alpine, pioneer, etc.
  • kingrkingr Member Posts: 62
    Yea, I went to a body shop to ask about painting them, They said they would not recommend painting them because of the plastic. Could not guarantee how long the paint would last before it started peeling or chipping. Can anyone tell me what material the EX skirts are made of. Is it plastic or metal?
  • mcstylinmcstylin Member Posts: 5
    I recently purchased the 2005 Accord LX 4 cyl. (2 dr, manual). Ordered an AEM cold air intake, but the guy selling it is asking if the 2005 Accord has a "IAT Sensor" or "Massive Air Sensor". I guess he says if it does the check engine light comes on if I install this AEM? ANyone have any info about the sensors? thanks..
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I believe they are plastic.
  • mcstylinmcstylin Member Posts: 5
    I agree. Why pay more for a V6 when you can make modifications over time (which is more fun) and add to the power of your car that way..Get a K&N air filter or a AEM/Injen Cold air intake, and then go from there to increase power. I drive an LX 4cyl 2005...no probs with its power for me so far..MC
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    My 04 EX-L has plastic skirts (thankfully) on it. I have painted plastic air dams on other cars before and never had peeling problems. I would go to another body shop for a second opinion. Try a place that specializes in customizing, my guess is the place you called didn't want to deal with a small $$ job.
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    Just something I noticed, and probably has been mentioned here before. It appears that Honda has used both plastic and metal hoods on Accord. Possibly using plastic only on V6 models? My 4 cyl has a metal hood, but a guy at work with a '03 coupe V6 has a plastic hood. I also noticed that a V6 with a plastic hood used gas shocks to hold open, and did not have a prop rod like my 4 cyl. If your intent on using the 3M coating to protect from rust due to stone chips will not apply if your hood is plastic. A quick check with a fridge magnet will let you know what you have.
  • kingrkingr Member Posts: 62
    Has anyone put a K&N air filter in a 2004 - 2005 Accord Sedan 4 cyl. If so any noticeable increases in gas mileage or performance?
  • gouldngouldn Member Posts: 220
    I have a 2005 Accord V6/NAVI coupe, and I love the car so far, with the exception of the factory sound.

    I don't want to modify the head unit at all .. as I like the integration, and navi. It seem to me that I could get away with just replacing the speakers.

    So, if I am willing to throw $500-1K at the problem, what would people recommend that would not require an external amp, or other system modifications ... just a plug-and-play swap.

    Does one have to add an amp to get best results?
  • davetdavet Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I was thinking of replacing the rear sway bar on my 04 Accord EX. Where did you get the sway bar for $40?
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    I tried just replacing the rear 6"x9" speakers in the rear of my '04 Accord EX-L Navi sedan with $120 Alpine speakers. It sounded terrible!!! it was real tinny sounding with no base!!. The factory amp just can't handle the requirements of better speakers. A while back there was a posting that found the exact problem that I ran into. Their solution to the problem was to add an amp to drive the replacement speakers. I only swapped out the rear speakers, I don't know how it would have worked if I did the door one's as well. My solution for now was to return the Alpine speakers and put back the factory ones. You might want to leave things as-is for a while to see if the sound improves. I remember reading articles on home speakers, saying that there is a break-in period. I guess the material used for the cones improves sound wise after they have been played a while. I will let my ears decide if that happens with my car.
  • garandmangarandman Member Posts: 524
    Has anyone put a K&N air filter in a 2004 - 2005 Accord Sedan 4 cyl. If so any noticeable increases in gas mileage or performance?

    Most people who buy them don't bother to do performance tests before they replace the stock system, so they have no idea. I've yet to find a K&N user that documented before and after performance and mpg.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    kingr:

    Do you REALLY want to have to handle a messy, dirty, oily air filter, have to wash it out, rinse it, dry it and reoil it before reinstalling it and having to clean up the mess on whatever surfaces you've contaminated? YECHHHH!

    I gave up on oil soaked air filters the day that I read that all manufacturers were going to the much more effective pleated paper type back in the 1960's. Pull out the old one, pop in a new one and off you go in a few minutes.

    If anyone claims that they've experienced "noticeable increases in gas mileage or performance" with a K&N, I wouldn't believe a word of it. They do have great advertising though.
  • cstilescstiles Member Posts: 465
    I replaced my stock 6x9 and front door speakers in my 6spd coupe with Boston Acoustics FX93 and FX6 speakers. I did not replace the stock tweeters in the dash. Same head unit and no separate amp. The sound quality after this swap was much better, with improved bass and treble response. I believe the 6spd coupe has an upgraded "Premium Sound" system (200 watts?). In any case, I have been very happy with my swap. Good luck.
  • highrollerhighroller Member Posts: 351
    i've heard that these air filters allow more dirt in and therefore more horsepower. So basically, if you want more horsepower you'll have to gamble with the amount of dirt it lets in. There's a study on air filters about this. I don't know if all k&n air filters are the same with all the different vehicles out on the road though. But you should do some research. The study shows that the best air filters are the paper made ones. To the point, usually Fram is known for bad oil filters but for air filters, they look like one of the best. For me, i usually go with wix or napa gold air filters. i have fram right now on my 97 accord and it works great, i recently opened up the filter box and saw alot of trapped dirt on them (i've been using these for 10,000 miles now and i live in a dusty area in TEXAS). In my next air filter replacement, ill go with wix or napa gold whichever i can get first because they're about the same.
  • highrollerhighroller Member Posts: 351
    Every new aftermarket speakers usually need another more powerful amp in order to produce the high watts of the speakers. I have 2 front alpine type s speakers and 2 rear type s speakers also for my 97 honda accord. i also installed the alpine 9825 head unit also at the same time as the 4 speakers. When i first installed them without an amp the clarity of the sound was good but the bass was terrible. When i hooked them up to an amp and subwoofers, it sounded awesome. Probably whenever switching from stock speakers to aftermarket speakers, you would probably want to consider investing in subwoofers, sub box, and an amp. ( you would also have to buy lines and fuses to connect everything). In the end, you'll have a decent sound system because only replacing speakers with a stock headunit (or even a good aftermarket headunit) would not sound all that great. And even if you're not the type of person who wants "loud rattling, waking up the neighbor type of sound system" , having an amp and subs would still be the best choice if you want a decent system with good treble and bass. Might as well get a good system including everything that i've talked about above. Good luck :P
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