SNW - I am no mechanic by any means but my 98 Accord V-6 "check" light came on the night before I took it in for my Calif smog. I unhooked the battery for a few minutes and then rehooked it and the light was out and has stayed out for a month now. The car passed the smog no problem. I read about doing this here on these forums. I figure if (when) the light comes back on I'll take it to get the codes read. The other thing I've learned from these forums is that Mr. Bolivar knows a lot about cars. dayll
First my reclining on the powerseat went. Now it's my front to back and vice versa. What I'm looking to buy are the actuator motors that perform these tasks. They sell the whole unit for almost $600, but I figure, if I replace the motors only, I could save some bucks. If anyone knows of where I might find these, please let me know. Thanks.
I'm worried about a series of failures on the power seat. This sounds more like a switch failure. Have you had anyone check the switches?
The switch module is lots cheaper than probably just one of the motors.
If Honda only sell the entire assembly, that's how they 'come'. Otherwise junkyard. And, have you looked at this assembly? It might be very tough to pull individual motors. The assembly might be welded together and individual motors would be tough to pull apart.
If you know the basic operation of a voltmeter and you can get to a connector to a motor you think is failed, you can check it. Pull a connector, put the voltmeter across the connections, and push the operating button. You should get 12Volts + or -. Push the button the other direction, and you should get 12volts in a reverse polarity (- or +). If you get the voltage, the switch is ok and you probably do have a motor problem. If no volts, you have a switch problem.
I have a 2000 EX with 5 speed. My check engine light came on during a cold morning trip to work. I took it to the dealership to have the codes run. According to the code, the computer sensed that the coolant was not at the correct temperature and thus threw the code. This is 2nd time that this has happened in the past 4 years. I was the second owner of a 2000 Accord with that problem at the dealership last Saturday. They reset the error, but said that if it continues to happen we might have to replace the computer; which would cost around 1000.00. I find it interesting how basically the same car can have distinct problems by model year. I guess we will wait and see.
Did you have heat in the car? I'm wondering if a thermostat stuck open (coolant never warming up to correct operating temperataure) might set this code.
A thermostat is lots cheaper than a computer module. For a module, I sure would attempt to find one in a salvage rather than pay dealer price. Of course, some modules might have to be re-set a specific car, which maybe only a dealer or independent with eloborate 'code reader' could do.
FWIW, i would also say, that with very infrequent CELs for the same thing, i'd suspect the sensor, or the thermostate before suspecting the computer module. why not ask an independant to change your thermostat. at 6+ years, it's possible it's periodically sticking.
i think bolivar has it right.
however, i personally wouldn't even entertain replacing the ECU module until both the thermostat and the temp sensor had been replaced. i'd do one at a time, and have an auto parts outlet read and reset the codes if necessary, specially if the dealership is charging you for it.
also on cold mornings, i suppose i would resist commanding warm air to the cabin until the vehicle had warmed up some. i'm not positive about this but i would think sending the coolant to a heat exchanger or the coils in the cabin just retards the warmup of the engine overall.
last but not least, per bolivar, if i went the ECU replacement route, and hopefully you wouldn't get this far, i'd be looking at a refurbished / reclaimed part. 1K is insane. but i'm thinking the ECU is good. if it were bad, i'd expect consistently odd behavior, not a 2 times in 4yr situation with one particular function.
4cyl or 6cyl? As I understand it, the 6 has the warranty. Which is yours? My sister in law has a 4cyl 2002 w/19,000 miles, they're telling her it'll be $2800 - OUCH!
Going for the Timing belt + water pump + drive belts + sparkplugs replacement job shortly to the Dealer. I was wondering if there are any flushes you'd recommend at this point, or anything that is overdue. The brake fluid flush was done at 90k, and the power steering fluch was done at 65k. Thanks for any feedback.
It's a 5 speed 4cyl....the transmission flush was done at 90k service. Do I need a power steering flush? or whatever flush that makes the Dealer richer? Yes, you're right the timing belt job will take care of the coolant.
so you don't need the tranny serviced. i really don't know the interval for the power steering. i really don't. it's probably in the owner's manual though.
i'm not sure they ever "flush" the power steering. I thought maybe they drain and replace. perhaps you could save yourself a few bucks and do it yourself.
Hoping you can help me. I've had constant check engine light since 4 days after I bought a 98 v6 accord coupe in 10/04 w/134000 miles. Now has 149000, light still on and needs emissions to pass. Code 1457 registered 2 years ago but didn't have fixed (they said evaporator canister,etc) Notice car has made intermittent humming noise since then when in garage and quiet, near gas tank and has run fine. More recently, after driving for at least 10-15 minutes, check engine light starts flashing off and on consistenly and at stop lights, the car starts shaking like its misfiring, but when driving, it seems fine. After turning the engine off and back on, the check engine light stays on and doesn't flash. Also, do you think if I go to the emissions, the car will pass? They use a computer hookup under drivers side under sttering wheel? They don't use the old tube hooked to the tailpipe. I know I can puull the fuse or unhook the battery to turn the light off for a few days but I suspect the computer reading will still not pass?? Any suggestions as Honda and other shops say it could be 100 things, like you said. i just need this car to last for my 15 1/2 yr old as it has served my 18 yr old for the past 2 years. If it makes it till then, I'm happy. I just can't see spending alot of $$$ on this light when I only paid 3800 2 years ago. Thanks for your input!
I have a 2000 V-6 coupe, purchased used one year ago. I've put 6,000 miles on it, total of 51,000 miles on the car. Of course, an owner's manual did not come with the vehicle so I don't know what service is required/recommended at the 50K mark. I've changed the oil/filter every 3K to date. Any information is appreciated. If the 2000 service manual is available somewhere online, can someone please tell me where?? Thanks.
Just drove my grandmother's 2002 LX Accord (I-4 Auto), ~85,000 miles. I noticed that the key-in-ignition reminder chime (be be be beep, be be be beep) didn't beep at all like it should. Any ideas? The car ran okay, and started flawlessly. Just curious on what this might be.
I have a 2000 Accord, it had its transmission replaced in 05 under a 7 yr extended warranty due to high failure rates. For the last few weeks it has been revving really high before shifting the first couple of shifts after starting in the morning. Last week it wouldn't enagage D4, just kept stalling, but engaged D3. After warming up was fine, but it raised 2 failure codes, P0730 and P0780. This only happened once, but it is continuing to revv high (6000 RPM) first couple of shifts, seems like it misses for a split second, then engages. Honda confirms that the ext warranty still is in effect on mine for 2 months.
Took it to a local dealer who read the codes, but said that since it didn't re-occur during his 20 min test drive his conclusion is that there is nothing wrong with it.
Is this a reasonable response from him? I'd thing that 2 failure codes against the transmission, plu smy description would clearly indicate something wrong, regardless of what happened during his test drive. I'm nervous about how this might fail (in traffic, making a left, etc). Curious what people think...
hi - my dealer just diagnosed that the transmission is a problem in my 2000 accord as well. It revs high (not 6 though) in the first two gears and the 3rd actually and takes a real long time to get into D4. It's out of warranty unfortunately as I have 170,000 KM's on it already. No failure codes coming up or anything like that. Dealer says I should replace the transmission. He quoted $2,500 Canadian dollars. I can't afford that much for this car. He also recommended rear brake pads and machining of rotors at a cost of $280 plus taxes. Please tell me if this is reasonable? thanks a lot.
Unreal, mine logs 2 tranny failure codes and is under warranty so the dealer says nothing he can do, yours logs no codes and isn;t under warranty so the dealer wants to replace the transmission. How long have you had this problem? My dealer told me that if its a transmission problem it will clearly get much worse in no more than a week so I'll have no problems with the warranty...
Not sure about the brakes, personally I never let the dealer touch the brakes. I once had a dealer tell me my truck needed $400 worth of brake work, a smaller shop did a $50 adjustment and said they were good to go. Drove it for 3 more years and never had a brake problem.
running the original front pads with 104k miles (mostly highway driving). Should I get the pads changed because of the mileage?. the car is scheduled for a timing belt, water pump, spark-plugs job next week. I have no problem with the brake pads (knock on wood). any thoughts?
I picked up my car today. the bill says "internal failure" and gives the following - #F23A1 8030915 - I think they are identifying the Engine number for some reason or is it a failure code? I have had this gear switching problem for a few months now. I am assuming it will get worse over time. I have had to replace the steering column on this car and that was not under warranty either. I drove it after they replaced that ( a while ago) and I was exiting off the highway at 50 mph and I couldn't turn the vehicle properly - the steering wheel was getting stuck !!! That was scary. I took it back and they fixed it again. No apology or anything. I'm very tired of Accords especially mine. I would rather have the new civic. Anyway, I'm getting a friend of mine (an engineer who is a car buff) take a drive in it to tell me if I need to replace the tranny at all.
I won't let the dealer touch my brakes for sure. I have a friend with a workshop who can tell me if I need new brakes. Will post my findings.
Well, it took 24 hrs for my Honda to log another failure. The failure codes all start with P.... Called Honda Canada and they were pretty much useless. They confirmed that it is standard procedure to assume that if an error code is logged to not perform service until it is logged a 2nd time or the problem is observed by a dealer, regardless of what the customer is reporting (ie they assume the customer is lying). The dealer now tells me that since a fault has re-occured that they will fix it assuming it is the same fault. My next car will NOT be a Honda, sad, this is our 3rd. I used to live elsewhere and the service was great.
Just had my '99 V6 serviced for timing belt,drive belt and water pump. wife uses the car as a commute car and drives the freeway. She states she heard strange sound (she describes it as sound that's similar to when CD get's stuck in CD player and just spins...??) from the car. This was on the freeway and it happened on two separate days. Sound would come and go she states. I tried duplicating the sound but i couldn't. Any thoughts? Faulty belt installation?? Car was serviced at the dealer. And yes, the cost was outrageous, but bad experience with non-dealer shops. Any thoughts??
cannell3, it would've been helpful had you at least indicated in which country you live. In the U.S., all automakers are on the hook for the first 8 yrs./80,000 miles if a new ECU is necessary courtesy of the federal emissions warranty for three specific subsystems:
The ECU The catalytic converter The onboard emission diagnostic device
You'd have to check your warranty supplement booklet to verify whether that's true in Canada if you're Canadian. Given the similarities in many air quality matters between the two nations I wouldn't be at all surprised - there is more or less free immigration between the U.S. and Canada and I doubt either country requires new arrivals from the other to purchase a new car when a change in official residence occurs. (with the notable exception of Soviet-era Lada commie-cars The U.S. won't even allow those little between-the-legs Brezhnev borshcht burps in the country on a visit.)
Accords require service in 15K mile increments. The 30K, 60K, 90K etc services are more comprehensive. Sorry I don't have details on what's done; I've always called the service department at the dealership for this.
I have a 2002 Accord Special Edition. I bought it new and it has had 2 of the Honda remanufactured transmissions put in. The last one was done in Sept. 05.
The tranny goes into gear without a problem... what I am finding though is that the car is very sluggish. If cold, it has a very hard shift to gear 2. If I come to a rolling stop it has a hard downshift sometimes too. Overall the car seems like it is not as peppy with this latest transmission, and you really feel the grade logic on this one. Like the engine and tranny aren't on speaking terms sometimes.
Overall, I think I should be able to back up out of my garage and have a smooth shifting car...even if the temp is in the 60's!!
Does this sound like another bad tranny? I am so sick of this car, but it is almost paid for and has only 60K. Advice?
So talking to my dealer yesterday, as they agreed to replace another transmission, I mentioned to one of the reps that this is my 1st and hopefully last auto trans. He told me not to let this experience turn my off Honda autos, since the replacements they are using aren't made by Honda. According to him the replacement ones are just a roll of the dice. They'll likely only replace yours if it logs a failure code, but yes what you describe sounds familiar.
Anyone know where I can get an assembly diagram of the shifter for a '98 Accord? The screw came out of the one in my girl's car, and having trouble getting it back together...not sure I have all of the springs, etc.
Hi, I have Accord 1999 EX, coupe, 4 cyl, auto. I want to do a coolant change myself. But I can not find the drain bolt, and its quite unclear from the Owner's Manual where it is located. And - yes, a shame on me! - I am quite unfamiliar with cars in general. Can anyone give me an advise on this issue? Thanks in advamce.
I think I remember in my 2002 manual (car recently sold), there was an explaination and diagram of the location of the coolant drain plug.
Drain petcocks are almost always at the bottom corner (left or right) of the radiator. On the radiator bottom or just up the back side of the radiator. If are so 'unfamiliar with cars' that you cannot find the drain, maybe you should not attempt this. I worry that through your inexperience you could injure yourself - such as opening the cooling system, either the drain or the radiator cap while the car is still 'hot' and scalding yourself when the overheated coolant blows out....
thank you for your prompt response. The safety is not a problem, I am unfamiliar with cars but not stupid at all, and if I do something I am not an expert in (if I have whole information), usually I do it - to my surprise - much better of others, even professionals (ok, maybe just because of having spent 10 times longer on it). The problem is just to find that drain bolt. I saw that drain petcock at the bottom of the radiator you mentioned in your post, but my Manual says I should unscrew the drain bolt, too, which located I guess somewhere near the oil filter, but yet I failed to find it. My current idea is to try to pour out the coolant through that radiator's petcock if it is possible (we all know that it is very difficult to pour off a liquid from a can if we make the only one whole in it, right?). Thank you once again, I appreciate your concern. Leo
I have a 2000 EX-V6 with 80,000 miles. I bought it new. About two years ago we started noticing a gas odor occasionally. After some time I have been able to pinpoint the occurences - after the car has been sitting long enough to be cold, the odor will be present after the car has been driven a mile or two. It only last for a short period and will not do it again during that trip. I have had the fuel injector O-rings replaced - no help. Dealers have not heard of problem before and can't really locate unless it gets worse. It hasn't gotten worse over the last two years - just annoying. Any ideas? Thanks.
I never actually drained coolant on my 2002 V6. If you have a 4 cyl it might have a 'drain bolt' but this is not something I am familiar with.
Your radiator does have a radiator cap. If you loosen this, and open the petcock, the coolant will come out! You can try to get the coolant out of the 'overflow' container also. May be able to remove this plastic jug and empty it.
Refill thru the radiator cap. Fill to the top. Add more to the overflow tank, up to the 'full cold' line. Replace the radiator cap. Drive the car, get temp up to operating temp, stop the car, let it cool off completely. It should suck coolant from the overflow container back into the radiator as the engine cools. Add more coolant to bring it up to the cold fill line. Check the coolant level a couple more times over the next few days driving the car, check when the engine is cold.
I seldom recommend buying 'manufactor' service items. But Hondas are somewhat different. Always buy Honda auto transmission fluid, nothing else is the same. When I needed to top off coolant in my Honda, I bought their coolant, even though it is about double the price of other 'extended life' coolant. I've read some posting that Honda does compound unique coolant for their alumium motors and radiators that is somewhat different from other over-the-counter brands.
Be careful with coolant, do not let animals drink it. It is 'tasty' to them and only about 1 or 2 oz will kill a large dog.
I've been told it decomposes easily in the sewer system and does not cause any pollution problems.
For those of you with 2000-2001 Accords and trans problems, I just received a notice of a class action lawsuit that if approved by the court will extend the warranty on the trans to 93 months or 109,000 miles. The kicker is there is no reimbursement for repairs or replacment prior to August 21, 2006. The court is making a decision on 12/28/06.
Hey everyone, just woundering if anyone can explain this. I was crusin tonight in my 98 Accord V6, and after about maybe a half hour drive we stopped and shut off the car to go into a store. When we came out and turned on the car, the engine was making a weird whistling noise almost like a vaccume or something. I dont have a clue whats going on. When you give it gas, the whistling gets louder. You can hear it more inside the car then the outside, but it seems to be almost comming from the area where the alternator and belt is. Any thoughts of what might be happening? :confuse: :sick:
could be a pulley noise...idler pulley or alternator bearing...if you are careful you can take a piece of hose and put it to your ear and poke around...but you'd better be paying close attention where you are putting your hands.
does the frequency of this noise go up and down as you press and release the gas or is it more or less constant?
The noise gets louder as I press on the gas, up until about 3000RPM+, and then you can hear the engine over the wisteling noise. it is alot louder inside, I just dont get it. And it wasnt doing it until I turned the car off for about 5 mins,and then turned it on. And then all of a sudden it was making this messed up noise :confuse: I plan on keeping this car for a long time, and I do not want to hear this every time I drive the car. It seems to be getting louder. Thanks for any input.
Well you'd better have it looked at before something cuts loose in there and then you have more damage. It could be really simple, so there's no cause to worry. An idler pulley is an easy fix.
Just got back from the local garage, and I was told that I may have lost or blown a bearing on my pully. Said that it was normal and just comes with wear and tear, and I have an oppointment Friday. Dont know, he was a young mechanic and it didnt really seem like he actually heard the noise, and was just going by what I said. We will see Friday I guess, just hope nothing too serious. Thanks for all your thoughts, it was helpful as I had some ideas of what to ask when I went in to the shop today. Thanks.
I think I heard a quote of nearly $100 to do it on my friend's 2001 Acura CL coupe (same type of clock/light).
My local dealer (which is usually very fair IMO) wanted well over $100 to change the light which lights up my PRND4D321 on my center console... lots of labor time involved there. Upon hearing the price, I suddenly was okay with just ryling on the instrument panel indicator!
Thanks everyone for their great help. The clock light will probablly be changes as soon as I can get a hold of a bulb, and the noise turned out to be my alternator. I didnt really trust the young guys word, so I went back and asked to talk to someone else, he came out, turned on some of the electronics, went under the hood and dissconnected my alternator, and bam, the noise was gone. He told me that the alternator was probablly just breaking in (had to buy a new one about a year ago, and it came from their shop). So nothing major, said it was fine to drive. Dont help the fact that the noise drives my off the wall, but I guess ill have to get used to it. Thanks everyone again for their help.
whoa, whoa. An alternator "breaking in" is not an acceptable answer IMO. If it's really noisy, you have a bearing problem. Now it might last a long time but it's not going to get better.
Comments
The switch module is lots cheaper than probably just one of the motors.
If Honda only sell the entire assembly, that's how they 'come'. Otherwise junkyard. And, have you looked at this assembly? It might be very tough to pull individual motors. The assembly might be welded together and individual motors would be tough to pull apart.
If you know the basic operation of a voltmeter and you can get to a connector to a motor you think is failed, you can check it. Pull a connector, put the voltmeter across the connections, and push the operating button. You should get 12Volts + or -. Push the button the other direction, and you should get 12volts in a reverse polarity (- or +). If you get the voltage, the switch is ok and you probably do have a motor problem. If no volts, you have a switch problem.
A thermostat is lots cheaper than a computer module. For a module, I sure would attempt to find one in a salvage rather than pay dealer price. Of course, some modules might have to be re-set a specific car, which maybe only a dealer or independent with eloborate 'code reader' could do.
i think bolivar has it right.
however, i personally wouldn't even entertain replacing the ECU module until both the thermostat and the temp sensor had been replaced. i'd do one at a time, and have an auto parts outlet read and reset the codes if necessary, specially if the dealership is charging you for it.
also on cold mornings, i suppose i would resist commanding warm air to the cabin until the vehicle had warmed up some. i'm not positive about this but i would think sending the coolant to a heat exchanger or the coils in the cabin just retards the warmup of the engine overall.
last but not least, per bolivar, if i went the ECU replacement route, and hopefully you wouldn't get this far, i'd be looking at a refurbished / reclaimed part. 1K is insane. but i'm thinking the ECU is good. if it were bad, i'd expect consistently odd behavior, not a 2 times in 4yr situation with one particular function.
HTH
let's see, if an automatic, probably a transmission flush, depending on the last time it was done. it was changed before right?
Yes, you're right the timing belt job will take care of the coolant.
i'm not sure they ever "flush" the power steering. I thought maybe they drain and replace. perhaps you could save yourself a few bucks and do it yourself.
dunno.
thegrad
Took it to a local dealer who read the codes, but said that since it didn't re-occur during his 20 min test drive his conclusion is that there is nothing wrong with it.
Is this a reasonable response from him? I'd thing that 2 failure codes against the transmission, plu smy description would clearly indicate something wrong, regardless of what happened during his test drive. I'm nervous about how this might fail (in traffic, making a left, etc). Curious what people think...
Not sure about the brakes, personally I never let the dealer touch the brakes. I once had a dealer tell me my truck needed $400 worth of brake work, a smaller shop did a $50 adjustment and said they were good to go. Drove it for 3 more years and never had a brake problem.
Even if there is 1/3 to 1/2 left, if you keep the car for another 104K, your going to need a brake hob before you get rid of it.
I would replace the pads so I would not have to think about it for another 104K
Mrbill
I won't let the dealer touch my brakes for sure. I have a friend with a workshop who can tell me if I need new brakes. Will post my findings.
The ECU
The catalytic converter
The onboard emission diagnostic device
You'd have to check your warranty supplement booklet to verify whether that's true in Canada if you're Canadian. Given the similarities in many air quality matters between the two nations I wouldn't be at all surprised - there is more or less free immigration between the U.S. and Canada and I doubt either country requires new arrivals from the other to purchase a new car when a change in official residence occurs. (with the notable exception of Soviet-era Lada commie-cars
Accords require service in 15K mile increments. The 30K, 60K, 90K etc services are more comprehensive. Sorry I don't have details on what's done; I've always called the service department at the dealership for this.
The tranny goes into gear without a problem... what I am finding though is that the car is very sluggish. If cold, it has a very hard shift to gear 2. If I come to a rolling stop it has a hard downshift sometimes too. Overall the car seems like it is not as peppy with this latest transmission, and you really feel the grade logic on this one. Like the engine and tranny aren't on speaking terms sometimes.
Overall, I think I should be able to back up out of my garage and have a smooth shifting car...even if the temp is in the 60's!!
Does this sound like another bad tranny? I am so sick of this car, but it is almost paid for and has only 60K. Advice?
Thanks.
Drain petcocks are almost always at the bottom corner (left or right) of the radiator. On the radiator bottom or just up the back side of the radiator. If are so 'unfamiliar with cars' that you cannot find the drain, maybe you should not attempt this. I worry that through your inexperience you could injure yourself - such as opening the cooling system, either the drain or the radiator cap while the car is still 'hot' and scalding yourself when the overheated coolant blows out....
thank you for your prompt response. The safety is not a problem, I am unfamiliar with cars but not stupid at all, and if I do something I am not an expert in (if I have whole information), usually I do it - to my surprise - much better of others, even professionals (ok, maybe just because of having spent 10 times longer on it). The problem is just to find that drain bolt. I saw that drain petcock at the bottom of the radiator you mentioned in your post, but my Manual says I should unscrew the drain bolt, too, which located I guess somewhere near the oil filter, but yet I failed to find it. My current idea is to try to pour out the coolant through that radiator's petcock if it is possible (we all know that it is very difficult to pour off a liquid from a can if we make the only one whole in it, right?). Thank you once again, I appreciate your concern. Leo
Your radiator does have a radiator cap. If you loosen this, and open the petcock, the coolant will come out! You can try to get the coolant out of the 'overflow' container also. May be able to remove this plastic jug and empty it.
Refill thru the radiator cap. Fill to the top. Add more to the overflow tank, up to the 'full cold' line. Replace the radiator cap. Drive the car, get temp up to operating temp, stop the car, let it cool off completely. It should suck coolant from the overflow container back into the radiator as the engine cools. Add more coolant to bring it up to the cold fill line. Check the coolant level a couple more times over the next few days driving the car, check when the engine is cold.
I seldom recommend buying 'manufactor' service items. But Hondas are somewhat different. Always buy Honda auto transmission fluid, nothing else is the same. When I needed to top off coolant in my Honda, I bought their coolant, even though it is about double the price of other 'extended life' coolant. I've read some posting that Honda does compound unique coolant for their alumium motors and radiators that is somewhat different from other over-the-counter brands.
Be careful with coolant, do not let animals drink it. It is 'tasty' to them and only about 1 or 2 oz will kill a large dog.
I've been told it decomposes easily in the sewer system and does not cause any pollution problems.
does the frequency of this noise go up and down as you press and release the gas or is it more or less constant?
My local dealer (which is usually very fair IMO) wanted well over $100 to change the light which lights up my PRND4D321 on my center console... lots of labor time involved there. Upon hearing the price, I suddenly was okay with just ryling on the instrument panel indicator!
And, I think you will only be able to find the bulb at Honda, which means it will be expensive. But it can be done yourself, saving the labor charge.