Honda Accord (1998-2002) Maintenance and Repair

toyoman1

Yes tires are brand new Radials. The honda tech said sometimes when a new tire is made the belts shift inside the rubber before it sets up. Causing a thing known as radial tire pull. I looked it up it does exist. He stated that he would know for sure if he cross rotated the two front wheels. If it was what he thought with the bad tire then now it will pull in the opposite direction, which it does. He looked for bent suspension and steering and found no probs, dont think he would lie because I have no warranty, but hey, lets not relive their little motor mount scam!!! :mad:
Anyways, I will probably just buy two new tires this weekend and be done with it.

zakiman

ok, I have to admit , this may be a dumb question but I would like to ask it anyway. I have been taking may car to the dealer for regular oil changes, but now with 120k miles, I'd like to take it to a quick lube place or Jiffy Lube...etc. Do they use the same filter as the dealer and does it make any difference if they do or don't? Also, would they put 5W-20 oil or do I have to mention it to them?

Thanks very much

inkie

I have been purchasing all my parts from Honda parts 4 U, they are no longer selling on line or by phone. Could anyone recommend a seller of Honda Parts on the eastern coast or mid atlantic area? Thanx

elroy5

Jiffy lube probably uses the cheapest oil they can get, and definitely don't use Honda filters. If you want them to use something special, buy the oil and filter and bring it to the Jiffy lube with you. I use only Honda parts myself, but you do what you think is best. I do my own maintenance.

elroy5

You can get maintenance items from this web-site. I get some from HandAaccessories myself.
http://www.handaaccessories.com/accord.html
This site has just about any part you could want. I haven't bought from them yet, but have heard they are good.
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/

inkie

Thanks elroy, I'll check the sites out. I had about 8 sites a few years back but the Honda 4 U was very good so I discarded the info. Learn a lesson keep info that may be useful. Thanks again.

user777

yeah, love those sites. specially - the second link. the exploded diagrams for the various sub-systems is very helpful.

toyoman1

So I had my dream Accord a total of a month and a half. I was driving home from the hospital after a 12 hour shift it was about 530p, and coming down a two lane each way highway guess what happens. A man in a 18 wheeler turns in front of me. I jam on the brakes and swerve right to avoid hitting the semi. I hit the curb at about 55mph and jumped it, slamming back down onto the road he was turning onto. I slid in front of him and across that road, before hitting another curb and sliding the accord down an embankment. The police department issued the SEMI driver a ticket for failure to yeild, and leaving the scene of an accident. Yeah he drove off. The guy behind me chased him and called the PD. Both witnesses backed my story and I was found not at fault.

Now, about my baby. Could anyone take a stab in the dark as to what could have all been damaged by this kind of impact. The car drove onto the flatbed, just with two flat tires up front and the front rims damaged. Car was still running when I came to a stop. I was wondering if the curb could have caused frame damage? Anyone think it might have? And do you all think the the suspension could be jacked up? Anyways... today sucks... I lost my baby, hopefully not permanently. Be in the end she kept me safe. GO HONDA!!! :sick:

nls

I am getting a whining sound from my 99 EX with 72K miles, and apparently it is from the power steering pump. I got the fluid flushed but that didn't improve things much, so a replacement seems to be the only option. Is this a common failure at this mileage? OEM pump price is very high and even remanufactured replacement pumps are in the $200 range. Any advice?

bolivar

Why change it?

It could work fine for a lot of miles while whining.

nls

So what is the point at which one would replace it - when the steering becomes totally inoperable? Is it a gradual failure, or a sudden total failure?

elroy5

It will probably just gradually get worse. I don't think I could handle the noise though, and would have to do something about it.

tysonacc98

I have a 1998 Honda Acc EX 4dr sedan 2.3lt 4cyl Vtec. My friend and I just changed my timimg belt and water pump as well as all of the belts. In addition we changed the front/rear main seals and the clutch while we were in there. After reinstalling the motor and refilling the fluids it starts right up but has very low "rev" power.!?!
It seems as though it is not getting the proper air/fuel mixture. It seems to be burning excessive fuel. We thought maybe we screwed up on the placement of the timing belt so we went BACK in and double checked. No problems with the timing but after we put it all back the same fuel mixture problem was still occuring. We THEN took the head off and checked all valves at the machine shop and head OK. Then we put the head back. Same problem!?! THEN we changed the throttle posi sensor (TPS) thinking it may be that. Still the SAME PROBLEM!?! The snap-on scanner is saying "Map Sensor" but we never touched the MS (as it is on the intake).
We are str8 dumbfounded? My car has been on the lift for 5 days.Any suggestion/recommendations? Help! (PLEASE)??????

pdana

Has any one replaced the front shocks on a 2002 accord? Are there any special tools I would need? Or should I just take it to a mechanic? I have a 2002 Honda Accord sedan VP.

ace786

My car was running just fine until one day I took it in for maintenance. The mechanic told me there was some oil like residue in coolant. The car had never overheated or had any problems. The oil in coolant intensified and I took it in to Richmond Honda dealer to fix. The mechanic opened up the engine and replaced head gasket and had the upper part of engine tested for cracks or damage. After the job was done, the mechanic mentioned that he didn't really see any problems at the head gasket level. Two months later, the same problem is occurring and now the mechanic is saying that there could be a problem with the head cylinder or the engine block.....could this be true and if so should he not have addressed it when he had the engine open? Is the dealership sidetracking and if so what can I do as a consumer in British Columbia, Canada? Please help.

kulds

I have a similar problem, only difference is that it tends to make the clunking noise when i turn to the right only. It makes the noise when the car is stationary and the steering wheel is turned to the extreme right, and I try to move the steering wheel. One mechanic had told me not to worry about it....but I am not sure. So if you have found out anything let me know. Will sure appreciate it!!!
Thanks!!

dgrge

I have an 01 Accord LX and also get a clunking noise when turning right but it seems to only happen when the weather is cold. I've had the dealer check it out and of course they find anything because it doesn't make the noise when the drive it.

ovais

hi guys

I have a 2000 Accord with 185,000 Km's on it. Honda Canada sent out a letter in February of this year telling owners that if there car has less than 175,000 km, then tey should go to a dealer and have the transmission replaced and it will be covered under warranty. I took my car to a dealership last October when I had 172,000 Km on it and complained about my transmission being faulty and they said it would cost me $4,000 and at that time, Honda Canada had not sent out this letter. Well, I recently spoke to Honda Canada and they have asked me to send in the report from last October and also proof of the fact that I had my transmission serviced every 50,000 Km as per service guidelines and if I haven't had that done every 50,000 Km then the warranty is VOID? I have found the receipts for transmission servicing for 100,000 km and 156,000 km, but I can't find my receipt for the service between 0 and 100,000 km..................anyone have any experience dealing with Honda Canada or Honda USA in this type of matter?

thanks for your help.

blufz1

What did they charge for the bulb replacement?

miggymase

I dont remember what they charged but have recently changed the bulbs myself and it was extremely easy. I went to the dealer and purchased 3 bulbs which totaled $15.00 and changed them with no problem.

lletourn

Sorry, I haven't had any relevant experience with Honda USA, but I have had to have mechanics (specifically mechanics at Honda dealers) pull up my service records before to prove work had been completed in the past. I'm hoping that if you haven't tried this, it might work for you. Call the place(s) you think the past service was completed and see if they can print you a service record. Good luck.

snuke

I just read and printed the settlement to the Class Action Suit against Honda for the automatic transmission failures. The entire court documents can be found at www.hondatransmissionsettlement.com. You can enter your car's VIN # to see whether or not you car is part of the settlement. My car is but I have not had any problems with the transmission so far. I have less than 75,000 miles on my 2000 Accord. The Class Members in the settlement have to have had to purchase/lease the car after 11/21/98 and had less than 109,000 miles on the car on 8/21/06. The settlement extends the warranty on the transmission to 93-months and/or 109,000 miles. There is nothing in the court documents indicating you need proof the transmission was serviced every 50,000 miles.

zbx

Does anyone know how to change drivers side low beam halogen bulb on Honda Accord 2002 V6? All the manual says is to remove the radiator overflow container (easy enough), but the bulb is still covered by a plastic case.

Don't know how to remove the plastic screws to remove the plastic case. Might also have to remove battery and air filter casing?

Replacing passenger side bulbs is easy enough, also replacing drivers side high beam is also easy (but not the low beam)

Thanks
Thanks

emjkelly

Were you able to determine what this problem was.
I am having the exact same problem... and just got my 98 Accord used last Feb.2006.
Thanks for any help.

emjkelly

My new used 98 Accord has started dying while driving down the road. The green key light flashes on the instrument panel. The car will start right back up usually... even while still rolling down the road most times.
Please help me know what is my problem? Key? Ignition?Main Relay? and how can I determine which it is?
Thanks for the Help!!

raleigha

I have a 2002 Honda Accord and Honda just replaced my Transmission. They did not need any service records. If you are having a problem with the V6 transmission there should not be any need for your service records...

danarich

Hello,
I have recently purchased a 1998 accord ex-v6 with 39,000 miles on it. I'm not a previous Honda owner but this seems like a nice enough car. However I have a vibration that seems to be suspension related (maybe), or at least not engine related. I feel it through the steering wheel as well as the ride itself and it seems to come and go. It occurs while coasting or driving at a steady speed, especially around 60mph, but at lower speeds as well. The car idles perfectly and the acceleration seems smooth. I had the tires aligned, balanced, and rotated which alleviated the problem but did not eliminate it. Sorry for being so vague but I'm hoping that someone more technical than me can maybe at least ask me the right questions to get me going in the right direction. The tires appear to be relatively new as a final tidbit of info. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
danarich

tylerwm94

I have a similar problem with mine (98 4-cyl). It turns out that one of the rims is slightly bent causing steering wheel vibration. I especially notice it while braking and at lower speeds. If this is the problem, rotating the tires will change the feeling of the vibration (you'll feel it more if the wheel is on the front). I haven't replaced my wheel..I'm just dealing with it for now.

anilsule

I have a 1998 V6 Model it runs great and has 127K miles on it. This place where I went to have my oil changed, the guy advised me that i should have the Timing Belt changed. He gave me a quotation for $ 850 which included Water pump also. I took the car in for the job. He called me after an hour and said there was something broken(strut I think) and then reeled out a list of things that I should replace, including Termostat, Brake liner, spark plug, Ignition Wite, clutch etc. Since, I was nearby, I just went over and asked him what was broken, he said nothing was broken, but he was just recommending that I get them done as a precaution. I asked him to just stick to the Timing Belt and give me an Estimate for the Laundry List that he had and I would get it done next time I had a budget. Well, this extra 'Laundry List' toted up to $ 1400!! The Bill for the Timing Belt replacement came to $ 1200.

user777

ok, why didn't he honor the $850 for the timing belt and water pump?

blufz1

Should go to a Honda Dealer for more complicated work. The dealer would have done a better job for 800-850. Go back and tell the guy you want your 350 back. Go to the dealer next time.

zbx

Solved it myself. The plastic screws of the plastic case pulled out quite easily.

thegraduate

Wow, I hate to say it, but you got worked over. My timing belt and water pump wasn't $600, including labor. That mechanic is a crook. Don't go back.

ovais

Hi Guys - HERE'S GREAT STORY FOR YOU ALL:

I had an interesting conversation with a Customer Relations person from Honda Canada's Customer Relations Department. Unbelievable conversation it was. I was asked to send in copies of my transmission fluid changes since I purchased the car so that they could review my case for a new Transmission as I had crossed the km limit for the warranty extension that Honda came out with for all 2000 Accords. So, I had my wife fax them the stuff requested but my wife forgot to send them the transmission change receipts and only sent them the receipt that shows that I was complaining to Parkway Honda (a dealership in Toronto)about my trnasmission when I was within the km limit but Honda had not put out the warranty extension at that time and when they put out the warranty extension I was already about 4,000 km over the limit. PArkaway Honda advised that I need a new transmission but I didn't have the money to change it so I didn't get it done. And when I received the warranty extension notice I proceeded to speak to Honda Canada to see what they could do. So anyway, this guy Mark was the poster boy for BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. He treated me like some criminal. He was patronising, and made me feel like I was trying to pull some sort of scam on Honda. I was shocked. He kept repeating himself like I was some 6 year old. He seemed to be a very angry individual. Granted, I disagreed with some of the logic that he was presenting and that's fair as I was trying to logically get my point across. Anyway, finally I laughed and he continued to talk down to me and so I couldn't just let him get away with being so rude so I started raising my voice and telling him to talk to me with some respect and then I said goodbye and hung up the phone. The kicker was when he called back from his direct line and said "We will not be serving you, good bye."

SHOCKING, FUNNY, AND VERY TACTFUL !!!!!

SOMEONE PLEASE ADVISE ME ON THIS. WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT THIS GUY? AT THIS POINT EVEN IF THEY APPROVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT UNDER WARRANTY, I WOULD STILL WANT TO REVIEW THE TAPED CONVERSATION AND FIND OUT WHO WAS SMOKING THE CHEAP STUFF - ME OR THE HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK - I THINK THIS GUY THOUGHT FOR A SECOND THAT HE WAS THE 100% OWNER OF HONDA CANADA AND THAT HE COULD REFUSE TO SERVICE ANYONE HE WANTS. THAT'S RIGHT - THAT'S WHAT HE THOUGHT. WHAT WAS I THINKING? OF COURSE HE CAN REFUSE TO SERVICE PEOPLE AT WILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOOKING FORWARD TO FEEDBACK. AND IF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE GUY IS READING THIS - THEN YOU KNOW IT'S YOU I'M TALKING ABOUT AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO PURGE THE TAPED CONVERSATION IF I WERE YOU BECAUSE YOU COULD GET PROMOTED TO CEO OF HONDA IF THIS TAPE GETS OUT.

lletourn

Wow Ovais, that is quite a story. From what you've said in this post and in the past, it seems to me that Honda should cover your transmission and that you should report this guy.

I'd recommend writing a letter, briefly stating what happened, what Honda needs to do to resolve the situation, and give them a deadline (2 weeks is plenty). Does Canada have anything like the US Better Business Bureau that you can report them to? When I do that here it usually speeds up the resolution process.

It sounds like your transmission hasn't been replaced yet, so if you need them to approve the transmission replacement asap I'd call Honda back and ask to speak to a supervisor. The customer service agent will probably try to resolve your problem but just tell them you will only talk to a supervisor.

I hope Honda gets their act together. Good luck.

ovais

Good to have some support on this issue. And just to clarify, of course I was asking the right questions or should I say "pushing his buttons" because I was trying to ask leading questions of course but not trying to steal a transmission from Honda.

As a matter of fact, I was told by a previous agent that I would have to provide records of transmission oil changes to them and that everyone has to provide it even if they are within the warranty km limit but this guy today told me that that was not the case. So mixed information was given, Anyhow, I can only find 2 tranny oil change records - one at 100,000 Km and one at 152,000 km. I cannot find my first tranny oil change as I moved often since then. So anyway, I spoke to the first person again and told her that my wife forgot to send the records that I had collected and that I only have 2 records. So I'll be speaking to the Manager tomorrow and maybe even asking him to pull up the taped conversation and make a case out of this.

I wil definitely keep you posted.

theriver

I posted to the wrong forum about a clunking in my 2002 Accord with 57K. The dealer just called and said it was

Links, bushings
Upper ball joints
and Upper control arms.

Total quaote was 1400. I am getting a second opinion, but I think I am getting.....I drive this car on paved roads, commuting - nothing out of ordinary

Any thoughts. The clunking is definitely from the front end

spooky_nick

I belive that the problem is your ignition lock. There is a recall for this item in canada. http://www.visualimpressions.ca/switch/

not sure where you are located but i am sure there is a way to get honda to fix this for you free of charge.

aamirmian

I took my 2000 Accord LX to a Midas for replacing the time belt. When they were done, the minute I pulled away, I felt a vibration and slightly louder noise than usual everytime the RPM went over 2000.

I took it back to them yesterday and now they're telling me I need a new exhaust pipe, which with labor will cost around $390. My suspicion is that they didn't do the timing belt right and ar trying to cover it up by finding something else wrong with the car.

Any opinions or experiences?

330blast

I took my 1999 Accrod LX to the dealer and they did the timing belt package: timing belt, water pump, all driving belt, for $630 ($695 with 10% discount), plus the 90K mile major service, the toal bill was $1,030.

Always ask around, and even dealer price is negotiable.

330blast

The check engine light of my 1999 Accord LX came up 2-3 days after the dealer did the 90K major service and timing belt package job.

I drove the car back, they checked the code which indicated the O2 sensor. Cleaned the sensor, and erased the code. Did you come back on. Three weeks later, the CEL came up again and this time, the dealer said the code is solid and they have to replace the front sensor.

My questions is if it is possible that somehow during the major service and timing belt/water pump/driving belt changes that they broke the O2 sensor. The dealer said it's more of a coincidence and based on my knowledge of where the sensor is, that sounds right since the sensor is not any close to any replaced parts, but would like confirm with you folks.

What's your thoughts?

Thanks.

emmye

The passenger side low beam headlight quit working on my 2001 Accord. Bought replacement bulb, did not solve. Thought it was a bad replacement bulb, got another. 2nd replacement did not solve. Is there an electrical problem known in Accords that someone can tell me about? Any suggestions on how to solve a simple "headlight replacement"
HELP! Thanks emmye

user777

you can use an inexpensive voltmeter (home depot or lowes or radioshack), and see if the bulb socket / wiring is supplying 12volts.

is there a disconnect in the wiring harness for the bulb socket? seems like you should check for voltage there (i.e. maybe the socket assembly is partially unplugged).

but you could have a bad socket.

brianplott

I get to blame this one on my wife...she had a new key made for our 1999 Honda Accord and used the the duplicate key to try and start the car. The problem is that the original key has that chip in it so when she put the dup key in the ignition it not only won't start but its now stuck in there. When I hold the original key up against the key stuck in the ignition, the car will turnover without issue, and I can move it around in the different positions, but it won't release. Is there some kind of a trick to get that new key out? I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to reparing cars myself, but I would like to save some money if there is a simple computer reset of some sorts that i can do. I searched the forum for similar questions but didn't see any, so sorry if this type of thing has been addressed already somewhere. I really appreciate the help - I haven't had to bring the car in to the dealer yet, was hoping to keep that streak alive.

Thanks,
Brian

vtectuner90

well i had the same situation and what worked for me was to disconnect the battery and try taking it out then cause it was a magnetic pin that held the key in

vtectuner90

most of its not paying for the waterpump and timing belt. they both combined cost about $45 its the labor that gets you, and the mechanic took extra time than he expected cuz of the extra problems he found

vtectuner90

it could be anything really but mainly by your description there is a high possibility that you can have front and maybe rear axle bending damage, underbody frame is also a possibility, but suspension i doubt unless you visually can see the tire looking out of place. and i would also recommend you check your radiator and condenser, cus hitting a curb at 55 mph could do aloooooot of damage! but u r lucky! not alot of people would chase down drivers now a days

vtectuner90

no they will more than likely use a different brand of oil filter than the honda dealers would, but the oil filters are still good enough to get the job done. and for the oil grade judging by the miles u stated u have on the accord which is 120,000 miles i strongly recommend that you do NOT use 5W-20 because the oil is too thin for that worn engine which has to be 75k or less to use that grade. the more proper oil grade would be 10W-30 (i use GT castrol high mileage brand). but if i were you i wouldnt trust those tecnicians cuz they sometimes do a horrible job that f*cks your car up bad

vtectuner90

idk if your model has a fuse for each headlight but i would also check on that

user777

i'm a bit confused. if you don't have a problem with oil consumption, why would you want to use an oil that wasn't spec'ed by the manufacturer for your engine?