Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

user777

personally i would not use one of these vehicle "bras". the water retained under the bra coupled with material rubbing doesn't seem like a good combo to me. see if you have to perform additional maintenance on the vehicle exterior when you use a product like this.

newcarholic

My car is 2005Ex-V6 with 5000 miles.
Yesterday I opend the hood to remove some leaves and found out that there was a unfilled screw hole on top of the engine. There were some other screw holes but they were all connected to something but not this one. Is it possible this screw was not put back after 1st oil change? Or is it normal?

mrbill1957

There isn't any screws that need to be removed after the first oil change.

Is there any signs that a screw was ever there?

You really need to be more specific on where you think the screw is missing.

Mrbill

mamamia2

We have the same exact car, so if you describe exactly which screw is missing (or better, post a photograph here), I could check my engine to compare...

elroy5

I just want to know why you would change the alternator? Honda alternators are pretty good from my experience. My 92 Accord still had the original after 12 years, and 140,000 miles. Big power Stereo, or something?

thegraduate

A couple of issues have reared their heads in my 2006 EX cloth with 5,700 miles. The rear-view mirror shakes at idle, to the point it's an obvious problem...It isn't the housing that shakes, but the mirror glass within the black plastic housing. I can rock it back and forth with my fingers.

Also, my console has an annoying creak, and I can't open the deep portion of the console (right latch) without the top tray becoming unlatched and falling back down.

no big deal, but glad to have a warranty.

chucko3

There shouldn't be any unfilled screw hole on the "HONDA" spark plug cover located on top of the engine. Is it a location you are talking about?

todao

I have the 2003 V6 and just started experiencing difficulty shifting out of park because the thumb lever on the shifter that you need your foot on the brake to shift into park, does not go in. It get stuck and won't shift out of park. In order to shift I have to take that little tab off the compartment directly to the left of the shifter and put the key into the slot to get it out of park.

I'm out of warrantee as of last January. Is this complicated to fix and any known issues on the 03 that might mean this would be covered under warrantee?

treo_ssi

i got 2 jl audio 1000/1 amps and a jl audio 450/4 amp running in my car right now. thats 2450wrms of ampflier power running on my stock alt. the stock alt is good but it can only handle so much power. thanks for the reply btw. i did figure it out though.

newcarholic

Sorry for not being too specific. I'll try to post pictures.

If I remember correctly, Honda logo is at the center and a few lines are connected to the top of the engine. The missing screw hole I was talking about is on the lower right side of the honda logo.

Thanks for your replies folks. Let me check it again.

thegraduate

Ask your dealer about the Honda tranny warranty extension. (To other posters...) Was there not an extended warranty on automatics? or was that the 98-02 model issues...I am drawing a blank right now trying to remember.

chucko3

There are two unfilled screw holes on the manifold casting.
Lower right side and upper left side.

whitecloud1

Maintenance light is on 6000 mi. sched. If you look closely into the manual, Honda tells how to reset it yourself under "Maintenance required light"

neumie2000

My wife drives a 2003, V6 Accord. It has an issue with excessive cranking when the engine is restarted after it is already warm. Never an issue on a cold start, only after the car has been driven a while and shut off. It cranks without a problem, but just does not seem to want to start. Only happens once or twice per week. It is still under warranty, but before I bring it in and get a "Dealer cannot replicate," I thought someone here might have an idea. Thanks in advance.

bmr123

Yeah I had that issue with my accord. You have to buy another battery for just the stereo or you'll keep burning out the alternator and stock battery..

gmascar

Hi,

I'm new to the forum..I've a 2004 Honda EX v6..I tried to make a u-turn in a Wal-Mart parking lot yesterday, but hit a light standard..the car's in the body shop today as I'm getting an estimate on the repair..is it better to pay the insurance company my $500 deductible, then let them pay the rest of the expenses, or just pay out of my pocket if it isn't too much over the deductible..any ideas or suggestions?..thanks

kkompella

I am facing a similar problem. My 2003 Accord has started behaving in an erratic fashion.

The problem is that the windows slip down after I alarm the car. This does *not* happen always and is very non-deterministic. I first noticed this behaviour a couple of months ago. Since then the problem has been on and off, sometimes showing up 3 to 5 times a week sometimes not all for a few weeks. I tried to close the windows and then disable the passenger access to them, all to no avail.

If I reset will I solve the problem or am is my problem in a different league? Unlike the earlier questioner, I have no way of knowing when the problem has been solved. I appreciate any response in this regard.

Thanks

accord6mt

Are you sure you aren't holding down the built-in unlock button on the key? Reason why I ask is because there is a feature where you can roll all of your windows down at the same time by pressing and holding down the built-in unlock button on the car key. The longer you hold the button down, the more the windows roll down - conversely - if you hold the button down for a shorter length of time, the windows will only crack open.

Similar story: my dad kept a spare set of keys to his Odyssey minivan. Once when I was driving, the power sliding doors kept trying to open (since we were in motion the doors wouldn't open, but they would sound their alert buzz). It happened sporadically for several hours, and then we realized the problem - my dad was keeping his spare key in his back pocket, and when he sat down, the sliding door button would accidentally be pressed. Why my dad keeps keys in his BACK pocket is beyond me, but in the end, it turned out to be the remote just doing its job.

Not sure if this helps at all - but best of luck!

mamamia2

If your damage is $550 to repair, obviously you better pay the WHOLE thing, why have a claim marked in your insurance's file?

Submitting a claim to your insurer makes sense when you have a large claim. Then you pay only $500 and they pay the rest of the money. But you know that every claim of yours makes you less "favorable" with your insurance company, or ANY insurance company (they all SHARE information)... So every claim actually COST you money down the road when it's time for renewal. And if you think taking your business to another company would be less expensive, again, all them companies share information and all know your history with your existing company...

tonnyjia

Got my new SE about 2 months ago. I found that every time I started my car, I kinda have to turn the key nearly to the end and stay there several seconds to start up. Not like other cars which seem the ignition's very sensitive, does not need to turn the key to the very end. I am wondering if this is a common phenomenon or there's some problems with my car.

gmascar

Hi there mamamia2,

I Just got the estimate for the bumper..it would be $1324..the way I figured it, I'd be paying $500 deductible, the company would only be paying $700..this is after I had already paid a year's worth of premiums..so I had already thought about paying the whole amount out of my own pocket, and not face a rise in premiums..which begs the question, why pay all that money for insurance, then when it's time to make a claim, it's not really worth it?????

jmaxe

Ditto, same 2 screw holes unfilled on my '04 V-6

mamamia2

The top smooth plate with the HONDA logo has all screws inserted, and there are quite a few of them...

The ruggedy aluminum around it has 2 "missing screws" on the top left, and on the right where the air filter is connected.

ramjoo

I am a owner of Honda Accord DX 2005 and purchased it from a dealder shop in Seattle in Sept. 2005.

Unfortunatley on the first day of purchasing the car, I found that the edge of Shift Lock Release slot cover was broken as soon as I received the car from the dealer shop. It looked like a technician from the dealer tried to open the Shift Lock Release slot cover by inserting a key or sharp instrument in it. So I took a picture of the broken part and let my sale agent know that on the next day. My agent said he was sorry about that and told me to arrange service appointment to get the part to be replaced.

I have been driving this car for 7 months now and scheduled my first maintenance service including replacement of the broken part today. Finding the broken part in my new car really unsatisfied me on that day of purchasing the car with full payment but I had no choice but accepting it as only a visual problem. At the time, my DX was the last one available in stock in Seattle area.

Here is my question: while I was reading the Accord owner's manual today, my eyes were poping out. The manual(P. 182) says that "if you need to use the Shift Lock Release, it means your vehicle is developing a problem. Have the vehicle checked by your dealer."

To me, it sounds like that my car was initially had some problem so that technician at the dealer shop tried to insert the key in the Shift Lock Release slot cover and accidentally caused damage on the surface.

Now(maybe too late) I began to worry about my car and wonder if this car had initial problem and the technicians working at the dealershop tried to release shift lock?

Am I too paranoidid or should take any action against this?

From Seattle

(I am sorry for my bad English which is my second language. Thank you for reading.)

user777

it is possible you could shop around and get the work done, perhaps for less. you have to make the decision.

depending upon age, and M/F, and previous claim history, it may very well be better to bite the bullet and pay the entire amount.

you're asking an interesting question - but probably one for another forum.

stickguy

I think you are worrying too much. If in 7 months it hasn't given you a problem, there isn't one. Or if there was initially, they fixed it.

The only reason to use that slot is that it allows you to shift into neutral without having the key. Maybe it was in the way and instead of finding the keys the tech decided to put it in neutral and push it out of the way?

Or maybe they are just supposed to check that it works as part of the pre delivery inspection?

emocormatt

Anybody know how to remove the center dash on a 4dr 05 Accord LX? I know it pops off, but it won't budge. I've been told that there are 4 dash clips that must be disengaged. The problem is a dash rattle, likely due to poor Best Buy stereo installation, & I'd like to avoid taking it in. Thanks for your help.

thegraduate

Since my family has had 15 Hondas (10 Autos) since 1990, I'll field this question. Every car that comes off the "truck" from the factory does NOT have the Shift Lock Release cover-panel installed. It is installed pre-delivery of the car. Many of them are already installed by the time they make it to the lot or showroom, if your car had not seen showroom duty, it is likely that the part was not installed pre-delivery. My grandmother's 2002 was missing the panel for 2 years before she asked them about it. They explained why this happens, and popped one on pronto. She now has nearly 80,000 miles on her car (last time I drove it, anyway) and has not had a single issue. You'll be fine, put your fears to rest, and ENJOY IT!

gmascar

Thnx for the input..according to the written estimate, as usual almost half of the cost goes to Labor..oh well, it's been over 20 years since I had an incident..live and learn I guess (takes a bit longer sometimes, though)

mrbill1957

If the problem is low in the dash, you can get details on how to disassemble the lower section by looking at the installation instructions for Accord accessories.

Try this:

http://www.collegehillshonda.com/instructions/03accord/cassmp3indash.pdf

meks

I just got a 2003 Accord with 27,500 miles.
When I turn on the air conditioner the engine revs drops from about 1000rpm to 500rpm, I tried to get a tune up but it reverted back to doing the same thing.

Any ideas?

stickguy

Isn't it normal for RPMS to drop a little with the AC on, since it is putting a load on the engine?

And, my '05 idles closer to 500 RPM normally (no AC), maybe closer to 700, but well under 1,000.

A good idea in cases like this is to find another similar car (year and engine), and see what it does, to tell if your condition is normal.

v6driver

2006 V6 EX 6MT; 1200 miles. From beginning of ownership, have noticed vibration when sitting at stop sign or whatever. Very slight. With or w/o A/C, no difference. 750 RPMs or so according to tach. Dealer checked and is "normal." Am I expecting too much? Otherwise, car is GREAT!

atlantabenny

If you're referring to the center pocket and shift area, I could share a few pointers after putting an aftermarket GPS Nav unit in the pocket.

Looks like you've gone as far as removing the shifter surround trim. Next step is to take off the coin tray's rubber sleeve, and, using 2 round-tipped table knives, carefully pry the plastic coin tray itself. Doing so gives access to 2 screws holding down the coin tray / power port assembly.

Removing said assembly then gives access to 2 more screws securing the pocket part.

You could stop at this point to check potential sources of the rattle. The coin tray/power port assembly, I found, is easy not to reinstall properly. It needs to be pressed hard to snap into place, and the 2 friction clips tend to pop off while doing so.

Make sure the 2 clips are there to secure the assembly. If that's not the source, you can then move to the pocket area to check for missing screws and/or loose brackets, etc.

oldmansi

Picked up my 06 Accord EX V6 coupe auto a couple of days (cool blue metallic) and just noticed the rear brake rotors are rusted. Don't know if I should be concerned about this or not. Anyone else have this issue with their new accord??

mrbill1957

Rust on rotors is common, esp if the car sat for a few weeks or so before you bought it. Nothing to worry about. If you live in a humid climate, you will probably always notice a little film of rust if the car sits for a day. Any rotors rust since they are bare metal.

Mrbill

thegraduate

What mr.bill says is true...It's not a problem. Even Mercedes' rotors do it, too!

ckbee

Before you spend any money on homelink, be sure your garage door opener is new enough to accept signals from a universal remote. Even our programmable 10-year-old doors won't.

oldmansi

OK, that explains the rust as car was sitting new at dealership since February. thanks for info.

newcarholic

I guess it's normal then.
No need to post pictures.
Thanks for your replies, folks.

kanu

hi,

My 2005 accord is about 10,000. I plan to bring it to do the tire rotation. My question is does it need to do the tire balancing? The dealer said the rotation price does not include the balacing.

My car is running well, don't see any need but want some expert comment.

Thanks

mrbill1957

Does one or more wheels feel out of balance? Thats the only thing having them rebalanced will correct. If your car still has a smooth ride, then I would skip the rebalance, but go for the rotation.

Mrbill

sbabu

I recently purchased 2006 EXL accord and everything was fine until yesterday. When I used the door locks on the driver side to lock the doors yesterday, I started to hear this strange sound. After the regular door locking sound, there is a prolongated 'tick' sound.. The sounds comes from the driver side (not sure if its the front/back) and it comes both during locking/unlocking of doors. Opened & closed all doors manually (thinking one of them was not closed properly) and still hearing the sound. Today, there is a mild glass rattling sound from the driver side when I go on uneven surface. Not sure if all this is related.. Anybody faced similar issues ? Would appreciate any suggestion..

jutz2k

Just purchased 2006 accord about 3 weeks ago. I recently noticed a clicking noise everytime I will shift gear from P to either D or R. Any ideas? Thanks.

steveoregon

Purchased mine in October. It's done that since day one. I always assumed it was normal.

tonnyjia

Mine did the same thing. I don't what happened, but it did not cause any problems, so I just thought it's a normal noise every 06 accord has.
Does anybody else have this kinda similar noise?

cdavidc1

I had a 2003 and now a 2006 and both made the same noise. It is normal

cdavidc1

I have a 2006 Accord the color is Carbon Bronze. Does anyone know if it is clear coat paint? I went to buy wax today and some said for clear coat only others said safe for clear coat paint.

tallman1

Almost all paint on cars today is clear coat... including your car.

user777

i believe this is essentially correct... a few layers of paint with color, topped off by a clear-coat protectorant layer. it's my understanding though that the clearcoat layer doesn't have color.

there are many places on the web that can provide helpful advice on "detailing" or maintaining your car's finish.

enjoy.