Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

joe114

I bought my Accord VP last monthly and drive only 700 miles. But I found that the level of coolant already drops to the minimum line. I will take it to the dealer tomorrow. Do you guys ever see this problem?

mrbill1957

The level in my 04 I4 sits about 3/8" above the min line when cold. I've always thought that was close, but it hasn't dropped any from there.

Mrbill

daveturner

My family's got scratched Accord again...this time it's a long scratch and is located on the passenger's side/rearmost part of the car/bottom most part of the car. The scratches were caused by my mom driving past a very low concrete post--some of the scratches are deep enough to expose a black color (my car is silver in color)--do you know what that black color is?

I am debating if I should repair the scratches at an auto body shop or repair it with Honda Touch-Up paint I bought recently (which I intended to use on my rear bumper for an older scratch). What will help me make my decision is if the location of the scratch I described is part of the bumper or not--it looks like the location I described is part of the bumper because it is within what looks like to be the bumper "seam"--the rear bumper looks like it continues on the left and right sides of the car up to the rear side of the rear wheels. Does anyone know how far the rear bumper extends to? I can't find any documentation online as to where the rear bumper coverage is. If it is the bumper, then the long scratch will not have any potential to develop rust so I will probably just use the Touch-Up paint to make it look better. If the scratch was on the metal part of the car (not on the bumper) then I would most likely have it repaired at an auto body shop (because I don't want rust to develop).

mrbill1957

If you want to know where the sheetmetal ends and the bumper starts, check it with a magnet.

If your seeing black, that's probably the primer paint color of the sheetmetal.

Mrbill

joe114

Just came back from the dealer. The dealer said it is normal of being close to the Min line when the car is cool. When the engin is hot the coolant level rises up.

tinatina

I concur its definetly not brake related. The rubbing/popping/creaking noise is apparent whether I apply the brakes or not. It does this only when the car is fully warmed up @ low speed of about 5 mph. It is not heard at a higher speed. As an example, turning slowly (without brakes) into your driveway (at 5 mph) or going up a hill at the same speed (no braking).

I thought it remedied itself yesterday morning because I did not hear the noise right away. However, it came back after I went on a relatively short trip totaling 15 miles. I think something is loose and rubbing against the firewall or subframe. Specifically, I think the problem may be:

A suspension bolt not properly tightened at the factory. As the car is warmed, the bolt gets loose. (I heard someone had this problem - I think here on the dedicated Acura TL thread or it could have been on the Accord thread. I could not find the article).

Second - I saw a TSB for an improper weld on the 2003 Accords whereby there was a popping or crunching noise. Doubtful that the weld issues would have continued on the 2006s.

Third - Maybe something just needs to be lubed.

I will bring it for service tomorrow or Wednesday and request that I drive it with the technician and/or service manager. I want them to do a thorough check of the steering and suspension components. I will do a drive of about 15 miles before taking it to the dealership. I think I should be able to easily duplicate the problem.

On a bright note - I averaged over 30 MPG on my first fill-up. 80% Freeway and 20% city. The car is not broken in yet, but it eclipsed the best mileage I ever got for my 2004 Accord 4 auto, which always seemed to get about 28 MPG. I know there was no change in the posted fuel economy window stickers between these models.

htt

I have similar problem with my '04 Accord EX V6. I don't think I have this problem before. Lately I notice that at slow speed I hear that popping noise when I step on or off the brake pedal. They are not loud but enough to bother me. I plan to take it in but I'm afraid that they'd say there's nothing wrong with the car.

Please let us know what your dealer finds. Thanks.

ar39

There's nothing to worry about that noise. Honda uses floating brake pads for its disk brakes & the noise is when the brake pads "click" to the right position (inside the caliper) when the brakes are applied. This happens in very slow speeds out of a cold start. After a few miles on the road & braking, the noise disappears as the brake pads expand due to heat & are held in the right position. If you are not satisfied, you could slip a business card between the brake pads & the calipers. This is a temporary fix to avoid the noise.

Further, this is a feature of a self adjusting disk brake system. I too have this noise in my 05 LX. The service technician gave me an extract from Honda's service manual & it says what I've said above. If you need confirmation, ask for an extract from your dealer's manual.

tinatina

As I mentioned, I don't think it has anything to do with the brakes. I think something is rubbing against the subframe or the firewell - which led me to the suspension bolt being loose (when heated) or the weld issue which dates back to early production 2003s (I personally don't think the latter is the issue). Its a crunching/popping/rubbing noise @ about 5 mph. To be honest, it sounds like my aunts 1980s Chevrolet. It also happens when turning at that same speed. The problem does not exist until the car is warmed up and one can not hear it above that speed. I will take it in tomorrow and let you know.

htt

I'm not 100% sure if the brakes cause that popping noise. In the weekend I tried to drive slowly to see where the noise come from. It appeared that I heard the noise after I applied or released the brake pedal. But it puzzled me that I also heard the same popping noise a few more times after I released the brake pedal.

miragesea

Do you mean Mobil 1 synthetic oil? or regular oil?

robgrave

In the Owner's Manual we are told that "Honda Oil" is the preferred choice. I assume they are referring to the oil that is available only through a Honda dealer (I don't know where else you'd buy it.)

I would think that any 5W-20W oil that is ASE approved would be sufficient, but what about the Honda blend? I there anything special about it (or is it just Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Pennzoil, or whatever, in a "Honda" bottle?)

Robgrave

jelibeli

I've been noticing (3x now) a 'metal popping/ snapping' sound on my month old '06 EXV6 stick shift sedan for a week or so now and decided to check this forum to see any comments regarding it.

Came upon your reply to someone probably experiencing a similar occurence. I did notice however that it happens when I back up from a cold start, apply the brake and shift into 1st gear to drive off.

Attempted to duplicate it several miles later but it's gone. I haven't been driving it that much yet but I'll definitely observe it now that I have an idea what might be causing it.

This self adjusting disk brake system is new to me. Thanks.

bioman

As far as I know Mobil 1 IS synthetic oil. Mobil does make and sell other grades of oil, but Mobil 1 is synthetic.

yadacubed

This is definitely a known issue with Honda. My suggestion would be to go and speak with the dealer and ask if he could compare your problem against TSB 04027. (# TSB #04027 -- AUDIO-HVAC DISPLAY MODULE IS DIM OR DARK. *TT (NHTSA ID #10008514, JUNE 15 2004) Hope that helps.

ar39

Honda OEM oil is manufactured by Mobil. I'm not sure about the blend as Honda wouldnt reveal that to their customers. However, it's a conventional detergent based mineral oil.

badgerfan

You don't need a magnet, if the scratch below the seam and behind the rear wheel, this area is plastic, and just about every sedan built these days is built the same, with the bumper wrapping around and up to the rear part of the wheel well. Just wrap on it with your knuckles, it will sound different than the metal part. Also, reach around at the bottom edge and you will be able to tell it is plastic. The plastic bumper material is much thicker than sheet metal.

The black you are seeing under the paint is likely the plastic bumper material. None of this area will rust, so fix it or don't fix it, it is merely cosmetic.

catbabe

Hello gang,

Just an update. I got my 2006 Accord SE back this evening and they replaced the left wheel bearing, front assembly. All is now well in Honda land although I'm a bit disappointed in the part failing @ 500 Miles and with let Honda Co. know about this if/when I get a survey. No more popping/rubbbing crunching noise at this time. I just drove it home (about 8 miles), with speeds ranging from 5 to 50 MPH. As I mentioned, this noise was only evident at speeds of nore more than 10mph (coasting).

Anyway, I am nearing almost miles. Soon I can gun the engine and possibly exceed 65 MPH. My day will be better on Friday, if Italy defeats Ukraine in soccer (hope this upsets nobody).

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

tinatina

Hello gang, that post belongs to me -tinatina. I'm not sure why it posted under that name.

Just an update. I got my 2006 Accord SE back this evening and they replaced the left wheel bearing, front assembly. All is now well in Honda land although I'm a bit disappointed in the part failing 500 Miles and with let Honda Co. know about this if/when I get a survey. No more popping/rubbbing crunching noise at this time. I just drove it home (about 8 miles), with speeds ranging from 5 to 50 MPH. As I mentioned, this noise was only evident at speeds of nore more than 10mph (coasting).

Anyway, I am nearing almost miles. Soon I can gun the engine and possibly exceed 65 MPH. My day will be better on Friday, if Italy defeats Ukraine in soccer (hope this upsets nobody).

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

htt

Tinatina,

I'm glad that you had it fixed. Thanks for the update. I planned to call my dealer today to make an appointment. However, I could not reproduce the problem this morning no matter how I tried. Anyway, I won't call the dealer until I hear the noise again.

I'm pretty sure Italy defeats Ukraine. If Brazil beats France, that would make my week. I don't hate France. I just love Brazil.

tinatina

It could have just been a popping noise from the brakes - perhaps due to condensation. I don't think you have a problem -but at your next service - you may want to have them inspect the brakes, especially if you have not serviced them in a while.
Mine was making a non-stop popping noise at speeds of 5 to 10 mph (ideally when coasting). They spent about 3 hours working on the vehicle (diagnosing and fixing). Just to replace the wheel bearing, it took 1.5 hours.

hondahenry

I just bought a 06' SE two weeks ago. I noticed that when starting the engine, it takes a little longer than other cars to start and, lots of times, the front portion of the car shakes a bit. Is this normal? If no, what problem can it be?

In addtion, when driving on highway, there usually comes some noise from the dashboard like some parts are somewhat loose. The noise is minimal but noticable.

Are these problems (?) or I'm just being to sensitive. Thanks.

user777

try the following: keep foot off the accelerator. turn your key to on, but not all the way to engage the starter. wait 3 seconds. while waiting can you hear the fuel pump running? with your foot still off the pedal, engage the starter. you shouldn't need to give it gas to get it to start. doing that may create a flooding situation.

neumie2000

My wife's V6 accord has done the same thing since new (engine takes longer to crank than most other cars). The car has never let us sit, and now has over 30K, trouble free miles. The issue, oddly enough, seems to have gotten better with age, as it very rarely does it any more.

robgrave

I found no mention of this in the Owner's Manual, but in the Getting Started Guide that came with my new 06 Accord, it was mentioned that abnormally long starting times are emissions-control related (no further elaboration on this, however.) Nothing to be concerned about, according to the Guide.

Robgrave

user777

that's interesting. does your '06 manual suggest anything w.r.t. turning the key and holding it for a moment before turning it all the way to engage the starter, and not stepping on the gas pedal in the process?

curious.

hondahenry

Thanks, all.

But what about the jerk that comes from the front potion of the car when engine is starting? Is this also normal?

robgrave

Not specifically. From the '06 Owner's Manual (p. 169), Steps 4 - 6:

4. Turn the ignition key to the START (III) position. Do not hold they key in START (III) for more than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine does not start right away, pause for at least 10 seconds before trying again.

5. If the engine does not start within 15 seconds, or starts but stalls right away, repeat step 4 with the accelerator pedal pressed halfway down. If the engine starts, release pressure on the accelerator pedal so the engine does not race.

6. If the engine fails to start, press the accelerator pedal all the way down and hold it there while starting to clear flooding. Return to step 5 if the engine does not start.

As a matter of fact, I do start my Accord in the manner you suggest -- holding the key in the ON (II) position briefly, then turning to START (III) without depressing the accelerator. So far, works flawlessly.

BTW, from the Quick Start Guide, p. 1, under "Things You Need to Know":

At times, the engine may take longer to start than usual; the engine management software is working to reduce emissions at startup.

As I say, I can find no mention of this tidbit in the Owner's Manual, curiously enough.

Robgrave

robgrave

The "jerk" is something else again. I haven't experienced anything quite like that myself, and I certainly haven't seen anything in the manuals that would suggest it's normal.

If it happened to me, I would take it in to the dealer to have it checked out. Doesn't sound right.

06nighthawkv6

Mine has been doing the same thing until now. I now have almost 6000 miles and it just now subsided. First it was an extended crank and then it was a bit less of that and more of a thunk after it starts and now it's doing it less and less to the point where it might have gone away. If any of you have an extended crank, just be extremely patient and wait for it to work itself out.

hondahenry

06nighthawkv6:

Are you talking about the "jerk"? As the engine is starting, the front portion (like under hood and dashboard) shakes a bit. That's the problem my car is having. But it comes and goes for some reason.

06nighthawkv6

yeeahh I thinnnk. Is it kinda like a "thunk" sounding noise? It doesn't shake as much as it makes a thump type noise at the very end right after the car has turned over ...of which I have an update. It came back again once today so the problem does not resolve itself as of yet.

hondahenry

Yes, exactly the same as what you have with your car. Kind of weired, isn't it? Don't know what this problem is. Any idea?

elroy5

I have taken my 03 Accord in two times for long cranking times, and slight thud because of lack of fuel at startup. They changed the fuel pressure regulator both times. It still takes longer than normal to start up, even now. I have found that you have to hold the key in the start position a little longer, before releasing,(don't release the key so quickly) and it seems to work fine that way. I think this is just something owners have to adjust to.

I don't think the problem goes away, so much as people finally figure out how to start the car a more effective way. These computer controlled cars take some getting used to.

jkreines

I've arranged to buy a new 2006 Accord next week. On Friday, we are driving the family from CT to VT (about 200 miles). I have heard that some owner's manuals recommend a break-in period in which you vary speed and go slow.

Can anyone tell me exactly what the Accord owner's manual says?

Can anyone recommend whether I should avoid bringing the new car on a road trip? I could rent a car for a couple hunred bucks.

taelor

Hi all,

I leased a 2005 Honda Accord and I have had nothing but headaches ever since. I have a very long list of repairs for this 3 year old car and today I was left stranded in the rain on the side of a major expressway because the alternator went out. The lights are out on the radio, the CD player no longer works, the paint is peeling (for the 3rd time) around the windows and I have had it with this car. I really feel like I have gotten a lemon. Any suggestions on what I can do at this point? Honda wants $2300 to repair the car and I only have 5 months left on the lease. I'm so sick of paying for things that should not be going wrong on a 3 year old car. Any suggestions? Will Honda stand behind their product if I file a formal complaint? Thank you in advance for any insight you are able to provide.

elroy5

From what I remember, you should not stay at the same speed (rpm) for long periods of time, for the first 600 miles (check your owner's manual). Sorry, if that puts a damper on your plans, but I would make sure to break the engine in the right way.

PS. The special "break-in oil" should not be changed ahead of schedule (7,500 miles or whatever the manual says for your driving conditions). Just for a heads up.

user777

i'd have to agree. a thud or jerk upon a start sounds like it needs checking out. perhaps a motor mount?

daveturner

After reading the reply to this post, I always was wondering what those gears were for and how to properly use them (I don't think the Accord manual really explains it fully...and my DMV driver's manual/training didn't explain it either).

So it is safe to change from the "D" gear to other gears like "D3", "1", or "2" while the car is running and gas pedal depressed? Or is it better to let go of the gas pedal while changing the gears? For example, if I am approaching a hill I could just shift it from "D" gear to "2" gear. I know for manual transmission cars the driver needs to press on the clutch before changing gears...so i guess for automatic transmission we can change gears as we wish while the car is being driven? I was alway afraid of changing gears "on the fly" because I thought it would damage the automatic transmission.

daveturner

I have an Accord EX which has alloy wheels, and I was wondering if it is ok to wash the alloy wheels with a garden hose (actually I am planning to wash it using Mr. Clean AutoDry Pro-Series Car Wash Kit). However, i am afraid that the water spray will get the brake wet (and other parts that are visible through the alloy wheels) and cause it to rust or wear out faster--do you think this concern is valid? Or do you think that even though the brake parts get wet they will dry off anyway and not cause any damage?

user777

yeah, you could take it out of D to give yourself extra power when going uphill or when passing. this is explained in your owner's manual.

also i think the use of 2 is discussed in the context of starting out on a slick surface.

you'd want to do the manual shifting VERY judisiously. being a long-time manual driver, now with 2 automatics, living in the south i've only taken my accord 4spd A/T out of D/D3 and dropped it down one to gain passing power.

but there's also common sense: just like it would be absurd in a manual to take a vehicle from 5th to 1st while at speed (you'd red-line and probably send yourself hard into the seatbelt because of the tensioners), you don't want to be dropping a car out of D into 1.

tallman1

It's okay to wash it with a hose. Rain on the road will get it much wetter.

robgrave

It's worth noting that a shift from D to D3 can be executed without pressing the release button. The button must be pressed, however, to drop into the lower gears. This is a safety feature, I reckon, to prevent the driver from inadvertently dropping into 2 (or 1) from D or D3.

I don't think it is necessary to release the accelerator before dropping from D to D3, but my intuition tells me it is the better way to do it. Easier on the transmission, I would think. Same thing with shifting back to D from D3; releasing the accelerator first seems to be the better way.

Robgrave

aculw

I just bought an 06 Accord EX 4 cylinders with nav for a week. Everything was fine except that I was locked inside the car twice. When I turned off the engine and unlocked the door. The 4 doors immediately locked themselves again. I used the power unlock and it happened again. For the driverside, the door lock pin kept going down after I tried to pull it up manually. I finally got out by pulling the pin and open the door in the same time ( I had to try a couple times) . Passenger from other door seemed to be able to pull the pin and open the door. Is there anyone with the same experience ? :confuse:

tinatina

Hello,

Are you saying that if you unlock the doors with the remote transmitter, but do not open any of the doors within 30 seconds, the doors automatically lock? If so, this is normal and after the doors automatically relock, the security system will be active. Please refer to page 79 of your owner's manual. If its doing something else, then you may have a problem.

robgrave

It has happened to me a few times: sitting in the car (reading the manual) with the key removed. The doors lock (security system sets)without prompting. But if I use the remote to unlock, there is no problem.

Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what conditions create this automatic setting of the system. I just tried this morning, in fact, and couldn't repeat it. All I know is, when the system sets as I'm sitting in the car, using the remote to unset (unlock) it is what works.

Robgrave

bimmer4me

are you serious? Your 2005 Accord is under warranty. :confuse:

taelor

I am absolutely serious, and it isn't under warranty because it has 40,000 miles on it. Any suggestions for dealing with Honda?

thegraduate

With only being out of warranty for such a short period, Honda may likely do a "goodwill" repair to keep your business. It wouldn't surprise me at all.

aculw

No, the doors locked themselves in 1 second after I opened them by pressing "unlock button" on the door or the transmitter. It locked back in 1 second. It was like someone was pressing the the "lock" button in the same time.