Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

elroy5

rafiks

Hi! I bought a Honda Accord 2003 EX V4 last march . This car is in fairly good condition. I bought it from a private seller and I know that the car was properly maintained. Anyway,I noticed that my 2 front tires look liked It needed a little more air pressure but when I tested the air pressure it says 35 psi and I know this is way pass the recommended. But how come the tires look likes it's flat .. I also tested the air pressure on a gasoline station and the reading is almost the same .Hope somebody can help me!

Thanks!

elroy5

The tires in front will look low (they are not). The low profile tires used these days (larger wheels, shorter tires) make them look like they are low on air. The extra weight in front (engine, transmission) will make the front look lower than the rear. There is one good thing about this condition. It will make you check the air pressures more often, until you get used to the look. Over inflating your tires will make them wear uneven, and give you a rougher ride. Keep them at the recommended pressure, and they will be fine.

Oh, and it's either an I4, or a V6. There are no V4 engines in cars.

rafiks

Hi! thanks for the reply .. Actually ,My car is 2001 model not really 2003 .Anyway ,about the tires I keep them slightly higher coz a friend told me to keep it that way coz the tire loses pressure in time. .

about the V4 ,I thought 4 cylinder cars are V4 . My mistake ..

What is the deal with many types of engine oil out there .It gets kinda confusing what to choose for a new owner like me . the last time I change oil was about a week ago in a tire shop just near where I live .They charge me 25 dollars for it .I didn't even know what brand of oil they use. Should I care? I'm planning to change oil every 3000 miles is this ok?

blane

rafiks,

If it was beyond a couple of pounds, your friend gave you wrong advice about overinflating your front tires. All tires on all vehicles lose pressure extremely slowly (except if damaged) over time. The correct cold tire pressures for your vehicle are printed on a label on your front door frame.

Use any major brand engine oil of the grade and viscosity specified by Honda, the engine manufacturer, in your Owners Manual. Don't waste your money on 3,000 mile oil changes. Follow Honda's maintenance schedule as printed in your Owners Manual.

thegraduate

If you'll notice on the tire (on many tires, anyway), it will say the "maximum reccommended pressure" is 35 PSI. On the door, if is like my Accords (96, 06) it will reccommend something like 32 PSI. This is best, because the car's chassis and suspension were designed to perform their best with this specific tire pressure. Check your pressure monthly, and you won't have to worry about losing it over time. You shouldn't be losing more than 1 PSI per month.

ronfromohio

I have a 2004 Accord EX V6 with 48,000 miles on it. I have 3 problems which I am not use to on Hondas, (My last 4 cars have been Hondas). Has anyone experienced any of these problems.

1. The weather stripping on the drivers door keeps wearing out. I've had it replaced twice under warranty and the last one is already split.

2. When I unlock the doors using the unlock button on the doors, the lock device on the drivers doors make a strange high pitch sound. It still works, but the noise makes me think it might break soon. Anyone know what's going on or can anyone offer a fix?

3. While waxing the door, I turned the side view mirror in to better apply and rub off the wax. I heard a crunching sound and a sound like metal or glass breaking. The mirror now hangs loose. A new mirror installed is about $176. What happened?

Thanks for any comments. I am not used to things like these happening on Hondas. This is the first time I have started doubting their quality

06accordx2

Elroy5...thanks! Although I don't think I need the severe condition intervals, I can fudge it from the info you've provided. I know you did a lot of work to copy, scan, and post those pics, and I really appreciate it dude. Owning two 06 Accords, I have to stay on top of these things.
I noticed that even under severe conditions, an oil change is only reccommended every 5000 miles. That blows me away.
Thanks again.

mrbill1957

You said the weather stripping is worn out, is it on the door or door jam?

If it's on the door jam, it could be that it's being damaged when you get in the car, a coat or something is dragging on it when you exit?

Mrbill

elroy5

If you read what Honda considers severe, basicly everyone is included. Unless your car is only driven at easy highway speeds, and only moderate temperatures, you are in the severe category. I change my engine oil every 3,000 miles ( the oil seems to get dirty very quickly in the V6). And change the auto trans fluid every 15,000 miles (better safe than sorry, the trans had a recall). These early oil changes don't cost me that much, since I do it myself. Best of luck with your cars.

jhinsc

I was wondering when someone was going to notice that the 05 Accord maintenance requirements were 5k-severe/10k-normal for oil changes. So the 05 maintenance intervals won't help anyone who thinks they need a paper guide because they don't trust the MM and change their oil every 3k. The services required are listed in the 06 manual. It just doesn't have a specific mileage stated for each service. I guess I don't get it. If you don't follow the MM or the paper guide, you're making up your own schedule. And if you're doing that, why do you need a mileage guide if you're not going to follow it anyway?

If with my 06 I had followed the 05 maintenance guide, I would have changed the oil at 10k. My MM indicated an oil change was needed before 7.4k. I have always followed the "normal" maintenance mileage intervals in all my vehicles and have never incurred any mechanical problems whatsoever. :shades:

elroy5

I go by the severe conditions (severe applies for my driving) intervals for everything except engine oil, and transmission fluid. Each person can vary the schedule to what they think is right (at least I do). You can go by whatever schedule you want. It's written on paper, not chiseled in stone. If I lived in a high dust area, I would probably change the air filters (cabin, and engine) more often. Depends on your driving habits, and environment.

06accordx2

"So the 05 maintenance intervals won't help anyone who thinks they need a paper guide because they don't trust the MM and change their oil every 3k. "

Personally, I plan on following the 05 guide for everything except the oil change intervals. Remember, the MM is NOT just for oil change intervals, but for ALL services. I had always planned on doing oil changes every 3000- 4000 miles, but had no reference for the other services.

j25da

hello i just bought a honda accord v6 ex coupe 2003 now i had a couple of questions if anyone can answer
1/my radio light is real dim you can hardly see it. how do you adjust the brightness it does not say anywhere in the manual
2/how do i turn off the maintance required light that keeps coming on?
3/what about transmition and coolant oil how often you change this?
4/in the distributior cap it say to use oil 5/20 bacause it has 11000 miles shoulsd i use a different type of oil?and what else do i need to do to the car?

im changing the plugs and wires just beacuse the person who had the car did not do anything to the car as far as maintance its has 11000 miles and the brakes were gone and it even mess up the rotors

louisn

Most of this info is in the manual. You can get all of at the honda official website if you register your car there. BTW, the car still could be under warranty if it's a 2003. Check it out for the rotor problem. They may warranty it anyway if it only has 11,000 miles since it's only 3 yaers old. If it was less than 36 months old I would pay to have Honda dealer inspect it--may find other warranty items.

thegraduate

1/my radio light is real dim you can hardly see it. how do you adjust the brightness it does not say anywhere in the manual
2/how do i turn off the maintance required light that keeps coming on?

1: The knob that is used to reset the mileage (to the bottom right of the speedo) is also used to adjust instrument panel brightness. Turn it clockwise and it should brighten, counter-clockwise should dim it.

2: To reset the maintenance required light, look in the manual to confirm this, but it is something along the lines of: 1.)With car off and key in ignition, push the button that resets your mileage and hold it, 2.) Turn key to position II (where all the dashboard warning lights come on, but engine doesn't turn over). Hold button for 10 sec with key in this position. Remember, be holding the button the entire time. If this isn't the method, it's close to it...check a manual.

Hope that helps you out though.

j25da

im sorry i meant 110,000 thousand miles it has a lot of miles so i know is out of warranty
i would have to fix this on my own which i did. i changed the rotors and the brakes now i have to change the rear ones as well. like i said before the previous owner did not do anything to thi car the break pads were to the bear metal.
the emergency break does not work how do i adjust it?
what other maintanance do i need to do?

elroy5

If you are going to the work on your car yourself, I would suggest getting a service manual. You can get a Honda service manual directly from Helminc.com ($70). Or you can get one from Autozone, Advance, for like $20. The manual will usually pay for itself, with the first successful repair. Even when simply changing the coolant, there are certain procedures to follow. It's not as simple as drain, and fill. You may even be able to change your own timing belt, which is due at 105,000 miles, if I'm not mistaken. Of course, you have to have tools, and some mechanical inclination. Good luck

PS: The timing belt would only be on V6 models. The coolant should be changed (if it hasn't been) The brake fluid, and Auto trans fluid also.

Link: http://www.helminc.com/helm/search_service_owner.asp?Style=&class%5F2=AHM&mscsid- - - =J176309T1V269H8WQNKBMU255V8GABED

cookster

Hello all,

I have a 2004 Accord LX sedan. When driving over bumps or cracks in the road the wheel covers make a rattling noise.
I have had the dealer look at this problem and they have no solution. I have looked at some newer Accords and the wheel cover seem to fit tighter on the wheels.

Thanks.

wren67

Hi!

I have a 2004 v6 Accord Coup and for the last 1 1/2 months I have had intermittent starting problems. Honda dealer has checked it out twice and says my car is in perfect condition and even had the nerve to ask me if I was pushing the clutch in all the way. Anyway, what is happening is the car does not turn over at all like the battery is dead, except that all the other power in the car is fine and the battery checks out fine. I asked them to check the clutch to make sure it was engaging correctly, and they also checked the starter, alt, battery, everything imaginable. Eventually, the car always starts in 15 min up to a couple hours, but it sounds rougher than when I bought it and the clutch is looser too. The car only has 24,000 miles. I'm getting really frustrated because no one seems to know whats up and it is so random and intermittent (5 times in 1 1/2 months) that I get all comfortable and think its over and there it goes and lets me down again. I also have an aftermarket alarm system - the Silencer, but Honda says they ruled that out as a problem too! So, if anyone can help? I saw alot of problems with the 2003 Honda on here, but none of the start problems seem to exactly match mine.

One other thing, related or not? My check engine light comes on and stays on between 1/4 and 1/8 tank of gas. It goes off if the low gas light comes on, but also stays off if I keep the gas above a 1/4 tank??? Weird, right?!? :sick:

blane

wren67,

You may want to have another shop try to diagnose your problem.

user777

the check engine light = you want the thing diagnosed when the tank gets to 1/4th. maybe you have some emissions related problem with the gas cap, the tank vent or charcoal condensor (or whatever they use to reclaim unburnt vapors).

i think your clutch needs adjustment myself.

agree with blane - i'd seek out another dealership.

htt

I experienced the exact problem with my '04 EX V6. I took it into a Honda dealer this morning. A service guy looked at it and called me and said that he just needed to tighten and lube the suspension. He also said that the problem was obvious. I drove the car for about 15 minutes and tried to hear the noise but it seems gone for good.

robgrave

Just an update on the brake dust problem. It isn't so much of a problem after the first 100 miles or so; at least, in my own experience, after 500 miles, there is very little dust to deal with. Just new pads, I guess.

Robgrave

j25da

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE FEEDBACK.
NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THE RADIO THE DIMNEST DOES NOT WORK FOR THE RADIO AND IS STILL DIM, WHAT CAN I DO TO FIX IT YOU CAN HARDLY SEE THE SCREEN.ANY SUGGESTIONS?
AND WHATS THE BEST BRAND TO TREAT LEATHER FROM BREAKING OR CRAKING?
HOW DOES THE ALRM FOR THE ACCORD WORKS?SHOULD I GET AN ADDITIONAL ONE LIKE LOJACK ANYONE RECOMEND?

elroy5

The radio display going out is a common problem. The entire system has to be changed (can't just change the light). Many people have gotten Honda to good-will the repair, even if the warranty has run out. Just tell the dealer you know it is a common problem, and you don't think you should have to pay for the replacement. Honda says to use "Saddle Soap" to clean the seats (don't remember seeing anything about protecting it though). Does your car have the immobilizer system? If so, I wouldn't think you need another alarm. Hope this helps, good luck

kcrossley

When should I perform my first oil change? Many years ago manufacturers recommended changing the oil after a few thousand miles, but I'm sure times have changed.

Also, should I use traditional or synthetic oil? Are all brands the same?

Thanks,
Kelly

louisn

IMO, a good regular oil is fine if you don't go over 4000 miles between changes- after that syn would be beneficial. Mobil One is a very highly rated syn and is standard on many top of the line cars. BTW, there is something in the 2006 manual about not doing your first change too early-some say it's a special break-in oil. :confuse: I'm following the oil maintenance monitor unless it's way off IMO.

kcrossley

Good info. Thanks you.

emc1

I purchased this car in December 2004 and first noticed the pinging in late Spring of 2005 when the weather warmed up a little. I hear this whenever the car is under any load... accelerating from a stop, going up an incline, passing another vehicle. My local Honda dealer first recommended using premium gas. This didn't help at all, nor did switching brands of gas. btw, I have always used one of three national brands. The dealer has also checked the timing. Any thoughts on what could be causing this.

tallman1

For leather, Leather Master, Lexol, and the stuff from Griot's Garage works the best. There's a forum on here about interior and exterior cleaning and maintenance that might help you more.

kcrossley

Can you post a link to that page?

tallman1

It's in Maintenance then Interior. Here's the link: Interiors

daveturner

I had a problem with my 2004 Accord where my coolant level was dropping every week for a couple weeks and last week it was only slightly above the Min mark. When I finally decided to buy a bottle Honda coolant at my Honda dealership to bring it back up to the Max line, I noticed that the coolant resevoir cap was not twisted in (it was just left loose)--I think the last time my car got serviced the mechanic forgot to put the coolant resevoir cap back on (otherwise how else could the cap been twisted out?).

Anyways, I think that might have been the cause of my coolant dropping every week--probably evaporation since the coolant could escape. Does anyone think any damage might have been done because the coolant resevoir cap was left open for a few weeks?

louisn

Car was built in November of 2005--Bought it on July 19th. Oil is obviously over 6 months old yet only 500 miles on car. 2006 V-6 6 speed. Any thoughts on when to change the oil? I'm leaning toward November of 2006 even if I have less than 3750 miles on the car since that's 1 year from build date no matter how low the mileage or should I do it sooner?

elroy5

Seems like a good compromise to me. On one hand, you want to leave the break-in oil in there until the 7,500 mile interval. On the other hand, you don't want to leave it in there forever. Is this mileage (500) from mostly short trips (less than 5 miles)? If it is, moisture is building up in your oil (not a good thing).

alyk

Quick question guys... i have a 2003 accord 4cyl LX AUTO w/ about 86,500 miles on it, in the manual i could not find anything for a timing belt on a 4 cylinder (it does mention it under the 6cyl model), however when i called the dealer they told me that i do. Does anyone know if there is any truth to that?

I thought i had a timing chain?... as far as maintance, all i have done is syntetic oil every 5-6k miles, and trans service and radiator flush, anything else i need to do to keep this thing running like new??

Thanks in advance.!!!

thegraduate

I think it IS a timing chain on the 4-cylinder. Keep up with maintenance in the manual, and you should be fine. It sounds like you are doing a fine job with it. You didn't mention air filter changes or tire rotations; I'm assuming you do those regularly? (I do tire rotations every 6,000 miles and air filters at 30k miles).

vhreb123

When I first got my 06 Accord I noticed the engine coolant was about 4/5 full. Now it's only about 280 miles later (460 miles total-it already had 180 miles on the car when I bought it because the dealer had to trade)and I checked the engine coolant level. There's only about 1/5 to 1/6 left.

I don't really push the engine much. I try as much as possible to stay below 3000 RPM. I acclerate slowly. I don't stop sudden. I slowly apply the brakes about 0-75 feet from the stoplight. I rarely go above 70mph on the freeway.

I do all this to break the engine in gently and to drive more fuel efficently.

Is the low engine coolant in my car normal or do I have to go to the Honda dealership to add some more?

djm2

Take this vehicle back to the selling dealer. Document the loss of engine coolant. Have the cooling system pressure tested for leaks. If you are loosing coolant, it is going somewhere! ---- Best regards. ----- Dwayne :shades: :sick:

alyk

Sure do.... actually am on my forth set of tires (i got screwed by firestone on my 2nd and 3rd set) ... so now im on goodyear triplethred's... and airfilters are up to date... in cabin and engine.

Thanks Again....

alyk

J8dygirl

hopefully your still keeping up with this thread, but i had a similar problem with honda quality, i had some issues with my honda regarding brakes, i was able to get them to throw in a 6yr/ 100k warranty, if the wont then.. LEMON LAW.. your car should be on the way to qualifying.

cavalier858

2006 Accord V-6 coupe automatic. Purchased with 5K miles now at 11K. Time for an oil change. Perhaps I used the wrong size 6 point metric socket, 17mm. Anyway the counterclockwise removal technique resulted in a rounded off hex head plug. Did the dealer over tighten the plug or did I use the wrong socket?

elroy5

The oil pan plug should only be torqued at 35ft.lbs. That's not very much for that size bolt. You can probably get it out with a vise-grip (and maybe the tap of a hammer ). Find out for sure if you used the right size socket. I have had some Craftsman sockets before, with the wrong size stamped on them. The socket should not be loose on the bolt (no wiggle at all). If the drain plug is torqued too much, it will usually strip the threads in the pan. So that leads me to believe you either had the wrong size socket, or the socket was not all the way on the bolt.

p100

I do not think that torquing to 35 ft-lbs is such a great idea. This seems like a high torque for the drain plug. The most important thing about the drain plug is that the drain plug washer or gasket seals properly. The bolt should be tighened only until snug. This is not a structural friction connection: again, the plug merely serves to plug the hole and keep the gasket or washer compressed to prevent oil leakage.

I have seen people strip aluminum oil pan threads on motorcycles when they adhered to factory recommended torque spec. Even steel pan threads can be damaged with 35 ft-lbs torque. For comparison, wheel lug-nuts are torqued to about 80 ft-lbs on a typical compact sedan.

desertmom99

I have a 2005 4-cyl Accord Coupe which is at the dealer now. Apparently the fuel pump was not seated correctly in the gas tank and has cracked and I had been inhaling raw gasoline fumes. Has anyone heard of this happening before? Is this something that could have slowly been leaking over time until it cracked to the point where the smell was really noticeable? Is this something that might affect other parts of the engine/transmission/vehicle in the long-term? Hopefully, this won't have long-term effects on me physically!

The Honda dealership has assured me that they are having their master technician go over the car from top to bottom to make sure that everything else is working as it should be.

What type of documentation should I be asking for (in case I need to use it in the future)? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Lea

pat123

I have honda accord se 2006. It is mentioned that it has fuel tank capacity of 17.1 gallons. But i cant fill more than 12-12.5 gallons after i get orange light on empty indicator. So does this car have 5 gallons of fuel after the light is displayed which i doubt...

any ideas?

Mr_Shiftright

badly dented fuel tank?

imidazol97

I'd suspect the electrical gauge is off or the arm on the float isn't working correctly. It's an 06 so it's in warranty. Sounds like a dealer problem to me.

thegraduate

The orange light should come on closer to 13.5-14 gallons, not 12. It does come on earlier than several cars though.