Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

qbrozen

wow. That's rough.

Homes are expensive here, too, but services are still reasonable, relatively speaking.

oh, gas was down to $2.96 yesterday by me. Not that I'm trying to rub it in or anything.

gb2004

I bought my wife a 2003 Accord EX with about 44K miles on it (47K now). I'm concerned because she seems to spend a LOT of time in the gas station.

From fill up to yellow warning light seems gather about 265 miles. This is stop and go, big city traffic, and that is with the AC on about 50% of the time.

What kind of mileage are you guys seeing?

mcooley

Does the gas guage read full after you fill up? The tank holds 17 gallons, if you fill up will two gallons remaining in the tank that would mean that you are only getting about 17 to 18 miles per gallon. I have a 2003 accord and recently I cannot fill the tank to capacity. The tank will only hold about 9 gallons when it shows about 1/8 of a tank. In the owners manual it says "Your car has an on-board refueling vapor recovery system to help keep fuel vapors from going into the atmosphere. If the fuel pump keeps clicking off even though the tank is not full, there may be a problem with this system. Consult your dealer." I suspect you and I have the same problem. I called the dealer and told him about the problem and he said it was a new one on him. Maybe service managers should be required to read the owner's manual.

ray_h1

--"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."--

I realize this reply is to a nearly two month old post, and, furthermore, that its current relevance is probably slightly less than that of a gnat on an elephant's behind, but, Honda's factory-fill oil is a conventional blend formulated by Nippon Oil of Japan. Nippon Oil currently contracts with toll-blenders in the U.S. to provide bulk motor oil to Honda's, Toyota's, and Hyundai's U.S. assembly plants. The oil company has broken ground to build its own blending plant in Alabama - due to go online in late 2007. In Japan, Nippon Oil sells a premium oil formulation to consumers under its "EOS" (I believe that's the spelling I read in an article in Lube Report) brand, and is considering doing the same in the U.S. once their U.S. blending plant is up and running). The Honda brand motor oil sold through dealerships (as well as Toyota brand motor oil sold through Toyota dealerships) is relabled ExxonMobil-made "Superflow" - a decent, serviceable, conventional blend that's fully API "SM" and ILSAC "GF-4" certified. The advantage to buying this $2.60/qt motor oil for $3.50-$3.75/qt at Honda dealerships is the warm & fuzzy feeling of seeing "Honda" prominently displayed on the label - the "empties" are a sure way to impress refuse disposal workers on trash day (if they can read...). Of course Honda recommends their own brand in their owner's manuals - the auto company is one more link in the distribution chain. Due-ichur-selphurz, if you wanna duplicate what's available through Honda dealers, just go to K-mart for Exxon Superflow 5W-20. However, if your main concern is a good, conventional, motor oil, just buy any established national brand SM/GF-4 5W-20. Specs trump brand. As to earlier posts about switching back from full synthetic to conventional motor oil, there is NO problem*. Just don't presume that any conventional motor oil formulation is suitable for oil change intervals beyond Honda's oil-life notification light.

*That wasn't always true. Very early attempts at marketing synthetic motor oils at the consumer level (which predated the introduction of Mobil 1 oils by at least a decade and a half) were based on oddball esters used for military jet aircraft engines, and which had very limited solubility in conventional motor oil that resulted in a nasty tendency to glop up when mixed and heated. A switch required an expensive intermediate flushing when changing types. The limited content esters used in all Mobil 1 oils are fully compatible, hot and cold, with conventional motor oils, so a switch is only a routine drain and refill away when switching. For gearheads curious about the desirability of esters at all in synthetic motor oils, adjust your reading glasses: Esters bring two advantages to motor oil blends:
1> they help maintain seal pliability to elliminate the major synthetic component's (polyalphaolefins) tendency to shrink elastomeric (geek-talk for "rubbery") seals.
2> they're "polar" molecules that latch onto metal like a magnet (actually, more correctly, an electrostatic attraction). This advantage assures there're NO dry starts because every metal part exposed to motor oil contact has at least a one molecule layer of ester clinging to it regardless how long the engine has sat since last being run.
In addition to synthetic motor oils, esters are also used in so-called "high-mileage" motor oil blends for their seal conditioning advantages. Since these little buggers cling to exposed metal, potentially there's that unadvertised dry-startup advantage lurking in high-mileage oils, too. Quite a number of forumners over at BITOG have switched from conventional oils to slightly costlier high-mileage oils for that reason alone in their moderate mileage and new cars after break-in. I personally haven't, but I can appreciate the logic of doing so.

vegasproblems

My changed has filed 2 times already. All with manufactures CD's with no stickers, etc.

Once it would not play, the second time it randomly ejected Cd's for no reason. The dealer admitted the entier unit is a problem.

ray_h1

--"...The sludge problem was exacerbated by those following the Toyo-recommended long change period. Those who changed at 3000-3500 mi periods, e.g., didn't have the problem. But those doing the thousands longer (I forget the recommended mileage, but I can google for it and post it for you if you can't find it) had trouble even though they were following the Toyo guidelines..."--

7,500 miles. Toyota made some internal changes to facilitate oil drain from the upper end back to the sump and has cut back to recommended 5,000 mile OCIs. You're right - despite arguments to the contrary by a few "Honda knows best" diehards, there are legitimate arguments for more frequent OCIs in severe service operation - urban crawl, very hot or very cold weather, dusty conditions, high speed operation, towing, as well as any and all combinations of the above. Honda continues to recommend 8,000km/5,000km (5,000 mile/3,000 mile) oil and filter change intervals (normal/severe service) in their passenger cars distributed and operated in Europe, Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Australia, and New Zealand. (Are we to presume engines destined for those markets aren't as well designed and built as those for North America? Really? :confuse: (Or are the North American motor oil service recommendations simply a response to competitive market demands with minimal engineering department assurance that Honda's not likely going to have to replace bummed engines during the warranty period?)

ray_h1

--"Does anyone think any damage might have been done because the coolant resevoir cap was left open for a few weeks?"--

Nah, unless your engine overheated. (From what you posted, that doesn't sound likely.) Just keep an eye on the level in the reservoir regularly - at least once a week. Tomorrow, while the engine's cold and before you start it, carefully remove the radiator cap to check the coolant condition and level in radiator.* It should be right up to the "shelf" in the filler neck that the lower cap gasket seals against. Shine a flashlight beam into the depths. If you see bright, scale-free, core tubing metal, that's a VERY good sign of a happy cooling system. Don't forget to replace the radiator cap properly. Check the coolant level at the radiator at least four times a year. More frequently wouldn't hurt - especially in hot weather.

ray_h1

--"Ok, so I was off by 2 ft.lbs. this comes straight out of the 03-05 Accord service manual. ... It clearly states 33 lb.ft."--

You're right of course, elroy5. But 33 ft-lbs is plainly toward the upper limit or above for most cars. When I still owned my '96 Accord, the recommendation was nearly the same (32 ft-lbs), but I never tightened the oil pan drain plug beyond 18-20 ft-lbs. Never leaked, either - even re-using the same factory supplied washer over the seven years I had the car. (I bought an oil pan washer the day I dook delivery of my '96 - still got the darned thing somewhere. I s'pose had I used new washers at each 3,000 mile oil change, my Accord would've avoided getting totaled by the drunk woman in the Ford Contour who ran a red light, eh? )

(Don't get me started on the Gypie Lube oil change monkeys who tighten drain plugs with an impact wrench - and at that only after carefully cross-threading the danged things... )

ray_h1

--"Use Honda fluids only for coolant, power steering, brake fluid, and transmission fluid."--

Honda's antifreeze/coolant, PS fluid, and ATF are proprietary - the latter two are definite musts, though others have substituted other AF/Cs with fine results, too. However, brake fluids are Department of Transportation regulated for specific and consistent quality. ALL brake fluids are synthetic, too, whether they state so on the container or not. Honda brand DOT 3 brake fluid is no better than any other DOT 3 brake fluid. (It's illegal to stock and sell non-Department of Transportion rated brake fluids in the U.S., by the way.) If you want a BETTER brake fluid to handle heat and extreme driving conditions, go to a higher numeric grade. DOT 4 has a higher boiling point and typically only fifty cents/8 oz. bottle costlier. DOT 5.1 has an even higher boiling point. It's fairly pricey, though, and not always available in autoparts departments in discount department stores. They're all compatible, interchangeable and variations of polyglycol chemistry*. Do NOT use DOT 5 brake fluid. It's a silicone based fluid that requires complete flushing of the system before use. DOT 5 is NOT compatible with DOT 3, DOT 4, or DOT 5.1 fluids.

*For modelers who need an effective paint remover that won't damage most common plastics, use a polyglycol-based brake fluid. The stuff's wonderful. Not only will it quickly soften the undesired paint (once softened, an old toothbrush will remove it right down to the plastic piece's original finish without marring it), it's easily removable with running tap water due to its being a water-soluble alcohol - leaves no residue behind.

acerfan

I have a 2003 Accord V6 EX. Within the first 4000 to 5000 miles I had trouble with my brakes. Anytime I applied the brakes at above about 60 mph, the car would jitter and vibrate. To make a long story short, the rotors were turned twice and subsequently I was told the rotors were changed. This happened within the first 20,000 miles. The problem, however, never went away . I now have about 40k on the clock but the brakes still bother me. I wonder if anyone knows the solution? :confuse:

elroy5

Do you use your brakes a lot (down hills)? If you want better braking, you may want to switch to a brembo rotor (and maybe calliper) setup. I've heard good things about the "Brembo Big Brake Kit". Maybe do a search on it, and see what comes up. Good luck, solving the problem.

phillycars

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post this but I'm going to try it.
I purchased a clearance 2006 Honda Accord with Nav last night and paid $770 for a zero deductable 5 yr 100,000 mile Honda Care Warranty. They wanted to charge us over $1000 dollars for this until we pulled out prices from another dealership that were much lower. We found these on the internet. The dealer agreed to match those prices.

louisn

The 2006 powertrain warranty is 5 years 60,000 miles. May not need an extended warranty unless you drive over 12000 a year. My experience is that unless it's the original warranty period "wear and tear" is usually used by the manufacturer to avoid payments. But your price is very cheap.

elroy5

Honda OEM oil is manufactured by Mobil. I'm not sure about the blend as Honda wouldnt reveal that to their customers.

The oil Honda sells with the Honda label on it is Mobil "Clean 5,000". It's supposed to be guaranteed for at least 5,000 miles. It's about the cheapest oil you can get from Exxon/Mobil.
I use Castrol Syntec. The Honda name is also on their label.

06nighthawkv6

I realize this is dino versus synthetic but how do you like the Castrol syntec? Did you use anything different (dino or synthetic/blend) of any kind before the Syntec or on any other car and can you compare and contrast performance and gas mileage variations with Castrol syntec and whatever else you have used? I am using this Driveclean5000 right now per my first oil change-over from factory oil. I'm at about 8600 miles right now and am about to do another oil change(@ ~10k). I saw a big jug of Castrol dino 5w20 on sale for about 10 bucks at walmart. My other choice is the Driveclean7500 syntthetic blend. Is there anyway, based on what you know, you can do a compare/contrast with Castrol syntec(syn) and Driveclean5000(dino), Driveclean7500(syn blend) and/or regular Castrol 5w20(dino) in terms of performance *and* gas mileage? Is the higher price of the Castrol syntec worth it when compared to the other cheaper alternatives (Castrol dino, DC5000, DC7500)? Since I am using the DC5000 right now, what will I see different if I used the DC7500 synthetic blend. What differences will I observe if I use the Castrol Syntec versus the DC5000?? :confuse:

elroy5

There were two reasons I decided on Syntec. Mobil 1 full sythetic was way to high ($$$), and they didn't have the 5 quart gugs of 5-20 at Walmart. The 1 quart bottles would have cost me a bundle. Castrol Syntec was in the big gug, and was less expensive. I actually used Castrol dino oil for a long time. When I saw Honda recommended on the label, I decided to go with it. I change my oil every 3,000 miles, and didn't want to pay the Mobil 1 price. I'm sure the sythetic oil would last longer than 3k miles, but I've noticed the oil (in the V6 engine) gets dirty pretty quick, and I want my oil to stay as clean as possible.

I am by no means and oil specialist. That's just what I decided on. You make your own choice.

elroy5

Oh, and that would be jug, not gug. Was in a hurry, and didn't have time for corrections.

ray_h1

--"I've noticed the oil (in the V6 engine) gets dirty pretty quick, and I want my oil to stay as clean as possible."--

Without getting too technical, a few thoughts about early motor oil darkening:

1> Certain additives in motor oil darken the first time the oil is brought up to engine normal running temperature. The color change has no effect on how their chemistry works.

2> All internal combustion piston engines produce varying amounts of combustion by-products in the form of soot, acids, and other partially oxidized "insolubles". This junk is either harmlessly expelled through the exhaust system or "blown" past the piston rings straight into the sump. The detergent/dispersant additives do a good job of neutralizing the junk harmlessly in suspension. Were it not for these specific additives, the junk would gradually clump into larger particles, stick solidly to bare metal parts, and form the gritty component of sludge. (Some is trapped by the oil filter - but not all. And since the formation of this crud is ongoing, it can only continue to increase in amount throughout the chosen oil-use interval despite the oil filter's best efforts.)

In other words, a fresh change of oil that darkens quickly isn't evidence that the oil is poor quality. The color change is actually evidence that the oil's additive package is doing its job.

(There are motor oils that will not darken perceptably in use. They go under the API classification of "SA" and "SB". "SA" has NO detergent additive - it's straight, unadditized mineral oil fresh from the refinery. "SB" has a very minimal amount of detergent additive. Until recently, WalMart in my area continued to stock this garbage for low-income/unsophisticates who are convinced that "SA" must be better than "SL" or "SM"... This stuff can result in visible sludging in approximately 4,000 miles. But, at least it remains pretty on the dipstick while the engine's going into critical meltdown.)

elroy5

Thanks for the information. Glad to know it's not just my engine, that makes the oil dirty faster. However, I will still change my oil every 3,000 miles. Just for my own peace of mind.

thegraduate

by the way, as someone else stated, that oil change price is about $11-$12 too high.

Our Honda dealer charges $26.

Maybe yoribe's was for a "full service" oil change and not the "economy?"

My oil change is always $21.95 + tax, unless I go with the "Full Service" Oil Change, in which belts and hoses are inspected, and something else (I can't remember) is done on top of normal. I usually don't do this (i inspect things myself), but before I take the car on trips I will have the full service done. It costs about $35.

user777

i think when you have oil service, the belts and hoses and more are supposed to be inspected. full vs. partial service at a dealership?

chevymalibu

Has anyone changed their plugs yet? I've got 38K and want to change them. I'm sure some will say buy the plugs at the dealer. I checked adv auto and they're expensive (mostly 4-6 bucks each with the cheap ones at a buck or so). I checked autozone and they have bosch platinum for 2.29 and 2.59 for plat autolites. I can go longer but like to change everything sooner then recommended to keep it running for a long time.

If anyone has changed them, what did you use? thanks

chevymalibu

I've used only castrol dino 5W-20 with different oil filters. Have 38K and only used castrol. Was looking at mobil clean 5000 but can only find in 5W-30 for my camry but haven't seen the 20 wt anywhere. I usually buy the best dino brands but have changed to store brands once 150K have clicked off. If you go to cartalk.com, they'll say synthetics (full and blend) aren't needed if you change 3K intervals. I usually change 2750 to 3000 now.

qbrozen

changing plugs at 38k these days is FAR FAR sooner than recommended. I haven't checked the specific recommendations for your car, but most vehicles are 100k miles these days. And, honestly, changing plugs sooner won't make a difference in terms of the car's longevity.

Just my .02.

drive2005

Have 2006 Graphite Gray Accord, LX. Have been having a very hard time getting rid of water spots. Any suggestions

thegraduate

I have the graphite pearl also.


All I can say is to wax the car, it will make the car's surface smoother and therefore a little easier to hand-dry the car when you wash it. If you do the drive-thru car wash thing, still wax it, and just drive it quickly (above 50 MPH) right afterwards; the water will blow off.

Also, Meguiar's (sp?) has something called "Detail Mist" I believe; I use it sometimes. It will eliminate your water spots and make your car's paint look especially vibrant. It is good for in-between waxings.

thegrad

thegraduate

I have the graphite pearl also.



All I can say is to wax the car, it will make the car's surface smoother and therefore a little easier to hand-dry the car when you wash it. If you do the drive-thru car wash thing, still wax it, and just drive it quickly (above 50 MPH) right afterwards; the water will blow off.

Also, Meguiar's (sp?) has something called "Detail Mist" I believe; I use it sometimes. It will eliminate your water spots and make your car's paint look especially vibrant. It is good for in-between waxings.

thegrad

elroy5

Sometimes the water where you wash your car is very hard, and if you wash it in the sun, or when the paint is hot, it can leave terrible water spots.
I can not wash my car at home (very bad water, 40 year old pipes).
What I do is go to the nearest car wash, then hurry home to hand dry. (I must look like a nut swerving side to side on the road home, to get most of the water to come out of the cracks).
I started using the new ICE synthetic liquid polish from Turtle wax. And the spray detail also. It doesn't last as long as say Nu-finish does, but you don't get all the white dust either (the white dust is terrible on a black car). The new ICE polish is the easiest thing I have tried, to apply and remove. The best thing is, no white dust.

mamamia2

My wife's '05 Accord has a 6-CD changer. It worked flawlessly for the past year, till my daughter inserted a CD she took from our village's library. Now the CD changer is dead, all 6 CDs are stuck there, none would play, none would eject, nothing.

The service manager told me this morning he gets lots of those problems, and also told me the SAME exact problems happens with a few other cars equipped with the 6-CD changer, BUT ALSO WITH THE SINGLE CD PLAYER!

Our library uses a plastic tape to attach some kind of a code to the CD. The problem is -- ANYTHING attached to the top surface of the CD adds to the THICKNESS of the CD, and since the 6-CD changer (and even the single CD player) is very tightly made, anything that adds, even a very thin layer to the CD -- causes it to get stuck.

So now we have to wait a week for a replacement unit, get to our Honda service to take the old unit out, so they can send it to Honda, wait about SIX WEEKS for them to disassemble the unit and get those stuck CDs back to us....

Hope we all learn a lesson............... Don't insert any CD to your player unless it's a commercial CD, or, if burnt -- marked with a marker, NEVER WITH ANY STICKER/LABEL -- NOTHING that adds to the CD's thickness!!!

mrbill1957

Is Honda going to cover it under warranty?

Sounds like your library needs to be notified what can happen with their labeling system.

Mrbill

elroy5

Has anyone changed their plugs yet?

You should not have to change the plugs for a long time (up to 100k miles). If you do decide to change them. Go with Honda original equipment. Either NGK or Denso. I think you can get them from Advance.

chevymalibu

yeah, I like NGK or Denso's. used them in my old plymouth champ and two 1994 camrys. I agree with both of you that 38K is early but they say in the manual for my '05 camry that the trans fluid doesn't have to be changed ever unless it's under "severe" condition beyond normal everyday driving. I've dumped my trans fluid 2x already in the accord(can't say it was dark and probably didn't need to do it but the trans experts say to do it way more often than recommended). Changed the antifreeze too. Gives me something to do on weekends and peace of mind. Now I think the air filter says 15K or so and I changed mine at 25K as it still had life in it. thanks for the comments.

chevymalibu

My 2004 accord now is 2 years and 3 months old. I'm not sure what kind of battery is in the car (5 yr, 7 yr??). I know my two 1004 camry batteries died at 3 years and 3 months each.

Has anyone's battery died yet from the 2003 year? Just wondering how long I can expect honda's battery to last cause it's in my wife's car and I'm not always around to bail her out if it would strand her. thanks in advance.

ananch4003

We are making a decision whether to buy a Accord LX 06 or Camry LE 07. We have heard that Camry 07 has problems with transmission. Any bad experience with Accord LX 06 on transmission or anyting?

Any other suggestions on buying an Accord LX 06 would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ray_h1

Your warranty supplement booklet will define the OEM battery warranty. I suspect OEM batteries are warranted for 3 years, with free replacement limited to the first year or two. The only Honda I owned was a '96 Accord. It came with a Delco battery. That battery finally tanked in late 2001 - 5 1/2+ years after I took delivery. I don't know whether Honda's since changed battery suppliers. My current car, a 3 1/2 year old Sonata came with a "Delkor" battery. Except for the lack of a green hydrometer "eye" (green - "good", black - recharging necessary or start shopping for a new battery), it looks identical to Delco batteries which makes me wonder whether "Delkor" is an acronym for "Delco" and "Korea".

ray_h1

Automatic transmissions have been problematic for Honda, too, in the past. The company's most recent troubles resulted in an NHTSA recall over second gear pinions overheating that resulted in seizures/breakage and coming to an unintended, screeching halt. Honda has re-engineered the troublesome pieces and provided for enhanced cooling of them. I believe 2003 was the first model year the changes were applied to all new production. If you go ahead with an Accord purchase, make darned sure you NEVER allow anyone to use anything other than Honda "Z-1" transmission fluid for top-up or service fill. A lot of independent transmission shops like to use inexpensive DEXRON III* fluid along with a ten ounce bottle of a "compatibility" product that they say makes a Hondamatic shift just like it has Honda fluid in it. "Shifting like" and "protecting like" over the long term are two entirely different matters.

*There's nothing at all wrong with DEXRON ATF. But, it's specifically formulated for use in GM transmissions, not Honda transmissions.

mamamia2

Is Honda going to cover it under warranty? -- I Asked the same question, and my service manager said yes.... Hope he's right...

Sounds like your library needs to be notified what can happen with their labeling system. -- Yes, I have to call them anyhow, to let them know they're not gonna see that CD for a while (asking them not to charge me late fees also...)... And I'll let them know of the problem, though I don't believe they'll do much... Changing all those THOUSANDS of CDs? Who will pay them? Honda?...

mamamia2

Both cars are good, reputable cars. But there is one thing that would make me hesitant of buying the 07 Camry -- it being a NEW model.... You always take a chance with a new model. Just as the first Accord of the current generation (03) had some problems with the transmission....

Otherwise, you need to TEST DRIVE BOTH CARS EXTENSIVELY, and judge for yourself, they are DIFFERENT cars. The Accord is a more SPORTY car, stiffer and less refined than the softer, smoother Camry.

fated

Hi all,

This is my first car so please don't laugh at my silly questions. I have been studying the manual but couldn't find the answer so I hope that someone more experienced here would be able to help. Here are my questions, and the model I have is Accord Ex-L:

1. Is there a way to turn on the fan/vent without turning on the AC? The only way I am doing it now is to push the Auto button. If I press the AC button to turn off the AC, the fan will turn off as well...

2. Is there a way for the display to display the time when everything else is off, AC, radio, etc? What happened was I pressed the OFF button next to Auto to shut down the Climate Control System, and then I pressed the Audio/Power button to turn off the radio. Then the whole display was turned off/blank. The time was not even displayed. I was wondering if there is a way to have the time always displayed with nothing else on.

Thanks in advance for any help!

thegraduate

I'm assuming you have the NAVI system?

fated

Sorry I wasn't clear before: I don't have NAVI. Thanks!

hondaguy06

We recently bought a 2006 Honda Accord VP. We have about 2,000 miles on it. Ever since we got it we have been experiencing a clunk when we shift from reverse to drive. (It clunks when going into gear) I am wondering if this could be a bad transmission and if we should get it looked at by the dealer, or is this a commmon problem. It shifts fine in normal driving.

mrbill1957

IF the library does anything, hopefully at least they will put up a warning sign.

My guess is this isn't just a Honda problem, it could effect any CD changer or player. My bet is all it takes is one label to curl, and when it does, and it's accessed, it jams the changer making the whole thing unusable.

Mrbill

tallman1

I probably won't be of much help since I have Navi in my car but you should be able to use the AC manually, in other words, without the Auto button. I can turn the AC off manually on my Navi screen and then select the fan speed. I'm sure you must be able to set the AC manually on your Accord as well.

I didn't know the the clock could ever be turned off. I'll have to check that on my car.

On another note, I do miss the old Accord clock that allowed you to press a bar under the clock that would display the time even if you didn't have a key in the ignition.

fated

Thanks, tallman1. I know the AC button can be used to turn on the AC -- but if the AC is on and the fan speed is set, is there a way to turn off the AC while still having the fan on so that there is some ventilation in the car?

Thanks!

tallman1

As I said, I can do that on mine. The Navi screen shows three things: AC on/off buttons, vent controls (feet only, upper vents only, etc), and fan speed. I can press the AC off, choose where I want the airflow and choose fan speed.

Someone, like thegraduate, who doesn't have the Navi will be able to give you more specific info for your car.

thegraduate

oh! that clears things up.

You should be able to run the fan w/o the AC on. With the system on Auto, push the A/C button. I'd assume it would cut off the compressor, like it did with our Odyssey. You are saying that's not the case? If it's not, I got nuthin!

tallman, normally I'd be able to help, lest you forget, I have the cloth EX. No Auto Climate Control for me. I slum around with my manual controls, lol. I'm not an expert on the Accord's Dual A.C.C., but I've driven two Odyssey's with the system (our 2000 model was single zone, my aunt's 2005 is dual) and it works by just clicking the A/C button.

stickguy

I have the same car. I tmight be the auto setting casuing you problems.

Try this: with the system off, push the fan speed up arrrow button. This will turn on the AC (not in auto mode). Then, push the AC button so the display says AC off. The fan should still be on. You can change the temp and fan speed too.

Not sure about the clock, but it would also never occur to me to turn off the radio! I will look at this next time I drive it, but I think you are right, when the display is off, you lose the clock.

tallman1

Ah, yes... I wasn't thinking about the auto AC causing the issue.

fated

Thanks guys. thegraduate, could you check the clock to see if it "disappears" with everything off? thanks.