Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

thegraduate

Does the amount of vibration change with the A/C being on or not? I can always feel "something" in the steering wheel, but its not nearly as noticeable as my 96 is when at idle.

Your car is so new, if you feel like it, go to the dealer in a free minute and have them check it out.

fated

Thanks, this is very informative. I didn't have the AC on, but brakes were in D and front wheels were cocked for a turn.

fated

thegraduate,

do you think the dealer will take a look at my car for free? I wanted to take it in to see if there's any easy way/product to fix the scratches. I scratched my car again yesterday against the stone poles in our garage, very badly this time.

stickguy

do yourself a favor, and wrap them in some kind of foam. You can actually buy a product designed for this application, but you can also use generic stuff from home depot.

bquan

My 2003 coupe got a crack in the windshield from a rock. The crack is starting to extend and I am going to get it replaced. AAA will not replace my windshield with a Honda brand windshield unless I pay the difference. AAA contacted a non network company that I requested. The company called me back and told me I could get a OEE windshield covered by AAA. Their rep told me this Glass is made by APtech (i think) and it is used by Honda for their OEM glass. She said you might even be able to see teh Honda imprint where it used to be. I told the rep I would think about it. I thought this maybe the rejects that Honda doesn't like and they scrape off the HOnda name. Any thought if I should go for this other brand of glass? Do you think that an OEE glass is bad to go with?

qbrozen

its just glass, not a mechanical part. I wouldn't worry about where it comes from, personally.

scottmt

Thanks. This is one of two problems that I am having. dealer thinks it is a bad spring in the clutch. Since you seem to be very knowledgeable on Honda's, let me ask you: I have a new 06 Ex-L 4cyl manual (obviously) and have been diappointed with a vibration I feel at 70mph. The vibration is not radical - but feels more like a pulsation. Dealer has looked at the rotors (no issues) and rebalanced the tires and this did not help. I have been told that the Birdgestone tires on this car may be the problem. Others have said the vibration could be a motor mount adjustment issue. This is my 3rd Accord 4cyl-manual and I have never felt anything like this. Any thoughts?

Thx...

thegraduate

I certainly think so, since your car is essentially brand new and under warranty. Our friend that responded to your post about vibration was correct, however. The car will be in sort of a strain when the engine's idling, the brakes are applied, the A/C is on, and the power steering pump is working hard to keep the wheel turned to the left. That even makes my headlights dim very slightly in my 1996 Accord (maybe to 97% of originial brightness, not much, but you get the idea). I wouldn't worry about it, but if you want, take it to the dealer. It is their job to address issues for free within your warranty period.

Also, depending on the size of the pole (we have small metal poles in our garage) could you wrap the pole in some pipe-insulation foam (like we did)?

user777

i have an '02 I4, and with the AC on and the vehicle in D with the brakes on, there is a tiny amount of vibration felt and heard. i would think the V6 would have less than the I4.

tell the service writer at your dealership you feel the idle vibration may be high and let them tend to it. you may have an engine mount that needs adjustment or something.

mrbill1957

I paid close attention to my 04 EX-L I4 on the way to work today. There was only a very very slight vibration while at a stop light. The A/C really didn't add or subtract to the vibration.

I also noticed a very slight vibration at 40-45 mph when I would lightly accelerate. At that speed, the RPM's were only around 1500.

Again, the vibrations were very slight at best, nothing that seemed too excessive.

Mrbill

user777

as the AC cycles the sound may influence the perceived vibration... a cross sensory thing. but yeah, i would say vibration is expected but nothing excessive.

plethysmo

When stopped at the light, I can feel sensations through the brake pedal in time with the wipers. I am guessing it is through the hydraulic system and don't worry about it.

ray_h1

)) "I can sense my car (06 Accord) trembling while being stopped at the red lights (on D and brake). Is it something to be alarmed about?" ((

It's possible your engine idle speed is out of spec on the slow side - so a trip to the dealer to discuss the vibration may pay dividends. But, the sad fact is that inline four cylinder and V6 engines are inherently vibration prone to some degree. In the case of inline four cylinder engines, Porsche developed a clever solution, a counter-rotating "balance shaft" that removes all remaining vestiges of the characteristic mass imbalance in inline four cylinder engines, and more importantly, thoughtfully open-licensed their solution to any and all comers. Balance shafts are a fact of life on nearly all (if not all) inline 4-cyl motors over 2 liters in displacement and some of less displacement. However, even the best balance shaft designs can't account for one final source of vibration: firing pulses at idle. At the typical idle speed of ~700 rpm, the pulses in a 4-banger are just too "spread-out" to be totally elliminated from awareness. Clever engine mount tuning can come close enough for most people, but there's still one avenue for the pulses to be felt from both I4s and V6s: the steering wheel. Consider briefly that while the rubber/hydraulic engine mounts and the large rubber "biscuits" that mount the front subframe to the unitized body go a long way toward isolating engine vibrations to the cabin, the steering rack is bolted directly to the front subframe - and it merrily transmits vibrations it manages to pick up right through the steering wheel shaft directly to your hands. While only nominal, it's also impossible to completely isolate out.

fated

Just want to say THANK YOU to all the warm-hearted responders!

bestdeal3

OK, all you Honda believers , and I was one too, I have had problems with the radio display, entire radio/cd unit had to be replaced , car was not under warranty but Honda HDQ paid, I had to pay $40 (labor) for installation.
I was driving on the interstate, approx 70mph, when transmission shifted to 2nd gear !!!! Let me tell you guys how violent that was, no indication and it felt like somebody stepping on the brakes. I was so pissed because this could have been a potential serious crash. I went to the dealer and they told me the tranny was shot and it would cost me between $2-3000 to replace it because car was out of warranty. I did not except that "offer" and finally had them work out a deal with Honda, I still had to pay for labor which i didn't except either. I ended up paying $200 out of pocket, still think they should have paid for that too. I'm very dissapointed with the V6 and will not buy another Honda after this experience and aggravation with dealership. Good luck with your Honda's and I sincerely hope you will never experience what happened to me, it scared the S... out of me and every time I drive this car I'm worried it will happen again, I'm looking around for another car. Car has 80K.

elroy5

Had the recall been done on the transmission? Was the ATF changed at any time before 80k miles?

j25da

I need help. while driving between 65-70mph the tbs light comes on even do after i shuft the car off and turn it back on it comes on.
2nd the light of the engine came on or trany is just a picture does anyone know what can be?
the car drives fine and check the oil and any leak can it be a sensor.
3rd what do i tell the dealer so they can fix the radio of the car for ffree

imidazol97

elroy, you sound like you're trying to make the failure the driver's fault.

bestdeal3

Elroy, all required services were performed at the dealer where I bought the car including recalls. I don't believe in short cuts when you buy a new car so I always follow the required maintenance schedule. It maybe a little more expensive but it should prevent troubles "down the road" ........ except this time.

elroy5

I'm just trying to find out what caused the problem. What did the dealer say caused it? I really hope this doesn't happen to me. I also have a V6 auto. I have decided to change my trans fluid every 15,000 miles, as an extra precaution. I hope this is the last of your troubles with the car.

imidazol97

Elroy,
That goes against your premise of buying a Honda because they're dependable and failure-free. I don't change the trans fluid in my GMs every 15000 because I'm afraid of their failing

elroy5

I'll do what I think is best. I do my own maintenance, so I can afford to do it more often. Can you change your fluid for under $15? It's actually easier than changing the engine oil (no filter, and less mess). I also use synthetic motor oil, and change it every 3,000 miles. When you do it yourself, it's a lot cheaper. Coolant and brake fluid changes are next. I enjoy doing my own maintenance, and learning how everything works.

imidazol97

But that means the maintenance is not cheap if you feel the need for 3000 mi changes and 15000 mi changes for trans fluid. Don't you need to use Honda fluid for the tranny.

elroy5

Yes, I do use Honda fluid. It only takes 3 quarts for a change, $3.99 per quart. Actually less than $13 per change. I think most car makers service intervals are longer than they should be, to lower maintenance costs, and lowering the "true cost to own". I'm sure the dealer would charge more than $25 to change the fluid once, and I can do it myself twice, for that amount.

ray_h1

Your post brings up another point you may already be aware of. When you drain an automatic transmission, approximately half the fluid comes out. The remainder is left behind in the undrainable torque converter. (Automatics used to have a seperate drain plug screwed into the torque converter periphery so that they could be drained, too. No more - leastways in any cars I can afford.) If you're already aware of this, then you're already aware that every fourth drain and refill will effectively replace all but about 6% of the fluid (1st change ~50% old fluid left, second change ~25% old fluid left, third change ~12.5% old fluid left, fouth change ~6% left). Still, your habit is very probably frequent enough (every 60,000 miles for what's effectively close enough to a total fluid change-out) that you'll avoid the serious problems that Hondamatics have been noted for. But for those like myself, who're really anal about transmission service, we tend to go whole hog every 30,000 miles with four drains and refills in one weekend afternoon with a five mile, or so, drive to warm and thorougly mix the fluid between each drain/refill. Since Hondamatics have a really cool 3/8" square hole in the tranny drainplug that just begs for a 3/8" extension's shank*, as you pointed out, draining these boxes is a dream. Too bad refilling them through the dipstick tube is such a snail's pace process...

*Use a 1/2" breaker bar with a 1/2" to 3/8" converter to attach to the drain plug, not a puny 3/8" reversible ratchet driver, unless you look forward to hearing the sharp twang of your ratchet driver flying apart - that plug is on TIGHT from the factory. I suspect Honda uses threadlock on the tranny plug at the factory. The first time I drained the ATF, I found that a two foot length of 3/4" pipe slipped over the breaker bar handle helped "persuade" the drainplug to come to terms with me, too. When I used to changeout the ATF in my '96 Accord, I never re-attached the plug with anywhere nearly the force it took to "break" the plug loose the first time, and I always re-used the original transmission plug sealing washer. Never developed any ATF dampness in that area, let alone a leak, either.

elroy5

Your post brings up another point you may already be aware of. When you drain an automatic transmission, approximately half the fluid comes out.

Yes, I am well aware of this. Which is why I plan to change it frequently (15k miles).

Still, your habit is very probably frequent enough (every 60,000 miles for what's effectively close enough to a total fluid change-out) that you'll avoid the serious problems that Hondamatics have been noted for.

I will keep the fluid clean, whatever it takes. If I need a flush (three changes with a short drive between each change) after 30k or so miles, that's what I will do.

Use a 1/2" breaker bar with a 1/2" to 3/8" converter to attach to the drain plug, not a puny 3/8" reversible ratchet driver, unless you look forward to hearing the sharp twang of your ratchet driver flying apart - that plug is on TIGHT from the factory.

Wow, my plug was not on that tight. A 3/8" breaker bar was all I needed.

Too bad refilling them through the dipstick tube is such a snail's pace process...

There is another service hole on the top of the tranny (where the recall cooling line was installed). With the right funnel, it's real easy. I bought a service manual (great investment), that's how I found out about the service port.

user777

kudos for you for being able to do the drain and fill yourself.

i support the 30K interval also, but i'm one of those that believes the flush done by the dealer is better than the drain and fill.

if there are passages that accumulate material, a drain/fill cycle doesn't seem to me as if it would be sufficient to liberate that accumulation.

however, with the frequency of turning the fluid over, maybe that's more of a moot point.

imidazol97

>if there are passages that accumulate material, a drain/fill cycle doesn't seem to me

And how does a flush remove those "particles"?

user777

rather than gravity to drain, i presume, pressure / flow-rate through the orifices and passages.

imidazol97

During the transmission operation the pump is applying great pressure and using those passages and orifices to move the fluid. It eventually ends up in the sump and the suspended particulates precipitate.

The power flushing applies a low pressure to one end of a line from the radiator cooler. How is that better than the tranny's own pumping?

I realize power flushing has been a fad, mostly to help with boat payments for shop owners.

pathosrising

I bought my 2006 Honda Accord EX-L on aug 3rd. It has been pointed out to me that there is a burning smell when I turn the car off, I would say a burning electrical smell. I haven't ever noticed this in any other car. The oil says its still 100%, and I bought the car an hour from my house, so I'd really rather see if someone knows what this is before I drive that far away to have them inspect it.

Also, When I bought the car, on the drive home, it seemed like it really drank in the gas. I've filled up twice since I've owned the car (no, I don't drive that much..) and both times the I have only been able to put 12 or 13 gallons of gas in before it says its full. It says that the car has a 17 gallon tank, so what gives? The first time I put gas in, the gas light had even come on, because I really wanted to fill up the tank and test the gas mileage. SO really, in 3 tanks, I've gotten on average 300 miles out of them, which is kinda terrible.

Any ideas? Someone said Honda has a floating gas tank, but it floats 4 or 5 gallons difference? I'm starting to wonder exactly what I've gotten myself into.. burning smell, weird mileage, possibly a smaller tank size than normal....

nynewcar

Thanks for the help, guys. We’re going to add door edge strips, wheel locks, and mudguards, and maybe fenderwell trim - all OEM.

I’m still not quite clear on what the fenderwell trim does – does it really protect the car in some way or is it mostly for show? Maybe I will try to see it in real life, because the pix I’ve seen haven’t helped me understand.

We will skip the nose mask for now. I don’t care for how the OEM one looks and I’ve also read conflicting opinions on what happens to the car’s finish underneath the mask, whether an OEM one or one of the clear ones like the 3M product. As far as the window visors – I’ll wait with that decision for a while. We rarely drive with open windows in any case – maybe we’re just snobs who like to shut out the outside world, LOL!

Have any of you put aftermarket bumper guards on your cars? Either those strips that go just around the edge, or the ones that go along the width of the bumper? Common sense tells me they can help prevent the scuffing and scratching that invariably happens at those vulnerable corners, but then why doesn’t Honda offer them as an accessory?

ashay

I just bought a brand new 2007 Honda Accord Ex-L V6 2 days ago. And yesterday I had to bring it right back to the dealer because I heard a rattle in the back going over dips and bumps that I didn't hear during test drive. Now I find out they had to replace the whole strut assembly...on a brand new car! I am sorely disappointed in Honda. Has anyone had this problem?

mrbill1957

As far as the burning smell, it could be something on the exhaust system. Maybe a plastic bag is caught, did you have the car undercoated?

If there is a closer dealer then the one you bought the car at, you can go to any dealer for warranty work if you still feel something is wrong.

As far as the the gas tank, your gauge will indicate close to empty, and the light will come on with 3-4 gallons left. It's been that way on Accord since the '03 model.

Mrbill

elroy5

i support the 30K interval also, but i'm one of those that believes the flush done by the dealer is better than the drain and fill.

There was a post on this forum where an owner said he brought the car in and asked for a transmission flush, and the technician said that at 30,000 miles, a flush was not necessary. I think if I change out 3 quarts every 15,000 miles, the fluid will stay clean enough that I will never need a flush. It's easy to check the condition of the fluid, all you have to do is wipe the dipstick with a white paper towel (right after driving) to see what is in the fluid. In my 92 Accord owner's manual, 3 fluid changes, with a short drive between each, was considered a flush.

I don't think the fluid is being pushed or sucked through the transmission with any kind of force. It's more like a line going in, and a line going out. No real pressure is being applied.

user777

where there's no pressure differential, there's no flow

ok - you gurus know the mechanicals better than i ever will. if your putting in new, driving, draining, putting in more new, you're probably doing something very similar, and probably even saving money over what i'm doing, specially because i don't do it myself.

elroy5

The only important thing, is to keep the fluid clean. What ever it takes to do that, is good. I would like to keep it clean, without paying someone to do a flush. I'm sure I could do a lot of changes (3 quarts, and $13 dollars at a time) for it to add up to the cost of a flush. Ask yourself this... how long am I willing to leave the same fluid in the trans, before doing a flush? And how dirty will it be by then?

user777

alright, i need a way of getting under the car safely and some light.

i need an adjustable or more preferrably a socket wrench probably. i need a funnel - maybe one with a tube to refill through the dipstick. I need some Honda ATF. I need some time.

close so far?

ok, warm the tranny? how many bottles, how many drain / fills (3)? can you just outline the process for me?

maybe i'll give it a go as I'm comming up on 60K.

elroy5

Wow, you have a lot of needs. I will try to scan the page from the service manual, and post it tonight.

user777

you been talking to my wife? :surprise: i appreciate the help.

djm2

pathosrising:
The Honda Accord fuel tank holds 17 gallons. DO NOT let the tank go below 1/4!!!!!!!!! You have an electric fuel pump, that is "COOLED" buy the fuel! A low fuel level in a tank, is a "GREAT WAY" to kill an electric fuel pump!
New vehicles will always give off a "burning odor". Most of the time it is part of the exhaust system, or the paint on engine components. If you are concerned take it to your selling dealer and have it checked.
Best regards. ----- Dwayne :shades:

pathosrising

I didn't know it was bad to go below a 1/4 of a tank... Thanks for that info, and I appreciate the replies..

I guess I'm averaging around 22 miles... city driving, not too shabby....

thegraduate

As far as the "burning" smell, I also agree that it is common for the car to smell "hot" when it is new... it goes away after awhile (it wasn't really strong-smelling in the first place though).

elroy5

User777, what engine do you have? 4cyl. or V6? They have different transmissions, so the procedure is a little different.

jhinsc

The Honda Accord fuel tank holds 17 gallons. DO NOT let the tank go below 1/4!!!!!!!!! You have an electric fuel pump, that is "COOLED" buy the fuel! A low fuel level in a tank, is a "GREAT WAY" to kill an electric fuel pump!

As a rule of thumb, you don't have to be worried about running below 1/4 tank. When was the last time you heard of a Honda fuel pump going out? Many car makes have been using electric fuel pumps for years. Don't give it a second thought.

elroy5

This page is for the V6. Everything is the same, except for the I4 you have to pour the fluid in through the dipstick pipe. The hardest part will be finding the right funnel. Change the fluid once, drive around for 5 miles going through all the gears (including reverse). Change it again, and repeat the drive. Do this until the tranny fluid is clean enough for you. Page below

PS: never get under a car supported by only a jack. You must use jack stands. Safety is JOB #1.

ray_h1

Agreed. Besides, even if the pump becomes partially exposed to air, it's still drawing cool gasoline up through itself.

jack47

PS: never get under a car supported by only a jack

Or cinder blocks.

jack47

imidazol97

>Besides, even if the pump becomes partially exposed to air, it's still drawing cool gasoline up through itself.

For most pumps that's not enough. Neighbor had a lightly driven 95 car but after he inherited it from his father her drove it mostly on empty or nearly empty. Pump failed at 80k mi.

I'll be safe and keep gas in my tank.