sorry ez, can't compare to OEM because the tires being replaced weren't OEM. They were quieter than the tires I replaced but also nearly twice as expensive. I think the grip is better than the Energy so the Exalto may be a tad bit louder, but this is just a guess. Nonetheless, I still think you should start that Exalto tire fund!
Thanks for the input. I mean the car will generate big noise and vibration when I did the following procedure.
1. Start the car 2. Change the tranny to "R" and the hand brake is still on 3. Change the tranny back to "P". 4. Stop the engine or not 5. Change the tranny to "R" and the noise and vibration is coming at the same time.
I test drove 4 Accords today: 1 V-6 coupe and 3 V-6 sedans. The coupe was wonderful to drive except I don't fit in the bolstered seats too well.
However all three sedans had very noticable vibrations in the steering wheel and in the cabin. It was most noticeable about 65 MPH. Is this bacause they sat for 20-30 days while the coupe had only been there 5 days? Would this go away with time and is it normal? It lessened a little bit during the drive but was still there at the end. The dealer said they would do an alignment/balance during pre-delivery if necessary, but I don't want to buy a new car that vibrates like that.
I have driven two other makes that had been on the lot and noticed it on those cars as well.
Is this something to be concerned about when buying a new car or is it just a phase?
Make sure the tire pressure is at 35 PSI or so. Most cars come from the factory overinflated (into the 40s), and therefore the ride suffers.
By vibration, could you be more specific? Did the steering wheel vibrate, or was it the whole car? Was it barely noticeable, or shaking the rear-view mirror it was so bad?
Did you ever drive it on a smooth road? Did ti vibrate then too?
Not trying to be difficult, but the more info we have, the better idea we might have of knowing about a problem or not.
The steering wheel was where it was most noticeable, but I could also feel it with my foot that was on the floor at the start of the test drive (when it was worst). It was immediately noticeable to me, about the amount as if I was shivering.
While the road was not particularly smooth, the difference between a coupe and a sedan was noticeable on the same road, mostly because the virbration was exactly regular. There was much less vibration in my rental (Dodge Caliper) when I left the dealership for work in my rental along the same stretch of highway.
Maybe it was all in my imagination, but I don't think so.
I have an 03 Coupe and the bolstered seats still do not fit well after 60K. I was so disappointed in them that I went to dealerships and sat in several coupes and sedans. Most did not have the stiff vertical bolsters. If you like the Coupe otherwise, keep on trying and you might find one without the stiff bolsters.
So....I took the car back to the dealer today and as expected the service department "could not duplicate the noise". This isn't "my" dealer just the one I bought the car at. They claim to have driven the car 3 times and not heard a thing. As soon as I got in the car and put in drive THUD (3 times before I was off the lot)! So I will just make the hour drive north to Rick Justice Meridian. The service manager there said to call him a day in advance and he would take a ride with me to figure out what is going on.
I've noticed that the thud is more pronounced when turning and moving at a slow speed (e.g. pulling into a parking space). It was so loud today when I was parking that I thought I hit something.
I must say that the service department here is subpar. I didn't even know where to go to give them my keys. There was no service counter or anything! For the past 4 years I have been going to Rick Justice(phenomenal service dept) eventhough I moved an hour away 3 years ago! After I bought a new car 2 weeks ago I thought it was pointless to drive an hour out of my way just to have it serviced. Looks like I will be making that hour drive for all needed service from now on.
I have the same problem as xprsuslf. Radio display light went out over the weekend on my '04 Accord. I have 38.5k miles on the car, and therefore beyond the warranty. Honda service guy said the entire radio needs to be replaced, and is checking with Honda to see if it will cover part or all of the cost. I'm not optimistic.
Anyone have any success on this situation? Thanks.
I suggest you do a Google search on the radio display problem. There are many people (one guy had 80k miles) who have had the radio replaced at no charge. Tell the service manager you know that the problem is common, and you don't think you should have to pay for a repair on a "defective" part. Panasonic must be picking up the tab on these. They don't want to loose Honda's business. I have an 03 Accord, but my display has not gone out, yet. Good luck
My only experience with flat spots is with my Tacoma truck. I rarely drive it anymore, so it may sit for months between drives. The last time I noticed the vibration, it took a few hours of driving before the tires felt normal.
I don't know if some tires are more susceptible to flat spots or not, or if it takes longer for them to disappear on some tires more then others. All I can say is with my experience, the flat spots do go away.
That sounds logical. Honda may purposely over inflate the tires knowing that the car may sit a while before it's sold. The dealer prep that I'm guessing is only done once the car is sold hopefully should readjust the tires at that time. If a car is taken off the lot and test driven, it wouldn't have received the dealer prep, hence the over inflated tires.
The mystery of the over inflated tires in new cars is finally solved LOL
Adjusting the in-transit overinflation down to factory recommendations doesn't always happen during new-car prep prior to delivery to the customer, either. I doubt the guys who make up the prep teams are well represented by the dealership's sharpest techs...
(Note to roundandround - insist on the delaership re-balancing all four tires as a condition of purchase. It is possible one or more tires, though new, are defective, too.)
Thanks for your advice. The dealer said Honda will pick up the full tab for a radio replacement. One-time goodwill with a 12 mo/12k mile warranty. Replacement would have cost $2,000! I'm appreciative of the decision, but wary that the same problem will reoccur down the road, if the new radio is engineered the same as the current one. I sure hope that Honda has changed the way the radio and display light are integrated.
The problem may never happen again. My display in my 03 Accord has not gone out yet (knock on wood). Glad you didn't have to pay. This is why Honda has so many repeat customers. If they know it is a common problem, they will usually work with the customer, even when the warranty has run out. Happy Hondaing.
hello. the same thing just happened yesterday to my 2003 honda accord V6 EX. I have 82,000 miles on it. My problem is that I am stationed in England and the Honda Accords in Europe are actually Acura TSX's so I doubt that the Honda dealer here can help. I see on E-Bay that someone is offering to fix the light problem for $99 if you remove the radio and send it to them...that might be an option. If anyone knows of any other options please post a reply. Thanks.
Ive gone through honda service 10000x;s and my window creak hasn't gone away. When I drive I hear creaking noises from the drivers window. Drives me nuts and honda service seems to not be able to fix it. Anyone else experience this?
Took the service manager for a ride today, and he said he has never heard the noise before so has no idea what it may be. He couldn't get to it today but says he will check the service bulletins and call a field engineer if neccesary to try to figure it out. I am driving back up for the holiday to drop it off, so I will see what happens then.
On a different note, how do you guys care for your leather seats? I wear jeans everyday and my driver's seat bottom now has a blue hue. So it looks like I am going to need a product that can be used fairly often. Any ideas?
creaking or rubbing? the door latch can be adjusted a certain amount. if there's rubbing, applying their special lubricant to the rubber seal may be helpful.
otherwise, maybe another dealership.
actually - this is something if it were happening to me to consult the collision repair department at the dealership since they are likely to be more in-tune with noises like this and sources of creaks and rattles.
)) "On a different note, how do you guys care for your leather seats?" ((
If you've a mind to, you can pay over $20.00 for less than 5 oz. of boutique liquid leather care products - and they're undoubtedly good. But, bang for buck, I've always been pleased with the results of saddle soap since I was advised of its cleaning and protective qualities by some motorcycle buffs who use it for their leather riding attire. It's available under various brand names and usually comes in a tin similar to that of shoe polish. (Liquid versions are also available.) In use it requires a wet cloth to work a lather up from the open can that's worked into the leather followed by a buff down with a clean dry cloth. Brush or vacuum up loose grime first though to prevent it scoring the surface of the leather. (If you work up a sweat, you're working way too hard!) The ingredients are basic common sense leather cleaning and preservative chemistry: a small amount of gentle, fine soap to lift worked-in dirt and surface staining (Deep stains will be a problem for any leather cleaning product. Never use chlorine bleach on leather.), lanolin and glycerin as depth emollients, and a very small amount of wax to seal the pores of the hides to contain the emollients between sessions and retard future depth staining. Nominally a paste, it's a very soft paste. Twice a year is generally all that's necessary, though there's nothing in the stuff that would be damaging to fine leather if you feel compelled to use it more often. If you want a shiny lustre to your leather, go somewhere else because saddle soap ain't gonna do it - no silicones, no synthetic polymers. But saddle soap does leave leather supple and fights cracking as well or better than any other leather care product if used regularly. It's available online but the traditional brick and motar sources are tack shops (sadleries) and feed stores - basically anywhere equine enthusiasts and ranchers would go for saddles or livestock supplies. (They'll happily take money from city slickers who wouldn't know a stirrup from a horse pucky, too...) A $5.00 tin of saddle soap will probably last several years. I just recently scored an extra tin of Kiwi saddle soap on closeout for $1.69 for 3 oz. (shoe polish size tin), but usually it'll be priced $3.00-$5.00 depending on the amount in the tin and what the manufacturer thinks he can get away with. My 3 1/2 week shy of four year old Sonata's leather upholstery is still just as pristine as the day I drove the car off the lot, but much more supple. (When new, that leather felt more like stiff paper - they must grow some tough cows in Korea. Hate to think what the steaks were like...)
WOW ray, thanks! I just don't want to damage the leather. I have had the car about 3 weeks now and the the blue hue is noticeable (or at least to me) so all things being equal, this will be a recurring issue. I am going to give saddle soap a shot though and see what happens.
I have yet to hear of a dealer fix. My dealer had the nerve to print out "no known remedy" on my service receipt. I intend to try again before my warantee expires soon. I have smeared silicone plumbers grease on the seals and actually squirted powdered graphite inside of them as the tech suggested, with mixed results. The first dealership expressed surprise at this problem "that they had never encountered". The second dealership, the service manager said that all the accords had creaking windows, including his own coupe, and silicone is the only remedy. He pinpointed the contact of the top innner lip of the window with the hard plastic seal.He actually shoed me rub marks on my car. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a problem with my '03 Accord EX. I started to hear a noise in my front passenger side wheel well. The noise occurrs when I make a left turn and continues as I drive straight through the turn. It sounds like a seasaw or some kind of metal on metal squealing. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
I've been seeing the exact same problem with my 04 EX-L. I've been since treating the seats with Lexol, and the staining has lessened with every application. I didn't want to over work the finish on the leather, and I've had recommendations from a few friends that drive classic cars to try Lexol. The staining seemed to disappear after 2-3 applications over a years time.
Mine is a 2004 4dr, having the same problem. My dealer blamed it on the cold weather, which is not true, as the noise happens in summer as well. If the cold weather nonsense is true, Honda is using cheap materials which won't stand cold weather. Sounds like no fix on this problem. I gave it up, and I gave up Honda at the same time.
I posted the fix for this problem a couple years ago with my 03EXV6. If you can find a rubber insulator, cut it into a string and stuff it into the window run channel. The string runs from the side mirror to the upper corner of the window. The thickness of the string is about 3/16 inch. The width is big enough to fit into the channel. You won't hear the window creaking noise again. And it may even make the interior quieter.
I don't think it has anything to do with the weather. I think the window run channel is a bit wide for the window glass. When the car runs over a rough road, the glass vibrates in the channel and causes the noise.
I think the window run channel is a bit wide for the window glass.
Many of the previous generation Accords had very tight run channels, and as a result window regulator and motor problems. I for one like that the channels are loose now. Of course I may feel different if my windows start rattling.
I recall but cant find that thread. I had tried a few items such as thin rubber windshield washer tubing in the run channel. What was the material that you refer to as a"rubber insulator"?
I tried foam tape for window insulation purpose. It did not work. Please please tell us what exactly is the "rubber insulation" you're using, and where we can get it from. Much much appreciated.
I have a problem with my 06 EX-V6 drivers door. It creaks, but only if I rest my arm on the door panel or armrest. I don't even have to put any weight on it, just barely set my arm on it and it starts squeaking! The annoying sound seems to come from rear part of the door. I mentioned it when I was in for service last. They took off the door panel and reinstalled, then lubricated the door seal with a sticky silicone goop. Didn't do any good. They did tell me if it's still acting up, they will order a new door panel next time I report it. I'll just wait until my next service appointment to bring it up again.
The one I used is a foam (soft rubber) vibration dampener. You can use any soft foam so that when the window goes up, the glass pushes into the foam and stays firm. The result is when the car runs over a rough road, there is no vibration and no noise. The water pipe foam insulator might do the job.
P.S. Do this fix if the noise happens only when the window is all the way up.
My honda accord 03 led display also just went out. This sucks. Thank you for the advice. I will try the dealer first if not successful, I will try HOA. man I cross my fingers on this and hope they will good will it as you say, I do not want to spend money if it is a common problem.
Make sure you let them know you are well aware that this is a common problem, and that you are also aware of many goodwill repairs that Honda has done; you may even want to mention the fact that you follow forums like this and are aware of several owners with this problem that had the expenses covered by Honda.
Happy Thanksgiving!!! I have been happy with my Accord for 3 1/2 years. I have averaged 30 mpg. I was disappointed my Michelins wore thin so early and needed replacing before Winter. I went with their Pilot Exaltas for better traction, but my mileage appears to have suffered a little or it might be winter gasoline. I, too, have noticed a vibration in my passenger door between the speaker and the door handle. I appreciate the information in silencing this nusiance. I anxiously await the 2008 Accord for the 2007 Camry is a pretty impressive car, having just won Motor Trend's "Car of the Year." How will Honda deal with this challenging foe? Happy Holidays. Enjoy the turkey, ham, oysters, and sweet potatoe pie.
Anyone know how to remove the drivers side Tail Light?? I have removed every nut and screw I could find but still can't get it off. I removed the three nuts in the trunk and the screw under the bumper. Please Help need to replace busted tail light.
I feel your pain! I have a 04 Honda Coupe V6 and the Radio A/C LED display just went out. Everything works fine and no blown fuses. HOA will look at it tomorrow. I'm almost out of warranty. I had a ACURA TSX with the same problem a year ago. They had to replace the whole unit under warranty. Looks to be a common problem but not sure what's causing the failure.
The only other problem experienced with the Coupe was the driver side seat rails. The seat would slip forward when braking and stopping. HOA replaced the rails and the seat does not slip at all.
I have gone to the dealer 3x's with no fix. Who can I contact to take this issue further? Its such a big inconvenience to take the car to the shop and I find that I have to turn the radio up or get a headache listening to the window creak.
03 Honda Sedan V6- Just happened to me about 45K miles now and the LCD went dark. HOA is ordering me a new radio for the fix. Don't have to pay the aftermarket warr. ded. of $50.00. They said about 500 have been replaced already. So honda will eat this one even though no official recall has been made. **If you get desperate let the sun hit it and you can still barely read it or bring a flashlight.** No other problems to report. :shades:
I'm sure Panasonic is picking up the cost of the radio on this one (they made the radio). Honda is probably only out the labor costs. Panasonic certainly doesn't want to lose Honda's business.
Fortunately for me, my door only creaks when I have my arm resting on it. I've noticed too since the weather is now much cooler that it doesn't creak as much as it did during the summer heat, when it started. I suspect the door panel is what's causing the noise and I'm going to have the dealer order a replacement at the next service appointment. If they give me a hard time about it, I'll remind them that my service experience will be a factor in leasing another Honda at the end of my 3 year lease - of which I have another 2 yr left.
I just bought an air filter (Purolator A25503) for my 04 Accord EX 4 Cyl thinking it would be a piece of cake to change. Upon opening the hood it looks like I need to take out four screws to get to the air filter box. I have a concern with one of the back screws... it's down deep out of the way and although unscrewing it would be easy, getting it back in looks a little tricky. I'm worried that if the screw drops and gets lodged somewhere that could cause bigger problems.
So I guess my question is, should I take this into my dealer and ask them to replace the filter? Will they say no because I did not buy the filter from them? How much do you think they'll charge?
Or should I just go ahead and try replacing it on my own?
Don't worry about the screws, they are a captive type that stay with the cover. When you loosen the screws, you might need to use a socket and extensions, (8mm I think) cause they were very tight the first time on my 04 EX-L. As you lift the cover, you will need to push it towards the engine as you lift to clear the fender. You have to push sort of hard to flex the ductwork, but it will clear the fender and give you good access to the filter.
Comments
1. Start the car
2. Change the tranny to "R" and the hand brake is still on
3. Change the tranny back to "P".
4. Stop the engine or not
5. Change the tranny to "R" and the noise and vibration is coming at the same time.
The coupe was wonderful to drive except I don't fit in the bolstered seats too well.
However all three sedans had very noticable vibrations in the steering wheel and in the cabin. It was most noticeable about 65 MPH. Is this bacause they sat for 20-30 days while the coupe had only been there 5 days? Would this go away with time and is it normal? It lessened a little bit during the drive but was still there at the end. The dealer said they would do an alignment/balance during pre-delivery if necessary, but I don't want to buy a new car that vibrates like that.
I have driven two other makes that had been on the lot and noticed it on those cars as well.
Is this something to be concerned about when buying a new car or is it just a phase?
By vibration, could you be more specific? Did the steering wheel vibrate, or was it the whole car? Was it barely noticeable, or shaking the rear-view mirror it was so bad?
Did you ever drive it on a smooth road? Did ti vibrate then too?
Not trying to be difficult, but the more info we have, the better idea we might have of knowing about a problem or not.
While the road was not particularly smooth, the difference between a coupe and a sedan was noticeable on the same road, mostly because the virbration was exactly regular. There was much less vibration in my rental (Dodge Caliper) when I left the dealership for work in my rental along the same stretch of highway.
Maybe it was all in my imagination, but I don't think so.
I've noticed that the thud is more pronounced when turning and moving at a slow speed (e.g. pulling into a parking space). It was so loud today when I was parking that I thought I hit something.
I must say that the service department here is subpar. I didn't even know where to go to give them my keys. There was no service counter or anything! For the past 4 years I have been going to Rick Justice(phenomenal service dept) eventhough I moved an hour away 3 years ago! After I bought a new car 2 weeks ago I thought it was pointless to drive an hour out of my way just to have it serviced. Looks like I will be making that hour drive for all needed service from now on.
Mrbill
Anyone have any success on this situation? Thanks.
Jim
I don't know if some tires are more susceptible to flat spots or not, or if it takes longer for them to disappear on some tires more then others. All I can say is with my experience, the flat spots do go away.
Mrbill
The mystery of the over inflated tires in new cars is finally solved LOL
Mrbill
(Note to roundandround - insist on the delaership re-balancing all four tires as a condition of purchase. It is possible one or more tires, though new, are defective, too.)
On a different note, how do you guys care for your leather seats? I wear jeans everyday and my driver's seat bottom now has a blue hue. So it looks like I am going to need a product that can be used fairly often. Any ideas?
otherwise, maybe another dealership.
actually - this is something if it were happening to me to consult the collision repair department at the dealership since they are likely to be more in-tune with noises like this and sources of creaks and rattles.
If you've a mind to, you can pay over $20.00 for less than 5 oz. of boutique liquid leather care products - and they're undoubtedly good. But, bang for buck, I've always been pleased with the results of saddle soap since I was advised of its cleaning and protective qualities by some motorcycle buffs who use it for their leather riding attire. It's available under various brand names and usually comes in a tin similar to that of shoe polish. (Liquid versions are also available.) In use it requires a wet cloth to work a lather up from the open can that's worked into the leather followed by a buff down with a clean dry cloth. Brush or vacuum up loose grime first though to prevent it scoring the surface of the leather. (If you work up a sweat, you're working way too hard!) The ingredients are basic common sense leather cleaning and preservative chemistry: a small amount of gentle, fine soap to lift worked-in dirt and surface staining (Deep stains will be a problem for any leather cleaning product. Never use chlorine bleach on leather.), lanolin and glycerin as depth emollients, and a very small amount of wax to seal the pores of the hides to contain the emollients between sessions and retard future depth staining. Nominally a paste, it's a very soft paste. Twice a year is generally all that's necessary, though there's nothing in the stuff that would be damaging to fine leather if you feel compelled to use it more often. If you want a shiny lustre to your leather, go somewhere else because saddle soap ain't gonna do it - no silicones, no synthetic polymers. But saddle soap does leave leather supple and fights cracking as well or better than any other leather care product if used regularly. It's available online but the traditional brick and motar sources are tack shops (sadleries) and feed stores - basically anywhere equine enthusiasts and ranchers would go for saddles or livestock supplies. (They'll happily take money from city slickers who wouldn't know a stirrup from a horse pucky, too...) A $5.00 tin of saddle soap will probably last several years. I just recently scored an extra tin of Kiwi saddle soap on closeout for $1.69 for 3 oz. (shoe polish size tin), but usually it'll be priced $3.00-$5.00 depending on the amount in the tin and what the manufacturer thinks he can get away with. My 3 1/2 week shy of four year old Sonata's leather upholstery is still just as pristine as the day I drove the car off the lot, but much more supple. (When new, that leather felt more like stiff paper - they must grow some tough cows in Korea. Hate to think what the steaks were like...)
Mrbill
03EXV6.
If you can find a rubber insulator, cut it into a string and
stuff it into the window run channel. The string runs from
the side mirror to the upper corner of the window.
The thickness of the string is about 3/16 inch. The width is big enough to fit into the channel.
You won't hear the window creaking noise again. And it may even make the interior quieter.
I think the window run channel is a bit wide for the window
glass. When the car runs over a rough road, the glass vibrates in the channel and causes the noise.
Many of the previous generation Accords had very tight run channels, and as a result window regulator and motor problems. I for one like that the channels are loose now. Of course I may feel different if my windows start rattling.
Second test drive vibration was reduced.
Also had nitrogen (?) put in the tires over normal air.
Turns out it was mostly the interstate's fault. Pretty smooth on my normal route to work. Now to find a comfortable driving position...
Please please tell us what exactly is the "rubber insulation" you're using, and where we can get it from.
Much much appreciated.
You can use any soft foam so that when the window goes up,
the glass pushes into the foam and stays firm. The result
is when the car runs over a rough road, there is no
vibration and no noise.
The water pipe foam insulator might do the job.
P.S. Do this fix if the noise happens only when the
window is all the way up.
May I ask what your mileage is?
I have been happy with my Accord for 3 1/2 years. I have averaged 30 mpg. I was disappointed my Michelins wore thin so early and needed replacing before Winter. I went with their Pilot Exaltas for better traction, but my mileage appears to have suffered a little or it might be winter gasoline. I, too, have noticed a vibration in my passenger door between the speaker and the door handle. I appreciate the information in silencing this nusiance.
I anxiously await the 2008 Accord for the 2007 Camry is a pretty impressive car, having just won Motor Trend's "Car of the Year." How will Honda deal with this challenging foe?
Happy Holidays. Enjoy the turkey, ham, oysters, and sweet potatoe pie.
The only other problem experienced with the Coupe was the driver side seat rails. The seat would slip forward when braking and stopping. HOA replaced the rails and the seat does not slip at all.
Hope this helps.
....hopefully 5, it's the winter gasolina......
...saving my Naval Reserve $$$ for those very same A/S tires
...did you buy them because of Tire Rack's great reviews?
..let me encourage you to post additional info on these....
..ez..
So I guess my question is, should I take this into my dealer and ask them to replace the filter? Will they say no because I did not buy the filter from them? How much do you think they'll charge?
Or should I just go ahead and try replacing it on my own?
Good luck,
Mrbill